Posts Tagged ‘Woman’

Getting Pregnant – Is Getting Pregnant After Ovulation Possible?

Comments: 0January 5th, 2011 by admin



More and more couples who have been practicing birth control with the help of the rhythm method feel totally flummoxed when they suddenly find themselves heading towards unexpected parenthood! Were they not led to believe that getting pregnant after ovulation was not feasible? Then how did this happen?

The answer is very simple. Each woman’s menstrual cycle is different from the other. So the released egg is very viable and has chances of getting fertilized within 12 to 48 hours if it comes in contact with a sperm. Of course, this does not happen with everybody since each woman is again different in this regard. So then, is getting pregnant after ovulation possible? Yes, it definitely is!

To explain this is in greater detail, let us take an example. The couple has indulged in sexual intercourse on a Sunday. The woman begins ovulating on Tuesday. Since sperms are able to survive in a woman’s body for up to five days, there is every possibility that if one of them were to come in contact with the egg (provided it is still viable), conception is going to occur. So the sperm is the deciding factor where getting pregnant after ovulation is concerned! If the egg is not viable, this does not occur.

Earlier, women were advised to indulge in coupling just a few days prior to ovulation and continuing till the actual day of ovulation. Today, quite a few doctors express the opinion that sexual intercourse before, during and after ovulation will give positive results. They even go as far as suggesting that three days of sexual intercourse during the week would ensure getting pregnant after ovulation! Going in for sex every alternate day is advised because the male body must have time to build up the supply of sperms.

Even medical experts have come forward with changed views. They believe that the period after ovulation is the best time to conceive. It is difficult to predict the exact date of ovulation and how long the egg is going to remain viable as each woman’s body is different. So getting pregnant after ovulation is a more believable theory today.

Another factor to be considered is that the time of ovulation can vary in the same woman’s body, month after month. She is not able to foretell the exact date of her menstrual cycle. Even women who have had systematic and regular periods all their lives might find their bodies misbehaving some time or the other! This is because various factors come into play to delay the normal ovulation period-ill-health, excessive stress, indulgence in too much of physical activity and so on. Thus, there is hope for disappointed couples yet-getting pregnant after ovulation is a reality!

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Two Easy Ways to Figure Out When You Are Ovulating

Comments: 0May 13th, 2010 by admin



Usually when a couple decides to start a family, they just go about it and then inform family and friends within few months that they are expecting a baby. However, there are some couples who keep trying to start a family but in vain. If you are one of those couples, do not feel dejected. You can increase your chances of conception by understanding the reproductive system better.

It is important to figure out when the woman is most fertile. This just happens for a few days each month, when ovulation takes place. It is important to know when the egg is released from the ovary. But usually it is difficult to know exactly when the egg is released. So, most people try to conceive 2 to 3 days before ovulation. The sperm stays viable for 72 hours in the uterus while an egg is viable just for 24 hours after it is released by the ovary.

With the advancement of science and technology, there are now ovulation testing kits that allow you figure out approximately when the ovulation is going take place. Basically these kits measure the Luteinizing Hormone (LH) in the urine as there is an increase in the amount of hormone just before the egg is released. The egg release usually occurs two weeks after your period end and that is why it is important to know your menstrual cycle, which varies from 28 to 34 days.

When using an ovulation testing kit, make sure you follow the instructions. In addition, you will have to ensure that you test your urine sample on the same day every day. If the kit shows a high level of Luteinizing Hormone, then ovulation will take place within the next 48 hours. And when the level of LH is high, this is the time to have intercourse as the chances of conception increase dramatically.

There are many women who are uncomfortable with using ovulation testing kits. For them, measuring the basal body temperature is a better alternative. In this method, you have to measure your body temperature as soon as you wake up, without getting out of bed. You have to keep measuring your basal body temperature and just because ovulation is going to take place, there is a significant drop in the temperature. And this time is perfect to have intercourse.

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Oncogenes and Breast Cancer

Comments: 0May 1st, 2010 by admin



Proto-oncogenes are normal genes involved in making cells differentiate and divide. When these genes are mutated, they are then called oncogenes. Proto-oncogenes involved in breast cancer are mostly those that cause more cell division by making the cell cycle go faster and accelerate. They are involved in pushing cell division harder, stronger and faster.

One of the proto-oncogenes is related to the epidermal growth factor receptor. This receptor plays a vital role at certain times of the life cycle, such as puberty, when big changes are going on with body growth, wherein a protein known as epidermal growth factor functions to promote cell growth. This protein binds to an epidermal growth factor receptor and signals the cell to grow. When the proto-oncogene for the receptor is over expressed, it doesn’t wait for the epidermal growth factor receptor to tell it to grow. Instead, cells begin to grow independently, just like getting stuck in the “ON” position.

Another type of epidermal growth factor receptor is a subtype, the epidermal growth factor receptor 2. This receptor is more commonly known as Her-2/neu oncogene. The type of genetic alteration that Her-2/neu has in breast cancer is known as amplification. Instead of having only one copy during cell division, the cell makes numerous copies of this gene, about ten to sixty times more. Either the gene over expression or the extra protein can be measured in a woman’s cancer by examining the cancer tissue that has been resected. Since Her-2/neu oncogene encodes a growth factor receptor, it functions in signaling the cells to grow faster and faster, although it is not involved in cancer invasiveness. About 70 to 80 percent breast precancers have over expression of Her-2/neu oncogene. The cancer cells are still contained within the breast duct, but they have been programmed to grow much faster because of the over expression of such oncogene. Although Her-2/neu oncogene was first identified in breast cancer, research is also being done to see if it is also involved in other cancer types such as lung, pancreas and ovary cancer.

For breast cancer to have an invasive nature, it needs more than one genetic alteration. So long as there’s only over expression of Her-2/neu oncogene, the cancer will remain confined within the breast duct. If it requires other forms of genetic alterations, one that causes cancer cells to move out of the ductal region or make new blood vessels (angiogenesis), then it can spread. If the cancer patient has these invasive cancer alterations and one of the accelerated cancer growths, then it is worse. People with both of these genetic alterations have a worse prognosis than with only one type of alteration alone. Cancer not only requires excessive cancer cell proliferation, it also has to invade, grow new blood vessels and spread from the breast area.

One of the fascinating things that have happened in recent years is that there is now an antibody to counteract the Her-2/neu receptor, which can be given intravenously to breast cancer patients. It has quite a unique mechanism of action. It attaches only to cells with too much Her-2/neu receptor, not the normal ones, so that while it antagonizes Her-2/neu cells, it leaves the other cells unaffected. Unlike chemotherapy, with which case most dividing cells are destroyed, it is a targeted therapy. So far, this treatment has been used only in metastatic breast cancer, but it has implications for disease that hasn’t spread yet.

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The Ovulation Process

Comments: 0October 31st, 2009 by admin



Interestingly, a woman is born with all of the eggs that she will ever have. In other words, she does not produce any more eggs once she is born. During puberty, a girl begins the menstrual cycle, which is the process of preparing the body for possible pregnancy. One important phase in the menstrual cycle is called ovulation, where you monthly release the eggs present in your body.

First, it is important to understand the basic structure of a woman’s reproductive system. A woman’s ovaries are connected to the uterus by fallopian tubes. Your eggs are nestled in the ovaries in an immature form. Your body’s hormones help regulate the maturation, release, and flushing out of your eggs. All of this, save for the actual bleeding of the menstrual cycle, is part of the ovulation process.

Ovulation is divided into two different portions. These two parts are called the follicular phase and luteal phase. The follicular phase begins on the first day of the last menstrual period, and it can last 7-40 days. Over this time, your body has a rise in follicle stimulating hormone, which eventually leads a follicle to produce a mature egg. At the same time, the follicle itself releases a form of estrogen that causes the lining of the uterus to thicken, to prepare for a possible fertilized egg.

Next, you undergo actual ovulation, when the egg bursts from the follicle. The egg travels down the fallopian tube to the uterus, and it can be fertilized in either location. Additionally, you cannot predict whether only your left or right ovary will release the mature egg, or both. After release, the egg can survive for 12-24 hours.

Ovulation is the first day of the luteal phase, which then lasts until you start your next period. During this time, your body produces hormones that would help the egg to implant in the uterus should it be fertilized. 12-16 days after ovulation, the luteal cycle ends as your body flushes out the egg and lining of the uterus so that you can prepare again for ovulation.

One of the ways that women prevent unwanted pregnancy is by controlling ovulation. Oral contraceptives such as YAZ, Yasmin, and Ocella use special hormones to prevent early ovulation so that you can avoid pregnancy. However, these hormones have also been linked to serious health problems such as heart attack and stroke. If you have suffered from the negative side effects associated with YAZ, Yasmin, or Ocella, visit the website of the YAZ attorneys from Williams Kherkher today.

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The Woman, Sunshine, the Pool, and a Cast-Iron Kettlebell!

Comments: 0October 7th, 2009 by admin



I recently completed a photo and video shoot of an aquatic workout. Basically, I got to play in the water with the iron bell and fortunately I didn’t drown! Anyway, I was asked about the workout by a female client so I wanted to elaborate on a couple of the drills here for you ladies that might be interested.

1 Aquatic Double-Arm Kettlebell Swings: For you women that know how to perform the double-arm kettlebell swings you know how technique oriented the lift has to be in order to be successful. However, when attempting this lift in abdominal level water the dynamics of the exercise significantly change. To begin, you have to create enough force to swing the bell to chest level and we all know that this is hard enough when doing it on dry land.

However, in the water you must create even more force to fight against the resistance of the water. The good news is that it is a bit easier on the descent, but this also kills the “momentum factor” when forcing the bell back into the arc of motion for the next repetition. This is great for women to practice because the water naturally causes your body to be lighter due to the fact that our body’s are buoyant. For women this is great because it really works on the overall “strength” factor and you will drastically benefit from the overwhelming physical exertion involved in the drill.

2. Aquatic Clean and Jerk: For this drill you also benefit from the overwhelming physical exertion, but the key is developing more stabilization. By setting the kettlebell on the floor of the pool and performing the clean lift you will realize once again that your force production has to be greater to get the bell to your chest level. As soon as you rack the bell in the clean position then continue by performing the jerk to press and lock out the kettlebell overhead. Performing this movement rep after rep will create some pretty good waves in the pool.

This added chaos in the water will cause you to really have to fight against yourself to not fall off balance. This will further help your strength once you go back to dry land. This is a great drill for women’s fitness. Kettlebell drills and workouts in the water are very beneficial and can get you big time results. Give it a try ladies and get a tan at the same time!

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