Cystoceles, Its Symptoms And Its Classification

January 8, 2010

A cystocele is a disorder in which the wall between the vagina and bladder weakens, causing the bladder to drop or remain static into the vagina. Cystoceles occur due to excessive straining during childbirth, chronic constipation or heavy lifting and are more prominent in older women.

Symptoms include a feeling of fullness or pressure in pelvic area, especially while standing for a long time. Symptoms appear during straining, coughing, lifting or bearing down. Often, women with cystoceles have problems with recurring bladder infections due to the abnormal anatomical position of the bladder.

Cystoceles are classified in three different grades. Grade 1 mild cystocele occurs when the bladder drops a short way into the vagina. In Grade 2, the bladder sinks far enough into the vagina to reach the opening and in Grade 3; the bladder actually comes out of the vaginal opening. Treatment is done by the physician based on cystocele’s severity and the overall health and activity level. Severe cystoceles requires reconstructive surgery. Consult your gynecologist if you wish to discharge your normal daily activities and lead an active life.

Why Your Feet Ache Feet during Pregnancy

May 28, 2009

Women’s bodies change a lot during pregnancy, your feet is one of them.  The most apparent reason is the additional weight gain.  As your pregnancy progresses, you will gain roughly around 25 pounds during the whole term.  This additional weight will add pressure to your feet, especially on the heel.

Pregnancy may also promote the swelling of your feet.  One side effect of pregnancy is the surge of hormones that course through your body.  This makes the muscles relax and slows down your circulation, because of this swelling in your feet may occur.

Another hormone released during pregnancy is relaxin, this cause your bones to relax as you prepare for birth, unfortunately, as this hormone prepares the birth canal, it causes some undesirable effect on your feet.  The hormone cause the connections of the bones in your feet, the ligaments, to expand.  This can misshapen your feet by making it larger and flatter compared when you were not pregnant.

A hot foot bath is one way to relax your tired, swollen, misshapen feet.  Soaking your feet in warm water with your favorite aromatherapeutic oil can help relieve those swollen , aching feet.

Are You Pregnant?

May 9, 2009

Signs of pregnancy are distinct and distinguishable.  Although having one sign may confuse you with having contracted a disease, having two signs may validate a suspected pregnancy.  Unless you know what signs to watch out for, then your feelings of being sick may be a reason for joy than despair. Because pregnancy is different for each woman, a simple pregnancy test can almost ascertain your being pregnant, but how do you actually know when to open a kit and test?  Check out the list of signs below and compare how you feel.

A missed period will definitely send your alarm bells ringing and head for the nearest pharmacy to buy the first (or first of several) pregnancy test kit you see.  It can be difficult for some women to tell, if this is just a hunch or an actuality because some women are not regular or have late periods.   Other factors such as stress, illnesses, and contraceptives may hinder you from noticing the significance of a missed period.

Fatigue is also a good indicator of pregnancy.  Feeling sluggish because of a decrease in energy which is unrelated to stress or strenuous activity may also tell you that you may be pregnant.

Tenderness of the nipples.  Pregnancy is one of the few reasons why your breasts especially your nipples may be feeling tender.

Morning sickness.   Feeling nauseous and vomiting is a good sign of pregnancy.

Remember one sign can be telling one story, but a combination of two or more should prompt you to make a visit to the obstetrician.

Baby Massage

March 25, 2009

With the nine months of wait, seeing your baby brings all sorts of feelings. Joy, coupled with anxiety, worry and a feeling of satisfaction. No, you’re not going insane, you’re feelings are those that of a proud and concerned parents. As you find yourself struggling to gain foothold and normalcy in your new life, your little bundle of joy will definitely take up a lot of your time and attention. Making sure of your child’s health and safety is your primary and most important concern.

And who wouldn’t? It is also the time to strengthen the bonds that you will be making with your child, one that will be tested by coming home late and squabbles in school or problems with the opposite sex! Don’t worry, those are lightyears away. In the meantime, you need to get to know your baby and attend to the things that he will need before your baby shows or asks for it by crying.

Massaging your baby can be a very effective way to enjoy and bond with your new baby. This time can also be made to relax your baby. Using massage aids like oils and scents that are safe for your baby can be used to relax them better than hands only massage. Consider using these aids as they will not only promote better sleep, they will also relax your baby to avoid tantrums.

How to Lose Weight Naturally after Pregnancy

February 13, 2009

When pregnant, a woman is expected to gain 20-35 pounds during her term. This is because her body is keeping the developing baby well-nourished. In the baby’s delivery, a woman loses about 10-15 pounds of  pregnancy weight. But what about the extra weight? You have to shed that off yourself I’m afraid!

There is a 6-month crucial period for losing baby weight. This crucial period starts right from the day your baby is born. You have to be quick about meeting the deadline, if not, you will have a hard time losing the pounds. There are certain ways available for you to try, proven safe and effective even for breastfeeding moms.

Breastfeeding is one good example of means for you to lose weight. It burns 500 calories per day along with the health benefits for you and your kid. Exercising while pregnant is also advisable as long as it doesn’t include jumping and bouncing. Avoid doing exercises that compromise your back and abdominal area. You should also eat small meals during and after pregnancy. Eat healthy and take natural vitamin supplements that are safe for both mother and child.

 

Chemical Pregnancies and Its Causes.

January 9, 2009

When we say pregnancy, what comes into mind is either carrying a baby to full term and having the joy of a new born among us. Unfortunately though some women have a miscarriage along the way while for others there is a third incident called chemical pregnancy. Chemical pregnancy is pregnancy loss like that of a miscarriage only it happens at a very early stage of conception - so early that most women who experience it don’t even know it happened.

Experts believe that with chemical pregnancy, the fetus dies instantly upon conception. There are large number of cases that were found to be a case of chemical pregnancy and the other half of this, we would never know. Symptoms are not felt so there is no way you could ever tell if you miscarried unless you caught it on time -usually around 6 weeks, no more.

There are three major causes of early miscarriage or chemical pregnancies. The first one would be chromosome abnormality which is when there is an error in divisions of cells. It keeps the baby from properly forming himself in your womb. The second would be hormonal deficiency of the mother. When her progesterone level is low, her womb won’t support the baby for a long time. Lastly, presence of leiomyoma in the uterus has shown a significant factor in interfering with the first stages of conceiving.

Women and Smoking

October 27, 2008

As well as the commonly known health issues with smoking, smoking for women carries with it extra risks.

For instance, any woman taking the contraceptive pill faces a very small risk of side effects such as thrombosis, stroke or heart attack. If you’re a woman who smokes you increase these ‘very small risks’ by approximately 8 times.

Smoking has also been shown to be particularly damaging for pregnant women, in some cases doubling the chances of complications. This is because chemicals in cigarette smoke interfere with the circulation of blood through the placenta, meaning fewer nutrients are supplied to the unborn baby. As a result, even for those women lucky enough to not have complications, on average a baby born to a smoking mother will be 200g (8 oz) lighter than one born to a non-smoker.

For the new born children the problems do not stop there as research has shown that the effects on children’s health can be seen many years later. At the age of 11, children born to smoking mothers are on average three months behind on school work compared to children whose mothers did not smoke at all during pregnancy.