Queen’s Journey to Motherhood: Part 3
Part 3 of a video series as patient Queen talks about her journey to become a mother.
Queen’s Journey to Motherhood: Part 2
Part 2 of a video series. Queen continues to share her journey towards motherhood.
Queen’s Journey to Motherhood: Part 1
Part 1 of a video series as patient Queen candidly shares her first steps towards motherhood and how Cherokee Women’s Health help make that dream possible.
Why Can’t I Get Pregnant?
“Why can’t I get pregnant?” is a question asked by many women in their attempts to become a mother. However, medical conditions are often the reason for infertility. Although these conditions can be difficult to diagnose, treatment options are available. Infertility in women is defined as trying to get pregnant for over a year without success. After a year of unprotected and frequent sex, a woman should seek treatment by an OB/GYN. An OB/GYN can determine if there is a physical problem causing infertility. Likewise, a woman’s male partner should also be tested by a specialist to rule out if he has a medical condition attributing to the infertility. In women, several factors can disrupt the process of human reproduction at any step in the process. Infertility Reasons Include: 1. Ovulation Disorders Infrequent ovulation is the most common cause of infertility. Problems with the regulation of reproductive hormones can cause ovulation disorders. 2. Damage to Fallopian Tubes Blocked fallopian tubes or damaged tubes keep sperm from getting to the egg. This can block the passage of the fertilized egg into the uterus. Causes of fallopian tube damage or blockage can include: 3. Endometriosis Endometriosis occurs when tissue that typically grows in the uterus implants and grows in other places. This extra tissue growth and removing it in surgery can cause scarring. This can block fallopian tubes and keep an egg and sperm from coming together. Endometriosis can also disrupt implantation of the fertilized egg. This condition also affects fertility in less-direct ways, such as damage to the sperm or egg. 4. Uterine or Cervical Causes Several uterine or cervical causes can interfere with the egg implanting or increase the risk of miscarriage: Infertility Risk Factors Certain factors may put you at a higher risk of infertility, including: Tips to Prevent Infertility For women thinking about getting pregnant, these tips might help prevent infertility: When to Seek Infertility Treatment by an OB/GYN Women should seek help with infertility, depending on their age: Depending on your medical history, your OB/GYN might want to begin testing or treatment right away. Seek an OB/GYN if you have recognized fertility problems, or if you have a history of painful or irregular periods, pelvic inflammatory disease, PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome), miscarriages, endometriosis or cancer. Seeking early treatment from an experienced OB/GYN can often be key in finding the root problem. Occasionally, the reason for infertility is not found as it can be a combination of a few factors from both partners. However, in most cases, the sooner treatment is sought, the greater the chances are for a successful pregnancy.
A Loose Vagina and Painful Sex Treated with Vaginal Rejuvenation
A loose vagina, painful sex, and incontinence are all symptoms that can be corrected with vaginal rejuvenation (VR). VR is becoming increasingly popular as more women are aware of the procedure. In the past, VR may have been perceived as an unnecessary procedure, mainly for enhanced sexual pleasure or vanity. This is simply not the case. The more vaginal rejuvenation is understood, the more it is recognized as a medically necessary procedure that improves overall vaginal health, including a loose vagina. Women are unanimously finding that it not only improves their health, but it is empowering and boosts confidence. 5 Facts About Vaginal Rejuvenation 1. Tightening a loose vagina isn’t always just about better sex. There are more reasons women undergo vaginal rejuvenation other than sex. These reasons have to do with the vaginal structure causing functional issues such as trouble holding tampons, visible scar tissue surrounding the vagina, problems passing bowel movements, or experiencing discomfort during exercise or other light activities. Learn more about vaginal looseness. 2. There is more than one type of vaginal rejuvenation procedure. Vaginoplasty is the most common vaginal rejuvenation procedure, treating vaginal relaxation, a common condition with childbirth and aging. Vaginoplasty tightens the inner and outer muscles and structures of the vagina to enhance vaginal muscle tone, strength, and control. With relaxation, pelvic organ prolapse can also be present and cause discomfort, pain, and/or incontinence. Labiaplasty is another common type of vaginal rejuvenation, often done due to discomfort of enlarged labia. A few other types of procedures are clitoral hood reduction and perineoplasty. These procedures are often necessary due to bulging, discomfort, or pain. Hymen repair (hymenoplasty) is another type of vaginal rejuvenation procedure, performed mostly for personal reasons. 3. Yes, it’s true, sex will be much better! Because vaginal rejuvenation repairs a loose vagina by tightening the vaginal canal, friction is increased during intercourse and causes greater stimulation and pleasure during sex. Studies show that 94% of vaginal rejuvenation patients experience an improvement in their sexual life after surgery. It is not only the vaginal structure that improves patients’ sexual lives, but the improvement in the aesthetic appearance enhances their self-confidence, resulting in increased sex drive. Download our FREE Vaginal Rejuvenation eBook. 4. You should have vaginal rejuvenation performed by a urogynecologist. A surgeon who specializes in the field of advanced female pelvic medicine and reconstructive surgery (FPMRS) is ideal to perform vaginal rejuvenation. Female Pelvic Medicine and Reproductive Surgeons have received advanced training and certification in addition to their training in obstetrics and gynecology. Patients should seek out a specialist who has performed hundreds of surgical vaginal rejuvenation procedures and is intimately familiar with the pelvic anatomy, patient preferences, and the most up-to-date techniques. For optimal surgical results, seek a qualified and experienced urogynecologist to perform your surgery. 5. Vaginal rejuvenation provides long lasting results. Unless another vaginal childbirth occurs, patients have positive results for the rest of their lives. Though it’s normal that all parts of the body relax slightly as we age, the vaginal area should never return to the degree of relaxation experienced prior to surgery. Our doctors tailor vaginal rejuvenation treatment plans to each patient’s unique needs. Pricing can vary if you need more extensive work. This is especially true if you’ve had multiple vaginal deliveries, have pelvic organ prolapse, or incontinence. After a consultation, you can get a better idea of costs and what treatment plan is best for you. Our Vaginal Rejuvenation Experts Hold the Highest Qualifications As Female Pelvic Medicine and Reconstructive Surgery specialists, our vaginal rejuvenation experts uniquely qualified to perform VR procedures. As both urogynecologists and OB/GYNs, they are uniquely qualified in female pelvic anatomy and have the experience and expertise to address the changes that occur after childbirth. Our physicians have over 60 years of combined experience performing advanced pelvic reconstruction and vaginal rejuvenation procedures, helping to improve a loose vagina, painful sex and even incontinence. Our experts treat women from around the country on a weekly basis. If you would like to know more about vaginal rejuvenation or would like to schedule a telemedicine or in-person consultation, please contact our double board-certified experts at 770.721.6060.
Pelvic Organ Prolapse with Dr. Litrel
Dr. Michael Litrel discusses treatment for pelvic organ prolapse can help improve quality of life.
Hymen Repair – Watch How it’s Done
Watch as Michael Litrel, MD, FACOG, FPMRS performs a hymen repair, also known as hymenoplasty. Watch more Vaginal Rejuvenation videos below.
Placental Abruption Scare – Laci’s Pregnancy Story
A placental abruption and a breech baby were not what Laci had in mind when she and her husband Luke began trying for a baby. At that point, Laci had faced a devastating journey of miscarriages, yet she remained determined to make their dreams come true. Laci visited Cherokee Women’s Health to seek answers on what was causing her miscarriages. Cherokee Women’s Health Discovers the Cause of Laci’s Miscarriages Through hormone testing, her doctor discovered she had MTFHR, also known as hyperhomocysteinemia. It’s a condition where homocysteine levels are elevated. High homocysteine levels, coupled with low folic acid levels, can lead to pregnancy complications, including miscarriages. With this discovery, Laci’s prenatal vitamins were adjusted, and she was started on progesterone. Pregnant with Rainbow Baby Girl A few months later, Laci was pregnant with her rainbow baby girl! “Advocating for myself was a big thing after my miscarriages. I couldn’t sit there and let myself go into depression. I wanted to find out more about my body and learn about myself.” – Laci shares about her infertility journey Fetal Change Scare at 36 Weeks Laci had a smooth pregnancy — up until 36 weeks — when she started to notice her baby not moving as much. She was hesitant to share her concerns because she could still feel her baby move, just not as much. Also, Laci found herself having high anxiety with each ultrasound appointment due to her past of hearing bad news. Laci knew she had to speak up, so she explained her worries to her doctor. Dr. Lisa McLeod performed a stress test. It was during that test that she noticed the baby’s heart rate was sporadic. Dr. McLeod sent Laci to the hospital for further monitoring. Laci shared, “I started having anxiety during the stress test, so I thought that I was causing the test to go a little bit crazy. But Dr. McLeod said that there may be something going on and she needed to send me to Labor and Delivery at Northside Hospital Cherokee in Canton. I’m very thankful that I spoke up and that Dr. McLeod was there for me.” Further Evaluation Leads to Delivery at Hospital Once Laci and Luke arrived at the hospital, Dr. James Haley began to monitor her and run more tests. “When we were sent to the hospital that day, and I saw Dr. Haley was on call, I just felt at peace. I looked at my husband, and I said, if they want to take the baby today, I’m at peace with that because I had been praying that Dr. Haley would be the one to deliver our baby anyway.” – Laci recalls being grateful that Dr. Haley would be delivering her baby All of Laci’s tests came back normal, she had no pain or bleeding, and everything appeared to be fine. Dr. Haley continued monitoring the baby’s movements and started to discuss Laci going home. Although there were no obvious worrisome signs on the fetal monitor, Dr. Haley had a gut feeling that things were not quite right. He decided to keep Laci in the hospital and monitor her longer. When he was unable to feel reassured with the baby, he felt it best to proceed with delivery. Laci revealed about her discussion with Dr. Haley, “I remember asking Dr. Haley, “Do you have peace about sending me home? Or do you have peace about delivery?” He replied, “I don’t have peace about sending you home, but I’ve got peace about going ahead and getting you delivered.” And so that’s what we did!” Breech Baby and Placental Abruption During Dr. Haley’s evaluation, it was determined the baby was in a breech to transverse position, and therefore a C-section would be the safest option for delivery. At the time of the C-section, it was discovered that she had a placental abruption. Placental abruption is when a portion of the placenta shears off from its attachment to the uterine lining resulting in loss of blood and oxygen to the baby. It can readily lead to the death of the baby and serious problems for the mother. Within minutes, Dr. Haley and the team had everything under control and Laci and her baby were out of danger. After this life-threatening emergency, Laci and Luke were able to welcome her healthy baby girl, Livian Joan, into the world. Baby Livian Joan was named after Laci’s mother-in-law and grandmother, and Joan means, ‘God is gracious’, so her name carries even a bigger meaning after her scary entrance into the world. Grateful for Dr. Haley and Cherokee Women’s Health Sharing more about her experience, Laci added, “Dr. Haley has a light about him, and I could feel he has a good heart. I fully trusted him and that gave me peace to deliver that day. It takes a while to build trust with a doctor over time, but there are some doctors when they walk in the room, you know you can trust them, and Dr. Haley is one of them.” – Laci’s gratitude toward Dr. Haley Laci goes on to say, “I believe everyone at Cherokee Women’s could have handled it, but Dr. Haley handled it with such grace. There are so many bad outcomes with placental abruptions. God was there through it all. I’m so thankful for Dr. Haley for making that call to deliver because we were so close to going home, and it may not have turned out the way it did.”
Sick During Delivery – Chelsea’s Pregnancy Story
Cherokee Women’s Health patient, Chelsea, delivered her first baby boy and candidly shares her personal pregnancy and labor journey. Chelsea is a rock star and shows, once again, that women can do anything! Induced with First Baby I was induced with my first baby, Piper, where I had a long, painful and unpleasant experience. I wanted so badly to be able to work closely with my midwives to do all we could to have this baby without being induced. They reassured me that if there was anything slightly concerning or if I end up needing an ultrasound, they could arrange it at the hospital. Real Contractions or Braxton-Hicks ? I was 39 weeks and five days pregnant and around noon on a Monday, I began experiencing cramping, which I assumed were Braxton-Hicks contractions. I timed them and they were 6-8 minutes apart and they kept happening so the possibility that they were real contractions definitely crossed my mind. The cramps were uncomfortable but not painful, so I proceeded to go about my day playing with Piper and doing chores. Staying busy, I barely noticed them so I continued to tell myself they were not real contractions. As the discomfort grew, I drank extra water, took a shower and layed down to see if they would go away. They slowed down but continued. I barely mentioned it to anyone, not even my husband Caleb. I was in complete denial. After I put Piper to bed, I watched a movie with my dad and grandma and continued timing the contractions. They were 30-40 seconds long and 5-6 minutes apart for one hour. At 10 pm that night, they were intensifying and I think I started to realize that these were in fact, real contractions. These Contractions are Real I assumed I would go past my due date so I wasn’t fully prepared to have a baby that night. I started getting ready just in case. I thought I had at least until the next day but I kept preparing. I threw in Piper’s laundry, finished packing the hospital bag, and got things ready for Piper’s grandmas to watch her. At 11 pm that night, I crawled into bed and was extremely uncomfortable. I told Caleb that I was having contractions. We timed them and they were 4 minutes apart. I got up and got in the shower. I draped myself over the yoga ball because I was too tired to stand and it hurt to sit. The hot water on my back felt great but nothing dulled the contractions at this point. I got out of the shower and called the on-call midwife at Cherokee Women’s. The contractions were back-to-back and often less than 3 minutes apart. “Oh honey, you’re having a baby tonight. It’s time to come in and see us.” – The on-call midwife at Cherokee Women’s I started panicking a little. I changed the laundry and then went to wake up Caleb. He started gathering things and I went to let my mom know. I asked my mom, “What if this isn’t labor and they send me home?” She said, “So what! It will be okay.” “But what if this is really labor and they don’t send me home?” I asked. She laughed, “Then you’ll have your baby!” These questions may not make much sense but the realization was setting in and I was honestly a little scared. Having My Baby at Northside Hospital We drove to Northside Hospital Cherokee, where the intensity of the contractions quickly increased. While checking in, I could not sit down. Once in the room I changed and went to the bathroom where I saw that I had lost my mucus plug and had what is called a “bloody show.” That’s when I knew I wasn’t going home. When the nurse checked me, I was only dilated to 3 centimeters, and they decided to have me stay. They started me on antibiotics because I was GBS+. GBS (group B strep disease) is a common bacteria that is present in one quarter of pregnant women. You can be positive with one pregnancy and negative with another. There is no way to cause or prevent it and it’s not harmful to the mom, but can be harmful for the baby. The goal of the doctor and nurse were to have two rounds of antibiotics given before the baby arrived. I grew incredibly uncomfortable and needed to get out of bed. They wanted to monitor the baby for 15 minutes before I moved around. Once that time was up nothing could keep me sitting there. My body ached with each contraction. There was barely a moment in between each of them, making it hard to function. I asked to get into the tub and I sat in there for five minutes. It felt great but at some point that didn’t even help. Epidural, Please! Caleb stood behind me and tried different pressure points on my back and hips to try and help me through. This is when I told them I wanted the epidural as soon as possible. I could no longer catch my breath because the contractions would not stop. As one would end the next would begin. We had been there for only 45 minutes at this point. I couldn’t stop shaking. They checked me and I was 6 centimeters dilated. They told me I was shaking because my body was dilating so fast. I couldn’t stay lying down so I spent the time waiting for the epidural as I leaned on Caleb or the bed. I’m Scared, I Can’t Do It! I remember telling my wonderful nurse to shut up at one point. I think she was explaining something to me in the middle of a contraction. I was definitely not my most pleasant. But Mandy, my nurse, was so good at centering me and reminding me to breathe. Caleb was such a rock star too and super supportive. “I’m scared. I can’t
What to Expect After Delivery
OB/GYN Dr. Lisa McLeod explains what to expect after delivery. Watch more OB videos below.
Pelvic Pain During Pregnancy Explained by Dr. Lisa McLeod
Dr. Lisa McLeod of Cherokee Women’s Health talks about pelvic pain during pregnancy and answers common questions. Watch more OB videos below.
Fetal Distress
Fetal distress is the term used when the baby is compromised in labor or during delivery. It is a medical condition which generally refers to “hypoxia”, or low levels of oxygen in the baby. It’s possible to occur before labor, but more commonly occurs during the delivery process. Oxygen deprivation can result in decreased fetal heart rate and requires immediate action to protect your baby. While pregnancy can be a joyous time in a woman’s life, not all pregnancies are the same, and some women may have a healthier journey than others. Among the common problems that can occur throughout pregnancy, delivery, and after, is fetal distress. Learn about common problems throughout pregnancy, delivery and after. What Causes Fetal Distress? Fetal distress may be caused by several factors, including: Preeclampsia Placental abruption Too much or low levels of amniotic fluid Labor complications Umbilical cord prolapse Pregnancy-induced hypertension An overdue pregnancy Uncontrolled diabetes Anemia What are the Signs? Sometimes, mothers notice signs of fetal distress on their own. These symptoms include: Decreased movement in the womb Vaginal bleeding Excessive weight gain Inadequate weight gain Fetal distress is diagnosed based on fetal heart rate monitoring, which is monitored throughout pregnancy and taken at every prenatal appointment. The fetal heart rate should be between 110 and 160 beats per minute during the third trimester of pregnancy and labor. Heart rate abnormalities that are signs of fetal distress: Bradycardia- An abnormally slow heart rate Tachycardia- An abnormally fast heart rate Variable decelerations- Abrupt decreases in heart rate Late decelerations- Lat returns to the baseline heart rate after a contraction Help for Fetal Distress Your doctor must closely monitor all pregnancies — especially high-risk pregnancies — and continuously assess the health of the mother and baby. If your doctor recognizes or is alerted to signs of fetal distress, they will monitor the baby and decide the safest way to proceed. If there are signs of fetal distress on the fetal heart rate monitoring, the main goal is to return the baby to an oxygen-rich state as soon as possible. In some cases, the best way to alleviate fetal distress is to remove the baby from an oxygen-deprived environment and deliver. A C-section delivery may be the safest way for this to occur. Lasting Effects of Fetal Distress Babies who experience fetal distress are at a greater risk of complications after birth. Lack of oxygen during birth can lead to very serious complications for the baby, including brain injury, cerebral palsy and even stillbirth. Can I Prevent Fetal Distress? While you can’t prevent fetal distress, your odds of it occurring are lower if you are going to all your prenatal appointments and following your doctor’s recommendation for a healthy pregnancy. Monitoring is the key to identifying fetal distress, treating it before it leads to irreversible complications, and preventing it in the first place. If you have been diagnosed with a condition that increases your risk of fetal distress, like gestational diabetes or preeclampsia, it is especially important to remain closely monitored. Many women don’t necessarily notice when a baby is in fetal distress, so an increasing number of prenatal appointments towards the end of your pregnancy allow your doctor to monitor your baby’s heart rate. If you’ve noticed a change in fetal activity or your kick count is off and you’re concerned, call us right away. Our Board-Certified OB/GYNs are Here For You Fetal distress can be a scary medical condition and maintaining an open dialog with your OB/GYN throughout your pregnancy can help alleviate some of your fears. Don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions or concerns regarding fetal distress or any other pregnancy-related condition. A trained staff member will be happy to answer any questions or schedule a consult. Call us today at 770.720.7733 or request an appointment online.
