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Live your life with a purpose beyond yourself, and you'll find that the world is as bold and broad as the interests that brought you here today.
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We, as parents of children with food allergies, are always concerned that what we give our kids to eat, or what others give, may have a negative affect on their delicate systems. I found this article and thought I would share it with you. As a woman with a peanut allergy, (among other things) I am always concerned with what the package says or what the menu reads......Sharon
How to Clear Confusion From Food Allergy Warnings |
August 26, 2008 WASHINGTON (AP) -- It's one of the biggest frustrations of life with food allergies: That hodgepodge of warnings that a food might accidentally contain the wrong ingredient. The warnings are voluntary -- meaning there's no way to know if foods that don't bear them really should. And they're vague: Is "may contain traces of peanuts" more reliable than "made in the same factory as peanuts?" Now health officials in the U.S. and Canada are debating setting standards, amid increasing concern that consumers are so confused they're starting to ignore the warnings. "Really, the safest thing you can do is make all your food at home from scratch, period," says Margaret Sova McCabe of Sanbornton, N.H., whose son Tommie, almost 8, is allergic to peanuts, dairy, wheat and five other ingredients. But she doesn't find that practical -- and repeatedly has spotted longtime favorite "safe" foods suddenly bearing new warnings that accidental contamination is possible after all. "Sometimes we buy the product anyway, and sometimes we don't," says McCabe, who is a law professor and questions how often the warnings signal liability protection rather than true risk. "What does this really mean? Can I count on it, as a consumer, to really have any meaning?" she asks. The Food and Drug Administration will ask those same questions at a public hearing on Sept. 16, a first step toward developing what it calls "a long-term strategy" to clear the confusion. "Advisory labeling may not be protecting the health of allergic consumers," the FDA acknowledged. Canadian authorities have gone a step further, saying accidental-allergy warnings are "misleading consumers" and advising food makers to begin clarifying them even as Health Canada researches a formal policy. The food industry recognizes there's confusion. The Grocery Manufacturers of America has been working to set new guidelines on the warnings for more than a year, but declined comment before next month's meeting. About 12 million Americans have food allergies. Severe ones trigger 30,000 annual emergency-room visits, and 150 to 200 deaths a year. Starting in 2006, a U.S. law required that foods disclose in plain language when they intentionally contain highly allergenic ingredients such as peanuts or dairy. Left out of the law are accidental-allergy warnings -- for foods that might become contaminated because they were made in the same factory, or on the same machines, as allergen-containing products. The FDA has said that a quarter of inspected food factories have the potential for such a mix-up. More and more foods bear precautionary labels, but there's a disconnect. The Food Allergy & Anaphylaxis Network, an influential consumer group, counts at least 30 different ways that the warnings are worded -- and consumers too often falsely assume that one food is riskier than another because its label sounds scarier. Three-quarters of parents of food-allergic children surveyed by the group in 2006 said they would never buy a food with an accidental-allergy warning, down from 85 percent in 2003, when such labels were novel. The FDA's own surveys found the allergic pay more attention to warnings that a food "may contain" an allergen than those "made in the same factory" labels. Yet when University of Nebraska researchers tested nearly 200 products with various accidental-peanut warnings, they found that peanuts were more likely to have sneaked into products labeled "made in the same facility." And Health Canada researchers recently discovered that some chocolate labeled as possibly containing "traces" of peanuts or tree nuts in fact contained up to six times the amount that the government considers a trace level. Contributing to consumer mistrust are puzzling warnings, like canned or frozen vegetables with nut precautions. Just last week, allergy network founder Anne Munoz-Furlong was stunned to receive a basket of fresh fruit with a warning that it might contain nuts or milk. "Right now everybody's making up their own rules," Munoz-Furlong says -- and she's pushing FDA for clear standards to help consumers understand which foods to avoid. In Canada, the government's review is just beginning, but meanwhile it recommends foods bear one of two labels: "May contain X allergen" or "Not suitable for consumption by persons with an allergy to X." Back in New Hampshire, the McCabes show how tricky label reading is. Tommie has loved a particular nondairy soy yogurt since infancy. When it began bearing an accidental-allergy precaution, his mother toured the factory and was relieved by how the equipment was cleaned. But last week, she noticed the label had changed again, to say the yogurt might also contain live cultures based on milk. It "maybe illustrates how difficult it can be when you have food allergies to stay on top of that information," McCabe said. |
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Making Decisions about Egg and Sperm Donation
If you have been struggling with infertility, you have probably already figured out that as your reality changes, so do your perceptions of your options. How many of you once thought, "I'll never do infertility drugs?" By now you may be a veteran of many medicated cycles. As you traveled down one path, you discovered that options which once seemed daunting or disturbing could actually have become attractive.
Never Say Never
You have probably figured this out as well. It is easy to say you will never do this, or never do that, but as we said before, as your reality changes, so do your decisions. Remember also, that not yet does not mean never. For instance, your partner may say "Not yet" to something that you think you want to do. Listen carefully to your partner, talk openly about your concerns, and repeat after us, "Not yet is not never."
Husbands and Wives Move at Different Paces and This Is Not Necessarily a Bad Thing
If you are like most couples facing decisions about using donated ova or sperm, one of you will be ready to consider this alternative path to parenthood before the other. When this happens, the person who wants to move forward is often upset and angry with the one who says, "I'm not ready" or "We need to try…again."
You are perhaps puzzled by our saying that this is not necessarily a bad thing. Couples often have a way of balancing each other. One of you can sound—and feel—eager to explore options beyond conventional treatment in part because you know that your partner will slow you down and help insure that you make wise, informed decisions. Similarly, you who are trailing at the rear can afford to take it slowly because you know from past experience that your spouse is well prepared to take the lead.
Your History Will Inform Your Decision Making
You and your partner have different histories as well as a shared one. Inevitably, decisions about using donated ova, sperm, surrogacy and other options will be shaped by your past experiences. If your favorite cousins were adopted, you will have one set of associations about adoption. If the worst trouble maker in your elementary school was adopted, you will have different notions about people who joined their family through adoption. If you were a birthmother and placed a child in adoption, your feelings about adoption will be influenced by this experience, and if your cousin's daughter was a program-recruited oocyte donor, you will have her as a reference point for egg donation. Be prepared for significant losses to help shape your perceptions of each of these options.
Evelina Sterling, PhD is the CEO of My Fertility Plan (www.myfertilityplan.com), the only infertility consulting firm in the world owned and operated by women who wrote the book on infertility treatment. She is the co-author of several women's health books, including Having Your Baby through Egg Donation (Perspective Press, 2005) and Budgeting for Infertility: How to Bring Home a Baby without Breaking the Bank (Simon & Schuster 2009).
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“You Want to be a What?”
So, dear husband, your wife just stated that she was thinking about helping another couple with achieving their family dreams, and you casually turned slightly toward her, while your eyes were still fixed on the college game, and you said “that’s nice honey”. Then she used the s-word, surrogate, and you choked on your adult beverage. Unprepared, you spat out “you want to be a what!?” She quickly threw comforting phrases at you like “it’s only 9 months” and “my body will recover” and “our kids will understand”, intending to make you feel better, and you realized this would test your relationship. What will you say next?
Let me assure you that I know how you feel in your situation, having faced it twice myself. In case you’re curious, the second time was even harder! Luckily, I have genetics that actually allow my gray matter to churn some thought before my mouth opens and so, I let her talk it out before I responded. It was actually pretty easy once I took a deep breath, or maybe several, and just started with an internal dialog of “OK, big strong husband, what does she need from you right now?”
The obvious answer was patience and support. Has she supported your move away from all her family and friends for a new career? Did she manage the home for 16 hours a day while you went back to school to get that degree? Here’s your chance to be a good man and support her on something that is really important to her, and very important to another family. And have backbone in front of her parents, and when telling your parents, and with any well-intentioned friends that point out all the things that could go wrong. Why am I giving you this advice, you may ask? Because, if you choose to support her, your relationship with grow stronger, your marriage will last, and a new family may be created from her gift.
Joe LaMothe
DH (and I do mean Dear Husband!)
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Whenever you see darkness, there is extraordinary opportunity for the light to burn brighter. 
— Bono
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| By Sharon LaMothe Surrogacy Expert | ||
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I would like to ask my sister to be a surrogate and carry a child for my partner and me. I can't seem to find the words to ask, and I have so much anxiety about actually asking her. Any words of advice? 
I can understand your anxiety regarding asking such a huge favor from someone who has the potential to be flattered or offended. Hopefully you have some idea of what your sister would say, as she is under consideration for a very important and significantly time-consuming project! I would like to know if she or the rest of your family or friends have any idea that you are looking for a surrogate. If not, then this might come as a complete surprise to her. If everyone does know, then maybe she hasn't come forward because she isn't interested or isn't aware that you would like her to be the one to assist you with making your dream family come true.
Before you outright ask her, make sure that she would, indeed, be a good candidate for surrogacy. Has she had any children of her own? What were her pregnancies like? Is she in the right age range (21 to 38) Is her BMI under 29.5, and is she in good health? Do you think her spouse will be supportive if she has one, and what kind of support will she have from the rest of your family?
If all these questions have positive answers for you, then I suggest that you set aside some quiet time and approach her with your question. Give her time to think about all the implications. Share with her your research and what types of things she can expect. Talk about the financial support you plan on giving her regarding the medical and legal aspect of surrogacy and anything else that you want to share with her.
Above all, make sure that she understands that you will not hold it against her if she chooses not to be your surrogate. Not everyone has the ability to give birth to another's child, and they know that fact deep in their heart. Once she gives you her answer, then you can move on with the next steps, whether they are finding another woman to assist you or starting the surrogacy journey with your sister!"
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Paulson is chief of the Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at the University of Southern California and co-author of "Rewinding Your Biological Clock: Motherhood Late in Life: Options, Issues, and Emotions."
Question: How do I find out where I can donate my eggs in my area? Is there a Web site where safe or approved sites or facilities that perform the extraction are listed by ZIP code?
Tara in Emmaus, Pa.
Paulson: I would recommend two Web sites: The first is the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM,), where you can find specialists, a listing of the programs in your area, etc. The other Web site you may want to check out is the Society for Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility (SOCREI). I would suggest that you choose a physician who is board-certified in reproductive endocrinology and infertility, and these are listed on that Web site.
Question: Where do we go for information on donating our eggs? Whom do we contact? Who pays for the medication that we take before we donate our eggs? Who is actually paying us for our eggs? Where is the list of agencies in our own city/state that want to buy our eggs? How much can we get paid for our eggs?
Seleta in Charlotte, N.C.
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The information below is great to know whether you want to get pregnant for yourself or as a Surrogate mother. The more research and information that you know about your own body the better! Sharon Five Ways to Boost Your Pregnancy Odds  | |
| by John C. Martin |
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Your desire to have children is important to both you and your partner. And while you work with your physician on developing a plan to reach that essential goal, you don't always have to take a backseat in the process, letting your doctor or "nature" take major plans of action. You can be just as proactive in your reproductive health. There is a wide range of factors involved in the process to pregnancy. And experts say that even one minor flaw in any of these processes can have a negative impact.
Acquiring 'Power Over the Process'
"Dealing with infertility is draining, from a mental, physical, and emotional standpoint," said Mark Leondires, MD, Medical Director of Reproductive Medicine Associates of Connecticut in Norwalk, Connecticut. "By providing five simple ways that men and women can determine—and enhance—their own fertility levels, I hope to give them back a sense of power over the process."
There are ways to be proactive, involving your own self-assessment of your fertility potential, which can then be incorporated into your reproductive health status:
1. The Biological Clock
Women are born with all the eggs that they will ever have.1 Additionally, the vast majority of these eggs never mature, and of those that do, their quality and quantity diminish with age. That said, while younger women are considered infertile if they haven't gotten pregnant after 1 year of unprotected intercourse, that timeframe is shortened to 6 months in women over age 35. "At 35 and above, we know that pregnancy rates go down," explained Spencer Richlin, MD, a reproductive endocrinologist at Reproductive Medicine Associates of Connecticut. "So we don't want people to wait too long because we really would like to do an evaluation to make sure there are no issues that are going on."
Primarily, infertility evaluations involve the health of the fallopian tubes, sperm, and an ovarian reserve assessment (an egg quality test), Richlin explained. The latter test consists of a blood sample collected on day 3 of a woman's cycle to assess levels of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH). This is a hormone released by the pituitary gland early in a woman's cycle to stimulate ovulation. If the ovaries don't respond, the pituitary gland releases more FSH; thus, a higher FSH level indicates ovulation difficulties.2 In cases in which elevated FSH levels reach a certain threshold, studies have suggested that the odds of pregnancy can be less than 1%, even with assisted reproduction, Richlin pointed out. At that point, his clinic offers patients the option of a donor egg pregnancy, he said. "We have a live birth rate with a donor egg of 70%."
2. Ovulation Self-Assessment
The typical menstrual cycle lasts from 21 to 40 days, varying from woman to woman.3 However, if yours is shorter or longer, it's possible that you're not ovulating, experts say. And you can determine this yourself by using a reliable test known as an Ovulation Predictor Kit, which aids in timing intercourse properly. It can be purchased from any local pharmacy and detects hormone levels in urine. The test is taken fairly early in the cycle. If two lines are seen on the special stick used in the kit, it indicates a luteinizing hormone (LH) surge is taking place and that intercourse should take place the next day—the most fertile day in the cycle—to boost the odds of pregnancy, Richlin said.
The other option—though used much less frequently—is known as basal body temperature, in which a woman takes her temperature each day and notes it on a special chart over the course of several months. "The basal body temperature will typically dip in mid-cycle, then spike and remain higher until menstruation," said Leondires. "The dip and spike usually indicate ovulation."
3. Fallopian Tube Assessment
The fallopian tubes are the only route between the ovaries and uterus, and they're typically the area in which sperm fertilize an egg. However, if one or both tubes are blocked, conceiving will likely be much more difficult. Knowing that, women should advise their doctors of any previous circumstances that might indicate a tubal blockage, said Richlin. About 35 percent of his patients will have an infertility cause due to uterine or fallopian tube complications, he pointed out.
"What we often do [to assess that] is the hysterosalpingogram [HSG]. It's an x-ray dye test that tells us if the tubes are open and if the uterine cavity is normal in shape," he told Priority Healthcare. A catheter is inserted into the cervix, and dye is subsequently funneled through the cervix into the fallopian tubes. It is monitored during this process to determine if there are any blockages.
While the test is very reliable, knowing a woman's history will aid in that evaluation. Previous pelvic infection, tubal pregnancy, abdominal surgery or a ruptured appendix raise the odds of a damaged fallopian tube, Leondires said.
Other possible risks that may prompt an HSG include pelvic pain or an endometriosis diagnosis, added Richlin.
4. Importance of Timing
Timing is everything in planning pregnancy. According to Leondires, up to one-fifth of couples miscalculate the optimal time for conception. Thus, he suggests subtracting 17 days from the average number of days in your cycle, then having intercourse on that day and two days later. You can determine the number of days in your cycle by counting the numbers of days between your periods.
Richlin adds that since ovulation typically occurs in mid-cycle, it's best to have intercourse on or around that time. "That's potentially the most fertile time," he said. Using the example of a 28-day cycle, ovulation would occur on or near day 14. Thus, to cover that 'window of opportunity,' it's best to have intercourse on days 11, 13 and 15. "We know sperm lasts in the cavity a couple of days, so [by doing that,] they've covered the time that they're most likely ovulating," Richlin said.
5. Male Factor Infertility
A male cause of infertility is confirmed in about 35% of cases, said Richlin. So, it's important to discuss any relevant medical history with your doctor. For example, reproductive surgery, history of infection, a mumps diagnosis, excessive alcohol or drug use, or close contact with industrial chemicals can boost the odds of a male infertility factor, said Richlin. When a male cause is suspected, a semen analysis is then typically ordered. A 'normal' semen analysis consists of a minimum of 20 million sperm per milliliter of semen. Additionally, at least half should have adequate motility—the ability to move spontaneously—as well as a healthy morphology, or appearance, Richlin explained.
1. Perez GI, Robles R, Knudson CM, Flaws JA, Korsmeyer SJ, Tilly JL. Prolongation of ovarian lifespan into advanced chronological age by Bax-deficiency. Nat Genet 1999 Feb;21(2):200-3.
2. Fertility Neighborhood. Ovarian Reserve Testing. Available at: http://www.fertilityneighborhood.com/content/understanding_infertility/
diagnosing_female_infertility_133.aspx. Accessed May 10, 2005.
3. The Merck Manual. Menstrual Cycle. Available at: http://www.merck.com/mmhe/sec22/ch241/ch241e.html?qt=ovulation&alt=sh. Accessed May 10, 2005.
John Martin is a long-time health journalist and an editor for Priority Healthcare. His credits include coverage of health news for the website of Fox Television's The Health Network, and articles for the New York Post and other consumer and trade publications.
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| First keep the peace within yourself, then you can also bring peace to others. — Thomas A Kempis
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With my first 3 pregnancies (including a set of twins) I had no problem with Gestational Diabetes but with my 4th and last pregnancy...another set of twins, I had GD but it was controlled with diet. I was not over weight but I do have a grandmother who died from it. Hopefully the information below will help you!
Good Luck!
Sharon
Pregnancy is a time of promise and expectation, but it can also raise the possibility for some women that they will develop gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM).
GDM, like other forms of diabetes, is defined as glucose intolerance, but with its first onset during pregnancy. Approximately 3.5% of non-Aboriginal women, and up to 18% of Aboriginal women will develop GDM.
Risk factors for developing this condition include:
• a previous diagnosis of GDM
• age over 35 years
• obesity
• a history of polycystic ovary syndrome
• hirsutism (excessive body and facial hair)
• acanthosis nigricans (a skin disorder characterized by the appearance of darkened patches of skin)
• being a member of a population considered to be at high risk for diabetes, including women of Aboriginal, Hispanic, South Asian, Asian or African descent.
Although some are at greater risk than others, the Canadian Diabetes Association 2003 Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Prevention and Management of Diabetes in Canada recommend that all women be screened for GDM between 24 and 28 weeks' gestation using a glucose tolerance test*. For women with multiple risk factors, this testing should be done during the first trimester, then again during the second and third trimesters, even if the first test is negative.
Prompt diagnosis of GDM is important, as it carries several risks to both mother and infant. For example, children born to mothers with GDM may be “macrosomic”, a medical term meaning “severely obese.” This poses a risk of trauma to both mother and baby during the delivery. Macrosomic babies have a higher risk of hypoglycemia after birth – a dangerously low blood glucose level – as well as severe breathing problems. They are also at higher risk for potential long-term obesity and glucose intolerance.
Although the diagnosis should be taken seriously, GDM can be managed by some of the same measures with which type 2 diabetes is managed.
The first step is to make lifestyle changes that can prevent or reverse both GDM and type 2 diabetes. These measures include nutritional therapy – which is best accomplished with the help of a dietitian – to achieve what's called euglycemia, or blood glucose balance. It's important to ensure appropriate weight gain, but not weight loss, and adequate nutritional intake for both mother and baby. Exercise is encouraged, with the frequency and intensity of activity decided with your doctor based on your risk.
If reductions in blood glucose do not reach the recommended levels within two weeks with lifestyle changes, then certain types of insulin can be safely used in pregnancy.
Generally, glucose levels in women who have had GDM return to normal. However, these women do face an increased risk of developing type 2 diabetes later in life, so after the baby is delivered, a follow-up blood glucose test should be done within six months. To reduce the risk of developing diabetes in the future, women should be encouraged to:
Breastfeed. Breastfeeding been shown to reduce the risk for subsequent diabetes in the baby.
• Follow a healthy lifestyle.
• Be screened regularly for the development of type 2 diabetes, or impaired glucose tolerance, also known as “prediabetes”.
• Consult their physician when planning their next pregnancy to check blood glucose levels, and consider taking a folic acid supplement to ensure the best outcomes.
With prompt diagnosis and good management, women with GDM can expect to have a healthy pregnancy and a happy, healthy baby.
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The most common neural tube defects are spina bifida (an incomplete closure of the spinal cord and spinal column), anencephaly (severe underdevelopment of the brain), and encephalocele (when brain tissue protrudes out to the skin from an abnormal opening in the skull). All of these defects occur during the first 28 days of pregnancy - usually before a woman even knows she's pregnant.
That's why it's so important for all women of childbearing age to get enough folic acid - not just those who are planning to become pregnant. Only 50% of pregnancies are planned, so any woman who could become pregnant should make sure she's getting enough folic acid. (and women planning on becoming egg donors and surrogates)
Doctors and scientists still aren't completely sure why folic acid has such a profound effect on the prevention of neural tube defects, but they do know that this vitamin is crucial in the development of DNA. As a result, folic acid plays a large role in cell growth and development, as well as tissue formation.
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New Zealand committee proposes legalization of prohibited fertility practices |
Ben Jones
Progress Educational Trust August 2008
New Zealand's Advisory Committee on Assisted Reproductive Technology (ACART) has announced two proposals to legalize currently prohibited fertility practices. It has published two consultation documents proposing first, that women should be allowed to use frozen eggs that had been extracted and stored prior to chemotherapy treatment for cancer and, secondly, that existing regulations on the creation of 'savior siblings' should be expanded, to include not just siblings but also other close members of the family and also to extend beyond purely inherited conditions to others that might be amenable to treatment using donor tissues. ACART, an independent governmental advisory group, indicated in its first discussion document that the time had arrived to legalize the usage of frozen eggs. Although freezing of ova has been permitted in New Zealand since 2005, it is only more recently that robust evidence has existed to demonstrate the safety of the technique, prompting ACART to propose steps to legalize its usage. Additional advantages mentioned in the document include that egg freezing avoids certain religious difficulties surrounding the freezing of embryos and that, whereas those who can source suitable sperm at the time of freezing are currently able to store frozen embryos for use, others are discriminated against by only being able to store eggs which they are, at the present time, unable to use. On the matter of 'savior siblings', in the second document, ACART suggested that there is insufficient justification for restricting 'savior' tissues to siblings alone. It further argued that as the existing rationale that the donor sibling benefits from PGD by being genetic disease free is spurious, the practice need not be restricted to inherited conditions. Objections based on the commodification of the child and of the potential psychological damage consequent upon this commodification were rejected, as was the possibility of allowing the deliberate selection of an embryo which contained a genetic disorder, on the basis that there was a morally relevant difference in purpose between selecting an embryo with a genetic disorder and selecting one without. Early resistance to the proposals has been shown by 'Family First NZ' who criticized ACART for endorsing the production of children as 'spare parts factories for relatives' and for, in theory, making it possible for a women to give consent for her frozen eggs to be used by a surrogate mother after her own death, creating 'a baby beyond the grave' which would never know its genetic mother. The New Zealand Ministry of Health, however, backed the proposals, saying that the proposed changes could potentially help infertile cancer sufferers to have babies and also help treat very rare diseases. ACART's consultations on the proposal to legalize frozen egg usage and on the draft guidelines for extended use of PGD both remain open until 5 September. |
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You're not alone.
We often hear talk of postpartum depression or the baby blues, which occurs shortly after the birth of a baby. Though we rarely discuss depression that occurs during pregnancy or prenatal depression. There are estimates that as many as 70 of women will experience symptoms of depression during pregnancy, making it a wide spread concern. However, these depressive symptoms are often more minor than a full flown diagnostic depression which is typically only seen in about 10-15 of pregnant women.
While hormones are often blamed for many of the mood swings and other emotional and psychological happenings in pregnancy they are only one part of the picture when it comes to pregnancy and depression. Sometimes the stress of pregnancy brings on depressive symptoms, even when the pregnancy was planned. These feeling might intensify if the pregnancy is complicated or unplanned or if life itself is stressful.
Other know stress causing factors are sometimes brought on simply because of the changes that pregnancy potentially brings like moving to a new house or apartment to increase space or to have a more baby-friendly environment. Sometimes this might mean career changes for one or both parents. These things typically cause stress and potentially depression and are frequent occurrences in pregnancy.
The real problem with depression in pregnancy can have a negative impact on good prenatal care, particularly in the areas of nutrition, sleep habits, exercise and following care instructions from the doctor or midwife. Substance abuse, including alcohol and cigarette smoking, also tends to be higher in pregnant women who report depression. There are also the factors that we commonly think of as risks for prenatal depression such as a higher risk of suicide.
Women report that the most troubling problem for them is often the feeling of disassociation with the baby.
"I simply feel detached," reports one depressed mom-to-be. "We planned this pregnancy and I'm so confused, I expected to be happy. But it's this awful cycle of depression. I feel depressed because I'm depressed."
Many of the signs of depression mimic pregnancy symptoms. It can be hard to determine what is normal fatigue in pregnancy and what is depression. This can lead to an underreporting of the problem. There is also a tendency of people to ignore depression in pregnancy simply because this is supposed to be a happy time in life, this includes the pregnant woman herself.
Signs of Depression
Treatment during pregnancy involves several avenues. Developing your support network is extremely valuable. Having yourself surrounded by supportive individuals that you know can be beneficial, particularly if they have experienced the same feelings. Talking to a professional or psychotherapy can be very beneficial, particularly since there are major changes going on during pregnancy. Medications can also be used during pregnancy under the care of a practitioner who has experience with using antidepressants and other medications during the course of pregnancy and breastfeeding.
The key to preventing problems that stem from depression in pregnancy, which may also increase the likelihood of postpartum depression, is getting the support and help you need as soon as you realize that you are experiencing a problem. With more than two out of three pregnant women having depressive symptoms it's important to recognize that you are not alone and that help is available. Talk to your doctor or midwife if you are in need of help or reach out to other organizations.
(Your agency should be able to help you as well, after all, that's one of the reasons you signed on with them...support!)
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When we are no longer able to change a situation — we are challenged to change ourselves.
— Victor E. Frankl
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Fertility 2009 Conference |
| Fertility 2009 July 2008
Fertility 2009 is the 6th biannual conference of the UK Fertility Societies: the Association of Clinical Embryologists, British Fertility Society and the Society for Reproduction & Fertility. The conference will take place at the EICC in Edinburgh on 7-9 January 2009. The event will offer a cutting edge programme of scientific international speakers, specialist concurrent sessions and poster presentations as well as a large trade exhibition, attracting 400 plus experts in fertility, sexual health & reproductive biology. The organisers are inviting submissions of papers for oral and poster presentation. To register or further details or enquiries please visit www.fertility2009.org or contact the conference organisers on +4420 8832 7311 or email [email protected] |
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...and so it goes....twins are born and one isn't wanted...although this couple must have known from the first ultra sound that they were expecting twins. I understand them not wanting more then they can afford but I believe their twins will read this one day and wonder which one is the 'most wanted'.Australian couple lose 'wrongful birth' IVF negligence court battle |
| MacKenna Roberts Progress Educational Trust 03 August 2008 [BioNews, London] An Australian couple lost a high-profile medical negligence case against their specialist fertility consultant at the Canberra Fertility Clinic last week. The couple had alleged that Dr Sydney Armellin negligently transferred two embryos rather than one as specifically requested when they received IVF treatment in 2003, thereby causing the birth of an additional baby, and then sought damages in the amount of $400,000 to help compensate for the cost of raising an additional twin daughter. This sum included fees for a private Steiner school, time off work and medical expenses. They testified that their relationship had suffered dramatically from the strain of raising twins. Their claim, launched in September 2007, attracted angry public criticism. The president of the Australian Medical Association (AMA) for the Australian Canberra Territory (ACT), Dr Paul Jones, has welcomed the Canberra Supreme Court decision and called for legal clarification to prevent these so-called 'wrongful birth' claims - which classify the birth of a healthy child as 'damage' - from reaching courtrooms, similar to prohibitions that already exist in other Australian territories. Former AMA president and obstetrician Dr Andrew Foote told The Daily Telegraph newspaper that 'it sends a very mixed message [to their children], that we love one but don't want the other. They should've been grateful for healthy babies'. ACT Health Minister Katy Gallagher cautioned against the case leading to ''knee-jerk' legislative change' but stated that the government is open to consideration. ACT Attorney-General Simon Corbell also warned that reacting to the case with legal amendment might cause a dangerous precedent. Chief Minister Jon Stanhope felt Foote confused the situation with emotional 'nonsense' about who loves children more and clouding facts that highlight important legal principles such as consent, a doctor's duty of care and patient trust. Justice Annabelle Bennett cleared Dr Armellin of liability and rejected the couple's argument that they knowingly consented to the 0.1 per cent risk of identical twins from single-embryo transfer but not to the reported 20 per cent increased risk of twins resulting from two-embryo implantation. In a written statement during proceedings, the couple wrote that they 'cherish' their girls but this is about negligence and their right to consent to the procedure performed. Instead Justice Bennett found that the birth mother - whose identity has been temporarily suppressed by Court order - was 'negligent' for not making her choice of the total number of embryos to be implanted clear and reprimanded the clinic staff who failed to seek appropriate confirmation of consent. Other critics of the same-sex couple focused on their homosexuality and questioned whether they should be restricted from assisted reproductive services. The couple retaliated that it is a 'double-standard' to expect minorities, including homosexuals, to be 'grateful' for reproductive privilege rather than to provide 'equal' rights. The average cost of an IVF treatment is about $5000 in Australia, however most couples - including homosexual couples - are eligible for a rebate of up to $1700 for each procedure. The couple's solicitor Thena Kyprianou said her clients did not attend the hearing because it was 'too expensive' but are 'shocked' and will decide whether to appeal after considering the judgment. |
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Tuesday, August 5th 2008, 12:17 AM
Watts/News Anthony DeGiulio gets hug from recipient Barbara Asofsky.
Daily News One good Samaritan determined to donate a kidney to anyone who needed it set off a chain reaction that let four patients without a compatible organ donor get transplants.
The four-way kidney swap at New York-Presbyterian Hospital Columbia is believed to be the largest performed in the city. The July 24, all-day endeavor involved nearly 50 clinicians working in eight operating rooms.
"It's easily the greatest thing I've ever done in my life, and also the easiest decision I ever made," said Anthony DeGiulio, 32, the altruistic donor who got the idea from a TV program.
"It was a dream of mine to save someone's life, and this is the only way I could come up with to do it," explained DeGiulio, a securities trader from the Dutchess County town of Red Hook.
Here's how it worked: Three area patients with kidney disease had family members who wanted to donate an organ to them but couldn't because their blood types didn't match.
DeGiulio was a match for one of those patients, Barbara Asofsky, a 57-year-old nursery school teacher from Wantagh, L.I. She got his kidney.
Asofsky's husband, Douglas, 56, was a match for Alina Binder, a 22-year-old Brooklyn College student.
Binder's dad, Michael, 46, was compatible with Andrew Novak, a 42-year-old telecommunications field technician from Poughkeepsie.
And Novak's sister, Laura Nicholson, 40, was a suitable donor for a patient on the waiting list, Luther Johnson, 31, a hotel kitchen steward from Harlem.
None of them knew who their donor or recipient would be before the surgeries, but the donors didn't have to think long about whether they'd give their kidney to a stranger. "I didn't care who it would go to; I knew it would save a life - and save Barbara's life," said Douglas Asofsky, a bank veep.
Kidney swaps are becoming an increasingly important option for patients facing a years-long wait for a donor organ, said Dr. Lloyd Ratner, director of renal transplantation at the hospital. There are 76,650 people in the U.S. waiting for donor kidneys with 6,673 in New York, officials said.
The swaps, also known as paired exchanges, have been responsible for 373 kidney transplants in the U.S., the United Network for Organ Sharing said.
Doctors at Johns Hopkins University performed a six-way exchange in April. They believe that a national registry of living kidney donors - including those willing to donate to strangers - could result in 6,000 transplants a year.
Some of his friends and family thought DeGiulio was "nuts" to donate his kidney, he said. "I wish it was more common," he noted. "I sacrificed three days of my life, and this woman gets her life back. If I could feel like this every day, I'd do it any day of the week."
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The NST is another way of externally monitoring your baby. The NST can be done as early as the 27th week of pregnancy, and it measures the Fetal Heart Rate (FHR) accelerations with normal movement. For this test, you will sit with knees and back partially elevated with a cushion under the right hip, which moves your uterus to the left.
The monitors are placed on your abdomen to measure the FHR and the ability of the uterus to contract. If there is no activity after 30 - 40 minutes, you will be given something to drink or a small meal which may stimulate fetal activity. (ask for chocolate!) Other interventions that might encourage fetal movement include the use of fetal acoustic stimulation (sending sounds to the fetus) and gently placing your hands on your abdomen and moving the fetus.
A NST may be performed if:
The test can indicate if the baby is not receiving enough oxygen because of placental or umbilical cord problems; it can also indicate other types of fetal distress.
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