Blog & Vlog
Relactation: Can you breastfeed your weaned baby again?
Just how easy is it to stimulate milk supply after stopping or induce lactation as an adoptive mother? Charlene Yared West explores the topic of relactation and induced lactation to find out more. Firstly, what is relactation? According to Leana Habeck, La Leche League Leader (llli.org/southafrica), there is a difference between relactation and induced lactation.… Continue reading Relactation: Can you breastfeed your weaned baby again?
No bones about it
Osteoporosis and broken bones do not need to be a normal part of aging… you can take charge of your bone health and longevity. Not many of us spare a thought for our hardworking skeletons, until of course, we experience a bone fracture. Only then do we realise how much we appreciate each and every… Continue reading No bones about it
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome: A lifestyle-related disease?
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is common in South African women and affects about one in 10 women globally. It is caused by a complex imbalance of hormones in the ovaries. Charlene Yared West spoke to Life Kingsbury endocrinologist, Dr Jocelyn Hellig and gynaecologist Dr Philip Zinn to find out more about this condition. So what… Continue reading Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome: A lifestyle-related disease?
Do you have the pregnancy glow?
In pregnancy, your skin can exude a truly healthy glow because of a combination of factors, such as greater blood volume, which can give the cheeks a flushed look and more sebum on the skin, which can make the skin shine. While every woman experiences hormone changes in pregnancy, not every woman will get that… Continue reading Do you have the pregnancy glow?
Healing from incontinence
Urinary incontinence is common in pregnancy and is reported by about 60 percent of women. For these women, the severity of their condition can increase during the course of their pregnancy, especially peaking in the second and third trimesters. Of these women who experience incontinence in pregnancy, 70 percent go on to resolve the condition… Continue reading Healing from incontinence
Healing… after miscarriage
Miscarriage is the most common type of pregnancy loss and according to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists, 10-25% of all recognised pregnancies end in miscarriage and about 80% of all pregnancy loss occurs in the first trimester. Unrecognised pregnancies, which are also known as ‘chemical pregnancies’ account for 50-75% of all miscarriages, where… Continue reading Healing… after miscarriage
Own your birth: Why you need a birth plan
The birth plan: a tool pioneered by childbirth activist and midwife, Sheila Kitzinger in the 1970s, who believed that women and not their caregivers, should be the focus of childbirth and be able to advocate for themselves with this document, which detailed their wishes for the delivery. In the wake of birth plans, the Better… Continue reading Own your birth: Why you need a birth plan
The basics of car-seat safety
In 1769, the first steam-powered car was invented, with subsequent improvements as better automobiles were built throughout the years. It took almost 200 years later for the first safety belt to be invented by the mid 19th century. It was only in 1966 that an Act was enforced, requiring all vehicles to comply with certain… Continue reading The basics of car-seat safety
Caesarean birth: Safety is the priority
When planning for your birth, you must consider your options; an attempt at vaginal birth, which may or may not result in an emergency caesarean, or choosing to have a caesarean, also called a Caesarean Delivery on Maternal Request. Charlene Yared West spoke to Dr Jacky Searle, an obstetrician-gynaecologist at Life Vincent Pallotti about the… Continue reading Caesarean birth: Safety is the priority