Placenta is an ephemeral (exists briefly) organ that develops in the uterus during pregnancy. Acting as the life support system for the growing baby, the placenta helps provides the baby with oxygen and maternal nutrients. It also helps the baby dispose his waste via the maternal kidneys.

Conversely, in case of a placental abruption, the baby is deprived of oxygen and nutrients, thus leaving both baby and mother in danger.

Causes:

Although the specific causes that lead to a placental abruption are unknown, certain risk factors are believed to raise the risk. These include preeclampsia (pregnancy induced hypertension), trauma or injury to the abdomen, maternal age less than 20 or greater than 35.

In addition, a shorter length of the umbilical cord, a history of uterine fibroids (benign tumors of the uterus) and UTI (urinary tract infections) during pregnancy also play a part.

Symptoms:

Placental abruption usually occurs in the third trimester. However, it can occur any time after the 20th week of pregnancy. Classic signs and symptoms of placental abruption include uterine tenderness, rapid uterine contractions, often without arrest, abdominal pain and vaginal bleeding (sometimes).

Prevention:

While one cannot prevent placental abruption, the risk can be decreased following certain precautions. Quit smoking and avoid alcohol. The risk of placental abruption can also be reduced by maintaining a good pre-conception health, right eating during pregnancy regular sleep patterns and correction of preeclampsia and diabetes.

Treatment:

There is no treatment available that can either fix a detached placenta or can stop it from detaching further. The most preferred treatment is often based on the severity of the separation, location of the separation and the duration of the pregnancy.

In cases of mild placental abruption, a complete bed rest and close monitoring are the most prescribed treatment options. However, in case of a complete separation, delivery (preferably C-section) is often sought as the safest option. Severe bleeding requires an immediate blood transfusion.

Unfortunately, 15 percent of the severe placental abruption cases end in fetal death.

According to the findings of a new study, pregnancy is not the time for household chores. The study, published in the current issue of the journal Pediatric Epidemiology, found that doing “boring and repetitive” household chores during pregnancy raises the odds of giving birth prematurely.

Doing mentally unstimulating work day-in day-out raises the risk of giving birth at least three weeks early by around 25 percent, researchers warn.

The findings of the study are backed by pregnancy records of nearly 12,000 new moms.

It data collected included details about the mom-to-be’s daily physical activities for both exercise and household chores, job profiles, overall pregnancy health, gestation of pregnancy and baby weight.

The results indicated that moms who indulged in mentally un-stimulating work were more likely to give birth prematurely. Their risk of giving birth at least three weeks before term were around 25 percent higher than moms who abstained doing such jobs.

Researchers believe that doing boring and repetitive tasks increase the levels of stress hormones that are involved in causing labor.

Conversely, switching to a completely sedentary lifestyle spells more trouble, researchers warn. Taking up a completely sedentary lifestyle increases the chances of having an underweight baby, researchers found.

“Pregnancy is not a disease. In fact, most women who are pregnant are healthy and most of them are being delivered of perfectly healthy babies. Women who are healthy and do not have pregnancy complications should not restrict their activities in order to achieve a better pregnancy outcome” lead researcher, Hajo Wildschut, of Erasmus University in Rotterdam stated.

Patrick O’Brien, a consultant obstetrician at the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists added, “Exercise is good in pregnancy, it keeps you aerobically fit, it keeps your weight under control, it probably reduces the chances of difficulties and it makes it easier to deal with the birth and after wards.”

The new 30-pound Bhs cozzie “diet in a swimsuit” helps women drop a dress size without them having to hit the gym. Adding more to it, it is made of a specially developed material that tucks in tummies and boosts the boobs.

Designed by the Bhs scientists, the swimsuit’s super-stretchy inner mesh is made of elastane and nylon, the materials that help squeeze and flatten bulges into shape.

The outer layer, also of elastane, smoothes the silhouette and the padded support lifts the boobs, giving the all perfect outline and the sexy cleavage.

“We realized ladies were fretting about showing their bodies. The collection was launched to create an immediate fix to their predicament” a Bhs spokesman said.

So now no more cutting down on favorite foods, no more early morning exercise regimes or tiresome gym sessions, just get into the “diet in a swimsuit” to get that dream figure.

Matching to the findings of a previous study that linked milk intake with increased muscle mass and fat loss in men, the findings of the new study claim to be equally established in women.

“The findings are more challenging because women not only steer clear of resistance training they also tend to steer away from dairy products based on the incorrect belief that dairy foods are fattening” Stu Phillips, professor in the Department of Kinesiology at McMaster University said.

During the 12-week study period, the researchers monitored young women who drank either milk or energy drinks post exercise.

Participants were asked not to drink or eat anything except water two hours prior to the training.

Participants then took to their exercise routine. The training consisted of three types of exercise: pushing like bench press and chest fly, pulling like seated lateral pull down and abdominal exercises without weights or the leg exercises which included leg press and seated two-leg hamstring curl. To ensure proper technique, the training was monitored one on one by personal trainers.

Immediately after the exercise routine, one group consumed half a liter of fat free white milk while the other group consumed a similar-looking but sugar-based energy drink. The drinks were consumed one hour post exercise.

“The women who drank milk gained barely any weight because what they gained in lean muscle they balanced out with a loss in fat” said Phillips. “Our data show that simple things like regular weightlifting exercise and milk consumption work to substantially improve women’s body composition and health.”

The findings of the study feature in the June issue of Medicine and Science in Sport and Exercise.

Making things brighter, the longer the history of migraine the lower is the risk of developing breast cancer, the researchers touted.

As both migraine and breast cancer are hormonally mediated diseases, therefore it’s “biologically plausible” that migraine sufferers stand a reduced risk of breast cancer, researchers highlighted.

While low levels of estrogen, the primary female sex hormone, are typically associated with severe and frequent migraine attacks in women, breast cancer is directly linked to increased levels of the hormones.

A study of nearly 9,000 American women aged between 34 to 64 years revealed that women with a history of migraine are 26 percent less likely to develop breast cancer as compared to non-migraine sufferers.

Moreover, use of nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) such aspirin, ibuprofen and naproxen for alleviating migraine symptoms are also found to lower the breast cancer risk by 12 percent.

The study features in the July issue of Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers and Prevention, a journal of the American Association for Cancer Research.

I Deny problems with alcohol.

I Have five or more drinks daily.

I Do things while drinking that are regretted later.

I Experience severe sleep problems, paranoia or depression.

I Need a drink to start the day, before an event, or to wind down and relax.

I Experience dramatic mood swings, from anger to laughter to sadness to anxiety.

Questionnaire

This questionnaire was adapted from the New York City Affiliate of the National Council on Alcoholism. Please answer the following to asses if you are a woman alcoholic.

1. Do you drink a lot and not seem to get drunk?

2. Do you feel angry with yourself after a drinking binge?

3. Do you turn to drinking or drugs when life gets stressful?

4. If you cut down on your drinking or stop, do your hands shake, get nauseated, have headaches, sweat, or can’t sleep?

5. Do you find yourself drinking more when no one is around?

6. Do you feel so bad after drinking that you cannot do your job or fulfill any of your responsibilities at home or work?

7. Do you continue to drink despite knowing alcohol worsens social or personal problems, such as family arguments?

8. Do you find that others around you are often making excuses for your behavior and actions?

9. Do you find that you are hiding your alcohol?

10. Do you find that you are associating more with friends that drink a lot rather than those that do not?

If you’ve answered “yes” to any one of the questions above you may be developing a drinking problem. According to Alcoholics Anonymous, if you’ve answered “yes” three or more times to any of the questions above, you have a problem with alcohol and should seek help.

Getting Help

Alcoholism is a serious problem for both men and women. However, it has been proven that alcohol affects women differently than it does men therefore, women need special care to overcome their addiction. The effects of alcohol on women include a wide array of medical and social problems. With many women filling the traditional roles of mother and primary caregiver, it has been with great shame and guilt women alcoholics seek help. Below you will find a list of organizations dedicated to the recovery of women alcoholics.

You can do BSE and it only takes ten minutes a month. Most (80%) lumps are not cancer (but all lumps and other changes in the breast should be checked out be a doctor). For all of these reasons, you should get in the habit of regular BSE. To find out how, Simply read the steps that follow:

15857 For women still menstruating, two or three days after your period ends is the best time for BSE. Your breasts are least likely to be tender or swollen during this interval. For women who no longer menstruate, any time is a good time for BSE, though picking the same day each month will make doing BSE easier to remember. (For women who take hormones, ask your doctor when the best time for BSE is.)

How to do BSE

Stand in front of a mirror with your breasts clearly in view. Look at both breasts for anything unusual, including dimpled, puckered or scaly skin, or any discharge (clear or colored fluid) from nipples.

Then, check for any change in the shape of your breasts. Clasping your hands behind your head, press your hands forward.

Next, press your hands firmly on your hips, continuing to look for shape changes.

Then, bend slightly toward the mirror as you hunch your shoulders and pull your elbows forward.

Begin at your breast’s outer edge, slowly moving your fingers around the whole breast. When you reach your starting point, use a smaller circle and repeat. Keep using smaller and smaller circles until you get to the nipple.

Lastly, remember to check your underarm and upper chest areas too.

Be sure to report any irregularities to your doctor, and remember, a lump is not necessarily cancerous. But to be safe, you must report any irregularity to your doctor immediately.

Finally, in addition to SBE at least once a month, women should have regular mamograms. They can spot breast cancer even before you can.