What Does Dense Breast Tissue Feel Like?
So, you’ve just gotten your first mammogram (congrats!) — but the report mentions that you have “dense breasts.” Um, what?It’s quite normal to feel a pang of fear when you see that detail mentioned in your mammogram results. (FWIW, that’s what happened to me when I got the news that I have dense breasts). Suddenly you’re wondering, “Is there something wrong with my boobs? Does this mean I’m at a higher risk for breast cancer?”No, there’s nothing wrong with your boobs. About 50% of women have dense breast tissue — so, pretty normal, right? But, just because this is a...
IVF and FET Due Date 101: What You Need To Know
Preparing for in-vitro fertilization (IVF) can be a daunting process, even well before you step inside a doctor’s office. One of the first decisions that needs to be made is whether you’ll be undergoing a fresh embryo transfer or a frozen embryo transfer (FET). This is a choice that shouldn’t be made lightly, and certainly not without the advice of your medical provider. Your physician will help you decide which protocol is the right one for your body — and your wallet. If you’ve decided to go the frozen embryo transfer route, however, here’s a quick primer on...
Understanding a Fertility Clinic's Success Rates
If you’re trying to conceive, and you’ve made the decision to seek out a fertility clinic, where do you even start? There’s the overall patient experience to consider, as well as the clinic’s success rates. Given the rising costs of fertility treatments like in-vitro fertilization (IVF), and the toll infertility can take on your mental health, it’s imperative patients choose a clinic where they feel not only supported but confident their treatments will result in a healthy pregnancy. Sure, prospective patients can research clinics via online reviews and patient recommendations. But this type of information only...
Can You Wear Deodorant for a Mammogram?
We brush our teeth for the dentist, mentally prepare for conversations with our therapists, and tidy up (down there) before we go to the OBGYN. No one wants unpleasant-smelling armpits for the person whose job it is to give us our mammograms, right? Whether or not you’ve experienced a mammogram, you’re probably wondering how best to prepare for it. But there’s one question many women forget to ask: Can you wear deodorant for a mammogram? If this seems like a minor detail, the answer may surprise you! Understanding how mammograms work, being aware of potential concerns,...
Is the ‘Sleepy Girl Mocktail’ Another Example of Social Media Misinformation — Or an Effective Way To Help Us Get Better Sleep?
If you’ve been scrolling TikTok, chances are you’ve seen at least a few creators making the viral “sleepy girl mocktail." The recipe goes a little something like this: Creators fill up a wine glass with tart cherry juice, magnesium powder, and some sort of sparkling water. The viral drink earned its name because some creators claim it can help you get a great night’s sleep. Creators and commenters alike seem to have great success with implementing this concoction to help them sleep — but is there any truth to this, or is the sleepy girl mocktail...
Yeast Infection Before Period: How To Treat and Prevent
Yeast infections. They’re so common, yet they’re such a (literal) pain. While most healthy vaginas have yeast, an infection can occur when too much of a particular type of yeast — known as Candida — grows in the vaginal area. About 75% of all women are likely to have at least one yeast infection in their lifetime, with up to 45% experiencing two or more. Yeast infections are also the second-most common type of vaginal infections (after bacterial vaginal infections). Symptoms can include vaginal itching or soreness, pain during sexual intercourse, pain or discomfort while urinating, and thick, white vaginal...
No, IVF Doesn’t Cause Breast Cancer. Let’s Get to the Bottom of This Internet Myth.
On a recent episode of her podcast, Let’s Be Clear With Shannen Doherty, the actress spoke about her experience undergoing IVF. Doherty, who has breast cancer, admitted that she once believed her IVF experience may have caused her cancer. “I believed that the reason why I got cancer was because I did IVF,” she said. “We needed IVF and I did a bunch of rounds of it.” Doherty added that other women she knew also were diagnosed with breast cancer after undergoing IVF. “Through a lot of other women that I knew that did IVF that...
Does Taking Iron Affect Your Menstrual Cycle?
When you consider taking a new supplement or medication, it's important to weigh the benefits with the potential side effects. Iron pills are infamous for causing unpleasant side effects such as constipation and general stomach upset. And, when a nutrient is intended to affect your blood health, you may also wonder how it could impact your menstrual cycle. Often, people with heavy menstrual cycles will be directed towards iron pills, and this can bring up some important questions: Why do I need to take iron? Can it reduce the heavy bleeding? Is it possible to get...
8 Best Non-Toxic Air Fresheners for Clean Living
Let's face it: While air fresheners are a popular choice to combat unpleasant odors in our homes, the conventional options often come with a downside — the release of potentially harmful chemicals into the air that we breathe. Thankfully, there is a growing awareness and demand for non-toxic alternatives that not only eliminate unwanted smells but also promote a safer and healthier indoor environment. We've pulled together a list of 8 of our favorite non-toxic air fresheners that you can pick up on your next essentials run without compromising your and your family's well-being. 1. Pura...
For You, When Your Frozen Embryo Transfer Fails
I am in the shower, and I'm letting the tears fall. Because in the shower, my son won't see my sadness. Because in the shower, I can sob without seeing the heartbreak on my husband's face. Because in the shower, I can collect my thoughts. The stats were on our side. The embryo was normal. I had carried one healthy, beautiful baby to term not even two years ago. There was no reason to think that another embryo transfer wouldn't work. There was no reason to believe that it would fail. And yet, here we are,...