GESTATION: the process of carrying the young in the womb between conception to delivery. Cool. You probably knew that already. But so much more happens on the inside to a woman's body during this time! Where do the organs go? Why might you feel short of breath, especially during that third trimester? Check out this great video from the Museum of Science & Industry in Chicago (super cool place, btw) -- it'll show you [...]
PSEUDOCYESIS. Yup, it's Word of the Day Wednesday again! Today's word means "false pregnancy." Yes. The morning sickness, the tender breasts, the weight gain, the abdominal distension, in some cases even labor pains -- they are all expected to some degree or another with pregnancy. But these are also present with pseudocyesis... except there is no growing fetus in there. Crazy, right?! The first written account of this was in 300B.C. by our ol' buddy [...]
Time for Word of the Day Wednesday. Well, it's a phrase today, and one of my favorites: POSTPRANDIAL SOMNOLENCE. It's the itis. The food coma. That sleepy, lethargic feeling as you undo your belt buckle a few notches after feasting on Thanksgiving dinner. Oh, by the way - happy belated Turkey Day! So, why does postprandial somnolence happen? Well, for one, after we've eaten, the body recognizes there is food in our digestive system, [...]
Today's Word of the day Wednesday is... DYSPAREUNIA. No, it's not some type of exotic flower. It means painful sexual intercourse. It can happen to anyone, though women are disproportionally affected (8-21% in a 2006 global study - but keep in mind self-report is notoriously poor for these sorts of personal conditions). And there are *SO MANY* reasons why sex can be painful. Once things like infection or malignancies are ruled out or addressed, [...]
Another Word of the Day Wednesday is upon us. Also, Happy November! Today's word is NOCTURIA. It means waking up a lot at night in order to pee. Normally, the body produces less urine at night, so you can have some restful, uninterrupted sleep for 6+ hours. But if you're an older adult, you produce less of the antidiuretic hormone that helps you decrease urine production and retain fluid. The pelvic floor muscles that hold [...]
Today’s word is MITTELSCHMERZ. It’s said exactly how it looks, and no, it’s not some weird cousin of German bratwurst. It actually means “middle pain” in German, and it’s that lower abdominal pain some of you ladies get when you’re ovulating (in that *middle* time between cycles, get it?). For some women, there may be a small amount of bleeding or discharge, a sharp discomfort, and even nausea if it’s particularly uncomfortable. Mostly, though, [...]