Sep 28, 2015 | OB/GYN, Women's Health
By Alan B. Copperman, MD, Clinical Professor, Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Science, Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, Director, Division of Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility, the Mount Sinai Hospital.
Many of us are surprised to hear how difficult it is for humans to conceive. In fact, the chance of getting pregnant during any given cycle is only one in five. As women age, however, the likelihood of conceiving a healthy pregnancy decreases. This is largely due to the age-related decline in ovarian function. When a woman is in her twenties nearly 90% of her eggs are normal, while by the time she is in her forties, nearly 90% of her eggs are chromosomally abnormal. Increased awareness of these data and new emerging treatment modalities are combining to combat the basic biological realities. (more…)
Oct 14, 2013 | Diet and Nutrition, Family Medicine, OB/GYN, Pediatrics, Women's Health
At Mount Sinai Beth Israel, we place every healthy, full-term baby skin to skin (baby naked, not wrapped in a blanket) with his or her mother immediately after birth. The skin-to-skin contact warms the baby and stimulates the release of oxytocin and prolactin—the hormones responsible for milk production—in the mother.
The more skin-to-skin contact a mother has with her baby, the more stable (heart rate, breathing, body temperature, blood pressure) baby is, and the more breast milk mother makes. Babies who are held skin to skin cry very infrequently, and so do not lose body heat. Babies held skin to skin also have stable blood sugar levels, preventing the need for supplemental milk. (more…)
Updated on Jun 30, 2022 | Diet and Nutrition, Health Tips, Holistic Health, Integrative Medicine, OB/GYN, Pediatric Care, Women's Health
In celebration of World Breastfeeding Week, some common questions about breastfeeding nutrition are answered below. Breastfeeding provides many benefits for both mother and baby. Exclusive breastfeeding for at least the first six months of a child’s life helps reduce the development of many acute and chronic illnesses. (more…)
Updated on Jun 30, 2022 | OB/GYN, Sexual Health, Women's Health
A woman’s menstrual cycle can say a lot about her. A monthly menstrual cycle indicates she is healthy and her hormones are probably within normal levels. For the most part, a menstrual cycle will occur every 21 to 35 days, although the frequency can change a bit through the reproductive years. To understand how and why these changes occur, it is important to understand how the menstrual cycle works. (more…)
Updated on Jun 30, 2022 | Geriatrics, OB/GYN, Urogynecology, Women's Health
There have been a lot of media reports (as well as lawyer ads) lately about mesh implants used in gynecological surgery to treat pelvic organ prolapse. What is all the fuss about?
In 2008, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning about “mesh implants” and “slings” used to treat stress incontinence and pelvic organ prolapse in women. In 2011, the agency issued a stronger warning against the use of mesh implants placed vaginally to treat pelvic organ prolapse. To understand what this all means, it is important to know the history. (more…)
Updated on Jun 30, 2022 | Community Outreach, Family Medicine, OB/GYN, Women's Health
Twice a month, the Lactation Department of Mount Sinai Beth Israel offers a breastfeeding support group: “The Breastfeeding Café.” Expectant parents often ask us why a support group is necessary for such a “natural” process. (more…)
Many of us are surprised to hear how difficult it is for humans to conceive. In fact, the chance of getting pregnant during any given cycle is only one in five. As women age, however, the likelihood of conceiving a healthy pregnancy decreases. This is largely due to the age-related decline in ovarian function. When a woman is in her twenties nearly 90% of her eggs are normal, while by the time she is in her forties, nearly 90% of her eggs are chromosomally abnormal. Increased awareness of these data and new emerging treatment modalities are combining to combat the basic biological realities. (more…)
