By Lauren Gambino
The Senate (click here) was poised on Wednesday to block a bill that would codify abortion rights into federal law, in a largely symbolic vote Democrats said was critical to mobilizing Americans around the issue ahead of a likely supreme court decision overturning Roe v Wade.
Democrats moved quickly to hold the vote after a leak last week of a draft opinion, written by Justice Samuel Alito in February and confirmed as authentic, indicated that a majority of the court had privately voted to strike down Roe and subsequent rulings.
The extraordinary disclosure ignited protests around the country, pushing the deeply divisive issue to the center of US political life....
Mothers should wait at least a year (click here) between giving birth and getting pregnant again to reduce health risks to mother and baby, a new study says.
But researchers say they need not wait as long as the 18 months recommended in the current World Health Organization guidelines.
Small gaps between pregnancies risk premature births, smaller babies and infant and mother mortality.
The researchers hope the findings will be "reassuring" for older women.
Senior study author Dr Wendy Norman said it was "encouraging news" for women over 35 who were planning their families.
"Older mothers for the first time have excellent evidence to guide the spacing of their children," she said....
Women need choices to manage their reproductive health. A lot rides on the option for abortion. Over and over in countries across the world, even Iran, researchers have found that FAMILY PLANNING and the spacing of pregnancies are vital to maternal health and well being to facilitate a strong and vital parent.
Women, no matter their age, should never take pregnancy lightly. Pregnancy can be the one true element that casts women into poverty far more often than any other factor.
This document is endorsed by the American College of Nurse-Midwives and the National Association of Nurse Practitioners in Women’s Health. This document was developed by the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Society for Maternal–Fetal Medicine in collaboration with Judette Marie Louis MD, MPH; Allison Bryant, MD, MPH; Diana Ramos, MD, MPH; Alison Stuebe, MD, MSc; and Sean C. Blackwell, MD.
...Prepregnancy, postpartum, interpregnancy, and well-woman care (click here) are interrelated and can be defined by their relationship to the timing of pregnancy. For women who become pregnant, pregnancy is recognized as a window to future health because complications during pregnancy, such as gestational diabetes mellitus, gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, and fetal growth restriction, are associated with risk of health complications later in life. The interpregnancy period is an opportunity to address these complications or medical issues that have developed during pregnancy, to assess a woman’s mental and physical well-being, and to optimize her health along her life course. The yield of this effort is improved maternal health at the start of the next pregnancy, which leads to improved health outcomes for the infant. The proposed long-term yield is improved long-term health for the woman. Therefore, interpregnancy care aims to maximize a woman’s level of wellness not just in between pregnancies and during subsequent pregnancies, but also along her life course. Because the interpregnancy period is a continuum for overall health and wellness, all women of reproductive age who have been pregnant regardless of the outcome of their pregnancies (ie, miscarriage, abortion, preterm, full-term delivery), should receive interpregnancy care as a continuum from postpartum care (see the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists’ [ACOG] Committee Opinion Optimizing Postpartum Care or the For More Information section). However, it should be acknowledged that not all women will want to or will have subsequent pregnancies or children....
...A well-woman exam (click here) also referred to as an annual exam, is a check on female reproductive and gynecological health. Women do not need well-woman exams until the age of 13 or the start of the first menstrual cycle. The doctor will check height, weight, blood pressure, and menstrual cycle symptoms. Irregular periods are to be expected during the first couple of years. Heavy bleeding or intense pain could be a sign of further medical issues. Women generally do not need pelvic exams and Pap tests before the age of 21, unless sexually active. Sexually active females, at any age, will undergo STD testing. Breast exams are part of normal testing. Mammograms are typically not needed until a female reaches age 40....
Black women and Hispanic women die more often in childbirth than any other ethnicity in the USA. That cannot be ignored and abortion is an option to end devastating health issues that occur in full term pregnancies and will effect the well being of the mother for the rest of her life. The idea abortion is some kind of "Moscow" Mitch ranting about babies PROVES he knows NOTHING about the dangers of frequent pregnancies even to the outcomes of the infant, yet alone the all to often infant without a mother due to death in child birth.
The United States of America, MUST, pass a Well Woman Care Act that includes more than adequate funding for all aspects of a woman's life. This is the right and correct path and every woman in the USA should be demanding there be every option available to her and her doctor to maintain and improve the health of mother and baby.
A WOMAN'S BODY IS NOT A POLITICAL WEAPON!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
