There are the hospital visits you expect—a planned surgery, for example. And then there are the visits you don’t expect—such as when you have to rush your baby, who was born with a congenital heart defect, to the emergency room just days before Christmas.

In 2019, it’s almost certain that any pregnant person with a smartphone and an Instagram account knows what a doula is (a non-medical childbirth support person, for any latecomers). A doula can accompany pregnant women through the transformative process of pregnancy, labour and postpartum. And there is evidence that a doula can provide both physical and emotional support, as well as a variety of other benefits, some of which include a lower chance of Cesarean and a higher rate of satisfaction with the overall birth experience.

When Tiffany Brosius was 26 weeks pregnant, her feet began to swell. But the 37-year-old Atlanta mother says she didn’t think too much about it. After all, swelling in pregnancy is common. But then it started to travel up her body, so Brosius went to her provider where she discovered that she was experiencing preeclampsia—dangerously high blood pressure in pregnancy. She was admitted to the hospital, treated and monitored closely. Six days later, when the blood flow to her foetus was compromised by her condition, she delivered her baby by C-section.

When the boss says “I have a problem,” my ears perk up. Melissa can’t get her Gmail to load no matter what she tries — an issue that’s been plaguing her for months. It’s a peculiarity that makes me go “hmmmm,” since I never have issues loading Gmail.

If someone close to you has ever lost a child, you know how devastating that type of loss can be — and how utterly helpless it can feel to those who love them and can’t ease their pain. While there is no “fixing” this deep of a loss, there are things that friends and family can do to support them as they grieve.

Over the weekend, Hurricane Dorian wreaked havoc over the Bahamas, damaging 13,000 homes and killing at least five people. As of Wednesday, Dorian — which was recently downgraded to a Category 2 storm — is inching its way toward the coast of Florida. From there it’s expected to crawl up the coast and alongside Georgia, North Carolina and South Carolina later this week.

The last time a friend told you how busy they’ve been, did you respond with “Omg, SAME”? If you did, you might be what one sociologist calls a “conversational narcissist”, and it could be damaging your relationships.

About 10 per cent of women have difficulty getting pregnant or staying pregnant, so chances are good that someone you love is facing or will face infertility. But if you haven’t experienced it yourself (or even if you did but your circumstances were different), it might be hard to know what to say or do to support them.

When a friend is trying to open up to you about their depression, anxiety, or other mental health issue, it can be hard to know how to respond. We’ve come a long way, but there is still considerable stigma to admitting that you’re coping with mental health issues. If your friend is talking to you at all, they’re taking a huge step.

Close to 30 per cent of pregnancies end in miscarriage, by one estimate. And yet so many mums and dads still suffer in silence. How do you support a friend or family member who has lost a baby? October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month, and in a powerful Reddit thread, people shared what you can really do to help.

Getting diagnosed with a serious illness that requires a lot of medical intervention is an extremely stressful experience. There’s a lot to navigate, and as the friend, family member or even casual acquaintance of someone going through a difficult health scenario, you want to help ease the burden, not make it worse. Here’s what you should and shouldn’t say to someone who is ill.

The circumstances surrounding death are always a surprise. Even when it isn't sudden, when it has been expected for weeks - months, even - there is always the shock of absence and loss, and the overwhelming feeling that comes with all of the details that need to be tended to while in the throes of grief.

It's in those moments that people tend to neglect their own well being, as self-care often ends up as a last priority after taking care of children and sorting out funeral arrangements.

Today's release of security updates for Windows XP, Windows 8 and Windows 8.1 signals an about-face by Microsoft. In the wake of the WannaCry outbreak, the intention was to stem the spread of a virulent and damaging ransomware attack. But should the company keep patching an operating system that has been out of mainstream support for over eight years and extended support for three?

Windows Vista will disappear from Microsoft's list of supported software in just four weeks. As the successor to Windows XP, Vista promised a lot but delivered little.

Group texts can be annoying sometimes, especially if you got added to a conversation with people you don't know. But they can also be a great way to reach out to your closest friends all at once and bring you closer together.

Reliable Android updates are a key selling point of Google's Nexus line of phones. Even Nexuses have an expiration date, though. Now, Google has a published list of when you can stop expecting updates for your Nexus phone or tablet.

We've talked about using the public to motivate you before, but a recent meta-analysis of 138 different studies and experiments suggests it may, in fact, be the best method for making any real progress toward your goals.

When you boil things down, your relationships with others are a support structure. If you wonder from time to time how you can be a better partner, or be a better friend, it's incredibly simple: support their dreams.

Working in the IT department is often a thankless job. You're like the invisible behind-the-scenes worker who is only noticed when something breaks -- and then you're blamed for it. Here are seven misconceptions about tech support reps and the IT department you should know so you can work better with the IT guy or gal.