If you’re considering giving birth with the help of a midwife instead of an obstetrician, you’re not alone. Rates of out-of-hospital births have increased since 2004, and as many as 53,635 babies are born at home or in birthing centers. Women say they like the personalized attention and ability to have more control over their own births.
At the same time, you want to make sure your baby is healthy. For women with no health issues, out-of-hospital births and hospital births are considered to be equally safe.…
One of the most important medical tests you will take if you’re a woman is a mammography. This will allow any cancerous cells to be found in your breast. Studies indicate that you should start getting this test done annually by the age of 40 for optimal results. You can typically get a mammogram at a hospital or clinic. However, it’s ideal to know some tips beforehand that can help you have less discomfort when getting this testing completed.…
If you suffer from heavy periods and above-average blood loss – more than 2 or 3 tablespoons – you don’t have to just grin and bear it. There are ways to reduce that heavy flow, including hormonal birth control like the mini-pill or an IUD. But if you don’t want to or don’t need to use hormones to regulate your cycle, or you’ve tried and they just don’t work, a procedure called endometrial ablation may be worth considering.…
For some women, an annual gynecological exam is a anxiety-inducing experience. However, it is important that you do not miss your exam because it is one of the tools your doctor uses in the early detection of health conditions. If you have an exam coming up, here are some ways you can prepare for it so that you get the most out of it and feel more comfortable.
Choose the right time for the exam.…
Menopause can be a frustrating time in the life of any woman because she might experience a range of unpleasant symptoms, including hot flashes, bloating, a decrease in metabolism, mood swings, breast tenderness, and reduced short-term memory function. In order to deal with these symptoms, some women opt to start a hormone therapy treatment program where their bodies are supplied with necessary hormones so that they can maintain normal levels throughout menopause, rather than experience the normal decline.…
A pap smear is recommended for women every few years (or more, for those who have had abnormal pap smear results in the past); the purpose of a pap smear is to test for any abnormal cells that could indicate anything from a sexually transmitted infection to cervical cancer. If you’re going to have a pap smear done in the near future, there are a few things you should and shouldn’t do in preparation for your appointment.…
Anxiety is a normal human emotion. It is meant to protect one from danger by acting as an early alert system that something isn’t right, but sometimes it is triggered unnecessarily or grows out of control. Anxiety can also be a symptom of perimenopause or menopause in some women. This guide can help answer some of your questions about anxiety and menopause.
Q: What is the age range in which anxiety symptoms may appear, pertaining to menopause?…
