Women’s Health – Page 2 – Madison Ayers Writes

Unhinged Health ‘Experts’ Claim Men Can Breastfeed Too

“Breastfeeding isn’t just for women anymore, says a British National Health Services (NHS) trust in a leaked letter reported by The Telegraph. Men who identify as women can now take off-label drugs to produce breast secretions that are “comparable to that produced [by a woman] following the birth of a baby,” according to the trust. This statement comes just months before the ninth edition of breastfeeding nonprofit La Leche League’s landmark book, The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding, is set to release. Except this time, it’s only titled The Art of Breastfeeding. Just forget the word “womanly” was ever included.”

I’m being induced. Do I have options other than Pitocin?

“We separately covered reasons why you might have labor induced, ranging from being “overdue” to preeclampsia to poor fetal growth. Especially if induction wasn’t your original plan for how labor would start, you may dread being hooked up to an IV and fetal monitoring equipment, and fear needing an epidural to cope with the Pitocin-induced contractions. On that front, we have some good news: Pitocin isn’t your only option for labor induction, there are alternatives.

Here, we’ll cover a full-spectrum view of labor induction methods, from the least to most invasive. Know that when “D-Day” comes, you may experience multiple methods, layered together. Depending on your medical provider, you might begin with one intervention, then receive another in a scheduled window of time if labor isn’t progressing.”

Read more at Natural Womanhood.

Why be induced?

“Induction: a word that can incite strong feelings in either direction for pregnant women. Maybe you brought the topic up to your doctor, maybe she brought it up to you. The idea of being induced and meeting your baby sooner may sound exciting (not to mention the relief of not being pregnant anymore!). Or maybe you feel scared at the prospect of an induction replacing the natural birth you pictured yourself having. Let’s talk over the reasons you might be induced, plus a well-known research study called the ARRIVE trial about whether to induce a healthy pregnancy at 39 weeks.”

Read more at Natural Womanhood.

Too much estrogen: The risks women on the birth control patch need to know about

“Though not as well known as the Pill or the IUD, the birth control patch is often touted as a good option for women who have trouble remembering to take a daily pill but do not want the more invasive hormonal or copper IUD. Around ten percent of women report that they’ve used the patch to prevent pregnancy, and that percentage has ticked up slowly over the past twenty years. What makes the birth control patch different from other forms of hormonal birth control? And is it really a good option for pregnancy prevention, or could it’s estrogen-related side effects actually cause more harm than good?”

Read more at Natural Womanhood.

Do female athletes perform worse during their periods?: How the menstrual cycle impacts athletic performance

“I don’t think I performed very well today,” Fu Yuanhaui, Chinese Olympic swimmer, said in her post-swim interview at the 2016 Rio Olympics. “It’s because my period came yesterday, so I felt particularly tired — but this isn’t an excuse, I still didn’t swim well enough.”

Female athletes in all arenas of sport might be able to relate to Yuanhaui’s sentiments. Many women believe their athletic performance is worse during their periods due to symptoms like cramps, headaches, or fatigue.”

Read more at Natural Womanhood.

How can sports respect the female body?: A response to TIME magazine, Part II

“I previously addressed a TIME magazine article arguing that modern sports weren’t designed for the female body, especially the adolescent female body. Author and elite female athlete Lauren Fleshman spelled out the health risks girls and young women in particular may face because athletic competition doesn’t take into account their female design. So what’s the solution? How can sports respect the female body?”

Read more at Natural Womanhood.

Sports and the female body: A response to TIME magazine, Part I

“TIME Magazine: Sports weren’t designed for the female body because they require female athletes to “fight their body’s natural development”

In her TIME article, Fleshman describes how adolescent girls experience a temporary dip in their athletic performance when they begin puberty. This occurs because their bodies shift energy towards sexual development during this crucial period. Adolescent boys do not experience this same dip, and also do not have the natural “softness” that a girl going through puberty can expect to develop.”

Read more at Natural Womanhood.

Teens and sex: Why the risks and side effects of birth control can be especially bad for teens

“According to a 2017-2019 survey from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), around a quarter of girls aged 15-19 are on some form of hormonal birth control, and the vast majority are on the Pill. This number has increased over time, despite the fact that fewer teens are having sex (or getting pregnant) now than ever before. Many girls choose to take birth control for reasons other than preventing pregnancy, such as for painful and irregular periods or in order to take acne medication like Accutane. But what these young women don’t know could hurt them—teens may be at higher risk than adult women of experiencing birth control side effects.”

Read more at Natural Womanhood.

Should you eat and drink during labor?

“Was it really best for me to have little to no food for more than 48 hours of labor? Would labor (and the first few hours of my daughter’s life, earthside) have been easier if I had been steadily nourished with healthy foods? And, if so, what kinds of foods should I have eaten during labor?

Most pregnant women are aware that many hospitals have restrictions on eating and sometimes drinking during labor, but the reasons behind this can be confusing. In this article, I’ll explore why these rules exist in the first place, if they still make sense for our modern medical context, why we should be allowing women to eat during labor, and what kinds of foods are ideal.”

Read the rest of the article at Natural Womanhood.

What is a gentle C-section?

“In 2021, nearly one third (32.1%) of all births in the United States were via Cesarean section (C-section), according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. But a July 2021 Scientific American article by Ann Ledbetter noted that research shows C-section rates over 19% don’t lead to healthier moms and/or babies. With 19% as the ideal benchmark and 32% the reality, that translates to “about half a million unnecessary surgeries every year,” by Ledbetter’s estimate.

While the number of excess C-sections performed each year is startlingly high, and has negative implications for maternal mortality in the US and elsewhere, Ledbetter (and virtually everyone else) acknowledges that C-sections can be a life-saving procedure for some moms and babies. Still, as we’ll discuss today, not every C-section experience is created equal, and the “gentle C-section” option could have a lot to offer moms and babies for whom C-sections are necessary. In other words, pregnant women have good reason to think critically about their options should they need to receive this operation.”

Read the rest of this article at Natural Womanhood.