womenwellnesscentre

The Women's Wellness Centre makes you and your care a priority. We provide a place where women can come and be cared for at the very highest standards. Our services have been developed specifically to bring confidence, comfort and peace of mind to the physical and mental welfare of women. Trust in us to care for your every need.

In our ageing society, the management of menopausal health will take on an ever-increasing importance. Controversy surrounding hormone replacement therapy (HRT) has caused confusion over how best to deal with the effects of the menopause. Nick Panay assesses HRT use in the light of recent findings

Many women will experience minor physical and emotional changes premenstrually. However, in a few women (approximately 5%), these symptoms are severe enough to interfere with normal activities, and can even lead to a breakdown in interpersonal relationships. Fortunately, various treatments are available

The Cervical Screening Programme aims to reduce the number of women who develop invasive cervical cancer and the number of women who die from it. It does this by regularly screening women between the ages of 25 and 64, so that conditions that might otherwise develop into invasive cancer can be identifi ed and treated. The introduction of HPV testing will help it to do this even more effectively.

The average age of menopause is 51 years. However, there is a huge variation amongst individuals; some women go into menopause earlier and others later.

It is a surprise for many women to discover how common miscarriage actually is. More than one in five pregnancies ends in a miscarriage. When you conceive and a baby is created, it takes half its genes from the sperm and half from the egg that ovulated that month. At the exact time of conception, the cross-over of these genes takes place. But for many different reasons this complex process sometimes goes wrong and sadly the pregnancy miscarries.

HyCoSy is a test to find out if the fallopian tubes are open or blocked, and also if the cavity of the womb is normal or irregular

This document has been written to provide you with information about the tests available to screen and test for possible foetal abnormalities in pregnancy. Whilst reading this, please remember that the vast majority (98%) of babies are normal. All women, whatever their age, have some risk of having a baby with physical and/or mental disability.

We recommend that all newborn babies should be given an injection of Vitamin K. We require your consent before doing so, and the following paragraphs give you further information to help you decide. It is your choice for your baby.

HOW MIGHT BEING RHESUS D NEGATIVE AFFECT MY BABY? If your baby is Rhesus D negative, like you, there will be no problems at all. (Over one third of babies born to Rhesus D negative mothers are also Rhesus D negative).

All women who could get pregnant are advised to take a 400 microgram folic acid tablet every day, though some women with conditions including diabetes and epilepsy need a higher 5mg dose, which can be prescribed by your GP. You need the extra folic acid until the 12th week of pregnancy. This can help prevent birth defects, which are known as neural tube defects, such as spina bifida. You also get folic acid from green, leafy vegetables, but don’t overcook them as this destroys the vitamin. Some breakfast cereals, breads and margarines have had folic acid added to them, so look at the label.

All pregnant women are offered a blood test for hepatitis B as part of their antenatal care. Babies who are at risk should be given the hepatitis B vaccine at birth to prevent infection and serious liver disease later on in life. Immunisation at birth is 90-95% effective in preventing them from getting hepatitis B and developing long-term infection.

The more active you are in pregnancy, the easier it will be for you to adapt to your changing shape and weight gain. It is also very well documented that being fit and active in pregnancy can help you cope with the labour process more efficiently and assist in getting you back into shape after your birth. Try to keep active on a daily basis. Building in half an hour of activities like walking can help keep you active. If you can’t manage that, any amount is better than nothing.