Debate over who needs a thyroid check in pregnancy

Check-ups during pregnancy tend to focus around the waist. But there’s growing debate about which mothers-to-be should have a gland in their neck tested, too.

Numerous studies since 1999 have found that an underactive thyroid can raise a woman’s risk of miscarriage, premature birth, or a lower IQ for her baby — even if it’s so mildly sluggish that she feels no symptoms.

The problem: While serious cases are treated with a hormone pill, so far there’s little evidence that treating the milder cases makes a difference. So guidelines about who should be tested vary widely.

Now a peek at prenatal testing from one of the country’s largest medical labs suggests that nearly a quarter of pregnant women are getting the simple thyroid blood test regardless of whether they have symptoms.

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Pregnancy?

Livvie asked:


My aunt is 48 yrs old. and she thinks she is pregnant but heres the thing she took 2 pregnancy tests they came up negative but she hasnt got her period in 4 months and she went to the doctor in the summer time and he said she is no where near menopause and anyways when you get menopause you have your periods more and quicker. but she looked like she is pregnant but she did the pregnancy test right and all of that she got expensive pregnancy tests too. please tell me could she be pregnant even though the pregnancy tests are negative? thank you so much.

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Pregnancy?

new_baby_2006 asked:


I have a friend who has had several symptoms of pregnancy. Here they are….she’s peeing more frequently, slightly nauseated, her stomach has become harder, breasts are “heavier”, dark area around nipples have gotten darker and wider, and she also has a “darker” line on her stomach going from her belly button to her pubic bone. OK, now that you know the symptoms do you think she’s pregnant or what do you think her chances are that she is pregnant?

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Majority of B.C. women take prescription drugs during pregnancy: UBC study

Almost two-thirds of women in British Columbia filled at least one prescription at some point in their pregnancy, including drugs with potential risks, according to a new study by University of British Columbia researchers.

The study, published online today in the journal Clinical Therapeutics, is the first of its kind in Canada. Researchers analyzed population-based outpatient prescription claims data for patterns of prescription drug use during pregnancy in B.C. from 2001 to 2006.

The researchers found that 63.5 per cent of pregnant women in B.C. filled at least one prescription. One in thirteen – or 7.8 per cent – filled a prescription for a medicine known to be risky in pregnancy – most often for select medicines for anxiety, insomnia and depression. Drugs that are strictly contraindicated pregnancy, however, were filled in less than 0.5% of pregnancies.

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Can a home pregnancy test detect a pregnancy at 6 months?

sun asked:


I took 4 home pregnancy tests and they all came out negative! I went to the clinic and had a urine pregnancy test and it also came out negative! I’ve never missed my period! Have no symptoms! My periods have been exact and normal! Can i still be pregnant?

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Pregnancy?

Heather asked:


I have been experiencing some of the early pregnancy symptoms lately and I am now on my period, however, it is not as heavy as usual. It is possible I was ovulating during time I had unprotected sex and that is what has me worried. I have been searching online and many sites say that you can’t have a period during pregnancy but I want to know from real women. Can you have a period during pregnancy? Do I need to go to the doctor?

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Pregnancy Acupressure

Aurelia McAleese asked:




Maternity Acupressure… so what is it? Very simply it’s a series of natural techniques used to induce labor from the comfort of your own home. This results in a shorter labor during the birthing process, because by the time you arrive at the hospital your cervix has already begun to dilate. When applied correctly, this safe, proven process has been shown to stimulate natural contractions associated with childbirth. Midwives and professional Doulas have been using acupressure to induce labor for years and years, both to gently begin the delivery process and to alleviate the pressure, pain, and discomfort associated with going through labor.

If you can press gently with your thumb, you can perform pregnancy acupressure. It doesn’t require any previous experience: these very hands-on methods can be performed by you or your partner with only minimal instruction. It’s very simple for even the most basic novice to locate the acupressure points, and once shown where they are these can be stimulated to induce the early stages of labor. Stimulation of these specific points within a woman’s body have been proven to induce labor in over 80% of women within just a few short hours. Delivery time in the hospital is significantly reduced because you’ve already started labor naturally from within the comfort of your own home. The onset of these contractions will continue to dilate your cervix, and the techniques you learn can be utilized throughout the birthing process to help a mother who might be having problems pushing her baby through the birth canal.

The Maternity Acupressure Guide is an amazing system that will teach you how to have a safe, quick, and easy childbirth. Thousands of women who have already utilized this plan have had fantastic experiences both inside and outside of the delivery room. You can read about their experiences and browse their glowing testimonials: once these techniques are at your fingertips you’ll be amazed at how easy it is to learn the following:

* How to prevent nausea and vomiting during the labor process.
* Methods for calming anxiety and nervousness during the birthing process – whether you’re a first-time mom or you’ve already had children.
* Techniques that allow you to use maternity acupressure to turn a posterior baby.
* How to soothe and reduce your labor pains and symptoms with just a few pressure points.
* Increased dilation of the cervix, leading to a much easier delivery of your child.
* Techniques to strengthen your contractions, providing for a shortened labor and a quicker delivery process.

In addition, you’ll learn fantastic facts about the best birthing positions. These go hand in hand with the maternity acupressure guide, and can have great benefits such as reducing childbirth pain, shorten labor, and help lessen the chance of an episiotomy or medical intervention. These positions will also promote a better supply of oxygen for your baby and reduce fetal distress during the birth itself.

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FDA advisers: Ortho Evra patch needs clearer label

U.S. drug advisers recommended that the label for Johnson and Johnson’s Ortho Evra birth control patch be simplified to better explain the risk of blood clots.

In a 20 to 3 vote with one abstention, advisers to the Food and Drug Administration found that the current label for Ortho Evra inadequately reflects the risks women face by using it. It is the only contraceptive patch sold in the United States.

The panel voted 19 to 5 that the patch’s risks were outweighed by its benefits, such as pregnancy prevention through a once-weekly application.

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Pregnancy?

Myangel asked:


I have been pregnant previously 3 times prior (was able to get pregnant within 1-2 months) Lost all 3, one due to incompetent cervix, and the last 2 due to a blood clotting disorder. The Dr’s know how treat these conditions to help in achieving a successful pregnancy next time around. Problem is I’ve been trying to get pregnant for the last 5 months. I’ve been charting my cycles (which are normal) and I know when I’m ovulating. So I don’t understand why it could be taking so long this time around. I am 35, so it worries me that I’m getting older. Any advice? I am waiting to get in to the feritility clinic in hopes that they can figure out what’s happening…. or if it’s just stress!

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When will a woman start feeling the symptoms of pregnancy?

~me~ asked:


i amnot sure. but i feel like vomiting lately. my head also feels heavy. and i also feel “differently” tired. my husband & i have been having unprotected sex for around 3 weeks. does this symptoms have anything to do with pregnancy? or are the symptoms just the sign of tiredness? i couldnt get proper sleep for a few days and also i have been travelling.
when is the right time to do the pregnancy test?

thank u.

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