Tag Archives: menstrual cycle

Birth control and breastfeeding

The first ovulation after childbirth comes in a different period in very woman. There is no general rule when will ovulation happen but it is a well known fact that breastfeeding plays an important role in this process. If the mother is breastfeeding her baby, the first menstrual cycle should occur in around six months. Otherwise, ovulation usually occurs between four and six weeks after childbirth. But, the fact is that the menstrual cycle occurs just two weeks after ovulation so chances are that you can be fertile right after childbirth without being aware of that fact.

Those who believe that breastfeeding is a safe method of preventing pregnancy are not playing safe. It is a well known fact that during breastfeeding, the mother’s brain secretes a hormone called prolactin which is responsible for milk production. The bigger the amount of this hormone in the system the later you can expect ovulation. However, even a small break between breastfeeding that last more than 5 hours may be just enough to reduce the level of prolactin and the ovulation process can begin. This is why even mothers who are breastfeeding should start thinking about birth control.

In these cases, birth control pills are not recommended because the estrogen that they contain can stop the production of milk. Furthermore, these hormones can be transferred to the child through the milk. The high amount of estrogen that is usually found in these pills can cause negative effects in the child’s development. After childbirth, natural birth control methods are not that effective. The menstrual cycle after childbirth should stabilize after a while.

Between the 6th and 8th week after childbirth you can use an intrauterine device. This is the period when the uterus gets back to its natural form. Besides that you should wait for the vaginal discharge to stop in order to avoid infections. The biggest advantage of using intrauterine devices is the fact that the woman shouldn’t worry about pregnancy in the next 5 years. Of course, side effects are always present and things such as injuries during insertion, losing the IUDs and changing its position are possible. Some women can also experience bleeding. There are certain IUDs that can decrease the intensity and duration of bleeding during the menstrual cycle.

So-called mini pills and three-month injections don’t contain estrogen (they only contain gestagen) and they are another good birth control option during breastfeeding period. These pills don’t stop milk production and flow which makes them perfect for breastfeeding mums. The hormones can reach the baby’s body through the milk but experts claim that the hormones used in these pills are harmless. The only disadvantage of these pills is that they need to be consumed every day at the same time. The three-month injections are better because they are used once in three months. But, they contain more gestagen.

Finally, you can always try the traditional barrier methods like using condoms or a diaphragm. These methods are perfectly safe for breastfeeding mothers.

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Practising Safe Sex Using Some of the Popular Ways

A wise guy once said ‘Prevention is better than cure’. In certain matters related to sex, there is little or no scope of cure. Complications such as unwanted pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases are irreversible; the only way of avoiding them is to take preventive measures. Following are some of the ways in which you can minimize the risks involved, if not cure them.

General precautions would make you self aware

First, it is important to consider and accept the fact that risks are involved wherever sex is. That being said, carrying out precautionary steps to avoid unnecessary complications is no rocket science. Begin with constantly educating yourself with regards to your body, its responses towards sexuality and sexual practices among other things. This should make you more aware of yourself and the possible responses that could trigger during the act.

Knowing your menstrual cycle could help you avoid pregnancy

First timers, especially females should keep a track of their menstrual cycle. Knowing the dates of their period should help them trace the days when they are ovulating. This is significant as those two days bear the highest chances of pregnancy. The chances of getting pregnant a week prior to and after the cycle are less; however, this does not mean that the possibility is down to zero.

More logical and specific measures to avoid complications

Using condoms may be a good thing; but it is equally crucial to consider how your body reacts to it. As much as latex condoms show an increased possibility of preventing sexually transmitted infections, they may be unsuitable for those allergic to it. Protection is available in alternative materials such as polyurethane and lambskin; these, however, are relatively less reliable for the purpose.

It is advisable to use female condoms for penetrative vaginal sex as they are aptly effective to prevent pregnancy and STIs.

Unprotected oral sex can have grave consequences. For this purpose, there are dental dams or square condom sheets to prevent the inflow of unwanted fluids such as infected blood from the genitals to the mouth. A dental dam should be used only once for either anal or vaginal sex and never back to back for both.

Treatment of Erectile dysfunction

Hormonal birth control pills are 99% effective, and even better when incorporated into your daily routine. A proper prescription of the same from a trusted gynaecologist would be most advisable. Alternatives to pills are hormonal patches and implants, injections of estrogen or progestin and vaginal hormones. These also show efficacy up to 99% when used properly. 

Sex toys: getting kinky with a hint of hygiene

Sex toys may be the core spice of the entire act. However, repeatedly using them can possibly put you through risk. In other words, any infection, trivial or major, could catch up on you unawares. To avoid this, you will need to consider sterilising them with disinfectants prior to their use. Sex toys need to be clean and dry at all times so you need to ensure a suitable environment for not just their sustenance, but also your well being!

The Causes And Treatment Of Infertility

Unfortunately pregnancy, maintenance of pregnancy and giving birth to a healthy baby can be very difficult for some couples. Average healthy woman has 20 to 25 percent chance to get pregnant during each cycle and more than 80 percent of fertile couples will successfully conceive a baby in a period of one year if they have regular unprotected sexual intercourses. Unlike them some couples are faced with lots of challenges when it comes to conception.

Infertility is considered to be an inability to conceive after more than a year of regular and unprotected sexual intercourse. It is estimated that just over 10 percent of women of reproductive age have trouble conceiving. Both female reproductive system and male reproductive systems can cause this unpleasant situation and sometimes the problem lies in both of the partners. After a specialist research and treatment of both partners nearly 35% of couples can conceive a baby in a period of two years.

But what are the main causes of infertility? It is still fully not clear why some people are infertile but for most of the people the causes can be identified. There are several causes why some women are infertile and these are some of them – ovaries do not produce eggs, endometriosis and pelvic inflammatory disease might damage or block fallopian tubes. Sometimes the mucus in the cervix can be “hostile” to the sperm. Unlike women where there can be several causes for infertility men are usually infertile because of the problems with their sperm quality.

In order to find the source of the problem you should take detailed physical exam and research family history. Obesity and menstrual irregularity will certainly be listed and the doctor will probably ask you about occupational hazards, eating disorders, stress, sexual intercourses, previous methods of contraception, physical activity and previous life habits like drinking alcohol, smoking and usage of medicaments. Blood tests may be conducted in order to investigate the known reasons for infertility: excessive levels of prolactin (a hormone that regulates the menstrual period), excessive levels or lack of thyroid hormone or excessive presence of androgens, such as testosterone.

If you have endometriosis, cysts or polyps, the doctor may refer you to a gynecologist or endocrinologist for evaluation and further examination.

When it comes to men patients, the doctor may suggest a sperm analysis. Low level of sperm or poor  sperm quality may be responsible for the situation.

If the doctor suspects that sexual problems may be the cause he may recommend therapy.

If the ovulation is a problem, there are medications that can stimulate ovulation easily. Disorders such as polycystic ovaries, endometriosis and pelvic inflammatory disease can be treated. Damaged fallopian tubes in some cases can be repaired by surgery and in vitro fertilization is another method that can be efficient in this situation.

It is very important to understand the monthly menstrual cycle because in that way you can know what days are the best for sexual intercourse and getting pregnant.

As we can see infertility is not something that can’t be treated, it just takes time and patience but the results will eventually come.