Plan B offers students contraceptive safety net

Plan B offers students contraceptive safety net
On Tulane’s campus, the morning-after pill, known mostly as Plan B, is commonly used by students, though it is not often used as a replacement for more standard means of birth control. Plan B is an emergency contraceptive that uses the hormone progesterone to prevent pregnancy after other methods of contraception have failed. It works immediately [...]

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Heartburn Remedies During Pregnancy That Can Help Relieve Your Pregnancy Heartburn Misery!

Heartburn relief during pregnancy is a common concern many pregnant women have. Read on to see what you what heartburn remedies during pregnancy are available.

What causes early pregnancy heartburn?

Heartburn in early pregnancy is a common complaint. The hormone progesterone is released as soon a woman becomes pregnant and can cause many early pregnancy symptoms which include pregnancy heartburn. Progesterone causes relaxation of the cardiac sphincter of the stomach which is the muscle between the stomach and the esophagus (food pipe). Relaxation of this muscle allows for some gastric acid and food to flow backwards and re-enter the esophagus (food pipe). Gastric acid irritates the lining of the esophagus causing a burning sensation in the center of the chest called pregnancy heartburn.

As your baby grows bigger and takes up more room in the abdominal area, the stomach itself is displaced and squashed. The growing uterus can permanently press on the cardiac sphincter of the stomach and allow gastric juices and food to constantly leak back into the esophagus (wind pipe) which may cause severe heartburn during pregnancy.

Heartburn remedies during pregnancy

Heartburn relief during pregnancy can be achieved by eating yogurt or drinking a glass of milk.

Try a tablespoon of honey in a glass of warm milk for pregnancy heartburn relief.

Eat smaller more frequent meals throughout the day rather than three large meals.

Avoid spicy, greasy, fatty foods, peppers and tomatoes produce extra gastric acid causing pregnancy heartburn.

Avoid foods that relax the cardiac sphincter of the stomach such as alcohol, peppermint, garlic, and chocolate.

Avoid eating for at least two hours before going to bed.

Do not lie down after eating to prevent the food from the stomach flowing back into your esophagus causing pregnancy heartburn.

Mild over-the-counter antacids such as Mylanta or Tums may prove helpful in relieving heartburn pregnancy symptom.

If your heartburn symptoms are severe or accompanied by headache or swelling (especially if you are later on in pregnancy) consult with your health care provider immediately as you may have pre-eclampsia of pregnancy.

Sleeping with extra pillows under your head to keep your stomach lower than your esophagus (food pipe) works very well to give you a better start to the day and a better nights sleep.

One of the most effective heartburn remedies during pregnancy is to try to prevent heartburn developing in the first place. The healthier you are prior pregnancy and the healthier you eat during pregnancy can have a direct correlation to the amount of pregnancy symptoms you have. I would like to invite you to supplement with a high quality Mangosteen and mineral product that many of my pregnant clients use to correct misalignments within the body and encourage the stomach to produce the right amount of gastric acid that you body needs for digestion. Visit http://www.VemmaMidwife.com

You may also be very interested in an amazing message that was telepathically dictated to me for humanity from my son when he was seven-weeks old. Yes you read correctly! I have the ability to communicate with baby’s emotions from inside and outside the womb. Down load this AMAZING MESSAGE FREE at http://www.PregnancySuccessCoach.com/Message_For_Humanity.html

If you wish to ask me a personal question about your pregnancy or an issue in your life then visit http://www.PregnancySuccessCoach.com/Ask_Hannah_Section.html

Hannah Bajor. C.N.M.,M.S.N.

Certified Nurse Midwife.

Pregnancy Success Coach 

The Most Effective Drugs For Combating Conception Problems

With the cost of ivf so high, many times when a woman is having problems conceiving, the fertility specialist will prescribe drugs. And, in the majority of cases, the drug recommended will be Clomid. But there are other drugs that can be just as useful.

There’s a secondary class of fertility drugs, not as popular as Clomid, known as gonadotropins. In terms of composition, they are somewhat like the FSH and LH hormones. Normally, these hormones are generated by the pituitary gland. If they are not, however, gonadrotropins can be used to replace the deficient FSH and LH hormones that would normally be produced by the pituitary gland. At one time, these drugs were produced from the urine of menopausal women. Today, however, they are genetically engineered. The woman takes thes drugs via injection in either in the buttocks or just under the skin.

Lesser prescribed fertility drugs include:

Human Menopausal Conadrotropins (hMG) – this is a distilled extraction of LH and FSH taken from the urine of postmenopausal women. It is injected either subcutaneous or directly into the muscle.

Human Chorionic Conadotropin (hCG) -  this hormone assists the ovaries in the making of progesterone and estrogen. In normal cases, ovulation usually occurs within 36 hours after injection.

Gonadotropin-Releasing Hormone (GnRH) – this hormone triggers the pituitary gland to make the LH and FSH hormones. It is expensive and less available in the U.S. than it used to be.

Progesterone supplement – if the woman’s body is not producing enough of the progesterone hormone on it’s own, she may be given this drug. It is usually taken orally, but can be taken by injection as well.

If you monitor some of the Internet ivf message boards, you’ll find other effective drugs as well.

Each year, aw we learn more about the reproduction system, new fertility drugs hit the market. And, normally, there is no magic drug that can trigger fertility, at least not when used alone. These drugs are often used in combination with one or more other fertility treatments. In addition, in many cases the cause of the infertility is not with the woman. It may be that  the male’s sperm may be bad. In other cases, the cause of the infertility may be with the woman, but not related to hormones. In these cases hormone treatments will be useless.

For more information on acupuncture and fertility and other fertility issues, please visit our website.

Birth Control Side Effects In Relation With Combined Estrogen and Progesterone

Hormonal birth control gives most side effects of all. Pills have the lowest tolerance level, but individual factors have the biggest influence under the circumstances. We will briefly refer to the most common birth control side effects, yet, regardless of how mild they may seem, they cannot remain permanent. If the normal accommodation symptoms don’t go away after a month or two at the maximum, seek medical help right away.

Breast tenderness, dizziness and headaches are usually temporary birth control side effects. Once the accommodation period passes, these inconveniences ought to go away. The same thing applies to nausea, although the frequency of this adverse reaction is lower. You can deal with the problem if you take the hormonal pill with food. Sometimes the doctor could recommend a switch of brands when the birth control side effects persist despite your excellent health condition.

Breakthrough bleeding or spotting is the most common of hormonal birth control side effects, yet it is unbearable for lots of women. The incidence of this inconvenience could be reduced if you take the pill at the same time every day. Normally, spotting diminishes and disappears once the adjustment period is over, but the list of side effects mentions it as potentially bothersome for up to two months.

Further birth control side effects associated with the use of combined estrogen and progesterone, include mood swings. It is important to run medical tests and determine whether the birth control pill is to blame for depression. If it is indeed behind the problem, the pill will not work for you in general. Try non-hormonal birth control methods that have fewer adverse reactions.

The birth control side effects are more intense and potentially health ruining if they appear with smokers, women over 35 or those with a medical condition. For a perfectly healthy woman, birth control side effects appear just as a temporary reaction to the treatment. Weight gain often accompanies hormonal imbalances and it has been reported as a side effect of the pill, yet the incidence is reduced in the case of ultra-modern contraceptives.

Very serious birth control side effects include blurred vision, abdominal cramps, unexplained severe headaches, numbness in the limbs and chest pain. You should stop the treatment right away and address an emergency health care facility immediately. Report any other abnormal symptoms to the gynecologist. Do not use birth control pills unless they are prescribed by a doctor because you could seriously endanger your health.

The Birth Control Shot is a Contraceptive Method Injected Intramuscularly

An easy to administrate contraceptive solution, the birth control shot makes a good choice for lots of couples all over the world. It contains progesterone only, with the hormone being slowly released into the body. The main impact of this hormone is to prevent ovulation, meaning that there will be no egg release monthly.

The efficiency range of the birth control shot is superior to that of the birth control pill. While with the pill, 8 in 100 couples get pregnant yearly, the rate is only 3 in 100 per year in the case of the birth control shot. The chances of getting pregnant are very high if you don’t administer the next shot on time.

You should also be aware of the fact that the birth control shot does not provide protection against STD. Plus, there are physiological changes that could be an inconvenience while using this birth control method. Normally included in the list of adverse reactions, you could be experiencing:
-irregular menstrual periods;
-headaches, breast tenderness and weight gain;
-mood changes and depression.

Overweight is the most difficult to fight back if it appears as a side effect, because hormonal imbalances are harder to correct. Other long-term side effects have been reported in relation to the use of the progesterone birth control shot. Thus, many women have developed osteoporosis by losing in bone density during the treatment.

In case you decide that the birth control shot is a good option for you, talk to your health care provider and make sure that your daily calcium intake is enough to support the hormonal treatment without loss of bone density. Moreover, fertility may be harder to recover after the long term use of the birth control shot. The fertility problem is not permanent, and women can recover in time, but difficulties could appear along the way.

Your doctor could also warn you about other potential problems and even advise against the shot in case she/he suspects an existing health condition. You should not administer it if you suffer from any of the following:

-headaches;
-disorders with blood coagulation;
-unexplained vaginal bleeding;
-thrombosis;
-cancer;
-if you suspect a pregnancy.

As for costs, the birth control shot is not expensive, not to mention that health insurance usually covers the expenses. The best advice you can get related to the shot is at your doctor’s office.

Last but not least, when using some other drugs or herbal supplements, it is important to rely on a supplementary birth control method because the risk of interferences leaves you unprotected against pregnancy.

Birth Control Ring Is As Efficient As The Combined Hormonal Pill

The birth control ring is a contraceptive device that releases hormones directly into the blood stream at the level of the vagina. The uterus and the ovaries are thus prepared against the appearance of a pregnancy. The birth control ring contains two main ingredients: progesterone and estrogen, both with a role in the function of the reproductive system. The blockage of the ovulation means that no egg is released for fertilization. Another anatomical modification consist in the thickening of the cervical mucus and the changes in the uterine lining.

Insert the birth control ring in the vagina on the first day of your period and let it work for 21 days in a row before removing it. It should be removed on the same day of the week when it was inserted. Don’t use it for seven days more and the menstrual bleeding will occur. Then, the cycle continues. The use of the birth control ring resembles that of other hormonal birth control methods. Yet, you should check the usage instructions carefully so as to be sure that you don’t overlook some detail. Mention must be made that the birth control ring is not efficient for the first seven days after the start of the treatment.

During this interval, the birth control ring needs to be used in parallel with some other birth control method: condom, most of the time. With this birth control method there is no protection against sexually transmitted diseases. As for the physical comfort, lots of girls and women wonder whether the ring will not be a problem. Normally, since the position in the vagina is not important, the ring can be placed as you consider more comfortable. You should not feel it as you don’t feel a vaginal tampon. There is no need to remove it when bathing or swimming.

In terms of efficiency, the birth control ring acts similarly with the combined pills. Do not use it unless you have a perfect health condition. Only a doctor can tell whether the birth control ring makes a good choice for you or not. There are fewer side effects than with the use of hormonal pills, but they can be aggravated for smokers and girls with a certain medical history. Dizziness, headaches, spotting and mood changes are a few of the regular reactions to the use of the birth control ring. Normally, the inconvenience is temporary and corresponds to the transition period.