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Beginnings: Pregnancy, Childbirth and Beyond Beginnings: Pregnancy, Childbirth and Beyond series.
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Beginnings: Pregnancy, Childbirth and Beyond

Friday

At 7 Days, Egyptian Babies Mark First Rite Of Passage

Israa Saad Diab lifts the cover from her son Hamza's face, while her husband, Ibrahim Muhammad, watches, after the traditional Sebou ceremony in Mansoura, Egypt, on May 27. Holly Pickett for NPR hide caption

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Holly Pickett for NPR

Culture And Traditions

At 7 Days, Egyptian Babies Mark First Rite Of Passage

In Egypt, families hold a ritual called the Sebou to formally acknowledge their baby to the world. The tradition dates back to the Pharaonic times. But since the revolution earlier this year, which affected the economy, the ceremonies have been tempered.

At 7 Days, Egyptian Babies Mark First Rite Of Passage

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Songs For The Delivery Room: One Woman's Playlist

Alison MacAdam with her son, Abe, about eight months after she put this mix to use. Courtesy of the MacAdam family hide caption

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Courtesy of the MacAdam family

Culture And Traditions

Songs For The Delivery Room: One Woman's Playlist

Given the chance to make a soundtrack for one of life's most profound moments, a beat was a must.

Songs For The Delivery Room: One Woman's Playlist

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Wednesday

Egalite For Bebe? France's Free Child Clinics At Risk

Dr. Sandrine Courtial examines 3.5-month-old Ayline Alhas at the Centre de Protection Maternelle et Infantile (PMI) in Savigny-sur-Orge, France, before giving her a vaccination. Ayline's mother, Melissa, has been bringing her in for free well-child check-ups since her birth. Olivier Pascaud for NPR hide caption

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Olivier Pascaud for NPR

Pregnancy And Childbirth: Business And Economics

Egalite For Bebe? France's Free Child Clinics At Risk

KQED

In France, public health clinics have offered free services for all parents and kids, including vaccinations and classes on healthy nutrition, since 1945. The system has been credited with getting French children off to a remarkably healthy start. Now it's being threatened by economic woes and immigration pressures.

Egalite For Bebe? France's Free Child Clinics At Risk

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Monday

Opinion

Culture And Traditions

Circumcision: Rite Faces Modern Concerns

While the majority of Jewish parents still opt to circumcise their boys, a small but growing number are wavering. The stories of two families show the conflict between the power of tradition and creeping doubts about the necessity of the ritual.

Circumcision: Rite Faces Modern Concerns

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Friday

Born In The USA? This Blanket Might Look Familiar

Zac and Penny Johnson's son Henry is 4, but they still have his hospital blanket in a box with other keepsakes. Zac remembers bringing one of these blankets home to their dog Daisy to smell, in anticipation of Henry's homecoming. Andrea Hsu/NPR hide caption

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Andrea Hsu/NPR

Pregnancy And Childbirth: Business And Economics

Born In The USA? This Blanket Might Look Familiar

Medline makes the white flannel blanket with pink and blue stripes used in hospital delivery rooms across the country. The company has produced close to 25 million of the blankets since 1980 alone.

Born In The USA? This Blanket Might Look Familiar

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Wrapped In Memories: Baby's First Blanket

Last week, NPR asked for photos of newborns with the pink-and-blue-striped flannel blanket. We received close to 2,000 photos, from almost every state in the U.S. NPR hide caption

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NPR

Wrapped In Memories: Baby's First Blanket

In hospitals across the U.S,, newborn babies are swaddled in the same pink-and-blue-striped flannel blanket at birth. We asked you for photos of your babies in this blanket and received an amazing response: close to 2,000 of them from 45 states and the District of Columbia.

Want To Be A Macho, Macho Man? Be A Daddy
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Opinion

Want To Be A Macho, Macho Man? Be A Daddy

Some new fathers may fear the loss of manhood when their first baby comes along. Author Po Bronson had similar doubts. But he soon realized that it wasn't until the birth of his son that his journey into adulthood really started.

Want To Be A Macho, Macho Man? Be A Daddy

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Wednesday

For Chinese Moms, Birth Means 30 Days In Pajamas

New parents Wu Lili (left) and Mo Shiwei hold their 29-day-old baby boy. The new mom is staying at the Weige center in Beijing, which provides luxury accommodation and 24-hour nursing staff to woman who are participating in the Chinese tradition of "sitting the month." Andrea Hsu/NPR hide caption

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Andrea Hsu/NPR

All Things Considered

For Chinese Moms, Birth Means 30 Days In Pajamas

The age-old tradition known as "sitting the month" has strict rules. New moms are not allowed to shower, eat raw vegetables or drink cold water. Still, there are some modern twists: Wealthy mothers are paying to stay in luxury confinement centers with round-the-clock supervision from nurses.

For Chinese Moms, Birth Means 30 Days In Pajamas

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Tuesday

Opinion

Science And Medicine

Later In Life, Pregnancy Becomes A Numbers Game

At 38, All Things Considered producer Melissa Gray had a less than 10 percent chance of natural conception. When she got pregnant, doctors said her baby had a 1-in-66 chance of chromosomal disorders. Not only was he that 1 in 66, he had an abnormality so rare, there weren't any numbers to predict it.

Later In Life, Pregnancy Becomes A Numbers Game

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Monday

Doctors To Pregnant Women: Wait At Least 39 Weeks

A rendering of a 36-week fetus in the womb. Photo Researchers hide caption

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Photo Researchers

Science And Medicine

Doctors To Pregnant Women: Wait At Least 39 Weeks

A full-term pregnancy lasts 40 weeks, but some women are now electing to deliver two or three weeks early. Even though 37 weeks is still considered full term, studies show that babies born even a few weeks too early are at greater risk for health problems than those who are born later.

Doctors To Pregnant Women: Wait At Least 39 Weeks

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Friday

SIDS: Many Deaths No Longer A Mystery

Many cases once thought to be sudden infant death syndrome are now believed to be accidents caused by unsafe sleep practices. The image above shows a crib with a teddy bear and bumper — items the American Academy of Pediatrics warns against putting in your baby's crib. iStockphoto.com hide caption

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iStockphoto.com

Science And Medicine

SIDS: Many Deaths No Longer A Mystery

For years, little was known about why babies died suddenly and unexpectedly in their sleep. But now, many of these deaths are believed to be preventable accidents caused by unsafe sleep practices. That's led some to question whether the term sudden infant death syndrome is still relevant.

SIDS: Many Deaths No Longer A Mystery

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Wednesday

Group Prenatal Care: Strength In Numbers

Midwife Ana Luisa Ralston talks with Rosa Lainez (right) and Andrea Lopez about issues related to their upcoming deliveries during the Group Prenatal Care class at the Upper Cardozo Health Center in Washington. Here, Ralston demonstrates a position to assume during labor. Coburn Dukehart/NPR hide caption

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Coburn Dukehart/NPR

Science And Medicine

Group Prenatal Care: Strength In Numbers

In a growing trend called centering, a group of women meet for collective medical visits throughout their pregnancies, getting advice from professionals and each other on things like nutrition, postpartum depression and breast-feeding. The goal: putting health care in the patients' hands.

Group Prenatal Care: Strength In Numbers

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Monday

A Prenatal Surgery For Spina Bifida Comes Of Age

Surgical fellow Pablo Laje (left) and Dr. Scott Adzick finish prenatal surgery on Sarah White. Her fetus has spina bifida — a hole in the lower back that exposes the spinal cord. Jane Greenhalgh/NPR hide caption

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Jane Greenhalgh/NPR

Science And Medicine

A Prenatal Surgery For Spina Bifida Comes Of Age

Spina bifida, a spinal cord defect, affects about 1,500 U.S. pregnancies each year. Just this year, surgery to correct this birth defect while the fetus is still in the womb has moved past the experimental phase. While the surgery doesn't guarantee a perfect outcome, sometimes the results are truly amazing.

A Prenatal Surgery For Spina Bifida Comes Of Age

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Friday

Science And Medicine

Why Black Women, Infants Lag In Birth Outcomes

Across the country, black women fare worse than white women in almost every aspect of reproductive health. And black infants are more than twice as likely as white infants to die before their first birthdays. States like Delaware are spending millions to improve those odds.

Why Black Women, Infants Lag In Birth Outcomes

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Wednesday