Are You Pregnant, or Just in Your Luteal Phase? / Endo Flare-Up: How To Beat the Pain / Can Travel Delay Your Period?
Hi friend!
When you're TTC, you are most likely paying attention to every little change (or hint of change) in your body. That two-ish week period of waiting and hoping and anticipating can feel like an eternity, and you might be searching for early signs of pregnancy before you take a test.?
As with many aspects of the conception and pregnancy journeys, so much of it is individualized. No two women will have the same experience, and it makes for a beautiful, yet slightly confusing personal journey toward motherhood.?
To help clear up some of the uncertainty, we spoke with Dr. Jessica Ryniec, a double board-certified OB/GYN and infertility specialist at CCRM Fertility in Boston, about presumptive signs that may indicate you're pregnant. Read it here.?
What's Trending: What Does Endometriosis Pain Feel Like?
Jacqueline Solivan, Rescripted’s VP of Partnerships, describes her endo pain in two ways:????
“Imagine watching someone make a balloon animal, all that twisting and turning...how it looks so tight and like it's about to burst. That’s what my endometriosis feels like!” she explains. On a more regular basis, she says it feels like the pain of a bruise being constantly pushed on.??
Whatever your endo symptoms may be, they may or may not follow a pattern. Some endometriosis sufferers have their worst flare-ups around ovulation, while others are in the most pain during the luteal and menstrual phases of their cycle.?
And endometriosis symptoms aren’t just limited to the pelvic region, either. As Jacqueline shares, her flare-ups show up both in her uterus area and her back, with the back pain being the most severe. “It’s literally paralyzing,” she describes.?
So, how can you beat the pain during an endometriosis flare-up??Read this.
Did You Know? 80% of Autoimmune Sufferers (and 90% of Lupus Patients) Are Women
Unless you’ve been diagnosed with lupus —?or are a Selena Gomez fan — you probably don’t know much about this chronic condition that can cause inflammation and pain in any part of the body.
Lupus is an autoimmune disease, which means your immune system attacks healthy tissue instead of fighting infections (sounds fun, right?). The Lupus Foundation of America estimates that?1.5 million Americans have a form of lupus, with the disease generally affecting women of childbearing age.
Lupus symptoms can vary and may include extreme fatigue, pain or swelling in the joints, hands, or feet, sensitivity to sunlight, or a butterfly-shaped rash on the cheeks and nose,?to name a few. If you suspect you may have lupus, it's crucial to consult with a healthcare provider, and remember: never stop advocating!??
领英推荐
You Asked, We're Answering:?
Q: Can travel delay your period?
A: In short? Yes.
“This is possible as a woman's cycle can respond to stress and sleep disruption,” says Karla Loken, DO, an OB/GYN and VP of Medical Affairs and Clinical Operations at HerMD. However, a packed vacation schedule doesn’t necessarily mean your period will be off schedule.
?“Travel does not always affect a woman's cycle, but it is logical to think that a stressful travel event or time change and extended travel might alter our cortisol response (stress hormone) and therefore send our cycle off by a day or so,” says Dr. Loken. “Usually travel will not cause a woman to miss her period, so if this is the case it is important to check other causes of missed periods with a physician and rule out pregnancy.”?Learn more.
Q: Can you get endometriosis after having a baby?
A: If you’ve been pregnant once, getting pregnant the second time should be easy, right? Well, not always. About 11% of couples experience secondary infertility, and one of the most common reasons is undiagnosed endometriosis.?
To help us understand why it’s possible to have a successful pregnancy with endometriosis and then have difficulty getting (or staying) pregnant in the future, we spoke to Rescripted Expert Dr. Jessica Ryniec about?all things endometriosis after pregnancy — including how the ReceptivaDx test can help bring you one step closer to a diagnosis. Read it.
Women's Health In The Wild:
From social posts to podcasts to products we're loving, here's the latest in women's health & fertility:
?Lastly, trying to conceive can be stressful, and pregnancy can bring with it its own set of anxieties before baby even arrives. In this week's episode of "From First Period To Last Period," Kristyn sits down with Caledonia Buckheit, M.D., an OB/GYN practicing in Raleigh, North Carolina, to discuss how you can mentally prepare yourself for the potential ups and downs of the fertility journey, and why mental health is so important to prioritize during pregnancy & beyond. Listen here.?
?xo,
Kristyn