One of the hallmarks of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is polycystic ovaries (PCO) — but what you might not know is that not all women with PCO have PCOS. There is a subtle but important difference between the conditions of PCO and PCOS.
Your fertility naturally declines as you age. After age 40, it becomes increasingly unlikely that you will conceive. But “unlikely” does not mean “impossible!” As long as you have not reached menopause, defined as the lack of a menstrual period for 12 consecutive months, you can still become pregnant.
Painful sex isn’t normal, but it is common. 3 in 4 women will experience painful sex, or dyspareunia, at some point in their lives. A frequent cause of dyspareunia is ovulation. 1 in 5 women experiences some type of pain during ovulation, which can interfere with sex.
When you think of a woman going through menopause, you might think of symptoms like hot flashes, vaginal dryness, or mood swings. These symptoms receive a lot of attention due to the fact that there are over-the-counter and prescription drug remedies designed especially to target them.
Your cervix is an important part of your body — not just if you are looking to get (or avoid getting) pregnant, but also for overall reproductive health. Checking the position of your cervix at home can help you get to know your menstrual cycle and betterunderstand the way your body works.
Infertility can be a grueling road, but you don’t have to walk it alone. 6.1 million women in the United States have difficulty getting pregnant, making infertility quite common.
If the last book you read about women’s health was American Girl’s The Body Book when you were in the sixth grade, it’s time to catch up. The modern library is full of wit and wisdom about our menstrual cycles, our hormones, and our bodies — and what better way is there to understand what it means to be a woman today than to understand the intricate changes our body goes through each month?
Ever noticed that you feel cranky, groggy, and generally “off” after a bad night’s sleep? We all know that good sleep hygiene is important to maintaining good health. For women, however, sleep is especially important, as sleep plays an essential role in governing your hormone health.
You have probably heard of intrauterine insemination or IUI — but with the rising costs associated with fertility treatment, many couples are skipping traditional methods in favor of at-home artificial insemination. But what is at-home artificial insemination and how does it work?
When struggling with infertility, you may sometimes feel as though you’ve exhausted all of your options. The stress of trying multiple different treatments to no avail can weigh on your conscience — and this inner turmoil can make it even more difficult to conceive.
Hormone balance plays an important role in your overall health, not least of all your reproductive health. These chemicals send signals to your body to help it perform essential tasks, like triggering the release of an egg or the shedding of the menstrual lining.
When you are facing infertility, you would give anything to have the family that you’ve dreamed of. For many people, acupuncture might not be the first treatment they’d choose for infertility — whether it’s skepticism, a fear of needles or something else entirely that’s stopping them.
If you are struggling with infertility, you and your treatment team will likely consider both in-vitro fertilization (IVF) and intrauterine insemination (IUI) in order to help you conceive. But what is the difference between IVF and IUI — and which one is right for you?
We’ve talked a lot about ovulation on this blog — including signs of late ovulation and reasons you might not be ovulating at all. But since tracking your ovulation is one of the most important things you can do while you are trying to get pregnant, naturally, you may have more questions about your ovulation phase, like how to tell if you’ve ovulated at all.
As a woman, estrogen is one of your most important reproductive hormones. Low levels of estrogen can impact your mood, fertility and overall health and wellness. But how can you tell if your estrogen levels are low — and that this problem may be contributing to infertility?