The Norwegian Institute of Public Health and colleagues looked into the use of folic acid supplements before and during early pregnancy, and any impact on the risk on the autism spectrum.

“Our main finding was that maternal use of folic acid supplements around the time of conception was associated with a lower risk of autistic disorder,” the authors wrote in the Journal of the American Medical Association.(list what date this article appeared )

In some countries, flour is recommended to be enriched with folic acid to lower the risk of birth defects. Women are often advised to take folic acid supplements before and during pregnancy.

Despite the practice, European and North American studies have found that many pregnant women take less folate in their diet than is required to prevent neural tube defects.

The Norwegian Institute of Public Health’s research appears to confirm that taking folic acid supplements is well-founded.

The 85,176 Norwegian children who took part in the study were born between 2002 and 2008.

Among the sample, 270 children, or 0.32 percent, were diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders, and researchers found that there was an inverse association between folic acid use and subsequent autism risks.

According to the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, about 1 in 88 children, or 1.14 percent, in the United States are identified with an autism spectrum disorder.

Mothers who took folic acid supplements in early pregnancy had a 40 percent lower risk of having children with autistic disorder compared with mothers who did not take folic acid, the researchers found.

Folic acid is found in naturally high levels in foods such as dark leafy greens, asparagus and broccoli, as well as citrus fruits. If you are looking to become pregnant, setting up an appointment at Healthy Woman OB/GYN is recommended to ensure that the appropriate levels of folic acid are incorporated into your diet.

If you would like more information on how nutrition can improve health feel free to contact our sister company Pop Weight Loss.

Lately, we’ve been thinking about what makes us different from other groups? The answer: A whole lot. This realization sparked us to launch a new and groundbreaking program called OB VIP.

What is it and what can it mean for you?

OB VIP is an optional specialized program for our pregnant patients—and a big reason why our group is so different from the rest.

The program includes:

• Access to our prenatal coordinator Grace Kasnowski (also called our maternity concierge), who, along with our doctors and medical assistants, is here to help you every step of the way
• Full access to our website, which features blog posts ripe with need-to-know info, created just for you
• Daily social media support
• Weekly email support
• Access to our Pregnancy Connect program, which offers you entree to the best businesses, services and organizations for pregnant and new moms.
• Breastfeeding classes, in conjunction with BestforBabes.org, a celebrity and new mommy loved organization that is giving breastfeeding a makeover by removing the Booby Traps that stop women from achieving their own personal breastfeeding goals—whether those goals are for one day, one week or one year.
• Postpartum support
• And lots more!

The crowning jewel of program? A special 24-week prenatal visit to create your birth plan. All prenatal patients get a 24-week prenatal visit with myself or my husband to go through birth expectations and ensure that the experience can be just as she hopes it will be. Let’s face it: Having a baby is scary! There are also many options available to moms now. Whether you choose to get an epidural or go completely natural, it’s your choice—but making that decision—and many others involved in the birthing process—isn’t always so easy. We will talk to you about how you want your birth to be, give you the options and empower you with the information you need to make the best decisions for yourself.

We are here to support you—whatever your decisions.

We are your advocates.

And that means that we will be there for you on the big day too. You will always be delivered by one of our docs. This is a big deal. We have no laborists and many practices do. Almost every week in the office, I see a new pregnant patient who is changing doctors because she did not realize that someone she did not know (who was covering for her doctor) did her previous delivery.

So hopefully, if you are pregnant, you are already a Healthy Woman patient but if you are not, please make sure your questions are answered thoroughly and you feel supported by your practitioner.

We want you to get the VIP treatment during her most exciting, exhilarating and sometimes even exasperating time in her life. Why? Because you deserve it!

We’re here for you, so call us 732.431.1616.

Pregnant or thinking about getting pregnant?

Come see us at the CentraState Fall Baby Fair (CentraState’s Star and Barry Tobias Ambulatory Campus, 901 West Main Street in Freehold) on Tuesday, October 4th from 6 to 8 pm.

Meet our warm, friendly doctors and staff, learn about our exclusive Pregnancy Connect program and get the inside scoop on everything you need to know to have a happy, healthy pregnancy, birth and beyond including:

• What to expect at your preconception visit with your Ob/Gyn
• Exercise, immunizations and lifestyle changes before pregnancy
• Nutrition, prenatal vitamins and supplements
• Understanding about fertility, ovulation and conception
• Identifying and managing risk factors
• How to have a healthy pregnancy
• How to have a great birth!

Register for free here or call 866-236-8727 for more information.

It’s sure to be a baby fair to remember!

From proper nutrition and natural fertility tips to the latest scoop on egg freezing, IVF and how to ensure a healthy pregnancy, we’ll dish on exactly what you need to know!

Where: American Hotel 18-20 East Main Street in Freehold

When: Tuesday, October 25 from 7 to 9 pm

What: A mom-in-the-making mixer to get the inside scoop on trying-to-conceive, pregnancy, birth and beyond

Plus, cocktails/mocktails, hors d’oeuvres, giveaways, gift bags and good girl talk! And it’s all free! Don’t miss it!

TO RSVP by October 20th, please call 732.431.1616 or email events@healthywomanusa.com

For more info on Healthy Woman Ob/Gyn, go to www.HealthyWomanUSA.com.

For more info on A Better You Weight Loss, go to www.ABetterYouWeightLoss.com.

For more information on IVF NJ, go to www.IVFNJ.com.

In fact, that is the question you’ve probably wondered at least a few times in your life.

The symptoms of pregnancy are not always so easy to decipher and can often be confused with the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome and a host of other conditions.

But, before you panic and worry that you’ll wind up on “I Didn’t Know I Was Pregnant,” take comfort in knowing that there are a few tell-tale ways (and one very certain way) to know if you are indeed expecting.

Implantation Bleeding

Implantation bleeding (spotting) can be one of the first signs of pregnancy, occurring anywhere from six to 12 days after conception when the embryo implants itself into the uterine wall. Often confused with actual menstruation, especially when it’s accompanied by cramping, implantation bleeding usually only lasts a day or two.

Missed or Delayed Period

There are many potential causes of a missed or delayed menstruation, including excessive weight gain or loss, hormonal imbalances, stress, cessation of the birth control pill and even travel; however, a missed period is the most common pregnancy symptom, especially if you are usually regular.

Abdominal Bloating

Another symptom associated with PMS, abdominal bloating is a very common symptom of early pregnancy. Caused by rapid hormonal changes, bloating rarely signals pregnancy to unwitting women who automatically chalk it up to their regular menstrual cycle woes.

Swollen and/or Tender Breasts

Also caused by rising levels of hormones and associated with PMS, a hormonal imbalance and side effects of the birth control pill, swollen, sensitive or sore breasts may be experienced as early as one to two weeks after conception. Breast discomfort usually fades after the first trimester when your body has adjusted to the hormonal changes.

Fatigue

Feeling tired (or exhausted, as many women report) can happen almost immediately after conception. The good news is that the fatigue (usually) subsides by the start of the second trimester when many women report a very welcomed surge in energy.

Frequent Urination

Often occurring six to eight weeks after conception, frequent urination can continue (or intensify) over the course of your pregnancy. Hormonal changes lead to a raise in the rate of blood flow through the kidneys which causes the bladder to fill up faster.

Nausea or Morning Sickness

This oft-mentioned and very common sign of pregnancy usually begins between two to eight weeks after conception. While most women (about half) shake this dreaded symptom by the beginning of their second trimester, it continues a good month or two longer for others and during their entire pregnancy for an unfortunate few. Let it be noted that morning sickness is not just confined to the AM hours; it can last all throughout the day in many cases.

Heightened Sense of Smell

Many newly pregnant women experience an increased sensitivity to odors—and subsequent repulsion to them. Thought to be caused by the rapid increase of estrogen, this sensitivity can create an all-out aversion to certain foods, including former favorites.

A Sustained Spike in Your Basal Body Temperature

If your body temperature stays elevated for 18 days in a row (as compared to previously charted readings), you can almost be positive that you are pregnant.

Aches and Pains

Headaches, backaches and other dull but nagging pains are a common experience during early pregnancy and throughout the full forty weeks.

Want proof positive—or pretty darn positive? A home pregnancy test (the good ones report being 99% accurate) are a near-definitive way to detect pregnancy. Many, however, are not sensitive enough to identify pregnancy until a week (or more) after a missed period, so if you suspect you are pregnant but the results show otherwise, be sure to test again a few days later.

Once that positive result is in hand, be sure to call your OB to schedule an appointment so you can know for certain if baby is going to make three.

1. Get to—or keep yourself at—a healthy weight. While weight doesn’t always hamper conception, carrying extra pounds can lead to hormonal imbalances that affect your ovulation cycles, which can make it more difficult to get pregnant. Additionally, being overweight is linked with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), a disorder in which ovulation is infrequent or completely absent. Being underweight, too, can be a problem, if your body fat is so low that your periods aren’t regular.

So what’s the right weight for you? A good guideline to follow is to look at your body mass index (BMI), which you can calculate at www.ABetterYouWeightLoss.com (look for the calculator on the right-hand side of the page). A BMI between 18.5 and 24.9 is the healthiest range for your weight to fall in—and will give you the greatest chance of getting pregnant. (If you need help getting to a healthy BMI, the medically-supervised weight loss programs at A Better You Weight Loss can help. Call 732.866.THIN/8446 for more information.)

2. Take a vacation. Stress and fertility aren’t friends. Leave some of your worries behind by escaping with your love on a trip with dual purposes: to relax and to make a baby. Call it a procreation vacation, a conceptionmoon or just a plain old getaway—whatever the term, it can work, according to a survey from BabyCenter.com. Of more than 1,000 surveyed, 40 percent who went on a trip with the intent to conceive succeeded. The top destinations in the survey were Florida, Hawaii and Las Vegas.

3. Improve your diet. Mom always told you to eat your veggies—if you want to be a mom for the first, second or 20th time (in case Michelle Duggar is reading this), nagging your own child-to-be down the line about eating vegetables, you should eat a balanced diet. Just what does that include? Fruits, vegetables, grains like whole-wheat bread, and high-in-calcium foods like yogurt and orange juice. A healthy diet helps keep you ovulating on a regular schedule and prepares your body for the major task of carrying a child.

4. Determine when you’re ovulating. If you want to put yourself on the fast track to baby bliss, pinpointing your ovulation schedule is the most targeted approach. Whether you count days, take your temperature or use an ovulation predictor kit, you should be able to get a good idea of when your egg is likely to be released and plan some strategic baby-making romps around it. But remember, even though this is business, the more fun you have with it, the more relaxed you’ll be—stressing over conception could mess with your ovulation schedule, so don’t handicap yourself with excessive worry.

5. Move it, move it. If you’re not regularly exercising, now is the time to start. On the other hand, if you’re a workout fanatic, keep the gym sessions at a moderate level while trying to conceive. A little cardio (like walking and cycling), a little strength training (like lifting weights and doing planks) and a little flexibility (like yoga and stretching) will set you up with not only a fab bod but a fab temporary home for a growing baby.

If getting bedroom eyes from your significant other is more aggravating than titillating, you may be suffering from a low sex drive. Wondering how this can be? Your desire for sex is tied into several factors—physical health, emotional state, beliefs, feelings about your partner, hormones and more—and if one of those factors is out of whack, it isn’t unusual to lose a little libido.

Here are some of the top causes of low sex drive in women:

Stress and fatigue: Particularly common in new parents, fatigue can interfere with your desire to do much of anything, let alone have sex. And stress from any source can easily seep into your love life, making sex low on the priority list.

Medications: Feeling less than amorous is a common side effect of some medications, particularly antidepressants, birth control pills, antihistamines, blood pressure medicines and chemo drugs.

Negative body image: If you don’t feel good about your body, you might be reluctant to let anyone else see it, leading to a low sex drive.

Pain during sex: Known as dyspareunia, pain during sex is a surefire way to keep you shying away from slipping between the sheets for anything more than sleep.

Fights with your partner: When you aren’t getting along with your partner, it isn’t uncommon to lose that lovin’ feeling.

Alcohol: Although widely thought of as a libido booster, alcohol can also zap your drive if you consume too much of it.

Pregnancy: A changing body and changing hormone levels offer up two major potential inhibitors to sexual desire.

Menopause: As the estrogen levels in your body drop, you may be faced with less interest in sex and drier vaginal tissue, which could make sex uncomfortable.

These are just a handful of reasons for diminished sex drive, a fairly common condition—in fact, a study published in the journal Obstetrics & Gynecology found that about 43 percent of women experience some sexual problem, so if you’re one of them, you’re not alone. It’s also important to remember that your libido will naturally rise and fall during your lifetime. If sex drive issues are negatively affecting you and you can’t figure out why, consult with your doctor about finding ways to bring sexy back.

And guess what? There’s also a lot to know before you get pregnant.

So, if you’re thinking about getting pregnant or newly pregnant, please join the Healthy Woman doctors on Tuesday, June 21 from 7 to 8 pm at CentraState Medical Center (Star and Barry Tobias Ambulatory Campus Conference Center, Room C, 901 West Main Street, Freehold) for the inside scoop on what you need to know to prepare for pregnancy.

The evening’s hot topics include:

• What to expect at your preconception visit with your OB
• Exercise, immunizations, and lifestyle changes before pregnancy
• Nutrition, prenatal vitamins and supplements
• Understanding fertility, ovulation and conception
• Identifying and managing risk factors
• CentraState’s childbirth and parenting classes, including CPR

Baby-on-the-brain bonus: It’s free!

Register here.

What’s the Boy Scouts’ motto? Be prepared? Yeah, that sounds about right. Be prepared—we think they’re on to something.

We are looking forward to seeing you on the 21st!

Fortunately, doctors can put their Nancy Drew hats on thanks to modern science, which has given them an array of clue-gathering procedures to help crack the code (although it’s important to remember that some couples never find out why they’re having trouble getting pregnant). If you’ve been trying to conceive for more than a year without success (or six months if you’re over 35), one of the first places the detective work is likely to start is with blood tests, to check your body’s ability to produce the hormones needed for conception. These tests might include:

Luteinizing hormone (LH): Your luteinizing hormone (LH) level plays a role in ovarian hormone production and egg maturation, and the test, conducted during your period, evaluates egg supply and possible menstrual problems.

Follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH): This test is given on the third day of your menstrual cycle and evaluates your egg supply.

Estradiol: Also tested on the third day of your cycle, estradiol is a form of estrogen that correlates with your ovarian function and the quality of your eggs.

Progesterone: Produced by the ovaries when an egg is released, progesterone gets the lining of the uterus ready for receiving a fertilized egg. The progesterone test is done just before your period begins and can help determine if ovulation is happening.

Thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH): Problems with your thyroid gland could affect your ability to conceive by preventing ovulation; this test looks for an underactive or overactive thyroid.

Prolactin: This hormone, produced by the pituitary gland, may be checked if you’re not having regular periods, can’t get pregnant or have abnormal nipple discharge.