PennLive.comMore women become mothers after 40PennLive.comWomen need to know that fertility rates decrease rapidly after age 40, and the risk for chromosomal abnormalities is higher, he said. …
Posted on February 28, 2010 | Filed under Fertility News | Permalink
Marshall Islands’ Health Needs Cited in Recent NewsYokweIn comparison, New Zealand’s adolescent fertility rate in 2008 was 31.6 per 1000 women, and New Zealands has the second highest teenage pregnancy ratae in …
Posted on February 28, 2010 | Filed under Fertility News | Permalink
At Our Bodies Our Blog, I posted about a couple of calls for support of midwifery-related legislation – in Mississippi and at the Federal level, and on ACNM’s new statement in support of making nitrous oxide available for pain relief in labor, while C has an update on healthcare reform.
Other items of interest:
At the workplace, a new OB emergency team is being launched, and it includes an attending CNM.
At RHRC, Robin Marty talks about Angie Jackson’s tweetin of her abortion. Angie herself writes more about her experience at Angie the Anti-Theist. My response is basically to adapt what I said about Trunk tweeting her miscarriage:
But you know what? Her tweet, and her motives for publishing it, are not the issue – the responses she reports receiving are. The comments telling
TrunkAngie how she *should* feel abouta miscarriageher abortion are a problem. The idea thatmiscarriageabortion is something personal that *should* be kept secret whether a woman wants to keep it secret or not, when so so many women have them, is a problem. The idea that people’s bodies should effectively be hidden from thework environment where we spend so much of our timeworld is problematic in its own ways…The idea that women should always be overjoyed and grateful to be pregnant is a problem – as any woman who has ever prayed to get her period will tell you. Yes, many women lose wanted pregnancies and are upset, even devastated. But people have a whole range of reactions to events in their lives, and that is okay.
Also at RHRC, Miriam Pérez writes about attempts to target women of color rearding abortion. She writes:
At first glance, it’s nice to see the anti-choice community pretending to care about communities of color. But within a few minutes, the skepticism sets in. What’s really behind these tactics, coming from a group that is majority white, middle-class and Christian? In the end, we know this isn’t actually about women of color and their well-being. It’s a sensationalist attempt to pit women of color against the reproductive rights movement. Classic divide and conquer.
Jill at The Unnecesarean is also talking about Race and the Rights of Childbearing Women, as isCara at the Curvature.
One more from RHRC (they’re on a roll this week): on a Utah bill that apparently could criminalize miscarriage? I need to read more about this.
Feministing has a profile of Heather Corinna, who I think is pretty awesome.
The Washington Post has a profile of Carol Ball, who travels 200 miles from Minnesota to South Dakota to provide abortions.
The New York Times has a piece on antibiotic-resistant infections in hospitals.
Filed under: Abortion, Access, Rights, & Choice, Infectious Diseases, Midwifery, News Round-Ups, Sex & Sex Education 
Posted on February 28, 2010 | Filed under Womens Health News | Permalink
A Danish study came out this past week showing that the rate of stillbirth intrauterine fetal death after 20 weeks of pregnancy seems to be four times higher in pregnancies conceived via IVF or ICSI intracytoplasmic sperm injection. Both are common treatments for infertility.
In the study, researchers studied records from over 20,000 women and compared the outcomes in pregnancies conceived after the above treatments vs. pregnancies conceived without intervention. According to a Reuters article about the study, the rate of stillbirth in the pregnancies conceived via IVF and ICSI was 16.2 per thousand while pregnancies conceived naturally had a stillbirth rate of 3.7 per thousand. It was not clear whether the increased risk after IVF, which was still low overall, was caused by the IVF procedure or by other medical factors that might be present in couples who resort to IVF.
I know past studies have also found that couples who conceive after infertility might have an increased risk of pregnancy loss. It seems like the ultimate cruelty for couples to have to go to such lengths to get pregnant in the first place, potentially spending thousands of dollars to conceive, only to end up miscarrying. I hope further studies will illuminate why the risk seems to be higher for these couples and what can be done to reduce the risk of stillbirth even further. The good news is that the overall risk of stillbirth was still low, and the vast majority of couples who conceive after IVF will give birth to healthy babies.
IVF Linked to Increased Stillbirth Rate, But Risk Still Low originally appeared on About.com Miscarriage Pregnancy Loss on Sunday, February 28th, 2010 at 07:45:53.Permalink Comment Email this
Posted on February 28, 2010 | Filed under Fertility News | Permalink
TopNews United StatesIVF Linked to Increased Stillbirth Rate, But Risk Still LowAbout.com: HealthI know past studies have also found that couples who conceive after infertility might have an increased risk of pregnancy loss. It seems like the ultimate …IVF and risk of stillbirthAsian LeaderIFV treatment linked to higher stillbirth rateJamaica ObserverIVF babies ‘at risk of complications’Private Healthcare UKThanh Nien Daily-TopNews United Statesall 8 news articles
Posted on February 28, 2010 | Filed under Fertility News | Permalink
Home fertility tests aren’t just for women anymoreVictoria Times ColonistA new device that looks a lot like home ovulation and home pregnancy tests but checks sperm count will soon be available in Europe, and is undergoing Food …Home Fertility Tests For MenVisit Bulgariaall 3 news articles
Posted on February 28, 2010 | Filed under Fertility News | Permalink
Women gain weight when pregnant is a fact; and that they want to lose it afterwards is another.
And though most women want to, they may need some reminding of common weight loss tips for after the baby has arrived:
Breast feeding: A new born baby, when exclusively breast fed can take in as many as five hundred calories a day so in effect that is 500 calories burnt for the new mother. When the baby starts solids, he or she may not need as many of the calories to come from mother’s milk but even then 200 to 300 extra calories are being burnt. This is one of the chief reasons that women put on weight during the pregnancy period; to have the resources to breast feed.
Exercise: Work out a simple cardio and weights routine in conjunction with breastfeeding and you will have yourself losing weight without any dieting.
Healthy food choices: Avoid junk food and make healthy food choices such as fresh fruit and vegetables as well as low fat dairy. For snacks, use nuts, fruit and things like carrots to munch on. A cheat meal now and then is not a problem, so long as you keep to eating healthy and nutritious for most of the week.
Posted on February 28, 2010 | Filed under Pregnancy | Permalink
Herpes is a very common sexually transmitted disease STD. There are risk factors that can make it risky for pregnant women, particularly if they have their first or initial outbreak near term or the end of their pregnancy. There is research that indicates an effective way to reduce not only the number of cases of genital herpes at term, but the number of cesareans done for genital herpes at term. Read how to reap this benefit…
Related:
Chlamydia
Yeast Infections in Pregnancy
Source:
Jeanne S. Sheffield et al. “Valacyclovir Prophylaxis to Prevent Recurrent Herpes at Delivery: A Randomized Clinical Trial.” Obstet Gynecol 2006108:141-7.
Reducing the Herpes Rates at Term originally appeared on About.com Pregnancy Childbirth on Saturday, February 27th, 2010 at 06:26:52.Permalink Comment Email this
Posted on February 28, 2010 | Filed under Fertility News | Permalink
Multiple births, when a woman is carrying twins or more in a single pregnancy, have risen significantly in the last 30 years.
Posted on February 27, 2010 | Filed under Fertility News | Permalink
Natural Family Planning: Taking Charge of Your FertilityFertili-Talk blogIf you want to get pregnant, you should definitely take charge of your fertility by practicing natural family …and more
Posted on February 27, 2010 | Filed under Fertility News | Permalink
Telegraph.co.ukOvarian Transplant Recipient Gives Birth TwiceWebMDThe news did not surprise a US fertility expert, who tells WebMD most of his transplant patients have conceived naturally. ”They just get pregnant …Two Babies Born a Year Apart After Ovary TransplantBusinessWeekMedical miracle: Danish woman bears kids twice after ovarian transplantThe Money TimesDanish woman gives birth to second child after ovarian transplantLos Angeles Times blogNHS Choices-Telegraph.co.uk-EmpowHer blogall 408 news articles
Posted on February 27, 2010 | Filed under Fertility News | Permalink
Visit BulgariaHome Fertility Tests For MenVisit BulgariaA new device looking much like the home ovulation and home pregnancy tests, only difference being it checks sperm count will soon be available in Europe. …and more
Posted on February 27, 2010 | Filed under Fertility News | Permalink
Lower glucose thresholds for gestational diabetes called for by an international consensus panel may double the number of women diagnosed.
Posted on February 27, 2010 | Filed under Fertility News | Permalink
Tiny Bites is offering $1 off their popular food shears exclusively for our readers. Get the discount using the code: Parenting. You can read a review of the product here:
“Cut your baby’s food into bite-sized pieces with ease using Tiny Bites Food Shears. These BPA-free scissors allow moms and dads to safely, easily and efficiently cut their child’s food into small pieces to ensure safe consumption. Tiny Bite Food Shears also comes with a safety cover so the scissors won’t rip up the insides of any bags and they’ll always stay clean. You’re probably thinking you can cut or rip up your child’s food into little pieces and so did we. However, Tiny Bites will help keep the process sanitary, and it works well on grapes which aren’t easily diced when your out and about…”
Read more of the review at The Scene or click here to check out the Tiny Bites website.
Posted on February 27, 2010 | Filed under Pregnancy | Permalink
Two to three times more pregnant women may soon be diagnosed and treated for gestational diabetes, based on new measurements for determining risky blood sugar levels for the mother and her unborn baby, according to a study that was coordinated by investigators at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine.
“As result of this study, more than 16 percent of the entire population of pregnant women qualified as having gestational diabetes,” said lead author Boyd Metzger, M.D., the Tom D. Spies Professor of Metabolism and Nutrition at Feinberg and a physician at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. “Before, between 5 to 8 percent of pregnant women were diagnosed with this.”
Blood sugar levels that were once considered in the normal range are now seen as causing a sharp increase in the occurrence of overweight babies with high insulin levels, early deliveries, cesarean section deliveries and potentially life-threatening preeclampsia, a condition in which the mother has high blood pressure that affects her and the baby.
Large babies, the result of fat accumulation, are defined as weighing in the upper 10 percent of babies in a particular ethnic group. Because large babies increase the risk of injury during vaginal delivery, many of the women in the study were more likely to have a cesarean section.
The good news, Metzger noted, is recent studies show women with mild gestational diabetes, who were treated with lifestyle and diet changes as well as blood sugar monitoring, greatly reduced their risk of complications. As a result of treatment, the women had smaller babies, fewer cesarean deliveries and less preeclampsia, Metzger said.
Based on a study of more than 23,000 women in nine countries, Metzger and an international group of 50 experts concluded a fasting blood sugar level of 92 or higher, a one-hour level of 180 or higher on a glucose tolerance test or a two-hour level of 153 or higher on a glucose tolerance test constitute serious risks to the mother and baby. Previously, these levels had been considered in the safe, normal range, and two elevated levels were required for a diagnosis of gestational diabetes.
“At these levels, the frequency of having an overweight baby is almost double, the frequency of having preeclampsia is almost double, and the frequency of early delivery is 40 percent greater,” Metzger said. “These are really substantial differences.”
“This study says these risks to pregnancy are like many things we deal with in medicine,” Metzger said. “The risk of having a stroke doesn’t begin when your blood pressure is 140 over 80. That’s when we say you have hypertension, but that’s not where the risk begins to affect your health. That starts sooner. A similar situation is how your cholesterol level relates to the risk of having heart disease. It doesn’t begin at 200. That’s where it reaches the threshold where common treatments can reduce the risks.”
“Our research represents an examination of risks and a consensus about how high a level the risk needs to reach before a diagnosis should be made and treatment should be considered,” Metzger said.
For the past decade, the rate of gestational diabetes as previously measured has soared as much as 50 percent. “We shouldn’t be surprised,” Metzger said. “The fact that we have a lot of gestational diabetes to deal with is consistent with the major impact that diabetes and obesity are having in our population at large. How could we expect pregnancy to escape that?”
Posted on February 27, 2010 | Filed under Pregnancy | Permalink
I arrived home a few hours ago from getting my tubal ligation done. Still groggy from the meds and the general anesthesia.
Will post something when I’m more alert 
Posted on February 27, 2010 | Filed under Female Reproduction | Permalink
MedlinePlus, the extensive consumer health site from the National Library of Medicine, has announced a new email alert service to allow users to sign up for updates on what is new in specific topic areas.
For example, I just signed up for alerts on women’s health topics – you can choose to be updated on that broad category, or on more specific concerns such as birth control, breast cancer, pregnancy, pelvic pain, and others. I don’t yet have a sense of whether this will come in single emails compiling what’s new from all topics, or a bunch of individual alerts – I hope it’s the former.
After selecting topics of interest, the site also makes suggestions from various federal health agencies, such as the CDC and FDA.
Your user profile can be modified at any time to add or remove subscriptions.
Update: Yipes. Signing up for the “women’s health” set is causing individual emails for each subtopic. I’ve sent a suggestion to allow bundled delivery, because as interested as I am, that’s more inbox clutter than I can take.
Filed under: Government, Health, Libraryland, Web Resources 
Posted on February 27, 2010 | Filed under Womens Health News | Permalink
Your choice of hospital is important to achieving your breastfeeding goals. This is probably not a surprising statement. What may surprise is how much that influence really is on your ability to get breastfeeding off on the right foot. Researchers recently looked at over 1,500 mothers who gave birth in 2005. They were asked about their original breastfeeding goals and about seven hospital policies that are a part of the ten steps to becoming a “Baby-Friendly” hospital.
70 of the first time mothers said that their goal was to breastfeed exclusively. At the end of the first week, only 50 were breastfeeding exclusively. What the study found was that if the hospitals had practiced six or seven of the steps in question, these first time moms where six times more likely to still be breastfeeding exclusively, which was their intention.
Some of the steps included:
Initiate breastfeeding within the first hour after bith
Practice rooming in
Encourage unrestricted breastfeeding
No supplementation for newborns unless medically necessary
No pacifiers or artificial nipples for breastfeeding babies
Train all staff in breastfeeding skills to help mothers as they implement this policy
I think that there are so many ways that the hospital and the staff can influence breastfeeding mothers. The last point is really important because I’m hearing from so many mothers that one of the things that really gets to them is the fact that every nurse or nurses aid who walks in has a different set of instructions for how to breastfeed, which leads to confusion. Was that ever an issue for you?
Related articles:
How did your hospital help you breastfeed?
How to Choose a Hospital for Your Baby’s Birth
Being a Baby Friendly Hospital
Breastfeeding Your Baby
Source:
Declercq, Eugene, Labbok, Miriam, Sakala, Carol, O’Hara, MaryAnn
Hospital Practices and Women’s Likelihood of Fulfilling Their Intention to Exclusively Breastfeed
Am J Public Health 2009 0: AJPH.2008.135236
How Your Hospital Can Help You Breastfeed originally appeared on About.com Pregnancy Childbirth on Friday, February 26th, 2010 at 12:25:43.Permalink Comment Email this
Posted on February 27, 2010 | Filed under Fertility News | Permalink
Here’s more evidence that “safe” plastics are not as safe as once presumed: New research published online in The FASEB Journal http:www.fasebj.org suggests that exposure to Bisphenol A BPA during pregnancy leads to epigenetic changes that may cause permanent reproduction problems for female offspring…
Posted on February 27, 2010 | Filed under Fertility News | Permalink
Woman Conceives, Gives Birth to Healthy Babies After Ovarian TransplantDG News… fertility clinic for additional IVF treatment so that she could conceive again. However, a pregnancy test revealed she was already pregnant naturally, …Woman Gives Birth Twice After Ovarian TransplantParentDish blogall 2 news articles
Posted on February 27, 2010 | Filed under Fertility News | Permalink
A new study in the American Heart Journal shows that women who have had five or more births have a greater risk of heart disease. The risk was lowest for women who had two children, with increased risks seen even in the no birth and one birth groups. Researchers say that it may be because of how pregnancy changes the blood flow in the body.Previous studies looked at very small numbers of women. They were also conflicting. This study looked at a very large number of women and even looked at data regarding pregnancy complications that may have factored in. This rise in risk was beginning in middle age and going forward. It is also important to note that an increase in risk, even when multiple times higher, may not be that significant for an individual with a very low risk in general. Though this study may be something to consider if you are at a higher risk of heart disease and stroke and wish to have a big family.
Related:
Risk of Heart Disease in Women
Source:
Parity and risk of later-life maternal cardiovascular disease Nisha I. Parikh, Sven Cnattingius, Paul W. Dickman, Murray A. Mittleman, Jonas F. Ludvigsson, Erik Ingelsson pages 215-221.e6.
Having More Than 5 Children Increases Heart Disease Risk originally appeared on About.com Pregnancy Childbirth on Friday, February 26th, 2010 at 11:17:59.Permalink Comment Email this
Posted on February 27, 2010 | Filed under Fertility News | Permalink
Destination: MotherhoodHuffington Post blogThen it was on to the fertility Doctor. You’re probably wondering why I wasn’t seeing a fertility specialist sooner? Well, it’s because you don’t want to …
Posted on February 27, 2010 | Filed under Fertility News | Permalink
Ferring Pharmaceuticals and Gene Security Network GSN announced that they have signed an agreement to conduct a clinical trial of GSN’s advanced preimplantation genetic diagnosis PGD technology, Parental Support. The 11-center U.S…
Posted on February 27, 2010 | Filed under Fertility News | Permalink
Ferring Pharmaceuticals and Gene Security Network Partner to Test Advanced Preimplantation Genetic Diagnosis Technology PARSIPPANY, N.J. and REDWOOD CITY, Calif.
Posted on February 27, 2010 | Filed under Fertility News | Permalink
‘Marry Him?’ More Bad Advice for the LovelornWomen’s eNews… rationale for women’s misery: “Male-emulating careerists have such anxiety about pregnancy that their glands secrete chemicals that destroy fertility. …and more
Posted on February 27, 2010 | Filed under Fertility News | Permalink
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