Tag Archives: pregnant

Breast Cancer: in the young, the pregnant and with family history

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Pink Ribbon logoOn 17th September, the UK’s leading annual event for anyone affected by breast cancer will take place. There will be information from a range of experts, including Frost Magazine’s medical consultant Dr Kathleen Thompson. 

Registration: 10.00 am – coffee.

Morning session:  diagnosis, management and treatment for young women 

DIAGNOSIS : 10.30 Chairs introduction. Chairs: Mark Ho-Asjoe (St Thomas), Laura Johnson (Royal Marsden) 

 10.35 Breast cancer: the extent of the problem for young women: Bernard Rachet, reader in cancer epidemiology, London school of hygiene and tropical medicine 

10.55 From diagnosis onwards: navigating the breast cancer system: Denise Flett, young women’s breast cancer clinical nurse specialist (CNS), Royal Marsden hospital 

11.15 Reactions to diagnosis: getting the treatment you want: Kathleen Thompson, doctor, patient and author of From Both Ends of the Stethoscope 11.35 Panel 11.45   Short break + pastry 

TREATMENT: 12.00 Surgical options for hereditary and non-hereditary breast cancer. Breast conservation in young women Hisham Hamed, consultant oncoplastic breast surgeon, honorary senior lecturer, Guys and St Thomas Trust 

12.35 New options for the management of different breast cancer subtypes: Justin Stebbing, professor of oncology, Imperial college, London  

Following lunch: pregnancy, trials and survivorship 

2.15 Reserved (charity and sponsor, Philips)
2.35 Pregnancy and breast cancer: Alison Jones, breast cancer consultant, including for pregnancy and clinical trials, Leaders in Oncology Care 

3.10 Living with and beyond breast cancer: Susannah Stanway, consultant, medical oncology, breast unit, Royal Marsden hospital; also acute oncology unit, Croydon university hospital 

Venue: Royal Society of Medicine,1 Wimpole Street, London W1G 0AE 

BOOK (Event Brite): http://tinyurl.com/h45xfbf

* 16th September. Separate CPD day for clinicians: rsm.ac.uk/breastcancerforum

 

How old is too old to have a baby? 44, according to British women

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how old is too old to have a baby? post natal depression, PND,How old do you think is too old for a woman to become a mother? Well new research conducted by the Private Pregnancy UK Show reveals that when it comes to having babies, British women believe that 44 is “too old” and should be the cut-off point. This is despite social factors such as focusing on careers and not finding the right partner, as well as advancements in medicine and science, playing crucial roles in the surge in older women having babies.

The research aims to start a debate on how far medical intervention and assisted conception can go in aiding women who wish to preserve their fertility or delay having children, as well as highlighting the need for increased fertility awareness for adult women and calls for sex education to include information on fertility options.

The five most cited reasons as to why women believe 44 should be the cut-off age are:
1.    It is unfair on the child to have old parents
2.    Increased likelihood of health complications like Down’s Syndrome for the child
3.    Women aged 50-plus should not be allowed fertility assistance via vitro fertilisation (IVF)
4.    Parents won’t live long enough to see the child grow up
5.    It is “unnatural” to have babies after that age

The research also reveals that almost three-quarters (74%) of women believe that there isn’t enough fertility education available for women about not “leaving it too late” to start a family, or the options now available to help preserve a woman’s fertility and likewise, to assist with conception. The majority of women (75%) questioned believe that the responsibility to educate women about these time-sensitive issues lies with government health officials.

Dr Amin Gorgy, fertility consultant and IVF specialist at The Fertility & Gynaecology Academy comments:

“The ideal age for women to become pregnant is in their twenties and early thirties. A woman’s fertility potential declines rapidly after the age of 35 and drops even faster after the age of 40. Indeed, successful egg freezing through vitrification has made it possible for women to postpone conception to later in life but as a society, we should be encouraging couples to have children at a younger age, in fact, I recommend that couples should aim to complete their families by the age of 35. There isn’t enough education available to women, many of whom still believe they can go on forever.

Theoretically, through egg donation and using eggs frozen at an earlier age, women can conceive at any age, in fact, the receptivity of the womb for implanting embryos declines only after the age of 54 but usually, we take 50 as the age limit for assisted conception and only under special circumstances will we consider someone beyond the age of 50. IVF must be put into perspective if used after the age of 35 as the chances of having a live birth with an IVF cycle declines dramatically with age, for example, there is a 20% success rate at the age of 40 which falls to just 1% above the age of 45.”

Dr Alex Eskander, consultant gynaecologist at The Gynae Centre comments:

“My feeling is that women in the UK enjoy much more the liberty, freedom and opportunity to further their careers over settling down to have children, the latter of which is now a thoroughly outdated concept of the traditional family.

I find the two key points of pressure for these women to have children come from their parents’ “need” to have grandchildren and a growing understanding of their biological clock. As a clinician, let’s be clear, I am not scare-mongering, it is a fact that ovarian function declines significantly from 30 years of age and even more sharply after 35 years.

I agree that 44 is too old for women to have children. From the ovaries standpoint, the number of eggs decline and the egg quality is poor. As a result, it is difficult to conceive and the conception maybe associated with a high rate of chromosome abnormalities and increased chances of miscarriage. From the mother’s standpoint, there is a high risk of hypertension, pre-eclampsia and caesarean section.

My advice for young women who may want to delay conception for any reason beyond the age of 35 is to seriously consider egg or embryo freezing (with donor sperm) as your “insurance policy””.

The two doctors will be joining a wider panel of experts who will be hosting this debate in a women’s healthcare Question Time seminar on Sunday 22 May at the Private Pregnancy UK Show.

For more information, please visit www.privatepregnancy.co.uk

 

 

Five Simple Steps To Beat Baby Blues Naturally

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Five simple steps to beat BABY BLUES naturally

It comes from nowhere and catches you off guard.  Those feelings of being vulnerable, emotional, sad, tearful and sensitive may make it difficult to believe that it is supposed to be the happiest time of every woman’s life.

Don’t worry, you are not alone! Postnatal anxiety, also known as ‘baby blues’, affects 85% of women and may occur on the day of the birth, the day after or not at all. Despite those overwhelming feelings, remember it is a normal reaction after having a baby.

‘Crying and confusion are experienced by most women and are partly due to the hormone changes experienced during the labour and can also be connected to when the milk comes through. But for some 15% of women, this despair and tearfulness continues and develops into post-natal depression’, explains Dr Marilyn Glenville, the UK’s leading nutritionist and an author of The Nutritional Health Handbook For Women.

Before you start worrying, follow these five simple steps to beat baby blues naturally and start enjoying motherhood!

Take a break

Make sure you find time to rest. Permanent sleep deprivation is the biggest cause of anxiety and low mood. Instead of catching up on all those chores that have piled up, try to coordinate your rest periods with your baby.

‘You may need to ask for help with the housework and other chores so that you can have time to rest, sleep, eat properly and also spend time getting to know your baby. It is a good idea to get out the house on your own; it can feel quite overwhelming to suddenly have someone depending on you twenty-four hours a day. Giving birth may bring up unresolved emotional issues from the past that needs to be dealt with. Counselling may be very helpful if this has happened’, Dr Glenville suggests.

Keep your sugar levels at bay

It is important that you make sure that you are eating little and often. Keeping your blood sugar in balance is crucial for helping you through this time as it directly affects mood and energy. ‘Aim to eat complex and unrefined carbohydrates as part of your main meals – this means choosing brown instead of white (wholewheat bread, brown rice and wholemeal flour). Don’t forget about breakfast, porridge and oatmeal is a good choice. Do reduce and preferably avoid stimulants including tea, coffee, chocolate, smoking and canned drinks with caffeine’, explains Dr Glenville.

Too much copper is no good news

Mineral imbalances or deficiencies can also contribute to ‘baby blues’. One of the most important nutrients during this difficult time is zinc.

Zinc and copper are antagonists, which means that high levels of copper reduce zinc and vitamin B6. Once you are pregnant, copper levels in the blood tend to rise dramatically and remain high for up to a month after giving birth as it stimulates the uterus.* This can cause what feels like depression: extreme fears, anxiety, sleep problems, paranoia and even hallucinations. ‘High levels of copper that decrease zinc can be dangerous, especially for a new mum, as she may be already low in this mineral after giving birth. Zinc deficiency can cause stretch marks, white spots on fingernails, decreased wound healing, loss of appetite and low mood. Make sure you are taking good multivitamins and minerals, the ones you took during pregnancy are fine but add some extra zinc’ (recommended daily intake is 50mg of zinc a day), advises Dr Glenville. Try Nature’s Plus Zinc (www.nutricentre.com, £8.59).

Fatty acids

During pregnancy, women are constantly being deprived of fatty acids because of the physical demands of growing fetus. ‘Omega 3 fatty acids are proved to increase levels of serotonin so they are essential in fighting depression and anxiety. Try to include salmon, avocado and nuts in your daily diet. If you don’t like fish, choose a good quality omega-3 supplement such as Omega 3 by Quest Vitamins (www.revital.co.uk, £6.19).’ recommends Shona Wilkinson, Head Nutritionist at www.nutricentre.com.

Balance your hormones

‘Try to take milk thistle every day to support the liver and gall bladder. This powerful herb can help the liver to deal with toxins and process excess hormones from the body. In addition, it is an excellent promoter of milk production, so will help with breast-feeding as well’, says Shona.

*http://metabolichealing.com/zinc-copper-imbalances-immense-biochemical-implications/

 

 

Ready, Steady, Baby! 4 Things You Need to Know About Fertility

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kimkardashianpregnantAfter giving birth to daughter North two years ago, Kim Kardashian is now pregnant again. Kardashian previously admitted that she was desperately trying to conceive

As Kim and her partner, Kanye are both in their mid thirties, leading busy and stressful lifestyles, they are in a large group of fertility challenged couples.

According to the Journal of Human Reproduction, woman in their mid thirties with an older partner have a shocking 20 per cent chance of conceiving each month. Notonly does sperm quality decline with age, but also women are born with all the eggs they will ever have, so their fertility only goes down over time*.

The second most common cause of infertility is ‘unexplained’, which means that following thorough investigations, doctors can find no identifiable medical problem for a couple’s infertility. Fertility is multi-factorial so it’s important to look at every aspect of wellbeing, from general health, emotional problems and lifestyle.

We asked Dr Marilyn Glenville, the UK’s leading nutritionist specialising in women’s health and author of best selling Getting Pregnant Faster: Boost Your Fertility in Just 3 Months – Naturally, to give us her 4 step plan on boosting fertility naturally.

Check your menu

‘Although it goes without saying that a healthy diet is crucial to a successful pregnancy and a healthy baby, many people are unaware of the fact that diet may affect the ability to conceive. The following are recommended:

Plenty of fruit and vegetables
Complex carbohydrates – wholegrains like brown rice, oats and wholemeal bread
Organic foods where possible
Oily foods such as fish, nuts, seeds and oils
Reduced intake of saturated fats from dairy products etc.
Increased intake of fibre
Avoid additives, preservatives and chemicals, such as artificial sweeteners
Avoid sugar, both on its own and hidden in food

Avoid the three main fertility busters: Caffeine, alcohol and smoking as they have all been linked to an increased risk of infertility in men and women.’

Food Supplements

‘As well as looking at what you eat and drink there is now a great deal of scientific knowledge about the use of nutritional supplements and their beneficial effects on fertility. The most important nutrients for fertilityare Zinc, Folic Acid, Selenium, Vitamin E and C and Omega 3 Fatty Acids.’

Weight Matters

‘Women are most fertile when they are neither too thin nor too heavy. They need at least 18% body fat to ovulate and the best chance of getting pregnant is when 20-25% of the body mass is fat tissue. On the other hand, the menstrual cycle can be disrupted by too much fat, which affects oestrogen levels. Being 25% over the ideal weight can even stop ovulation. It’s important for the man to keep his eye on his weight too as there is an increased risk of infertility or poor sperm quality and quantity in men who are overweight’

De-stress

‘Stress can cause irregular ovulation and also lower sperm count. To minimise stress, the recommendations are to eat a healthy diet which keeps blood sugar in balance, exercise regularly and get at least eight hours sleep a night. Yoga or meditation can also be helpful and well as seeing a counsellor as infertility is itself stressful.’

Natural Approach

Dr Marilyn Glenville has joined forces with luxury health spa Champneys, to deliver a series of women’s wellbeing weekends this year.  These very special one and two day retreats are led by Dr Glenville herself and offer natural solutions and insight into four significant female health issues.  Dr Glenville’s Fertility retreat is this November at Champneys in Tring.  Groups are kept small to allow for plenty of time for questions and one to one time.  Each retreat includes full use of all facilities, nutritious meals and a thalassotherapy session.  Champneys.com for booking and more information.

*http://www.dailymail.co.uk/health/article-112136/The-female-fertility-clock-starts-ticking-27.html

 

 

How To Improve Your Chances of Getting Pregnant

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baby, fertility, getting pregnant, Some woman get pregnant easily but for others it can be a long and difficult journey. Now I want to start this article off with pointing out that I am not a doctor, but I have researched the subject and I got pregnant as soon as my husband and I started trying. I have combined what I learned with some tips from friends, some of whom did not get pregnant for a while but persevered.

Have Regular Sex.

Sperm can live inside you for seven days. The sperm travels up the fallopian tubes to “wait” for the egg to be released. If you ovulate during this time you can get pregnant at any point during those seven days. The NHS recommend having sex every few days during ovulation.

Find Out When You Are Ovulating.

There is an abundance of calendars and apps to help you figure out when you are ovulating. Having sex when you are not ovulating may be fun but it won’t get you pregnant. The NHS website can help you figure out when you are ovulating.

Take Your Vitamins.

Make sure you are taking folic acid. It is best to take this for three months before you plan to conceive and make sure you take it throughout the pregnancy too.

Stop Smoking.

This is obvious. It has been proven in medical studies that smoking brings on the menopause by at least four years. It is also very bad for your baby. You should not smoke when trying for a baby and certainly not when you are pregnant.

Exercise.

I exercised for an hour five days a week and lost two stone before getting pregnant. It helped that I was also working out for my impending wedding. I went from a size 12 to a size eight. Exercise helped but the other thing is…

Diet.

I ate as healthy as possible. I did not eat a lot of meat and if I did it was organic. I eat a lot of vegetables and drank a lot of water. I cut down on alcohol, only having a glass if at a restaurant or at a special occasion. Read this article for more diet advice. More importantly I…

Quit Sugar

This was hard but I stopped having sugar in my tea. No chocolate, no added sugar, no fizzy drinks. I am almost positive that this was one of the main things that made a difference. Sugar affects your insulin levels and your insulin levels affect your health.

Lie flat for 15 minutes.

Lie flat for 15 minutes after sex to give the sperm a helping hand. I know many people who swear by this.

IVF

Have IVF. Consider IVF if you are over 35 and have been trying for a baby for six months or if you are under 35 and have been trying for over a year. IVF is a wonderful invention, giving many couples the chance at parenthood who otherwise would never have had children. Go to a clinic with a high success rate like 

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