Health Conditions / Sexual and Reproductive Health / Pregnancy

The Office on Women’s Health (OWH) recommends the following guidelines for optimal effectiveness: Take Plan B One-Step or a generic version of Plan B as soon as possible, within three days (72 hours) after unprotected sex. For the two-dose generic version of Plan B, which is called Next Choice, take one pill ASAP within three days and the second pill 12 hours afterward.It’s important to note that emergency contraception is intended to protect against pregnancy after a single act of penetrative penis-in-vagina sex. That means if you have unprotected sex, take Plan B, and then have unprotected sex again, you will need to take Plan B again.Does Plan B have side effects?Plan B and other emergency contraceptive pills are safe ways to prevent pregnancy. “The progesterone-like hormone in these pills is something we’ve used for a long time, and when people have studied what happens in individuals who use several repeat doses, it’s been shown to be safe,” Jessica W. Kiley, MD, MPH, an associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine, tells SELF.The potential short-term side effects associated with Plan B usually aren’t any more serious than you might experience during PMS or a stomach bug. Per the OWH, some people may experience headaches, abdominal pain, fatigue, dizziness, nausea, or breast pain. Plan B can also affect the timing of your next period. And, according to Planned Parenthood, “there have been no reports of serious problems out of the millions of people who’ve taken it.”How do I know if Plan B worked?Some spotting can happen after you take an emergency contraceptive pill, and your next period may be irregular. The timing of your next period after taking emergency contraception varies. Andrea Henkel, MD, an obstetrics and gynecology physician at Stanford Children’s Health, tells SELF it’s normal to get your period a bit earlier or later after you take emergency contraception, and that your period may be longer or shorter than normal. “With either, if you are more than a week late, you should take a pregnancy test, because this much of a delay may represent an early pregnancy,” Dr. Henkel says.Can I take Plan B if I take birth control pills?The short answer: yes. Many people use Plan B and other emergency contraception pills as backup forms of protection if they forget to take their daily pill—but you don’t need to double up. “If using your method as prescribed, there is no need to take emergency contraception as a ‘back up,’” Dr. Henkel says. (If you’re on birth control pills and forgot to take them consistently, it might be time to consider a long-acting reversible contraceptive method instead, like the birth control implant or an IUD.)You can also continue using your preferred method of birth control as prescribed after using Plan B. (If you are using Ella, the prescription morning-after pill, then Dr. Henkel advises waiting five days prior to restarting a hormonal contraceptive method, like combination birth control pills, as they may interact with the emergency contraception.)Will Plan B make it hard for me to get pregnant later on?Some people worry that taking Plan B will decrease their chances of getting pregnant intentionally later on, but never fear: Before you google “can Plan B make you infertile,” the answer is definitely not. According to the World Health Organization, “Drugs used for emergency contraception do not harm future fertility,” and there’s also no delay in returning to fertility after using Plan B.So take heart: There’s no need to panic if you’re facing the prospect of unintended pregnancy. Plan B or other emergency contraceptives are safe and effective—and can help you handle what happens next.Related:

Red flags pregnant people should watch out for include vision changes, upper abdominal pain, and persistent or unusual headache, Dr. Penfield says. The CDC also notes that swelling of the hands or face, trouble breathing, heavy vaginal bleeding or discharge, and overwhelming tiredness are signs that you should see your doctor ASAP.A number of health conditions can be caught and addressed through blood pressure screenings throughout the pregnancy and postpartum periods, Dr. Goje says, explaining that monitoring blood pressure can alert doctors to gestational hypertension, which occurs when you only have high blood pressure during pregnancy; preeclampsia, which occurs when a pregnant person’s blood pressure suddenly spikes; and eclampsia, which is a potential consequence of preeclampsia and can cause seizures. Making regular blood pressure screenings the standard of care may help reduce the disparity between Black and white maternal deaths, Dr. Goje says. This is because routine blood pressure measurements wouldn’t be dismissed by doctors, whereas health complaints from Black pregnant people are sometimes ignored due to their doctors’ racist biases. “Depending on the setting, some patients feel unheard, but when you have your blood pressure measured, this is an objective measurement” of one aspect of your health, she explains. “A provider should see the measurements and act on [them].”The new recommendations also draw attention to the prevalence of telehealth appointments, which, Dr. Goje explains, is an important topic, given how popular virtual visits became during the pandemic. Some people at major hospitals may be able to take blood pressure cuffs home with them to use throughout their pregnancies and after giving birth, including during telehealth appointments, she  says. In these cases, telehealth visits may work, since the provider can watch their patient take their blood pressure and assess whether it’s getting higher. But if a person doesn’t have access to a blood pressure cuff they can use at home, telehealth visits may not cut it, Dr. Goje says. The new recommendations say more research needs to be done to determine how pregnant people and their doctors can utilize telehealth technology without skipping over vital screenings, like blood pressure checks.What else needs to be done to address the maternal mortality crisis?Regular blood pressure checks aren’t the only interventions that need to be instituted to keep pregnant people safe. Addressing the maternal mortality crisis—and the fact that it disproportionately affects Black people—would mean making significant changes to our current health care system, Dr. Goje says.For starters, it would help if all health care personnel who come into contact with pregnant people receive implicit bias training. According to the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP), implicit bias is “pervasive” in the health care industry, and it often harms patients.In addition to training programs that address implicit bias, making sure Black people have access to other community care workers, such as doulas—trained professionals who provide educational, physical, and emotional support and care during pregnancy and childbirth—could also help. That way, if a person feels their voice isn’t heard, their doula (or someone in a similar role) could help them create a birth plan, serve as an advocate, and communicate their concerns to the doctor. “Health care systems are adding more levels of care to our [pregnant] patients [because] evidence supports having a multilevel approach,” Dr. Goje says.Ultimately, she explains, the new screenings are one step forward within a complex systemic problem that requires our attention: People who work in health care, alongside our lawmakers, need to do much more work to truly reduce Black maternal mortality. This includes collecting more data, providing resources for maternal mental health, and extending Medicaid services to ensure that pregnant people get the support they need during and after childbirth. “There are a lot of racial disparities,” Dr. Goje stresses, “and bringing back [the conversation around] blood pressure in pregnancy is important.”Related:

There are plenty of body changes to anticipate during pregnancy—a growing belly chief among them, of course. But…a growing nose? According to some people who have been pregnant, it can be a baffling side effect. And it’s causing lots of chatter on social media, thanks to a slew of people posting before-and-after photos of their “pregnancy nose” on TikTok.In one video that’s received more than 44,000 likes, TikTok user @mamba.basa shared a “before” photo, noting that she thought she would look “so cute” during pregnancy. The video then flips to a second photo, in which her face (and nose) look a bit different. The caption reads, “look at the size of my nose already… #pregnancynose.” “My face got so swollen toward the end of my pregnancy,” fellow TikTok user @alexajoelenejacobson said in a video. She also shared a photo of her face “exactly a month” before she gave birth, with the caveat that the changes she experienced were not from weight gain. “This was from just purely swelling and all the water I was retaining,” she said. “My nose feels like it’s a whole inch wider. My face felt so tight.” Of course, TikTok is packed with questionable health claims, so it’s understandable to have some doubts. Here’s the deal, according to experts.Turns out, “pregnancy nose” is a real possibility. If you’re talking to a doctor, they may call it “pregnancy rhinitis.” There isn’t a ton of research out there about this side effect, but one 2013 study found that 39% of the 117 pregnant people who participated in the research experienced it. Another older paper defines pregnancy rhinitis as “nasal congestion in the last six or more weeks of pregnancy, without other signs of respiratory tract infection and with no known allergic cause”—but the appearance of your nose may change at any point in pregnancy, Christine Greves, MD, a board-certified ob-gyn at the Winnie Palmer Hospital for Women & Babies in Orlando, tells SELF. For example, your nose may appear larger or it may look swollen and puffy. It may even feel stuffy or blocked up, kind of like what you’d experience with flaring allergies or a cold, Linda N. Lee, MD, FACS, a physician at the Massachusetts Eye and Ear Facial and Cosmetic Surgery Center and an assistant professor of otolaryngology-head and neck surgery at Harvard Medical School, tells SELF.The exact cause of “pregnancy nose” is up in the air, but experts have some solid theories.It’s not totally surprising to experience swelling in unexpected places during pregnancy because the body is producing a lot more blood and fluid to support the fetus’s needs. “The body wants to increase blood flow to the uterus,” Dr. Lee says, but all that extra fluid needs to go somewhere, which can include the nasal passages. There’s also “relaxation of the blood vessels” that can happen due to an increase of the hormone progesterone in the body during pregnancy—and that “can result in the nose appearing a little larger,” Dr. Greves says. Placental growth hormone (PGH), which is produced and secreted by the placenta during pregnancy, may also be involved. You can’t stop pregnancy nose (or any other swelling) from happening—but it won’t last forever.Unfortunately, there isn’t a miracle product or massage technique that will totally reduce nasal or facial swelling during pregnancy, Dr. Greves says. But if you’re dealing with annoying congestion in addition to that swelling, Dr. Lee says using a saline nasal spray can help clear up the stuffiness—just make sure you discuss this with your doctor first.The good news: Pregnancy swelling won’t last forever. Some research suggests it can take as little as two weeks after giving birth for pregnancy rhinitis to resolve itself, but Dr. Greves says the amount of time it takes to get back to “normal” can vary from person to person, from a few weeks to six months—meaning, your nose should return to its usual size by then or (hopefully) sooner. Related:

Moderna shared exciting news this week: The biotechnology company has an experimental respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) vaccine in the works, and its efficacy looks promising so far. According to a press release, Moderna’s RSV vaccine was 83.7% effective in preventing at least two symptoms associated with RSV in older adults (age 60 and up) in a phase-three clinical trial. The randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study included about 37,000 older adults in 22 countries, including the United States.The news comes months after Pfizer announced the promising results of its experimental RSV vaccine in a late-stage clinical trial, and on the cusp of a nasty cold and flu season that was dominated by a spike in RSV infections late last year; many pediatric units across the country reported feeling overwhelmed with sick children. RSV is common in childhood; the virus—which typically causes cold- or flu-like symptoms with mild illness—infects most kids by the age of two, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). You’ve probably heard a lot about RSV’s potential to make young kids and infants critically ill, but the virus can also lead to serious complications in older adults. Up to 120,000 older Americans are hospitalized with RSV each year, per the CDC, and up to 10,000 of them die from the infection. Amesh A. Adalja, MD, infectious disease expert and senior scholar at the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security, tells SELF that RSV’s possible impact on older people is “comparable” to the flu (think: trouble breathing, pneumonia, or bronchiolitis), so a vaccine that could help reduce the risk of complications would be a “major benefit.”That’s why the preliminary results of Moderna’s phase-three trial are “really quite encouraging,” Thomas Russo, MD, chief of infectious diseases at the University at Buffalo in New York, tells SELF. There are several RSV vaccines in development, but the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) hasn’t approved one for use yet. Here’s how Moderna’s option, among others, could change that in the near future.How does Moderna’s RSV vaccine work?Moderna’s RSV vaccine, called mRNA-1345, takes advantage of similar mRNA technology that the company uses in its COVID-19 vaccine, Dr. Russo says. The vaccine specifically targets F glycoprotein; this protein can be found on the surface of the virus, and it’s necessary for helping the pathogen enter cells. Research has shown that, if the protein can’t enter a person’s cells, then the virus has trouble triggering the associated illness. The company also noted that, so far, no safety concerns have been identified, save for potential side effects that are to be expected with nearly any vaccine; injection-site pain, fatigue, headache, and muscle/joint pain or stiffness are most commonly reported.Why is the development of an RSV vaccine needed right now?The United States was recently hit with a massive RSV wave, which peaked in early November. “We’ve had the big ‘tripledemic’—influenza and COVID, both of which we have vaccines for, and RSV, for which we do not,” William Schaffner, MD, infectious disease specialist and professor of medicine at the Vanderbilt University School of Medicine in Nashville, tells SELF. When three major viruses collide as they have in the last few months, everyone has a higher chance of getting sick—especially those who are most vulnerable, like young children, seniors, pregnant people, and people who are immunocompromised. High case counts can stress our health care systems and make it tougher for people to get the critical care they need to recover.While Dr. Russo says there’s a “high likelihood” that younger adults would also benefit from an RSV vaccine, pharmaceutical companies are currently focusing their efforts on older adults due to their high risk of developing complications. “Some seasons, the RSV impact is comparable to that of influenza in terms of requiring older adults to seek medical care,” Dr. Schaffner says. “Some are hospitalized and even end up dying.”Plus, once we have a safe, effective RSV vaccine for adults, we’ll get one step closer to having a safe, effective vaccine for kids (no doubt to the relief of parents and other caregivers).Moderna confirmed it plans to submit its data to the FDA in the first half of 2023, with the hopes of having its vaccine approved for use; Pfizer is also seeking regulatory approval for its RSV vaccine. But when will we actually see one reaching arms?  “If you’re very optimistic,” Dr. Schaffner says, “the first RSV vaccine for seniors may be coming this fall.”Related:

“Do what works best for you and everyone else will hopefully do their best to support you in that,” Dr. Leonard says.2. Focus on flexibility.When Standard talks about birth plans with her patients, she refers to them as “preference lists.” “A plan doesn’t leave room for ‘but’—a ‘preference list’ does,” she explains. Here’s an example: On a traditional birth plan, you may feel inclined to include something like not wanting IV fluids during an uncomplicated vaginal delivery. A preference list would take something like that desire and phrase it differently. It may state, for example, that you’d prefer not to have an IV if you don’t need one, leaving room for the unknowns of labor and delivery. It seems like a small difference, but thinking about things this way may help you consider alternatives. Maybe you’d be open to having your care team place an IV with no fluids in the event you may need one, for example, Standard explains. The sample birth plan ACOG provides even includes this as a potential option. “Plans need to be fluid. The person making a plan needs to know that a birth plan is a starting point because birth is forever changing,” she says.Flexibility—and giving yourself grace throughout your birth experience— will also help remind you that it’s not your fault if things change course (which they likely will). Setting yourself up for success from the start by reminding yourself that flexibility and fluidity are part of the process can help ease any negative emotions that may arise if and when things change. “The purpose of the plan is to have shared decision-making and to have your voice heard—it’s not that everything goes exactly as you planned,” Dr. Leonard says.3. Talk about your plan well in advance.You don’t want to be making your birth plan as you’re driving to the hospital or when you start to realize contractions are regular. “You want to discuss it with your provider or providers; you want everybody on the team to be a part of it,” Standard says. After all, that shared decision-making is the key part, she says. Especially if you’ve experienced birth trauma or past negative birthing experiences, you’ll want to bring up preferences early on to begin conversations and voice any fears you may have. This leaves time to review things with your team and work through any challenges.When speaking with your care team, Standard always suggests remembering the acronym BRAIN:What are the Benefits?What are the Risks?What are the Alternatives?What is my Intuition telling me?Do we need to do this Now? 4. Do your research.Making sure you have quality, up-to-date information is an important and often-overlooked aspect of creating a birth plan. An example: You may want to list something like “I don’t want an episiotomy” on your birth plan. But Standard notes that while an episiotomy, a cut from the vaginal opening to the anus, used to be a routine part of birth, it no longer is. The Mayo Clinic notes that an episiotomy might only be recommended if the fetus’s shoulder is stuck behind the pelvic bone, the fetus has an unusual heart rate pattern, or forceps or a vacuum are needed.

Supermodel and mom of three Ashley Graham shared a series of photos of her postpartum hair loss on Instagram this week. In the caption, the 35-year-old joked, “I mean at least it’s growing #postpartumhairloss.”This isn’t the first time Graham has been open about the effects of pregnancy on her body. She’s been vocal about how being a mom has changed her since her first child was born in 2020. In January 2022, she gave birth to twins, and she’s documented her postpartum experience on Instagram throughout this year.In June, Graham shared a video of herself modeling underwear and wrote in the caption, “Posting this video for all the mamas who haven’t and may never ‘bounce back’ and for anyone who needs to be reminded that your body is beautiful in its realest form. This is my strong, five-month-postpartum-been-pregnant-for-two-years body. As it is. In hopes to further normalize ALL bodies in every and any stage of life.” Graham has also talked about relying on disposable underwear after giving birth the first time: In a February 2020 post, she shared a photo of herself wearing them with the caption, “Raise your hand if you didn’t know you’d be changing your own diapers too…No one talks about the recovery and healing (yes even the messy parts) new moms go through. I wanted to show you guys that it’s not all rainbows and butterflies!”Instagram contentThis content can also be viewed on the site it originates from.Now, Graham is keeping it real about yet another unexpected change that can happen to the body after giving birth. Postpartum hair loss is completely normal after having a baby, per the American Academy of Dermatology (AAD). This happens as a result of falling estrogen levels. Unfortunately, it can be more intense than a few fallen strands here and there. Per the Cleveland Clinic, it’s not unusual to notice “handfuls” of hair coming out in the shower. It usually starts one to six months after giving birth, and it can last for 18 months, but it can come back sooner. Per the AAD, most people see their hair return to “normal” during their first year postpartum. The good news is, we’re not talking about permanent hair loss. It’s only temporary, which is why dermatologists actually refer to postpartum hair loss as “excessive hair shedding.” Furthermore, you don’t need to do anything to stimulate hair growth—it’ll come back on its own, per the AAD. 

FYI, walking counts. It’s actually a great way to exercise when you’re pregnant. Don’t think you have to take a workout class or do something totally draining for it to “count.” Just moving in the ways you can will be extremely beneficial.Before I got pregnant, working out in some form was a must for me every day. It has always helped me keep my stress levels under control and sleep like a baby. During pregnancy, I’ve tried my best to keep up with movement in ways that feel doable for me. On the days when I am so tired I don’t want to get up off the couch, I promise myself to just take one slow lap around the block. I almost always end up doing an extra lap or two because once I get moving I feel more awake and energized. (And on the days I’m really not feeling up to it, I listen to my body and promptly go back home to sit or lie down again.)3. Find ways to de-stress and reduce anxiety.Even if you had relatively low levels of anxiety pre-pregnancy, I can assure you that you’ll experience it tenfold throughout these 40-ish weeks. There are so many changes happening in your body, so many things to think and worry about in regard to the fetus’s development, impending labor, and an enormous life change on the horizon, whether it’s your first kid or not.It’s totally understandable to have some sort of anxiety about all of that. (FWIW, I am a very low-stress person and have experienced my fair share of worry and anxiety throughout my own pregnancy.)“A lot of those stresses and anxieties can definitely interfere with sleep and can make you tired during the day as well,” Dr. Paik says.Finding a way to de-stress and calm your mind is essential. The best method is going to look different for everyone, but here are a few things to try: prenatal yoga, mindfulness meditation, deep breathing exercises, getting regular prenatal massages, going for walks, and connecting with people you love. Walking and at-home Peloton classes have been an important outlet for me. Another one of my go-to stress relievers: baking and cooking.4. If you can, take naps. Lots of them.Let me first acknowledge that I know this is not possible for everyone. Depending on your job, and if you’re running after other kids all day long, napping may be an absolute impossibility. But for those who are privileged enough to work from home or otherwise have a flexible schedule, I highly recommend taking advantage during this time.Dr. Bianco suggests napping during the day if you can, even if it’s just for 20 minutes. When I feel too tired to keep working or get anything else done, I’ll lie down, set an alarm for 30 minutes (working in some time to actually fall asleep), put on an eye mask, and snooze away. On the weekends, I’ll nap for a lot longer if I feel like I need it.5. Try your best to eat well—and make sure to get enough iron.Food gives you energy, so you want to make sure you’re loading up on stuff that’s full of nutrients and giving your body what it needs to keep chugging along at its new, high level. “Sometimes it’s hard to do that early on, because you’re combating nausea and vomiting and can only tolerate what you can tolerate,” Dr. Bianco says. If you’re not getting enough of your essential nutrients (and maybe loading up on simple carbs that don’t exactly give you sustained energy, like I did all first trimester) this can also contribute to fatigue.

Thanks to the pandemic, you’re probably a lot more aware of infectious diseases than you ever thought you would be. We wouldn’t be surprised if you can recite the symptoms of COVID-19 in your sleep and know all about the importance of getting your annual flu shot (especially this year). But there’s another virus that’s making headlines right now that many people aren’t as well-versed in. It’s called respiratory syncytial virus, better known as RSV, and cases are currently soaring in the US, particularly in babies and young children.According to surveillance data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), RSV cases have been rising sharply since October. Public health experts are warning about the potential impact on kids, as the virus is overwhelming many hospitals and rapidly filling pediatric ICU beds. If you have kids—and an infant, in particular—here’s what you need to know about RSV symptoms in babies, plus when to seek medical care for a sick child.First, a little background on RSV.RSV is a common respiratory virus that usually causes coldlike symptoms, according to the CDC. In fact, doctors usually can’t tell just from your symptoms if you have RSV or another virus that causes the common cold, Danelle Fisher, MD, the chair of pediatrics at Providence Saint John’s Health Center in Santa Monica, California, tells SELF.Most people recover just fine (in about a week or two) when they’re sick with RSV. However, the symptoms can potentially become serious for infants and other young children, as well as older adults and those with severely weakened immune systems. In fact, RSV is the most common cause of bronchiolitis, inflammation of the small airways in the lungs, and pneumonia, an infection of the lungs, in kids under the age of one in the US, per the CDC.“Because children less than two years of age have smaller lower airways, the inflammation, which results in mucus production, can occlude those small lower airways, leading to labored breathing and sometimes lower oxygen levels,” Rosemary Olivero, MD, a pediatric infectious disease physician at Helen DeVos Children’s Hospital in Grand Rapids, Michigan, tells SELF. Kids two and older have larger lower airways, though, and “tend to have less respiratory difficulty with RSV infections,” even if their lower airways do get inflamed, Dr. Olivero says.Back to topHow does RSV spread to babies?It’s important to get this out of the way: Almost all children get RSV at least once before they’re two years old, per the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP). Infants usually get RSV from parents, other caregivers, or close family members, although they can also pick it up when they’re out in public too, John C. Brancato, MD, division head of emergency medicine at Connecticut Children’s, tells SELF.The virus spreads in a few ways, according to the CDC:When an infected person coughs or sneezes, which can circulate virus-laden droplets that then make contact with a child’s eyes, nose, or mouthWhen a person touches a surface that has the virus on it (like a doorknob or toy) and then touches a child’s face before washing their handsWhen a child has direct contact with the virus, like getting a hug or kiss from someone who is infected with RSV

Chances are, if you take care of young children—or have just been a bit on edge about this year’s cold and flu season—you’ve heard a lot about respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) lately. RSV isn’t exactly new: It’s a common virus that usually causes mild, cold-like symptoms. That said, very young children and older adults face a higher risk of getting really, really sick from it.This year, RSV is surging beyond expected case counts; in fact, it’s starting to overwhelm many hospitals, per the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). In October, RSV caused a spike in pediatric hospitalizations that pushed some children’s medical centers to capacity. This is becoming a bigger concern everywhere, but the situation is especially bad in certain parts of the country. For instance, Orange County, California, recently declared a health emergency, and every single pediatric hospital bed in the state of Rhode Island was full this week, according to reporting from NBC News.As infections continue to spread, you may be wondering: Can adults get RSV from children? Rest assured that most of us have been exposed to the virus before—but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be super aware of its impact right now, especially if you have vulnerable loved ones around. Below, what you should know about RSV in adults, including common symptoms and how you can reduce your risk of catching—and transmitting—this virus.Can adults get RSV from kids?First, some important context: You’ve likely already been infected with RSV. “Almost everyone sees RSV by the time they’re two and develops antibodies,” Thomas Russo, MD, an infectious disease expert at the University of Buffalo Jacobs School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences, tells SELF.But, as is the case with most respiratory viruses, your immunity to RSV wanes over time, meaning you’ll likely get infected again and again over the course of your life. This is especially true for parents or other caregivers of young kids. “Since children get RSV in their first two years of life, they’re at a dependent stage of their lives, and parents are going to be in close contact,” Dr. Russo says.So, yes, adults can get RSV from children who have the virus, and vice versa; it can be transmitted back and forth from anyone who is infected with it. RSV is typically spread when an infected person coughs or sneezes around others, per the CDC. You can also contract the virus by touching or kissing the face of a child (or anyone else) who has it. RSV can also live on surfaces, like doorknobs, so you can also become infected with it by touching a contaminated surface and then touching your eyes, mouth, or nose with unwashed hands.Again, most generally healthy adults won’t get severely ill from RSV—but they can still spread the virus to other people who may face a higher risk. “Whether it’s flu, RSV, or COVID, the high-risk groups are quite the same,” William Schaffner, MD, professor of medicine in the division of infectious diseases at Vanderbilt University Medical Center, tells SELF. In addition to infants and young children, adults who are 65 or older, have chronic heart or lung disease, or have a weakened immune system are more likely to develop severe RSV symptoms or complications.Are RSV symptoms different in adults compared to kids?The most common RSV symptoms—which include fever, runny nose, coughing, sneezing, wheezing, fatigue, and decreased appetite—tend to overlap in children and adults, Dr. Schaffner says. Symptoms usually show up four to six days after the initial infection, per the CDC. (Infants can experience a unique set of symptoms, though, including fussiness, irritability, loss of interest in activities, and changes in breathing patterns, per the Cleveland Clinic.)

My partner is not disabled, so he has different needs than I do. A lot of my needs are physical, but my physical needs affect him physically. When you bring a baby into the equation, the baby also needs physical help, so what does that look like? What is the dance now? I don’t know yet because the baby’s not here yet. But that’s going to be something that we’re going to have to learn how to do.I’m in this space of getting creative and playing out those scenarios in my head: I’d like to try this, and I need this new equipment. But at the same time, it’s exciting to me. I love this. Because this is my life.“There’s something comforting in saying, ‘Yeah, this is going to be a lot, that is what it is.’”Having a career in the entertainment industry is interesting, because you feel like, If I stop and do something else, will my work still be there when I come back?I’ve been doing this professionally for 18 years, and I know that this kind of work takes a lot of focus and a lot of time. So how do you juggle being a mom with all of that? Then again, my life has always felt like a lot. So there’s something comforting in saying, “Yeah, this is going to be a lot, that is what it is.” I have no idea what it will be like, nor can I even pretend like I do. I’ll find out in real time—but I feel confident in my ability to figure it out.Richard III with Shakespeare in the Park was the first production contract where I was in rehearsals six days a week and then doing a run of a show every night while pregnant. It was a challenge, but it was also really important because every night I had something I had to go do, and every night there was the satisfaction of doing the show. My mind needs to be engaged. I knew I needed to work. I shared with the costume department and the team early on that I was pregnant and was going to be growing. They were amazing—they made adjustments to my costumes, they made them stretchy and adjustable.“My baby will always have a mom in a wheelchair, and I don’t see that represented in many places.”I was really nervous to share this news. It’s the most personal thing that’s maybe ever happened to me. But at the same time, it’s something that I’m so proud of. There’s a huge gap in representation of parents with disabilities. My baby will always have a mom in a wheelchair, and I don’t see that represented in many places. So there are parts of my personal life that are cool to share because there are going to be many more women with all different kinds of disabilities who want to become moms.Another thing that is interesting to me is there isn’t a lot of adaptive equipment for parents. There’s a lot of adaptive equipment for children with disabilities, but not really for parents. There are billions of dollars being made every day in the baby industry, and I wish that there was a little bit more awareness that not every parent is able-bodied.“Part of my body doesn’t work and another part of it does. And I can do this.”When you have a disability, you’re so aware of your limitations. So when you can have a baby and that experience is not being limited, it feels like such a gift. So many people throughout my life have asked, “Can you have kids?” And I’m like, Yeah. The body is amazing. Part of my body doesn’t work and another part of it does. And I can do this.I have felt very calm through this. And I feel lucky that this has been going so well. That’s not the case for everybody with disabilities, or without disabilities—having a baby can be hard and traumatic and painful for a lot of people. I wish more people knew that pregnancy is not the same for every person in a wheelchair or with a certain disability. It’s different for everyone. But I can’t help but share this journey, which has been so smooth. It feels like a miracle. It really does.This interview has been edited and condensed for length and clarity.Related: