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HCG for Weight Loss? Yeah Right!

I read the strangest piece of news tonight. Apparently people are rubbing a cream containing HCG on their wrists and cutting their daily calorie intake down to 500 in an effort to lose weight rapidly. It’s called the HCG diet. HCG is the same pregnancy hormone that is detected by home pregnancy tests. HCG stands for human chorionic gonadotropin. It is first produced by the growing embryo and later by the placenta. The theory is that the synthetic HCG tricks the body into thinking it is pregnant and needs to pull nutrients from the body’s fat stores. It should be … Continue reading →

Would You Risk Your Life To Have A Child?

Ask my husband about when I first started wanting babies and he’ll quickly respond, “right away!” Even in our first year of marriage, despite the fact that I’d always said we’d wait four to five years, I wanted to have a baby already. The months passed and the desire grew. It’s hard to describe how bad I wanted to start having kids. I almost became obsessed with the idea and would test for pregnancy often, hoping for an “accident” and assuming every upset stomach or mysterious symptom was pregnancy. Finally, I got a grip… and a few months later, my … Continue reading →

Surprise Babies: Heather’s Story

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This month I’m talking about surprise babies. I’ve been looking forward to sharing with you the story of one special little girl named Lillian Rose, who surprised her parents and their family with her miraculous debut. Her story begins long before she was born in 2002, when Heather and Jeremy met while working together at a local tool store. The high school sweethearts started dating two years later. On August 6, 2006, they tied the knot. About three months after they got married, they decided to start a family, but it wasn’t long before Heather realized things weren’t going to … Continue reading →

Fertility Medications: Provera

For many women, irregularity with the menstrual cycle contributes to infertility issues. Without a regular cycle, ovulation and conception are difficult, if not impossible, to achieve. The drug Provera is given to get the menstrual cycle going. Provera actually has several uses related to female health, although it is often known for starting a stalled menstrual cycle. It may also be described for abnormal bleeding, treating endometriosis, pre menstrual symptoms and menopausal symptoms. The exact dosage and instructions will vary from woman to woman. Provera comes in dosing options of 2.5, 5 or 10 mg. The best dosage for you … Continue reading →

Fertility Drugs: Femara

The fertility drug Femara is also known as Letrozole. Originally used in the treatment of breast cancer, the drug was found to be effective for infertility. Initial studies show Femara is more effective than the very popular Clomid. Femara and Clomid have similar results, but work differently. Clomid works by blocking estrogen receptors. Femara works as a aromatase inhibitor. Aromatase is an enzyme which results in the production of estrogen. By blocking this enzyme, estrogen levels are decreased. Both drugs have similar side effects, resulting from the lower estrogen levels when taking either drug. The most common side effects on … Continue reading →

Aspirin and Infertility

In some cases, women are advised to take aspirin when they are trying to conceive. You may have heard of someone taking aspirin or maybe you have been advised to begin taking aspirin and are wondering if it an effective treatment. There are studies to suggest that taking aspirin in conjunction with other medications can increase the pregnancy rate. The aspirin increases the blood flow to the uterus. This allows the body to release more eggs and creates a better environment for the embryo to implant. In addition, aspirin has been found to be an effective treatment for women experiencing … Continue reading →

The Pregnancy Blog Review for Feb 25 – March 14

The pregnancy blog covers all topics related to conception, pregnancy, labor, birth and the postpartum time after the baby arrives. The blog review is a good place to view the recently covered topics. You can also browse by category on the right side of the page. Gestational diabetes affects about five percent of all pregnant women. The glucose test done in the second trimester screens for this condition. If you are diagnosed with gestational diabetes, you will have to learn to manage the condition and monitor your blood sugar levels. Learn more in Managing Gestational Diabetes. If you have not … Continue reading →

Fertility Medications: Human Chorionic Gonadotropin (hCG)

If your doctor prescribes fertility medications, you may be given human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). This medication is not used alone for the treatment of infertility. HCG is used in the same cycle as other fertility medication injections, such as gonadotropins. Human chorionic gonadotropin is given after you have completed the series of injections. HCG is used to help induce ovulation. It works by communicating with the ovaries to release the eggs that have matured. The gonadotropin injections taken earlier in the cycle work by encouraging the ovaries to produce eggs. This mimics the surge of follicle stimulating hormone released by … Continue reading →

Fertility Medications: Gonadotropins

Gonadotropins are medications that are used in combination with infertility treatments. They work by stimulating follicle development. This increases the number of follicles that will develop. Gonadotropins are used in nearly every method of infertility treatment. These medications are sold under the brand names Gonal-F, Follistim and Metrodin. They have replaced the older medications, such as Humegon and Pergonal. The medication is delivered via intramuscular injection. The treatment involves being injected with the medication each day for between seven and ten days. During this time, you will be monitored with blood work and ultrasound. Your infertility specialist will monitor the … Continue reading →