The discovery that you're carrying a child inside you brings along a range of emotions. For about 5 to 20 percent of women, those emotions include a fear of childbirth.

Pregnant women need sufficient amounts of iron, which is included in most prenatal vitamins. But like many supplements, taking too much iron can have negative side effects.

Research is uncovering more and more about possible health risks to babies if their mothers are obese during pregnancy. Another one for the list: being born with low iron levels.

What puts women at risk of pregnancy problems? Lots of factors, including illness, obesity and stress. A recent finding says that a type of antibody is also a risk factor.

There are several vaccines pregnant women are advised to get and several others they should avoid while pregnant. The flu vaccine is one pregnant women should consider.

One consideration in undergoing in vitro fertilization ( IVF ) treatment to have a baby is how many embryos to transfer into a woman's womb at once. One? Two? Three?

Women are advised to give up lots of vices during pregnancy, however coffee is generally viewed as safe. But should they pass on their morning cup of coffee as well? The evidence has generally been limited and mixed.

In the midst of all the tests and check-ups that women undergo during their pregnancies, women may want to ensure that their thyroid is tested early in pregnancy, or even before they become pregnant.

It's no surprise that smoking is harmful to a pregnant woman's fetus. But smoking can also increase the risk of a woman experiencing a dangerous kind of pregnancy in the first place.

Among the various things pregnant women generally should avoid is changing kitty litter, which may seem oddly random in a list with alcohol, undercooked meat, soft cheeses and smoking.