Comprehensive guide to female reproductive health, including menstrual cycle management, pregnancy wellness, and common hormonal disorders.
The first trimester of pregnancy is a busy time for a woman's body. Hormonal changes occur rapidly, creating an upheaval in the way you look and feel. Some symptoms at 3 months of pregnancy will be exciting to experience and others not so much. Each one is ultimately temporary.
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From the moment you conceive, your baby relies on you to provide it with adequate nutrition so it can successfully grow to full-term. For the health of both you and your baby, it's key that you don't attempt to lose weight at any point in your pregnancy, particularly during the first trimester.
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It was only a matter of time before tampon alternatives entered the market. Read on to learn about five substitutes and see if any are right for you.
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Caffeine is a drug found in many popular beverages such as cola soft drinks, tea, coffee and energy drinks. This substance is also present in certain foods such as chocolate, and is added to certain medications, such as painkillers, according to the Nemours TeensHealth website.
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Menstruation is a natural process, but most women wish their periods could be shorter and lighter. The average duration of a menstrual period is three to five days and will vary for individual women. Most women have a predetermined average cycle, which tends to get shorter with age, according to a 2004 study led by Y.
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Every new mother wants to give her baby the best nutrition possible. Breast milk is the perfect food for your baby, so itβs only natural to worry whether you have an adequate supply.
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Numerous conditions can cause pain in the breast area. According to MayoClinic.com, breast pain may be caused by breast structures, or it may be caused by extra-mammary pain or pain that originates in a structure outside the breast. Chest wall problems can often mimic breast pain.
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A common complaint in patients with liver problems is a sensation of fullness or bloating within the abdomen. This sensation results from increased water retention within the membranous lining of the abdominal tissue known as ascites, according to "Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine."
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Pregnancy gives you the license to eat whatever you want, whenever you want, right? Not so fast. A pregnant woman needs only about 300 extra calories a day to feed her growing baby, according to KidsHealth.
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Although pizza can in fact be healthy during pregnancy, there are healthier choices and limits to how much of it you should eat. On average, as a pregnant woman you only need about 300 extra calories per day, even if your appetite is suggesting otherwise.
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It has been estimated that a pregnancy requires about 80,000 calories above a woman's normal intake. Averaged throughout the 40 weeks of pregnancy, this is roughly 300 calories more per day, though you may find you need less in the first trimester and more in the third.
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Water retention occurs when fluid is held in the body, rather than being released as urine. Water retention can make you feel bloated and can occur in the legs, abdomen, ankles, breasts, fingers and even underneath the eyes.
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Menstrual cycles are controlled from beginning to end by hormones. Different female hormones are responsible for recruiting, maturing and releasing oocytes, or eggs, so they're ready to be fertilized by sperm.
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Eating for two may not seem difficult, but for many women gaining enough weight during pregnancy can be a challenge.
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A tilted uterus is a normal anatomical variation that affects 20 percent of all women. Normally, the uterus is located straight up and down, or tips slightly forward, however, in retroversion of the uterus, the uterus tilts backwards at the cervix.
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The menstrual cycle of a fertile woman is caused by hormones. During this time, the ovaries and the uterus react to hormones such as estrogen and progesterone that are controlled by the pituitary gland and the hypothalamus.
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The Fallopian tubes are two narrow tubes that connect your ovaries and uterus, and are the sites where an egg becomes fertilized. If your tubes are blocked, you may experience infertility.
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After discontinuing breastfeeding, it is not uncommon to experience pain in your breasts for several days or longer. Engorgement, plugged ducts and mastitis are painful complications of weaning, especially abrupt weaning.
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Trying to get your body to conform to a particular shape can be a losing proposition as body ideals change from decade to decade. Contrast the curvy 1950s with the skinny 1960s, and you can see how the body image that was ideal before suddenly fell out of fashion.
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While it might feel awkward and could throw off your balance, bending over in the last three months of pregnancy will not hurt you or your baby in any way. Your baby is well protected by the abdominal wall and muscles, the uterine wall -- which is also composed of muscle -- and the amniotic fluid around him.
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