Whether considering starting a family or experiencing menopause, a woman must understand the best ways to navigate through each phase of life.
Each phase of a woman’s life requires specific care as her body and healthcare needs evolve. A committed healthcare provider can help guide a woman through the care they needs from preconception, pregnancy, childbirth, menopause, and beyond.
Preconception healthcare is the care a woman receives before she becomes pregnant. It is recommended for a woman to receive preconception healthcare. This may help address issues linked to heavy bleeding and extremely painful periods that are caused by conditions such as endometriosis or fibroids. After this diagnosis, a healthcare provider may create care plans to protect fertility.
To prepare for preconception healthcare, you will have to:
- Learn about your family history, as many conditions are hereditary or genetic
- Stop smoking, drinking alcohol, and using certain drugs
- Avoid toxic substances and environmental contaminants
- Reach and maintain a healthy weight
- Get mentally healthy
Prenatal healthcare is the medical care a woman receives during their pregnancy. At each prenatal visit, their healthcare provider will check the health of the mother and their baby.
To prepare for prenatal care, you will have to:
- Schedule your first prenatal care checkup as soon as you think you are pregnant
- Work with your healthcare provider to get the essential prenatal tests scheduled, such as screening for sexually transmitted diseases. Sexually transmitted diseases, such as congenital syphilis, occur when a mother passes the infection to her baby during pregnancy. Transmission of this disease has increased by 15% since 2019 and 254% since 2016
Postpartum healthcare is the time after a woman has delivered their baby, and their body slowly returns to its nonpregnant state. In addition to physical changes and medical issues that may occur during this period, healthcare providers should be aware of the mental and psychological needs of the postpartum mother.
To prepare for postpartum healthcare, you should:
- Listen closely to your body, so you will know if anything feels wrong
- Advocate and/or speak up for yourself. If you are feeling unwell, you shouldn’t hesitate to be consistent with your communication with your physician
- Educate yourself on postpartum complications so you will know if anything feels wrong
Menopause is the time that marks the end of a woman’s menstrual cycles. It is diagnosed after a woman has gone 12 months without a menstrual period. It can happen in a woman’s 40s or 50s; however, in the U.S., the average age a woman starts to experience menopause is at 51 years old.
To prepare for care during the menopausal stage, you should:
- Take care of your bones as bone density begins to decline after menopause due to the loss of bone-protective estrogen. Taking a daily vitamin D3 supplement of 1,000 IUs is recommended
- Be mindful of your weight, as your metabolism will slow down as menopause approaches. This can make gaining weight more probable and losing it more difficult. It is important to maintain a healthy weight because it helps protect your bones, as constant weight gain and weight loss can put stress on them
- Do exercises to strengthen your pelvic floor muscles, such as Kegels, which can help prevent the sudden and frequent urge to urinate, and the occasional leakage of urine, called urinary incontinence. Urinary incontinence can become common during perimenopause for some women and can get progressively worse as changes in the vaginal tissue, urethra, and pelvic floor occur
- Take care of your heart’s health. Research shows that controlling whatever risk factors you can before the onset of menopause can ensure a healthy heart after menopause
If you are planning to get pregnant, are pregnant, are postpartum, or are going through menopause, it is important to prepare for each stage as much as you can.
Flushing Hospital’s Women’s Health Center offers comprehensive, multi-disciplinary, and culturally sensitive care. Our services are provided by a highly skilled team of the best OBGYNs in Queens who specialize in all aspects of women’s health. For more information about gynecological services at FHMC’s Center for Obstetrics and Gynecology, call us at (718) 670-5562.
All content of this newsletter is intended for general information purposes only and is not intended or implied to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis or treatment. Please consult a medical professional before adopting any of the suggestions on this page. You must never disregard professional medical advice or delay seeking medical treatment based upon any content of this newsletter. PROMPTLY CONSULT YOUR PHYSICIAN OR CALL 911 IF YOU BELIEVE YOU HAVE A MEDICAL EMERGENCY.