Your period is irregular. There is unwanted hair growing in unwanted places. You seem to be gaining weight in your abdominal area. You may have PCOS. Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a genetic, reproductive, metabolic, and hormonal disorder affecting 6-12% of women of childbearing age. Interestingly, PCOS has nothing to do with cysts on [...]
Ready to have a baby? There is so much information available on what to expect when you are expecting and what to do and not do when you are pregnant. But preconception planning is equally as important. It’s never too early to start preparing your body for the possibility of motherhood. Ideally, your preconception care [...]
Here’s our take: Menopause is a milestone in a woman’s life. It’s a period of time when you no longer have your period. Simultaneously, it marks the end of your ability to conceive. Menopause is a natural process that is directly related to the decrease in your female reproductive hormones as you get older. For [...]
Diagnosed with gestational diabetes? Gestational means during pregnancy and diabetes is a metabolic disease where your blood sugar that is too high and there is an imbalance between your insulin and glucose levels. Gestational Diabetes is not uncommon. Every year 2-10% of pregnant women in the US who have no previous diagnosis of gestational diabetes [...]
Miscarriage or spontaneous abortion refers to the loss of a pregnancy before the 20th week of pregnancy. It is estimated by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) that, “as many as 26% of all pregnancies end in miscarriage and up to 10% clinically recognized pregnancies. The difference between the two percentages is because [...]
Mama Mia! Here you go again. You have this sudden feeling of unexplained heat in your upper body. You may sweat profusely. It could be daytime. It could be nighttime. It could be hot flashes. Hot flashes are often associated with natural perimenopause and menopause. About 70% of women in the US experience hot flashes [...]
Giving birth to a baby is an exhilarating experience. It can also trigger unexpected feelings of anxiety and depression. Known as the “baby blues,” you may have crying spells, mood swings and difficulty sleeping. Most of the time, these feelings pass on their own. But if the symptoms become more severe or last more than [...]
Skin discoloration or hyperpigmentation is a relatively common condition where spots or patches darker than the natural skin tone appear. The severity of discoloration often varies from person to person. Some people may notice just a couple of tiny darker spots on their cheeks or forehead, while others may deal with larger and more apparent [...]
What is prenatal testing and who is a candidate for which test? There are many prenatal tests offered to pregnant women during their first, second, and final trimesters. Some check the health of the mother while others check the health of the baby. Cell-Free DNA testing became available in 2011 and is an option for [...]
Are you experiencing high blood pressure during pregnancy? You may be diagnosed with preeclampsia, a life-threatening blood pressure condition that is often diagnosed after the 20th week of pregnancy or after giving birth. According to the March of Dimes, “Preeclampsia affects 2-8% percent of pregnancies worldwide and is the cause of 15% of premature births [...]