Pregnancy & Childbirth

Planning For My Natural Delivery

by Guest Blogger October 3, 2012

by Rachel Loza Rachel is an Akron blogger at It’s a Hero. She and “baby L” are {future} patients of Summa Akron City Hospital where Rachel is planning to deliver in a couple days. Follow her on Twitter @ItsAHero. I have a type-A personality through and through. If something can be planned, by all means, [...]

7 comments Read more

Can I Exercise if I’m Pregnant?

by Guest Blogger September 27, 2012

YES! Exercise has been shown to be beneficial throughout pregnancy. Benefits include decrease in backaches, constipation, bloating and swelling. Additionally, regular exercise has been shown to prevent or treat diabetes that develops during pregnancy, especially in those women with a BMI (body mass index) greater than 33. Exercise also boosts your mood and energy level [...]

1 comment Read more

What to Eat When You’re Expecting

by Guest Blogger August 22, 2012

Healthy foods are the cornerstone of pregnancy nutrition. After all, the food you eat is your baby’s only source of nutrition. Here’s help on making every bite count. The basic principles of a healthy non-pregnant diet apply to pregnancy as well – eat plenty of fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains and lean proteins. However, [...]

0 comments Read more

Prenatal Drug Abuse Can Include Prescriptions

by Guest Blogger August 9, 2012

Pregnancy is joyful time in many mothers’ lives. A mom anticipates her baby’s arrival and enjoys many indescribable moments: feeling the baby’s first movements, hearing the baby’s heartbeat, and seeing those first ultrasound pictures. It is also a time for the future mother to begin caring for her baby. Prenatal care is incredibly important. Regular [...]

0 comments Read more

Women and Alcohol: How Much is Too Much?

by Guest Blogger January 18, 2012

As we rang in the New Year just a few short weeks ago, there were likely many celebrations involving alcohol. I think we would all agree that New Year’s Eve is one of the most iconic times associated with alcohol consumption for most women. But how much is too much? And are you at risk [...]

1 comment Read more

Q&A: Who Are Today’s Midwives?

by Guest Blogger May 19, 2011

The meaning of the word “midwife” is “with woman.” The term goes back to the Dark Ages, when births were attended in the home by local women with no formal training. For some, this long history has clouded the modern definition. However, today’s certified nurse midwives are highly trained and educated. So, who are today’s [...]

0 comments Read more

Baby’s First Text Message

by Dr. von Gruenigen April 14, 2011

If there’s a pregnant lady in your life, get ready to email her this one. This week Summa launched a free educational text messaging program for moms-to-be. The service delivers weekly health-related messages based on a woman’s due date and stage of pregnancy. (Imagine: “At week 25, your baby is now the size of an [...]

0 comments Read more

Moms-To-Be: Why Quality Matters for You and Your Baby

by Guest Blogger March 8, 2011

As an excited, soon-to-be mom (just a few weeks!) I plan to deliver my baby at Summa Akron City Hospital. Before I tell you why, I should let you know I’m an employee of Summa Health System. In fact, I’m a registered nurse and I work in the division of women’s services. Because of my [...]

1 comment Read more

Moms-to-Be: ”Eating for Two” Doesn’t Mean Eating Twice as Much

by Dr. von Gruenigen December 8, 2010

I was recently interviewed for a story about obesity and pregnancy, which is one of the biggest concerns of ob-gyns today. In the article I talk about the fact that a key concern for obese women is higher complications in their pregnancies. But, pregnancy also can be a ”teachable moment” when women are more open to [...]

0 comments Read more

Behind the Scenes with Our Perinatal Team

by Guest Blogger November 4, 2010

Obstetrics is a medical specialty dealing with the care of women and their babies during pregnancy. Perinatal is the time period immediately before, during and after birth. At Summa Akron City Hospital, one of our focuses is on quality care, and for women that includes quality care in obstetrics and perinatal. We are all familiar [...]

0 comments Read more

← Previous Entries