April 2013

A healthy weight and body mass index (BMI) can help regulate your menstrual cycle and help boost your fertility chances. You should try to aim for a BMI between 19 and 24. If you have a BMI below or above that, check with your health care provider before trying to conceive. Not sure what your BMI is, here is an online calculator.

If you are in a healthy weight range and want to increase your chances of conceiving, researchers have found dietary changes that reduce the amount of trans fats, animal proteins and carbohydrates can help regulate ovulation.  For 1 in 4 women experiencing... Read More »

Having a baby is one of life’s greatest moments for new parents. Anxiously awaiting the arrival of a new member of the family comes with many firsts, milestones and discoveries. Emotions are high as mom and dad count fingers and toes and claim baby’s eyes and nose. For second-time mom, Rachel Satarawala, those first hours after the birth of her daughter were as many parents describe, a “blur.” “From the start of contractions at home to the time she arrived at the hospital, it totaled an hour and a half,” she says of the whirlwind course of her daughter’s birth.  

“Eventually when... Read More »

Peggy V. Helmerich Women's Health Center lactation consultant Cheryl Coleman shares these tips to help nursing mothers when it comes time to pump.

Many new mothers choose to pump and store expressed milk to feed their infants while they are at work, school, or for many other reasons.  Pumping may seem easy, but there are several differences between the pump and your baby – and from pump to pump – that can influence your success.

First, select a breast pump to meet your needs. Evaluate how often you plan to pump. If you will be pumping daily or several times each day, you... Read More »