PostPartum Depression

The maternity ward is one of the only places, where an individual can witness a miracle. Eager faces press up a against the glass, in order to catch a glimpse at the beautiful brand new babies. Unfortunately, not all is beautiful. 10%-15% of women suffer from postpartum depression. This profound disorder, emotionally disables women after pregnancy, to episodes of any of the following symptoms: irritatated, fatigue, emptiness, low-self esteem, guilt, hopelessness, social anxiety, social withdrawal, impaired speech, anger, or decreased sex drive. It is theorized that these symptoms are the cause of an intimate relationship or bond, being severed after the birth. This disorder can not only lead to any of the previously mentioned, but to an inadequate feeling for their care of the child. There are several different causes or risk factors to postpartum depression, such as, prenatal anxiety, formula rather than breast feeding, single parent, or unplanned pregnancy. In order to prevent PPD, there are several organic methods:

1. Omega 3 Fatty Acids: Omega 3 is essential in the development of the child’s brain, within the mother’s stomach. The best natural sources of Omega 3 is grass fed meat or chicken; eggs, as well as certain fish. If any individual is allergic to the previously mentioned sources, there are Omega 3 pills.

2. Protein: Any individual’s diet should consist of protein, but any pregnant mother, should eat protein; in order to sufficiently nourish the child. Protein can be found in eggs, meat, and cheeses.

3. Vitamins: It is difficult to eat or drink, the recommended amount of daily vitamins. In order to properly ingest this specific amount, a pregnant women should take daily vitamins.

4. Appetite: A pregnant women is not only eating for herself any more, so if the women is experiencing a loss in appetite, she should contact a doctor immediately.

5. Hydration: Water is the cornerstone to any nutritious diet. It is recommended that any pregnant woman, drink at least eight 8 ounce glasses of water a day. This practice will properly hydrate, while flushing out all of the body’s waste.

Acupuncture

Post partum depression is a condition that many women experience after pregnancy to varying degrees. There are some cases of post partum depression that can cause women to harm themselves as well as their children. Other women suffer with post partum for a period of time in silence, not understanding what is wrong with them. Acupuncture can help to relieve these symptoms.

Acupuncture is an ancient healing remedy that has been used for thousands of years to cure various ailments. It puts pressure on different nerves of the body in order to send signals to the brain to eliminate pain as well as relieve symptoms of depression. Because post partum is a form of depression that is caused by a hormonal imbalance, acupuncture is a safe alternate to hormone therapy when it comes to treating this condition.

Depression is a common illness that strikes various individuals at different stages in life. Many doctors believe that depression is caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain. The brain does not receive enough serotonin in order to function properly. The lack of serotonin is what causes the depressive moods. Scientists believe that many depression cases are caused by a hormone imbalance. Acupuncture can be useful in cases where a hormonal imbalance is causing depression as it can trigger the brain to produce serotonin.

Many people think that acupuncture is only accomplished with the use of needles. However, there are new ways that acupuncture is used where needles do not pierce the skin. This is not a painful process and can send signals to the brain that can give an elevated mood as well as relieve pain.  In addition to using acupuncture to treat post partum depression, it can also be used to treat other hormonal imbalances that can cause mood dysfunction such as post menstrual syndrome.

Women who are suffering from post partum depression are often prescribed hormone therapy or anti depressants as a way to alleviate these symptoms.  The problem with these therapies is that they can have negative side effects.  They also are not used for women who are nursing babies. Acupuncture, on the other hand, does not have any negative side effects and is safe to use even on women who are nursing. This alternate form of therapy works well to increase serotonin to the brain without having to resort to the use of drugs for this purpose.

Post partum depression generally will last for about six weeks after the birth of the baby, although some women find that it lasts a little longer or shorter amount of time. Women who are experience the blues after they have their babies and want to find relief from this feeling of depression can do so with the safe use of acupuncture. There is no reason any longer for women to suffer in silence with this very common malady that strikes many women who have given birth. Women can take advantage of the treatment offered by acupuncture to relieve their symptoms of post partum depression that are the result of a hormonal balance after giving birth.

Tim Du
Physician Network Writer

Fertility

If you have been having difficulty getting pregnant, you should know that you are not alone. There are a large number of women who are trying to get pregnant that are having trouble doing so and are looking for a fertility test that will help them plan when to have intercourse with the highest chance of conceiving.

Women have been waiting for an accurate test that they can do in the privacy of their own home that will help them conceive in the shortest amount of time. If you are wondering whether you can trust an at home fertility test, the short answer is yes, but there are a lot of different factors which can be involved.

If you are looking for an accurate test, look for a fertility test that is easy to read. Some of the methods such as basal body temperature testing and cervical mucus evaluation can be reliable but an accurate test is one that has little room for misinterpretation of the results. A fertility test such as a chemical ovulation predictor test may be more up your alley.

Are you unsure how you can use basal body temperature and cervical mucus as a fertility test? An accurate test of basal body temperature relies on the fact that although a woman’s body temperature fluctuates, on a day when a woman ovulates she can experience an increase in her basal body temperature. It is not a huge increase, only about .2 to .4 of a degree, but it is a large change when compared to daily changes.

An accurate test of cervical mucus indicates that a woman has ovulated when her cervical mucus thins out and becomes tacky, almost like egg whites. This indicates that a woman’s cervix is ready to make the passing of sperm through into the reproductive tract much faster and easier so that a woman has a better chance of conceiving.

An ovulation predictor test is often the most popular form of fertility test that is available over the counter. It can be an excellent fertility test since it measures the amounts of fertility-related hormones in the blood stream. If certain hormones are present in larger amounts it can be a definite indication that ovulation has or is about to occur. The wonderful thing about ovulation predictor tests is that they can help narrow down how many days it will be until a woman ovulates.

It can be a less accurate test however if certain conditions exist. A fertility test such as an ovulation predictor test can be rendered useless if a woman is taking fertility treatments, if her cycle is irregular or she is sick or under stress. Fertility test results may be completely skewed in the case of fertility treatments since the treatments introduce abnormal levels of hormones into the system.

Another issue with a fertility test that can be performed in the home can be the cost. A basal temperature thermometer is not expensive but if you are looking for a more accurate test, a fertility test that uses a computerized unit to read the results can be quite pricey. Expect to pay well over a hundred dollars for a fertility test which is digital. And remember, if the conditions mentioned above exist, no matter how expensive the fertility test is, it still may not be the accurate test you want it to be.

The most accurate test that you can get will be one performed by a doctor. An accurate fertility test will analyze blood to detect hormone levels. Another accurate test is performed by doing an ultrasound of the uterus. If you want an accurate test that will tell you when your fertility levels are at their peak, make an appointment to discuss your concerns with your doctor.

Will Lee
Physician Network Writer

Pregnancy

If you want a baby someday but are putting off getting pregnant, did you know that you could be risking infertility? It’s true. A woman’s fertility begins to decline after the age of 30. But don’t worry. If you are thinking about putting off getting pregnant there are ways that you can boost your fertility and chances of conceiving when you do decide to conceive.

Age aside, there are many different ways that a woman can help protect her fertility from when she is young throughout her reproductive years. It is true that there is nothing you can do to stop the loss of eggs throughout your childbearing years and that egg loss is one of the biggest impairments to getting pregnant. But you can ensure that you live a healthy lifestyle so that when you do decide that it is time to look at getting pregnant you are in as good a shape as possible. Here are two things that you should look at.

Body Weight and Health

Body weight can have a significant impact on fertility and how easy getting pregnant will be. Excess body fat can interfere with the proper production of hormones such as estrogen. Women who are overweight often have hormone levels which are abnormal and since hormones control ovulation this can have a significant impact on fertility and your chances of getting pregnant when you want to.

Also, if you have a higher body weight, it can be more difficult to perform tests which help you tell if you have gotten pregnant. Your cardiovascular health may be at risk and other systems can also be harmed. This is not always the case but it is something to consider if getting pregnant is something you want.

Being healthy and getting regular exercise can reduce stress which has been found to have a massive negative effect on fertility and your chances of getting pregnant. Women who had unexplained infertility who used relaxation techniques along with fertility treatments had a higher chance of getting pregnant.

Birth Control Methods
It is true that there is no way you can prevent egg loss. However there are some methods of birth control which can adversely affect your fertility levels. There is the chance that a birth control method like an intrauterine device (IUD) can cause pelvic inflammatory disease and this can negatively impact your chances of getting pregnant.

On the other hand, while some hormonal birth control methods can harm your fertility levels by causing irregular periods after you have stopped taking them, methods such as the Pill can often be a help to women who have periods that are irregular. This is because they help to put your body on a more regular monthly routine. Regular ovulation is one of the biggest ways to help your chances of getting pregnant.

This is because a woman’s fertility levels fluctuate during the month and a woman is only able to get pregnant about six days a month. If your ovulation is regular, you will know when those days are and targeted intercourse can significantly raise your chances of getting pregnant.

Will Lee
Physician Network Writer