FAMILY & PREGNANCY

Family Planning Tips and Birth Control

Family planning, more commonly known as birth control or contraceptive, is a way to control and alleviate unwanted pregnancies. When it comes to family planning, choosing what is right for you and your partner is huge and extremely important step in your relationship, so it is best to know the widest variety of options available to you. Bringing your significant other to consult with your doctor about the best options for you is the safest way to maintain a healthy life style and the health of your children.

Abstinence:

Abstinence is a method of birth control that focuses on the act of avoiding sexual intercourse entirely. It is taught mainly to adolescents around the time of middle school, but can be utilized by people of all ages. Abstinence is referred to as the only method of family planning that is 100% effective in preventing pregnancy and protecting against sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). However, once a serious and intimate relationship arises, and the prospect of bring biological children into the home is considered, abstinence no longer remains a viable option of family planning.

Condoms:

Condoms are perhaps the most popular form of birth control. Condoms are thin latex covering that are placed over the penis and create a barrier between the sperm and the vagina. Though the male version is vastly more popular, there are also female condoms available for general purchase and use.

Birth Control Pills:

There are a plethora of birth control pills on the market, and along with condoms, these are an extremely popular choice for family planning. Birth control pills keep the woman’s ovaries from releasing eggs which prevents fertilization. It is estimated that birth control pills are 95% effective with standard use. Most pills must be taken at the same time every day to help eliminate the risk of getting pregnant, but there is also a type of pill that is taken continuously for 3 months. Birth control pills help prevent pregnancy but do not prevent the spread of STDs.

Birth Control Ring:

The birth control ring is a relatively small, flexible ring that is placed within the vagina, where it releases a steady supply of progestin and estrogen hormones, preventing the ovaries from releasing eggs much like the birth control pill. The ring stays in the vagina for approximately three weeks, after which it is discarded. It is estimated to be 99% effective when used as prescribed. However the ring has been known to cause side effects such as weight gain and chronic nausea, and they do not aid in the prevention of the spread of STDs.

Surgery:

Both men and woman can be sterilized through operation. For women, tubal ligation is the process of cutting off the fallopian tubes’ access to releasing eggs into the uterus for fertilization. For men, a vasectomy is performed wherein the tubes that carry the sperm are blocked. Sterilization is estimated to be 100% effective but should be considered a permanent decision and is recommended for those patients who already have children.
When it comes to family planning and birth control, there are myriad options to choose from. The above options are just a few of the many that exist. When choosing the option that is right for you and your significant other, it is best to consult your doctor about the different possibilities. Schedule an appointment online today and see your OBGYN about what form of contraceptive is right for you.

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 Post #2

Can You Get Pregnant During Your Period?

Yes you can get pregnant during your period, but your chances of getting pregnant during your period are slim. The best time for a woman to get pregnant is around the middle of her cycle, close to ovulation. For the average woman this is around cycle day 12 to 16. However, it is possible to get pregnant during your period and there are several reasons why. Sperm can live for up to 5 days Normally sperm can survive inside a woman’s body for around two to three days. However, under the best conditions, sperm can sometimes survive for as long as five days. So if a woman had unprotected sex during her period and then ovulated four or five days after she had sex, she could get pregnant.

Early ovulation

Typically a woman ovulates around 14 days before the start of her period. So if you have an average 28 day cycle, you would most likely ovulate on cycle day 14. A woman’s cycle, though, is not always predictable. Even women who normally have regular cycles can have an off cycle and ovulate earlier or later than normal. If you ovulate very early in your cycle, for example, on cycle day 10, it would be possible to conceive if you had intercourse while on your period.

Long periods or irregular bleeding

Some women have very long periods or irregular bleeding after their period. If a woman had a long period, say it lasted for 10 days, and she had unprotected sex while she was still bleeding, she might get pregnant. Even though a woman is bleeding or spotting, it doesn’t mean she is not fertile. It is possible for a woman approaching ovulation to still be on her period. In fact, some women will begin producing fertile cervical mucous during the last few days of their periods. If a woman ovulates shortly after her period ends or while she is spotting, she could get pregnant.

Ovulation Spotting

Ovulation spotting is bleeding that occurs close to ovulation. It is very fertile cervical fluid and it is sometimes mistake for a long or abnormal period. Some women will have brown or red spotting right before they ovulate. This type of spotting provides the ideal environment for sperm to live in. If a woman has sex while she is having ovulation spotting, there is a good chance she could get pregnant.

Post #3

Can You Get Pregnant While Taking Birth Control Pills?

From the moment they were introduced in the early 1960s, birth control pills have been one of the most popular forms of contraception, taken by millions of women in the United States and worldwide. When taken correctly, birth control pills can be up to 99% effective in preventing pregnancy. However, women who are taking birth control pills do on rare occasions get pregnant. When this happens, it is most often because of something the women did (or, more likely, did not do), not because the pill itself somehow failed to work.

Can You Get Pregnant While Taking Birth Control Pills? – A Qualified “Yes”

There are a number of reasons why a woman on birth control pills could become pregnant. The most common is that she neglects to take the pill on one or more days. Depending on how busy your lifestyle is or how frequently you renew your birth control pill prescription, it can be easy to forget to go to the drugstore and then delay starting a new package – while still being sexually active. Another mistake that women sometimes make is taking the pill at different times on different days. Birth control pills should be taken at the same time every day. It is admittedly inconvenient to have to take a pill every single day, always at about the same time – but this is essential to ensure that birth control pills work successfully to prevent pregnancy. If you miss your pill, phone your health care provider and ask if it’s okay to take one later in the day or two the next few days – this is sometimes effective, but the exact regimen varies based on the particular pills being taken, so check with a medical professional first. (You might also want to use supplemental birth control until the next month just to be on the safe side.) If you’re away from home and have forgotten to take your birth control pills, don’t take one offered by a friend. Different birth control pills have different formulations, and what’s been prescribed for one woman won’t necessarily work for another. Also, birth control pills are sometimes affected by other medications. Certain antibiotics, anti-seizure and anti-fungal medications have been linked to reduced effectiveness in birth control pills, along with some herbs and vitamins. Before your physician prescribes any new medication, make sure to let her or him know that you’re on the pill, to avoid any potential problems.

Can You Get Pregnant While Taking Birth Control Pills? – Little Known Facts

When you swallow a birth control pill, it takes 30 minutes for it to be absorbed into your bloodstream and do its contraceptive job. If you throw up during that half hour right after you take the pill, there’s a chance that you could get pregnant if you have sex later. This is also possible if a woman is suffering from severe diarrhea. If this happens, call your doctor. You may be okay, or you may have to take another pill right away – as a backup, you might also have to use another method of birth control for the rest of that month. If you should happen to become pregnant while taking birth control pills and decide that you want to have and keep your baby, there’s no need to worry about the pill’s impact on the developing fetus. According to the Mayo Clinic, “There’s very little evidence that exposure to the hormones in birth control pills causes birth defects.” However, if this happens, stop taking the pill immediately and see your doctor or health care provider.

Post#4

Pregnant or not pregnant?

Taking a home pregnancy test is easy, right? Two pink lines, pregnant; one pink line, not pregnant. How much easier could it get? But here you are at the end of your cycle anxiously waiting to test. You take the test and there is a faint line. Now what does that mean? Are your eyes playing tricks on you or are you pregnant?

Is a faint line on a pregnancy test positive?

In most cases, if the manufacturers instructions were followed properly, a faint line is a positive pregnancy test. Generally, any line that shows up is a result of HCG being detected in your urine. If you are unsure if you see a line or for further confirmation, it is a good idea to take a second test in a day or two.

Reasons you might see a faint line on a home pregnancy test

Testing to early. Testing too early is one of the most common reasons for not getting accurate results from a home pregnancy test. Home pregnancy tests determine pregnancy by detecting the levels of HCG (Human Chorionic Gonadotropin) in your urine. During the first few weeks of pregnancy, HCG levels in a woman's body double every two to three days. A few days can make a big difference in how much HCG is detected in your urine. Testing should be done no earlier than ten days after ovulation or ideally after having missed your period.

Miscalculating expected period. Another common problem with testing is miscalculating when your period is due. BBT charting and writing down your cycle dates can help with any confusion.

Diluted urine. It was once recommended to only use first morning urine for pregnancy testing. Most tests on the market today can be used any time of day. However, if you are testing early, testing with first morning urine may be a good idea. The reason is that early morning urine is more concentrated than urine throughout the day.

Pregnancy test sensitivity. Some home pregnancy tests are more sensitive than others. Some tests can detect pregnancy with HCG levels as low as 20 mIU and other tests require HCG levels of 100 mIU to detect pregnancy. A 20 mIU home pregnancy test may show a stronger line than a 100 mIU test.

Expired test or improperly stored pregnancy test. Make sure to check the expiration date on your pregnancy test as well as the storage instructions. An expired test or improperly stored pregnancy test may not work accurately.

Evaporation line. An evaporation line is caused by urine evaporating from a pregnancy test. The line results in the area where a positive result would normally be seen. Evaporation lines generally do not have any color to them. They look more like a shadow.

Reading tests results after manufacturer's recommended time. A faint positive test result may occur if you read the pregnancy test after the manufacturer's recommended time. Some pregnancy tests will continue to react to urine and produce a false positve result if read after recommended time period.

Chemical pregnancy. A chemical pregnancy is a pregnancy that produces HCG but does not develop into normal pregnancy. It is a term used to describe a very early miscarriage.

Certain medications. Certain medications such as thorazine and fertility medications that contain HCG may result in a false positive or a faint line on a home pregnancy test.

If you have a faint line on a pregnancy test, and you are not sure of the results, retest or consult your doctor for more information. If you have a missed period consult your doctor.


POST #5

FITNESS TIPS FOR PREGNENT WOMEN

1. A half tablespoon of ground flaxseed sprinkled on cereal and salads can help control cholesterol, which can soar during pregnancy and breastfeeding, says Stacy Goldberg, R.N., a nutritional consultant in West Bloomfield, Mich. Credit its fiber, omega-3 fatty acids and phytochemicals called lignans.

2. An ounce of high-cocoa content (dark) chocolateseveral times a week may help prevent high blood pressure (a common problem during pregnancy), studies show.

3. Two tablespoons of sunflower seed butter contain vitamin E to boost your immune system (it’s suppressed during pregnancy) and copper to help build baby’s red blood cells, says Goldberg.

4. Cooking in castiron pots can add iron to your diet, helping to prevent the anemia that’s so common during pregnancy.


POST #6

GUIDE TO DRINK TEA DURING PREGNENCY

a shorter labor. However, some teas are potentially dangerous during pregnancy and should be avoided.

Helpful Herbals

Herbal teas can help hydrate the body when women don’t want to drink plain water,” says Amelia Hirota, D.Ac., an herbalist and acupuncturist at Phoenix Fertility Center in East Greenwich, R.I. Plus, some provide important pregnancy nutrients, including calcium, magnesium and iron. Rooibos tea, in particular, is a good one to try because of its antioxidant properties; it’s also caffeine-free. Other herbal teas may help alleviate morning sickness (ginger and mint), prevent insomnia (chamomile) and promote more effective contractions during labor (red raspberry leaf). “Many midwives believe that raspberry leaf tones the uterine muscle, which may help make contractions more efficient,” says Hirota.

Nettle leaf (also known as stinging nettles) is an herb commonly found in pregnancy teas and recommended by many herbalists and midwives. “It’s a fabulous source of vitamins and minerals, including iron, vitamins A, C and K, and potassium,” says Hirota. However, make sure any nettle tea you drink uses dried leaves, not root (the label should list nettle leaf), and don’t drink too much, especially in the first trimester, because of its stimulating effect on the uterus. However, it is safe to drink throughout the second and third trimesters, Hirota says. You can steep your own by adding an ounce of dried nettle leaf to a quart of boiling water.

Teas to Avoid

Some herbal teas are unsafe when you’re expecting; these include PMS, diet, cleansing and detoxification teas, as well as those with the herbs black cohosh, blue cohosh, dong quai and others (for a complete list, go to fitpregnancy.com/tea). Also avoid herbal laxatives, so read tea labels carefully. “In high doses, some naturally occurring substances, such as cascara sagrada or senna, can cause changes in electrolytes,” says Laurie Green, M.D., an obstetrician in San Francisco. Electrolytes, which include chloride, sodium and potassium, are required for normal cell and organ functioning. These herbal laxatives can promote diuresis (increased urination) or diarrhea, both of which can cause dehydration, says Green. Such varieties are best avoided until after you deliver and finish breastfeeding; even then, use caution.

The Caffeine Connection

Unlike herbal teas, which contain only about 0.4 milligrams of caffeine per cup, non-herbal teas (black, green and oolong) contain about 40 to 50 milligrams per cup. Sip four or five cups throughout the day, and you’ve gotten about 200 milligrams of caffeine. A study from Kaiser Permanente’s Northern California Division of Research found that pregnant women who consumed more than 200 milligrams of caffeine daily had double the risk of miscarriage compared with those who avoided the stimulant. However, a study conducted by the National Institutes of Health found no association between intakes of up to 350 milligrams of caffeine and miscarriage.

Without a definitive answer on the effects of caffeine while expecting, most experts agree it’s best to use caution and limit intake to less than 200 milligrams a day. “Caffeine in any form is too stimulating during pregnancy,” says Hirota. “It also increases the load on the liver, which is already busy processing pregnancy hormones.”

Do-It-Yourself Decaf

Caffeine is the first substance released into the water during steeping (this occurs within the first 25 seconds). To decaffeinate your favorite tea, steep the leaves or bag for 30 seconds, dump the water, then refill your cup with hot water and steep again. Most of the caffeine will be removeD