Estrogen (Estradiol) Levels During Pregnancy

Estradiol is more widely known as estrogen, the female reproductive hormone. It plays a part in mood stabilization, temperature control, and other body functions, though it is most well-known as the pregnancy and menopause hormone. ... read more »

Progesterone (Provera) Challenge Test

The progesterone or provera challenge test is given to women with no menstrual bleeding amenorrhea to see if they bleed or not. ... read more »

Breast Tenderness and Menopause

Breast pain and tenderness after ovulation is due to an increase in the hormone progesterone. Breast tenderness during menopause is due to a hormone imbalance. ... read more »

The Effects of Stress on Fertility

Stress is one of nature's natural contraceptives and can have a dramatic effect on healthy reproduction. The major stress hormone, cortisol, is derived from progesterone. ... read more »

Important Ovulation Symptoms

Many women look for ovulation symptoms to predict when they are most fertile either to try to get pregnant or to prevent pregnancy. Did you know that the most common physical ovulation symptoms are probably ones you notice, and don’t necessarily correlate with ovulation? ... read more »

Estrogen

Estrogen, the hormone most closely associated with women, actually represents several specialized female hormones that play various roles at various stages throughout a woman’s life. ... read more »

When Is Your Fertility Window?

You only have 5-6 fertile days in your cycle to get pregnant. ... read more »

Emergency Contraception (aka "Morning After Pill")

Emergency contraception is a type of birth control that is used after one has had unprotected sex. To prevent pregnancy it must be used as soon as possible within three to five days after unprotected sex. ... read more »

First Trimester of Pregnancy Guide

Many changes taking place and some may not be quite what you expected! ... read more »

Hormones Impact Stress, Memories, Understanding Social Cues

New research shows an unexpected link between sex hormones and cognitive function, such as memory and interpreting social cues, in females. ... read more »

Choosing the Right Combination Birth Control Pill

Combination birth control pills contain both progestin and estrogen. There are various types of progestin used in combination birth control pills giving women a wide selection. ... read more »

Common Postpartum Problems: Pelvic Prolapse

Uterine, bladder, and rectum prolapse can happen after a woman has a baby. ... read more »

Is Fennel Safe In Pregnancy?

Fennel refers to a flavoring obtained from the fruit of Foeniculum vulgare. Fennel oil is used in perfumes. ... read more »

Fertility Microscope Interferences

What interferes with the results of the fertility microscope? ... read more »

BBT or EWCM?

Which is a more accurate indication of ovulation, basal body temperature (BBT) or egg-white cervical mucus (EWCM)? ... read more »

Cervix Soft and High After Ovulation

Am I still fertile if my cervix is soft and high after ovulation? ... read more »

Migraines

Headaches and migraines are completely different creatures of pain. Migraines cause extreme head pains and can leave moms-to-be writhing in the dark. While hormones are thought to be part of the cause, there are other causes for migraines as well. ... read more »

Metallic Taste (Dysgeusia) During Pregnancy

Hormone changes affect a woman's sense of smell, so why would the sense of taste not be affected as well? Estrogen fluctuates widely during pregnancy, which could mean a nasty metallic taste in the mouth, also known as dysgeusia. ... read more »

Life and Pregnancy After Miscarriage

After miscarriage, many women have a long list of questions about physical health, mental health and parenthood. Understanding changes after miscarriage is often enough to put your mind at ease. ... read more »

What Can I Expect During My Pregnancy?

Many women wonder what they can expect during pregnancy. This is especially true of first-time mothers. Changes during pregnancy are physical and emotional. ... read more »

What Are the Most Common Types of Pains During Pregnancy?

The pain associated with pregnancy changes can often be scary and confusing. What are the most common types of pains during pregnancy? ... read more »

Pregnancy Discharge

Pregnancy discharge is a common symptom related to hormonal changes. However, the type of pregnancy discharge you have means the difference between normal secretions and potential infection. ... read more »

Morning Sickness

Morning sickness, nausea and vomiting can be among the first pregnancy symptoms and signs beginning around 4 weeks to 6 weeks gestation. ... read more »

The Link Between Oral Contraceptives and Prostate Cancer

Researchers have published their findings in BMJ Open linking prostate cancer with the use of oral contraceptives, such as birth control pills. ... read more »

How Does the Birth Control Pill Work?

Birth control pills typically contain a combination of progesterone and estrogen ' reproductive hormones. ... read more »

Hair Loss and Pregnancy

Pregnancy is one of the few times in life when hair growth is sustained for around nine months. Normal hair growth cycles follow a 90/10 ratio. About 90% of the hair follicles are in the growing state at any given time. ... read more »

Does Hair Get Thicker During Pregnancy?

Hormonal change is responsible for changes in everything from muscle tension to hair growth. During a normal month, estrogen levels rise and fall, but after pregnancy estrogen levels remain elevated for the duration of pregnancy. ... read more »

Are BRCA 1/2 Mutations Associated with Early Onset Menopause?

Researchers from the Department of Obstetrics at UC San Francisco recently published a study testing a possible connection between BRCA 1 and BRCA 2 mutations and early onset menopause. ... read more »

Saliva Ferning Test for Ovulation Prediction

A ferning test uses a tiny microscope to view a drop of saliva once a day from the last day of a woman's period until a fern-like pattern appears in the saliva. ... read more »

Infant Size Contributes to Breast Cancer Risk

The connection between infant weight and risk of breast cancer has been studied before, but this is the first time birth weight has been reported as an individual risk factor independent of other factors. ... read more »

Estrogen Levels May Indicate IVF Complication

Fertility and Sterility, estrogen levels at the time of embryo implantation via in-vitro fertilization (IVF) may be associated with increased risk of preeclampsia ... read more »

Sexual Motivation Linked to Estrogen Levels in Women

A new study published in Hormones and Behavior from researchersat the Department of Psychological and Brain Sciences in Santa Barbaraclaims elevated estrogen levels could spark increased desire for sexualbehavior ' or that feeling of wanting to get frisky. ... read more »

DES Still Impacting Women of the World

DES or diethylstilbestrol was given to women for more than three decades. The synthetic estrogen was prescribed to pregnant women as a means of preventing miscarriage, but the drug caused vaginal tumors, so the Food and Drug Administration pulled it from the market in 1971. ... read more »

Effect of Sporadic Anovulation on Ovulatory Hormone Levels

Researchers from the Eunice Shriver Kennedy National Institute of Child Health and Human Development recently published a study on hormone levels in women experiencing anovulation. The study was published in the journal Human Reproduction. ... read more »

Pregnancy Glow: Polish it to Perfection

Some expectant mothers are so focused on their growing tummies that ittakes someone else to point out that pregnancy glow that radiates fromthem during this important time of life. It's more than joy andhappiness that paints the picture of health on mothers-to-be. ... read more »

How Many Days in a Row is it OK to Miss the Pill?

It is rarely OK to miss the birth control pill. It is common to occasionally miss one or two days of your pill in a row, but more than that may reduce the effectiveness of the pill and increase your risk of pregnancy. ... read more »

Ring Finger Length and Future Health Problems

For ages, the length of the ring finger has been the topic of medical attention, but ring finger length is mentioned in history far before modern medicine. Culturally, men with longer ring fingers were considered more fertile and thus more sought after as life-long mates. ... read more »

Do I Ovulate When on the Pill?

How do birth control pills work? The way most birth control pills work is by preventing ovulation. ... read more »

Cervical Mucus, Implantation, and Pregnancy

Can I find out if I am pregnant from my cervical mucus? It's a question many women ask. ... read more »

Clomid-What is it?

Clomid is a synthetic chemical whose chemical name is Clomiphene citrate. It induces ovulation by fooling your body into believing that there is less estrogen. ... read more »

Migraine Medication In Pregnancy

Many experts caution pregnant women from taking unneccessary medications (especially strong pharmaceutical products) when they are pregnant, for fear of causing defects in the developing fetus. ... read more »

What Is An Estrogen Surge/Spike?

What is an estrogen surge/spike? Just prior to ovulation you may have an “estrogen surge or spike” — a marked increase in the presence of estrogen. ... read more »

Can Female Orgasm Cause Ovulation?

The process that leads to ovulation happens over a time period of 10-12 days and includes the gradual increase of estrogen over a period of several days. ... read more »

No Bleeding After Provera

Provera is often given as the 'Progesterone (Provera) Challenge Test' to women who have no period and who are not pregnant. ... read more »