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Welcome to the Circle+Bloom blog
Share your insights on women’s health issues, whether it is general health, infertility, PCOS or any other topic that is specific to women’s health and you will have a chance to win a $150 American Express gift card! Click here to learn more!
Leslie Goldman, a Women’s health writer and body image expert shares her Insights on Infertility. She writes a blog Health Breaks Loose you should have a look at. If you like her insights be sure to leave a comment below to help her win the $150 AMEX card!
Why can’t anyone get pregnant?
“Ugh.”
That was my husband’s reaction when he opened our mailbox last month and pulled out the new US Weekly, plastered with a sad photo of Khloé Kardashian alongside the desperate headline, “I’ll do anything for a baby.” (A few months earlier, it had been Giuliana Rancic, revealing how a surprise breast cancer diagnosis had temporarily derailed her IVF struggles.) Dan’s response was visceral and strong, and just like many mothers who grow to learn their babies’ various cries, I knew exactly what that “ugh” meant.
For perhaps the only time in our lives, we had been in this Kardashian’s position, too. Trying to conceive, month after month, only to come up empty. The thought of it being broadcast on a national level felt sickening.
Not that Khloé has anything to be ashamed of. One in eight U.S. couples struggle with infertility, which makes it about as common as breast cancer. But while glossy pink ribbons serve as a badge of courage and pride, with people walking for three days straight in mass parades to raise awareness and funds, infertility remains cloaked in secrecy. In fact, when you’re going through it, waking up at 5am to rush to the reproductive endocrinologist’s office for a quick blood draw and ultrasound before work, or when you’re shooting up straight estrogen in a Caribou Coffee bathroom, or when you’re couch-bound for two days straight after being put under anesthesia to have 20 eggs harvested through your vagina, it feels like you are the only woman alive living through this pain. And then, because a common side effect of injectable hormones is tunnel vision, you only notice the women around you who are pregnant. I remember once texting Dan a list of about 14 girls I knew on a very close basis (either friends I spoke with multiple times per week, coworkers or family members) who were all knocked up, punctuating the message with a self-pitying “WHY NOT ME?”
But if you allow yourself to open up, if you talk about it even a tiny bit, you’ll start to see that, actually, you’ve landed yourself a spot in an entirely non-exclusive club. The moment I began writing about our struggle, women leapt out of the woodwork, revealing their own battles to me. Recently, I celebrated a “coming out” of sorts when I blogged about our IVF experience and posted it to Facebook. By the end of the day, no less than four friends and three editors of mine (I’m a writer for various women’s magazines) had privately messaged me, telling me of their IUI babies, their Clomid toddlers, their IVF failures.
A few weeks ago, on the plane ride home from our babymoon in Puerto Vallarta, I was writing an essay on infertility and going organic for Natural Health magazine. I got into a conversation with the woman next to me, who was told she could never have kids, so she adopted a four-year-old…only to spontaneously conceive a few months later. Her biological daughter used IVF for all three of her sons. Later that night, Dan was forced to trudge out to the grocery store at 2am to procure cold medicine, kefir and watermelon for me, thanks to an unbearable hacking cough that had been causing me to pee all over myself throughout our romantic Mexican vaycay. He called me from the 24-hour pharmacy, saying the pharmacist on-call thought I should try Mucinex. As I frantically Googled “Mucinex AND safe AND pregnancy” in between body-wracking explosions of phlegm, I overheard the pharmacist ask Dan, “First baby?” Dan confirmed. And then the pharmacist asked, “IVF baby?” Turns out he was a kindred spirit – his wife had delivered a baby boy eight days prior, the result of four rounds of IVF. He recognized a freak when he saw one; after you go through what we went through, you aren’t taking any chances. Even if it means sticking your finger down your throat in a restaurant because you’re worried the bleu cheese that was sprinkled on your salad might be unpasteurized (which happened to me when I was five weeks along.)
In the locker room at my gym, I chatted with a girl from my yoga class who is expecting twin girls in March, via surrogate. Two hours before, I had spoken on the phone with a friend who is in the midst of adopting baby #2.
At my baby shower, I calculated that eight of the 20 or so women in attendance had used either Clomid, injectables, artificial insemination, IVF or adoption as a means of creating their family. Eight out of 20.
Perhaps it’s an age thing: More of us are waiting to have children, fooling ourselves into believing that regular gym sessions and a Flexitarian diet will somehow freeze our eggs at mid-20s status. Or a result of chronic environmental insults – pesticides, pollution, canned tomato sauce brimming with fertility-sapping BPA. As my acupuncturist once opined, “You think girls living on the family farm in Arkansas are having trouble getting pregnant? Of course not.”
For now, I’m finishing up Week 38 of our hard-won pregnancy, and it’s unreal how the intense pain of those awful months has faded into the background. Last weekend, I attended a boozy brunch where I enjoyed the fun attention typically lavished on a woman brandishing a fitted sweater-clad baby bump. I chatted with two other pregnant ladies and convinced them to shell out $75 for an elective 4D ultrasound like we did last week – one of the smartest moves I could’ve made in terms of bonding with our baby. I didn’t even mind the fact that I was surrounded by off-limits champagne and mouthwatering pomegranate vodka punch. Which brings me to another tip for my friends still embroiled in their struggle:
Drink wine. Lots and lots of wine.
And enjoy it while you can. 
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Share your insights on women’s health issues, whether it is general health, infertility, PCOS or any other topic that is specific to women’s health and you will have a chance to win a $150 American Express gift card! Click here to learn more!
Sandra, a uterine cancer survivor due to PCOS shares her Insights on Infertility and PCOS. She writes a blog Lemonade and Gingerbread you should have a look at. If you like her insights be sure to leave a comment below to help her win the $150 AMEX card!
PCOS Doesn’t Need to End in Heart Ache
As most of you who read my blog regularly know I am a cancer survivor of over 2 years now. A bloggy friend of mine, Rebekah, recently posted a story for Circle & Bloom on what she learned through her infertility and pregnancy. When I read this I became motivated to share my story on PCOS (Poly Cystic Ovary Syndrome).
Circle and Bloom is having a contest where we can share our thoughts on Women’s Health, Wellness, and subjects like PCOS, Infertility, etc. One woman will win a $150 American Express card, but I think this is a perfect venue for us in the blogging world to talk about important issues as well.
I have probably had PCOS all my adult life. I had irregular menstrual cycles as long as I can remember. However, I did not find out an actual diagnosis until I was going through the last chances of fertility treatments around age 40. At the same time I was told that my chances of conceiving at that point were slim to none. That I should not continue on with fertility treatments and that I should instead take birth control pills to control my PCOS. The only caution I was given was that PCOS can lead to diabetes. Well, as a Catholic married woman who still had hopes of conceiving I was not going to take the advice to take birth control pills. Besides, birth control pills cause problems of their own. Imagine my surprise when two years later, I found out I had endometrial cancer.
- What I wish I knew:
I wish I knew I had PCOS before the age of 40, maybe I could have done something to conceive. I also wish I had known that PCOS could lead to cancer. I still would have opted out of birth control but I could have looked for alternatives. - What I wish I did:
I wish I would have been more proactive when I was younger to find out what was wrong with me. Why I didn’t have regular menstrual cycles. What could have been done to correct this. - I am grateful I knew:
I am grateful I knew enough to seek out my doctor when I started having heavy bleeding and clotting (this was the cancer). Even though they said it was a result of the PCOS, that after a while the uterine lining builds up so much it has to shed one way or another. I didn’t believe them and insisted on a better answer. My doctor suggested we do a uterine biopsy just to rule our cancer and then it would be part of my chart as we searched for answers. - I am grateful I did:
I’m grateful that I push my doctor to consider this wasn’t normal and suggest the biopsy which lead to the diagnosis of cancer and no doubt saved my life. - I would want others to know:
Know your body and know what’s normal and what is not. First every woman whether 15 or 85 should know what is considered normal and where she fits within this normal window. And if something doesn’t seem right ask your doctor. Secondly, once you know what your normal is, then don’t be afraid to question changes that don’t seem right. It may be nothing, but it’s best to ask. And always, always don’t wait to ask. Edometrial cancer is one of the easiest cancer’s to survive but the key is early diagnosis. The only way to diagnose is through a uterine biopsy. Also, PCOS is not something to take lightly besides cancer it can cause such issues as high blood pressure and diabetes. But there are solutions and it doesn’t have to take away your chances of having children.
Thankfully for me, I had a happy ending. I’m cancer free and while it’s been a hard road my husband and I currently trying to adopt.
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The last think you thing will happen is that you will feel a little low or depressed after you have your baby, in many cases something that you have been waiting for a very long time! But it happens and you should not ignore it or get angry at your self for feeling that way!
Postpartum depression is never a matter that should be taken lightly. Each year, thousands of mothers experience the detrimental effects of postpartum depression after giving birth, and very few seek the help they need. However, there is a difference between postpartum depression and just generally moodiness or lack of motivation that are often experienced after a woman gives birth.
Postpartum depression makes a new mom incredibly depressed with a lack of interest in things once enjoyed, a lack of motivation to care for your newborn, and general thoughts of suicide. However, the hormonal imbalance caused after giving birth doesn’t always lead to clinical depression. Basic feelings of sluggishness or simply feeling low are actually fairly common. So if you have just had a child and are feeling a little low, but not so depressed that you can not get out of bed, there may be a few natural remedies that can help you kick that low mood:
Start Exercising Again
After birth, many mother’s become very insecure about their bodies. While this low body image can affect a woman’s mood negatively, so can the simply action of not working out at all. Exercise increases the endorphins released in our bodies, and higher levels of endorphins tend to make for happier individuals. So if you want to give your mood a boost while shaking off some of that baby weight, try to make it to the gym or work out to an exercise video a couple of times a week.
Watch What You Eat
While you may have found yourself eating everything under the sun while you were pregnant, continuing to do so after you give birth can deeply affect your mood. Foods that are greasy, fried, and high in fat can actually leave you feeling groggy and depressed – even if they seem comforting at the time of consumption. To increase your mood and to help you shed some baby weight, stick to a diet that is rich in fruits and veggies and low in-fat. Not only will you feel better, but your waistline should start shrinking a bit too.
Consider Therapy
The demands of having a baby in the home are incredible – especially for first-time mothers who may not have adequate support or great systems in place. Sometimes all you need is someone to talk to in an unbiased setting in order to feel better about what you are going through. If you feel like you just need to “talk it out” with someone, consider visiting a therapist once a week. He or she will be able to help you form positive coping mechanisms, and will be able to help you determine if you are actually suffering from postpostum depression which may require additional treatment.
Depression is no laughing matter, and if you are feeling that your mood has been a bit low since having your child consider speaking with a medical professional or getting on sites, such as Depression Connect, to find additional information and support. Either way, your health, both mental and physical is just as important as that of your child’s, and you need to be at your best to be a fully engaged mom. So if you find yourself feeling depressed, don’t hesitate to take the time necessary to get yourself feeling more positive and motivated to tackle the day.
Circle + Bloom offers meditation programs to help women with depression. Our Energy for Empowerment Program helps improve key components of energy; metabolism, endocrine circulation and sleep. Our Happy Mind + Healthy Body Program empowers better health, reduce stress, and create new wellness habits that will change your life forever.
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Busting Myths About Women’s Health
There are many myths about women’s health, some of them so pervasive that even doctors believe them. Knowing what’s true and what’s not can help you identify if any changes in your health deserve some extra attention from your doctor, or if what you’re experiencing is one of these common myths. Many of these myths can also lower your fertility, so understanding the truth about your health can also help you conceive and successfully carry a baby to term. You should always talk to your Doctor about your personal situation and if our recommendations (or any recommendation other people give you) makes sense for your personal health program.
MYTH Osteoporosis happens around menopause
Women stop gaining bone mass at about age 30. Well before a woman hits the age of menopause, she could have already lost a significant amount of bone density. Even before her 30s, a woman should ensure she is consuming enough calcium each day and participating in some weight-bearing physical activity, like running or brisk walking, tai chi and yoga, dancing, strength training and even golf. Maintaining or building bone density is a gradual process; the easiest way to do it is to incorporate calcium-rich foods or calcium supplements into your daily meal plans, and weight-bearing activities into your normal exercise or activity plan.
MYTH Type 2 diabetes can’t be prevented
The easiest way to lower your risk of Type 2 diabetes is to keep your weight in check. Women’s weight often begins to creep up beginning in their 30s, after childbearing. Busy days, active children, little time for exercise or eating right, stress and lack of sleep all take a toll. Women in their 30s and even younger are now being diagnosed as Type 2 diabetics. Lifestyle changes, such as fewer pre-packaged and fast food selections, more activity, weight loss and adequate sleep, have all been shown to reduce or even reverse Type 2 diabetes.
MYTH A perfectly healthy adult doesn’t need immunizations
While most parents are diligent about ensuring their children receive vaccinations, many parents (and adults without children) forget or neglect their own safety. Parents are especially at risk, as their children, while building up their own immune system, can bring home a wide range of illnesses. Your doctor can suggest the appropriate schedule of immunizations for you that might include Diptheria-Tetanus-Pertussis (DTP), influenza, chickenpox, or pneumococcal vaccines.
MYTH Birth defects can’t be prevented
Up to 70% of spina bifida and anencephaly births each year can be prevented if the expectant mothers take folic acid, a B vitamin, daily before getting pregnant and throughout the first trimester of pregnancy. Women can check the level of folic acid in a daily multivitamin and make sure it contains at least 400 micrograms; folic acid supplements are available for multivitamins that don’t meet this level.
As a reminder your doctor is your best advocate and partner to help you get and stay healthy.
We were made aware of a great resource for Canadian women to get extra assistance with the online availability of Canada drugs and supplements.
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Share your insights on women’s health issues, whether it is general health, infertility, PCOS or any other topic that is specific to women’s health and you will have a chance to win a $150 American Express gift card! Click here to learn more!
Here are Rebekah’s Insights “What a Woman Needs to Know”. She writes a blog Broken Heart, Mended Fences where you can read more. If you like her insights be sure to leave a comment below to help her win the $150 AMEX card!
- What I wish I knew
- Prior to a LONG history of Infertility and a preterm loss in 2009, I wish I knew I had to advocate for my own medical care and seek God and HIS answers instead of relying on just the guess-work of only 1 practitioner. - What I wish I did
- In hindsight, I wish as a young twenty-something that I had been encouraged to seek a second opinion on my fertility diagnosis. Had I gotten a second opinion, took the initiative to be my own advocate by reading and understanding my rights as a patient I wouldn’t have given up trying to have a baby because I was told it couldn’t happen only to learn 8 years later that we were indeed pregnant. - I am grateful I knew
- Enough after the loss of our son preterm, to get records and educate myself on the events leading up to our loss. I diagnosed myself with an incompetent cervix while fighting for a stitch for my second child. I fought for that stitch until they decided they knew for sure it was in fact IC up until week 19. If I didn’t encourage them to monitor me weekly, our beautiful daughter would have passed away at week 22 like our dear boy did. You know your bodies ladies! If something seems wrong, educate yourself and fight for the medical care and bedside manner as a consumer. While Dr.’s are well educated, they sometimes lack the knowledge of how we know our own bodies. - I am grateful I did
- Fight for the stitch. Had I not, our daughter wouldn’t be here today. - I would want others to know
-The symptoms of an Incompetent Cervix and other issues pertaining to preterm losses. Please see my resources HERE. To hear our testimony of how this blog came about please check out the Introduction Page. 
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If you are a woman in your 20s, planning for pregnancy might be the last thing on your mind, but we encourage you to take time now and understand steps you can take now to help reduce potential issues of getting pregnant when you are ready. Did you know 1 out of 8 couples struggle with infertility? Many people do not realize this because infertility is not something people talk about. All the education we receive in our high school heath class is how easy it is to get pregnant, there should be education on how difficult it can be to get pregnant when you are ready for a baby.
We are not trying to sound of the alarm bells, scare you or cause worry about the what ifs, but we are encouraging you to be smart about your health and fertility now to help make it a bit easier when you ready to start building your family!
Practice Healthy Habits
When you are in your 20s, you tend to burn the candle at both ends. Days are hectic, nights are sleepless and meals are quick and lean. Taking time to implement healthy changes in your daily lifestyle can have a long-lasting effect, not only on your future fertility but also on the quality of your life right now.
Eating a well-balanced diet is important, providing not only the vital nutrients necessary for your own daily functions but also building a healthy foundation for future pregnancy. One of the most important nutrients is folic acid, which is a B-vitamin necessary for proper neural development in a baby in the early stages of pregnancy, and the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) recommends at least 400 micrograms per day. A daily vitamin supplement should be taken if your diet does not provide this amount consistently.
For your physical and mental well-being, exercise is important as well. Not only will exercise build muscle and bone tissue and help you maintain a healthy weight range for your height, it will also decrease your stress levels. Stress can be very detrimental to overall body health when unresolved and constant over a period of time. In addition to exercise, meditation, prayer or online counseling may be useful in helping you to find ways of coping with stress.
Seek Healthy Support
Building a healthy lifestyle takes work and support to achieve, so make sure your doctors are a part of your mission. Getting a regular physical with your primary care doctor will enable you both to keep track of your health and detect any issues or problems early. Many genetic diseases become exacerbated by pregnancy or have a negative effect on fertility, but early detection and treatment can decrease these effects. A yearly visit to your gynecologist is also in order and should include a breast exam, a Pap smear and screening for sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) and other reproductive issues, both environmentally-caused and age-related, which could become a problem as you enter your 30s.
Practice Healthy, Safer Sex
Many STDs can cause significant damage to your reproductive system, scarring the delicate tissues and making it difficult or even impossible to conceive later in life. Even if you use oral birth control, it is a very good idea to use a condom as well. The barrier a condom supplies will decrease your risk of exposure to most serious STDs. Frequent testing is also a positive choice and you should encourage your partner to get tested as well.
Summary
Your 20s may seem early to start thinking about your future fertility, but making healthy, safe choices now may mean avoiding the stress and expense of fertility treatments when you are ready to become pregnant in your 30s or later.
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We have heard many opinions on this question, and we thought it would be helpful to use a bit of science to help you answer this question and decide what side of the fence you are on.
Lets start with a very high level understanding of Cellular Biology. We have trillions of cells that make up our existence and they are constantly working, breathing, digesting and reproducing in support of our entire existence. To do this, within each cell, there are proteins. The proteins change by virtue of “signals” that attach itself to the membrane of the cell. The membrane of the cell decides which signals to let into the cell and once in, proteins change and make the cell change as well.
It used to be thought that our DNA, or genes within each cell nucleus was in charge of all decisions and what that cell would do or not do. But a project called the Humane Genome Project put the entire gene theory into question. Leading biologists now think that DNA contains the “blueprint” but doesn’t actually make decisions on when or how to create proteins based on the information. It is the signals – hormones, enzymes, etc. – as well as the cell membrane that makes the decision of what comes into the cell – that holds the power. And where do the signals come from? These are messengers and other packets of information or energy that are constantly being passed around that stem from our sensory input – what we are seeing, feeling, hearing, etc. The sensor input then goes throughout subconscious and then the output is what changes or fuels our cells.
This has ENORMOUS implications. No longer are we held hostage by our genes, but it is the signals that stem from our environment (or perception thereof) that hold the keys to our development, health and reproductive function.
Wow.
This theory makes sense when you hear of the studies showing severe stunted growth of children who are not held or shown any kind of love or attention. It also makes sense when you hear that monks meditating in sub-zero temperatures with wet robes can make their bodies steam from heat generated within. It makes sense when you hear of the miraculous stories of self-healing from cancer survivors who make an enormous empowering decision to take control of their lives and change their thoughts.
This is why visualization works. When we are “seeing” – in this case using our imagination – our subconscious mind does not know the difference between what we are imagining (which is why our perception or beliefs make such a huge difference in our health – look no further than the Placebo effect) and what we are physically seeing with our two eyes. Through our subconscious, signals from those visualizations are sent to our cells. The cellular membrane lets in those signals, and viola, we change our cells. This is why being relaxed, being fully present when visualizing, which is what our programs help you to accomplish is so important. It’s the power of your subconscious that does the work!
The subconscious mind is the part of the brain that directs physical function. It also our conscious attention to focus on the tasks in front of us and allows our bodies to function seemingly on their own. The problem with this, however, is that the subconscious is also where we hold our deep-seated beliefs about our bodies, our lives, our abilities, etc. The subconscious has been effectively “programmed” mainly when we were young children – some even say it starts in-utero. The subconscious creates our “filter” in terms of how we view the world. The filter changes our perception of our existence, and then leads to physical changes in the body by way of signals and changes in our cells.
Let us know what you think!
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To kick off the New Year we are announcing a new blog series on Women’s Health Education and the beginning of our next blog contest! We want you to share your personal insights with the rest of our community and when you do you have a chance to win a $150 AMEX gift card.
We have always been impressed with the strength, determination and wisdom of our Circle + Bloom community and feel it is time to get all of you talking. Share your insights on women’s health issues, whether it is general health, infertility, PCOS or any other topic that is specific to women’s health and you will have a chance to win a $150 American Express gift card! The contest will be running until March 31, 2012.
What do you need to do to enter?
Send your women’s health insights in the form of a short blog post to sue@circlebloom.com . To help get you started we came up with a few questions you might want to answer in the blog post:
- What I wish I knew
- What I wish I did
- I am grateful I knew
- I am grateful I did
- I would want others to know
….or create your own topics!
All entries need to be original and must be written by the person who is submitting the entry. We will then publish your story on our blog and post on our Facebook page and the story that gets the most likes on Facebook and comments on the blog post will win, and that winner will receive a $150 American Express gift card to spend on anything they wish!
We would appreciate it if you could share the details of the competition within your network of friends, family and of course all your Twitter followers!
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We are proud to say that many reproductive health practitioners are recommending our programs to their patients. Says Dr. Dehan Chen of Valley Fertility “I am happy to see mind-body science and innovative stress reduction exercises have been tailored for the fertility community. I am excited to incorporate Circle + Bloom’s programs in our practice.”
