Valley Health Magazine

By Benjamin J. Steinberg,D.O.

Pelvic floor disorders include a wide variety of clinical conditions such as urinary incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse, overactive bladder, sexual dysfunction, recurrent urinary tract infections, voiding dysfunction and several chronic pain syndromes of the bladder and vagina. However, of the numerous manifestations of pelvic floor disorder, pelvic organ prolapse and urinary incontinence are the most common. Pelvic organ prolapse is a condition in which a pelvic organ, most commonly the bladder, drops from its normal anatomical position and pushes on the vaginal walls. This causes a vaginal “bulge” and creates the “pressure” commonly described by many women with prolapse. Urinary incontinence is the involuntary leakage of urine. The most common form of urinary incontinence is stress urinary incontinence, or leakage of urine associated with physical exertion such as coughing, sneezing or lifting. Other forms of urinary incontinence include urge urinary incontinence, or leakage of urine associated with urgency, and mixed urinary incontinence, which is a combination of both types.

By Monica Prinzing

People often plan for college, a career, marriage and buying a home. But while many leave starting a family to chance, careful planning for a healthy pregnancy can give your baby the best possible start in life as well as reduce complications for the mother.

Most pregnancies go well, but a small percentage will involve a medical problem that requires special attention. Whether a mother-to-be is 23 years old with no medical issues, or age 37 with a history of chronic health conditions, there are steps she can take to protect her health and prevent birth defects.

The Dream

It often begins with a dreamlike vision in the expectant mother’s mind. She can picture herself dressed in a flowing white gown, cast in the soft glow of dawn’s first light, holding her perfect, sweet-smelling baby in her arms, while the little one nurses quietly at her breast. This picture in her mind may be one of the first images she has of herself as a mother; an image impressed on her by reading countless books and blogs about new motherhood. In her quest for information about the leap into parenthood she is about to make, she has discovered that there are numerous benefits available to herself and her precious baby simply by making the choice to breastfeed. She, like most mothers, wants what’s best for her child, and this means she plans to breastfeed.