There are a few common symptoms that let you know that you are pregnant.

They are:

*
Missed period – If you have a regular 28/29 day cycle, then being late or missing a period is a pretty good sign that you may be pregnant however there are other factors that can delay periods see Could I be pregnant? so its usually better to look for more than one sign of pregnancy than just delayed period. If you have a more irregular cycle, or have just come off the Pill or other hormonal contraception, then a late period may NOT be an indication that you are pregnant.

*
Nausea or morning sickness – can occur not just in the morning but all day long. It can be as severe as throwing up or just feeling off your food. Alot of women find that their sense of smell is heightened during pregnancy, and smelling food cooking can make you feel sick. You may also find that you are absolutely starving but the thought of actually eating food is revolting or alternatively finding something that you feel like eating is very difficult.

Nausea or morning sickness generally wears off at the 12 /13 week point. Not all women feel nauseous and different prganancies can produce different symptoms.

*
Frequent urination – the desire to pee frequently is a pretty good sign of pregnancy and can start very early.

*
Sore Breasts – are another sign of pregnancy but some women experience sore breasts before bleeding. Increase in breast size, soreness and the darkening of the nipple area are key.

*
Fatigue – it takes ALOT of energy to grow a baby, so you may feel really tired during pregnancy. Take it as a hint and rest up, cause once that beautiful baby arrives regular sleep can be a thing of the past for quite some time.

*
Mood Swings and raging hormones – the sudden changes in hormone activity as your body adjusts to its new pregnant state can cause emotionality and mood swings. Again this can be pre-menstrual, but if it continues and your period just doesn’t come, then it could be a sign.

*
Spotting – A woman may spot (lightly bleed) 9-10 days after fertilisation. It is not a normal period and it is perfectly normal. However, once it is done and you are confident you are pregnant, you should not spot anymore. If you do bleed at all during pregnancy see your doctor.

So these are the most common signs of pregnancy, some of them can be confused with PMS so the more you have the better. If you think you may be pregnant, take a home pregnancy test or see your doctor and find out for sure. Then, take good care of yourself

Light therapy for PMS, depression and circadian related mood disorders

]]> http://periodpages.wordpress.com/2008/07/11/pregnancy-signs/feed/ 0 nadiamac http://periodpages.wordpress.com/2008/07/04/the-moon-and-your-cycle/ http://periodpages.wordpress.com/2008/07/04/the-moon-and-your-cycle/#comments Fri, 04 Jul 2008 00:14:00 +0000 nadiamac http://periodpages.wordpress.com/2008/07/04/the-moon-and-your-cycle/ ]]>

Moon Cycles and women

Human beings are affected by the moon. Women especially are affected by the moon and their menstrual cycle is intimately linked to this celestial body.

The moon:

• regulates your menstrual cycle,
• can trigger ovulation and fertile times,
• affects your emotions and
• affects the way people behave and view the world.

Women are connected to the moon by our blood, our hormones and our souls.

The first step in claiming the gifts of our menstrual cycle is to become re-acqainted with Mother Moon. Putting aside all the scientific phenomena of the way the Moon affects the earths tides, weather, animals, fluids and moods, symbolically the Moon has a lot to teach us.

In myth the Moon is a primary female archetype travelling the great round of Birth, Maturation, Death and Rebirth each month. This is a primal fundamental cycle of the universe of which every single living thing participates.

We all are born, we grow, mature and we die .

Humans do it, animals do it, plants do it and even love affairs, business ventures and economies do it. It is only our modern culture with its focus on youth and never ending productivity that attempts to deny this basic cycle of life. Living in this culture it is easy to forget that we are fundamentally cyclic creatures.

Most of us have been taught to believe that being a cyclical creature is a primitive or inferior affair. We believe that we will be less productive, less useful or just plain stupid if we allow ourselves to follow the rhythm of our cycles.

However, there is much grace, flow and harmony to be achieved through living in a cyclic manner. Being able to recognise and use the most appropriate energy that is available to you at any given moment is in fact a far more efficient use of time and energy.

Just like the Moon’s journey through the phases, a woman’s menstrual cycle can also be divided up into easily understood and clearly experienced phases. These phases take on archetypal (or universally recognised) feminine energies as set out in the following image.

Each month a woman will experience changes in the way she perceives herself and her world in accordance to where she is in her menstrual cycle.

The moon’s cycle also adds another subtle tone to her monthly experience, increasing or decreasing the intensity of the energies depending upon where the two cycles overlap.

For example if a woman is ovulating with the Full Moon, this mode of cycling gives a woman the best chance of physical fertility, great for trying to conceive children, as the full moon accentuates the time of Ovulation.

When a woman bleeds with the full moon, this mode of cycling enhances inner expression, intuition and the development of the inner, spiritual life.

As women become more aware of the different phases and how they experience them, they find it much easier to recognise and use the phase they are at and will also experience a far greater acceptance of their bodies, their menstrual cycle and their feminine nature.

For more information, go to the Female Energy Cycle.

The way women are effected at the lead up to their period is as individual as themselves, but there are many common symptoms. One thing is sure, that the imbalance in hormones can certainly stir things up. Everything seems to become far more intense.

Some of the most common symptoms are anxiety, mood swings and nervous tension. This is caused by an imbalance of Oestrogen and Progesterone. The first thing to look at with this type of PMS is how much dairy products and refined sugars are in your diet, make sure they are not in excess as they can effect the absorption of Magnesium. Magnesium, Vitamin B6 and Zinc are the vital nutrients here; they are essential in the brain to produce the chemicals, which control these symptoms. These nutrients also assist in the clearance of the excess oestrogen. A diet high in vegetable proteins and fibre also assist this process.

Cravings are common at this time, especially for chocolate and other sweet things. Increase appetite, headaches, fatigue, dizziness or fainting and palpitations may also be experienced. It is best when suffering from this to eat small meals regularly to help prevent the falling glucose levels. 5-6 small meals a day of healthy nutritious food, incorporating complex carbohydrates, will be of great assistance. A supplementation of Chromium can help in stabilizing blood sugar levels. The food that you are craving can also give an indication of what foods are missing in your diet. The most common craving, chocolate, is an indication of a Magnesium deficiency.

The symptoms of depression, crying, forgetfulness, confusion and insomnia are what some women go through. A diet including plenty of raw foods and grains is recommended in this case. It is related to low oestrogen: high progesterone balance and a clean healthy diet, high in Magnesium can help towards regulation. It would also be advised to work on cleansing the liver. If the liver is functioning well, then it will assist in clearing out the excess hormones.

If you suffer from fluid retention, weight gain, swelling of extremities, breast tenderness, or abdominal bloating, salt and red meat should be decreased. An herb, which can offer some relief from this, is Ginkgo. Also of benefit are Vitamin B6 and Vitamin E.

Evening Primrose Oil can reduce the cramping pain that announces to many women that their period is approaching. Calcium/Magnesium supplements can also bring relief.

Many of the symptoms of PMS are related to dietary imbalances and nutritional deficiencies. For a list of dietary guidelines and natural remedies for PMS go here for the full article

Most importantly take time out each month to celebrate your womanhood. The onset of a period is a reminder of who you are and is a special time to pamper yourself: Buy yourself flowers, have a special treat, have a massage, take a bubble bath, or whatever makes you feel special. It’s the time to make time for you! .

PMS Types

Most women experience some form of PMT in our modern world. It is due, I think, to busy schedules, poor diet, stress and lack of quality individual self-care time. Cyclic behavior is simply not acknowledged in this male dominated world so it can be difficult to give yourself the rest and time out that you need in the pre menstrual phase.

There are generally about 5 different sorts of PMS. Type A, B, C, D and H.

The general Health Guidelines to assist with PMT discomfort are;

Include Vitamin B6, Zinc, Magnesium, and Essential Fatty Acids. (taking a good multi with regulating herbs often covers many of these)

Avoid caffeine and alcohol – try herbal teas or dandelion coffee

Eat natural whole foods.

Avoid sugary refined foods.

Drink lots of water.

(Refer to last Newsletter or these links for more general food rules http://www.menstruation.com.au/periodpages/foods.html )

TYPE A (high oestrogen : low progesterone ratio)

Nervous tension, weepiness, anxiety, mood swings and irritability. Periods start suddenly and are heavy with clots.

Extra help – Vit E,

TYPE B (high progesterone:oestrogen ratio)

Stress is a big factor in this type and the mood changes and irritability will lean more towards aggression than depression. Aggression or depression is just energy (which we have labelled as negative) which is either directed outwards – aggression, or directed inwards – depression.

Weight gain, swelling of hands and feet and breast tenderness.

Extra help – Vit C with bioflavinoids.

Reduce salt. _ On this note _ What sort of salt do you use? Throw out your table salt because it is harmful and only buy Sea Salt, which is more beneficial containing important trace minerals. Be aware that processed foods often have high amounts of salt in them – You will get more than enough salt even if you don’t add extra salt to your food.

Include a natural diuretic such as celery or Juniper in your diet. Drink more water not less, as this will flush your system out. Your organs of elimination including your kidneys work better when the fluid intake is high.

TYPE C

Often associated with fluctuations in blood sugar levels can include headache and fatigue, moodiness and irritability due to drops in blood sugar level.

Extra Help – Magnesium is very important as it assists in insulin metabolism.

Eat smaller meals frequently and include starchy and complex carbohydrate foods like pasta, potatoes, vegetables and quality proteins (lean meat, fish etc). Avoid sugar and refined foods.

TYPE D (low oestrogen: high progesterone ratio)

Emotional changes like depression, forgetfulness, insomnia, confusion, and teariness.

Extra Help: Kelp, spirulina, and potassium oxide. Eat simple foods that are easily digested.

TYPE H

Water balance symptoms – fluid retention, bloating, breast tenderness, swollen hands and feet related to high sodium and alcohol intake.

Flower remedies or vibrational essences can also be very helpful for PMT symptoms. I will explain more thoroughly how these essences work next newsletter, but for the mean time here is a short list of helpful remedies.

Rose of Raphael Essences – Pomegranate, Green Goddess Lily, Bat Plant and Pineapple Sage. See our site http://www.menstruation.com.au/menstrualproducts/rorind.html

Bach Flower Essences – Impatiens, Mustard, and Olive – http://www.bachflower.com/

Californian Essences – Chamomile, Pretty Face, Scleranthus, Sunflower

Remedies for Irregularity

When you are looking to find a solution for an irregular menstrual cycle the first thing to consider is how serious your irregularity is.

Any cycle that has a long history of being irregular – over a year and more or is very irregular - that is, no bleeding for months at a time, too much bleeding, breakthough bleeding that has gone on for a number of cycles, very painful periods and any other medical disorder generally needs professional care.

Get checked out properly by a doctor or gynocologist.

Then depending on what they recommend or how you feel, you may want to consider seeing a professional natural therapist, eg a fertility counsellor (find one in your area through the contacts page at this website www.fertility.com.au) or other natural therapist (herbalist, naturopath, acupuncturist) who has experience with menstrual irregularity so they can prescribe medicines for you to help your body regain its natural rhythm. This is often the quickest way to get regular again and is often the most successful in the long term.

Going on the contraceptive Pill is a poor choice when it comes to regulating cycles.

The Pill or any other hormonal contraception will give you a regular cycle but it is a FAKE menstrual cycle as the hormones in it override your body’s natural hormonal balance. The bleeding you experience whilst using the pill is not a true period.

Using the Pill does not solve your bodies irregularity and when you come off the pill, the irregularity will return and sometimes it is worse. more on the pill here

Most irregularity stems from an imbalance in the hormonal system, and the hormonal system is very sensitive to all sorts of stimuli. This can work for as well as against us.

The following tips can be helpful in treating minor irregularity.

Diet - is very important. If you eat lots of fast foods you are not giving your body the nourishment it needs. If you eat sporadically, miss meals and diet constantly – you essentially send your body into survival mode. Your body thinks it is starving and shuts down unnecessary systems. A body that thinks it is starving will not cycle regularly – having a cycle that is healthy enough to support new life is secondary.Watch your diet, eat as healthily as you can, this page has some guidelines on health menstrual eating.

Of course, most women are very busy, so just do the best you can – take the time to make the healthiest choice available to you. For example, pick yoghurt or fruit instead of potato chips or chocolate.

Consider taking a quality womens multi with menstrual herbs in it eg chasetree and dong gui. This will help with missed nutrients and the herbs will help balance your hormones. Take this regularly.

There are also other natural remedies and superfoods which can help nutritionally support your body to function optimally – Maca Powder is one. For more info on Maca Powder and its beneficial effects go here

Start doing some simple charting preferably on a calendar that has moon phases in it. Sometimes, the simple intention of tuning into your cycle gives it a gentle kick start in the right direction.

Take note of the moon – natures perfect menstrual regulator. Take a minute to look out the window at night and see the moon. This will also help regulate you even if your cycle is very imbalanced. Find out what lunar phase it is by getting a lunar phase calendar, checking our website for moon phase information or invest in Personal Lunar Fertility Guide. By showing some intention, you are telling your body this is important to you.

Take note of your lifestyle – do you get enough quality time for yourself. Again a chronically exhausted and stressed body will not be regular. See Female Energy System for the emotional and spiritual aspects of your cycle.

Smoking is bad news for fertility and menstrual health. Studies have shown that smokers take longer to conceive than non-smokers, and this includes passive smoking (more at http://www.nietrokers.nl/e/n02100.html ). If you smoke – you should give it up.

I received the following information from Kate Adams who is studying environmental epidemiology – She found the information whilst researching chemicals and ovarian cancer.

“PAH, a component of cigarette smoke and fossil fuel combustion, binds to what is called an Aromatic Hydrocarbon Receptor (AhR) on cells in ovary structures. When PAH attaches itself, it stimulates the ovaries to shut down the maturation process of eggs, resulting in an egg trapped in a non-ovulatory follicle. In other words, smoking can interfere with and even shut down ovulation, with obvious consequences for normal functioning of the menstrual cycle. Some scientists believe this evidence explains why women who smoke experience premature menopause. … Dioxins and PCB’s and other double and multi-ring structures can also bind to this receptor and wreak havoc on reproductive systems, but they do it in a less-known and different way than PAH. “

More links and information on Smoking and menstrual health / Fertility

http://www.arhp.org/clinical/clinical1/clinfert.htm

http://www.asrm.org/Patients/FactSheets/smoking.pdf

http://www.health.ufl.edu/post/post0499/post04_16/1.html

the Pill and TTC

Any hormonal medication that you take (for example, the Birth Control Pill or Depo provera) to help you avoid pregnancy overrides your bodies natural hormonal system.

This means that for the time you are using these medications, the medication runs your menstrual cycle and fertility not your body.

When you stop taking the medication it takes some time for your body to regain its natural menstrual cycle. How long it takes to do that depends on:

• the individual
• their lifestyle
• which medication they were on
• how long they took the medication.

If you are trying to conceive and have been on the Pill or others, you cannot necessarily assume that you will fall pregnant straight away. It takes time for the artificial hormones to be released from your body and for your body to get back into the swing of running its own menstrual cycle and fertility again.

You should allow at least 3-6 months to get the Pill out of your system. If you are older (over 30 years) or have been on the medication for over 3-5 years then you may need to allow 12 months to resume a natural cycle.

Remember that a healthy regular cycle represents a healthy fertility system which is far more likely to have a healthy pregnancy and carry a baby to full term. Keep this in mind if you are tempted to hurry the process along.

There are things you can do to speed up the coming off medication process see the next few chapters on incresing the odds.

It is a fact that many women are choosing to have babies later in life. However as some women have already discovered, getting pregnant is not always as easy as they thought it would be, which is somewhat of a cruel joke, considering how much time and effort most women spend trying not to get pregnant.

As women exercise more choice and control over their fertility, every woman needs to be aware that not all contraceptive and lifestyle choices are equal in ensuring that your body will be in an optimum fertile state when you need it to be. And the older you get the more important it becomes to start taking active fertility protection measures. Some of these measures are:

• Don’t smoke – smoking decreases fertility in both sexes. “In fact, a woman can lose so many eggs by smoking that it can speed up her passage into the menopause by 3 years.” Stay Fertile Longer by Mary Kittel ISBN 1-4050-3286-3

• Avoid STD’s. Sexually transmitted diseases like Chlamydia and ghonorrea can lead to Pelvic Inflammatory Disease (PID) which can cause a great deal of damage to your reproductive organs and fertility. In the case of Chlamydia, 3 out of 4 infected women don’t even know they have it. If you have casual sexual relationships use condoms and get checked up regularly.
• Maintain a healthy weight for your height. Both being underweight or over weight can lead to fertility difficulties.
• Take care of your Immune System, which will in turn look after your hormonal system. The following is a brief list of the basic nutrional do’s and don’ts.
  • Healthy diet – lots of fresh fruits and vegetables (you’ve heard it all before)
  • Reduce caffeine – general guidelines less than 2 cups of brewed coffee per day (or equivalent in cola, chocolate, tea). If you are trying to conceive – stop altogether.
  • Drink alcohol sensibly, don’t drink too much, don’t binge drink.
  • Avoid recreational and some prescription drugs.
  • Supplement wisely.
  • Exercise regularly – walk, swim, yoga, belly dance – whatever.
  • Avoid exposure to chemicals, use natural products on your skin, for menstruation, in your home and work environment.
• Reduce your stress and avoid burnout. Have fun, have time out for yourself – go on / have regular holidays. Fatigued, exhausted bodies do not have the resources to have babies.
• Avoid unnecessary pelvic surgery.
• Consider carefully your choice of contraception. Ideally if you are looking to have babies, it is best to avoid the many types hormonal contraception as these methods are potentially the most harmful to your body and your fertility. On the flip side however, they can be the most reliable form of contraception for many. Every woman has to make a choice about what will suit her lifestyle and a woman in her late teens and twenties has different issues to consider than a woman in her thirties.

  If you are younger – 18 – 30 years of age, and know that having a baby is still 5 years down the track then hormonal contraception may be a good choice for you. In this is the case – I think it is better to choose the Pill rather than Depo Provera or Implants as the latter are much longer lasting drugs, and have a greater potential to compromise natural hormonal function. It takes a lot longer to get the effects out Depo out of your system. That being said if you are using the Pill and you do not have a regular sexual partner – remember to use condoms.

  If you are older 30 plus, and having a baby is important to you in the next few years, then its probably time to come off the Pill, and start using non hormonal contraception like the diaphram, condoms, natural fertility methods. This way, you will give yourself lots of time to establish a healthy natural hormonal system and menstrual cycle without the pressure of having to conceive quickly.

That’s basically it – all the things that contribute to a happy healthy body will ensure that your body remains in tip top shape fertility wise.

I gratefully acknowledge the book “Stay Fertile Longer” by Mary Kittel as a source of inspiration for this months newsletter. I found it at my local library yesterday and it provides lots of good detailed informtion. We hope to stock the book onsite in the next month or so.

Irregular menstrual cycles

The menstrual cycle is a very sensitive thing and can become irregular for a number of reasons. For tips on regulating your cycle go to irregular cycle remedies

Please note that the following information applies to natural cycles – that is, if you are not taking the Pill or other hormonal contraception. Whilst some of the following factors can affect a Pill cycle, it is not always so.

• Stress

• New cycle , that is the irregularity experienced by some young girls at the onset of the periods. Their cycle can be irregular for months or years whilst it is establishing itself.
• Dietary problems , eg anorexia, bulimia or simply poor diet
• Too much exercise
• Drugs – prescription and recreational
• Break in routine
• Thoughts and emotions
• Sexual activity – especially when it is a new occurrence
• Anxiety about pregnancy
• Illness or physiological imbalance eg thyroid conditions

Irregularity also falls into 2 categories:

• Long Term Irregularity

  Long term irregularity can be anything from a cycle that varies in length from month to month to the experience of various abnormal symptoms, for example, excessive bleeding, no cycle for months at a time, very painful periods or ovulation.

  To be on the safe side if your are experiencing prolonged bleeding or very painful symptoms it is wise to consult a doctor to find out what is going on.

• Sudden or Short term Irregularity

  Short term irregularity can be attributed to any of the causes listed above, and are generally a one off or sporadic occurrence. These cases are probably not a cause for great concern unless you are experiencing pain or just feel as if something is wrong.

Naturally, a delayed period can indicate pregnancy so you may want to clear that option by taking a pregnancy test.

What can be done about irregularity?

If you are experiencing bouts of irregularity, you need to examine your lifestyle. Review the causes listed above:

• Are you under extra stress?

  If so, what are some tangible steps you can take to reduce its effect upon your body? Can you change you thinking? Include more exercise or meditation in your routine? Have you got a support network? Is there action you can take?

• Diet?

  Are you eating healthily and regularly? If not, do you need to improve the foods you eat or supplement your diet with vitamins, minerals and herbs? We stock some excellent nutritional products that can support your cycle. Choose from – Maca Root Powder, Biogest PMS Cream or Optimum Health Womens multi vitamin.

• Too much exercise?

  Are you addicted to exercise or slimming and just not feeding yourself enough or working your body too hard?

• Drugs?

  Excessive use of drugs can and does affect the menstrual cycle, they affect the physiology or biology or the body and also affect your emotional and mental health.

• Break in routine?

• Sexual activity and anxiety about pregnancy?

  Sexual activity does seem to affect the menstrual cycle, probably due to hormones released during lovemaking.

  It may also be due to underlying factors – unconscious or conscious anxiety about pregnancy, change in status, trust issues, and the impact of sex and the changes it causes in our intimate relationships.

  Women still carry the burden of pregnancy , because we get pregnant it is our responsibility to ensure that this only happens when we want it to happen. Knowing how your body works, your fertile signs and having a reliable and safe form of contraception on hand when you need it is vital to your peace of mind and ensures that unwanted pregnancy is highly unlikely.

  if you think you may have had sex at a fertile time or during your lunar fertile time – you can ease your mind by having an Emergency Fertility Calculation done. You provide data regarding your cycle and the date of the sexual incident and we will let you know how high the risk of pregnancy is – to learn moreEmergency Fertility Calculation.

• For more information on regulating your cycle go here

Another note on pregnancy .

Unconscious desires to have children are a huge factor in unwanted pregnancies and play a determining factor in your fertility.

It is important to be really clear about whether you want to fall pregnant or not.

A good way to determine this is to approach your fertility on a monthly basis. That is, each month as you finish bleeding affirm to yourself whether this month you want to fall pregnant or not?

Taking a monthly approach often clarifies unconscious desires , for example that amorphous “I’d like to be pregnant one day” wish that women often have in the back of their mind. By approaching fertility monthly you can consciously say “I want to stay infertile this month” Or “yes, I want to be fertile this month”.

And because it is only a month at a time, you know that you aren’t ruling out the possibility of having children forever and you lessen the risk of playing Russian roulette. Of course always use reliable contraception.

An example from my own life that highlights this point: after I had my first child, I had always said to myself “when my son is 18 months old, I will fall pregnant again” because I figured 2.5 years was a good gap between children. Anyway, when my son turned 18 months old, I was working part time and had forgotten all about my promise to myself. I had been using a diaphragm during the time since the birth of my first son, and it was working great. But at that 18 ^th month point, I fell pregnant- diaphragm and all, and I know it was because I had not reviewed my pregnancy intention. My body was just working on the programming that I had given it.

Ok so you’ve reviewed all these factors, what else can you do?

Connecting to the moon is the simplest and most effective way of sorting out minor menstrual irregularities. The moon rules the menstrual cycle and can be used to bring your body back into rhythm.

Check out our lunar fertility reports - individually customised to you, giving you the information you need to regulate you cycle and maximise you conception or contraception needs.

Light therapy for PMS, depression and circadian related mood dis