There can be an immense value in working in groups. One antenatal clinic, which is part of a pioneering general practice in South London, has taken this idea one step further. The clinic itself is run as a group. This has been found to have enormous benefits for both pregnant women and staff. The women [...]

Restoring normal function to the body is the crux of recuperation. Bowel function is less active than usual for a day or so after hysterectomy due to the effects of the anaesthetic and the handling of internal organs during surgery. For this reason, food is vetoed and fluids are restricted for anything up to twenty-four [...]

Medical Treatments If you are trying to conceive it is imperative that you start to ovulate. One of the most common drugs used to trigger ovulation is clomiphene citrate. Clomiphene is an anti-oestrogen that tricks the brain into thinking that there is no oestrogen in the blood. Because the oestrogen is blocked, the pituitary gland [...]

The use of analgesics alone often has a limited role in the relief of pain due to endometriosis. They may not be able to completely alleviate your pain and you should not use them continuously even if your pain is chronic and ongoing. You may therefore have to explore a range of options in order [...]

Most women have their last period between the ages of forty-five and fifty-five. Only 5 per cent continue to menstruate after fifty-three, and the menopause is labelled premature if it occurs before forty, which it does in about 8 per cent of women. The age at which each individual woman has her menopause does not [...]

It is well known after forty that weight increase usually occurs, and you must just be more careful about what you eat. In fact there are those who say you must eat only half the amount of food you have previously eaten. There must be some metabolic reason for this. We also tend to exercise [...]

‘I’ll cut my throat if I get pregnant’ is a frequent statement by women attending the menopause clinics. With all these variations in your hormones and ovulation, how can you be sure you won’t get pregnant? Your doctor also is concerned to provide efficient contraception for you. People expect to enjoy sex at any age, [...]

Interrupted therapy This was used commonly in the past, but it is rarely used today. The commonest form is three weeks on tablets, one week off. It was thought that the week’s rest prevented build-up in the lining of the uterus, but it has now been found that this is not the case in all [...]

The reason for increased hair on the face at menopause is hormonal and familial. The variation in levels of oestrogen and testosterone at this time can increase facial hair production. How great an increase you experience will depend to some extent on how this runs in your family. What can you do about it? That [...]