This article is sponsored by Slynd® (drospirenone) There’s no denying that birth control access can be essential, and we’re fortunate to have a variety of options at our fingertips. But with reproductive choice comes the responsibility of making an informed decision, and what works for one person may not work for another.  Two types of hormonal birth control are progestin-only and combination methods. Both types of birth control are designed to work differently.  Whether you’re considering starting birth control for the first time or thinking about switching methods, understanding the various options can help you make...

This article is sponsored by Slynd® (drospirenone) For those of us who grew up in the 90s with 100-calorie packs and Victoria’s Secret runway shows, body positivity can be a tough concept to grasp. Sure, we want to love ourselves – imperfections and all – but it can be hard to unlearn diet culture when you’ve been told your whole life that “Nothing tastes as good as skinny feels.”  Thankfully, in recent years, there has been a strong movement towards body positivity online with hashtags like #allbodiesaregoodbodies and #dietculturedropout trending on social media, and we have...

Although endometriosis is a condition that begins in the reproductive organs, there are cases where these painful tissue growths appear in the bowels, also known as our digestive system, causing a whole slew of additional health problems.  Here's the quick and dirty definition of endometriosis: This condition occurs when the tissue that normally lines the uterus grows outside the uterus, with this abnormal tissue often affecting the ovaries and fallopian tubes as well. Symptoms include painful periods, pain during sex, excessive bleeding, and infertility.  But what happens when endometriosis spreads to the digestive system? In addition...

While women may have a different doctor for gynecological health, the reality is that no part of a person’s health exists in a vacuum. It’s not uncommon for one menstrual condition to trigger a heart condition or a mental health condition.  Those who live with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) know this plight too well. PCOS comorbidities (or adjacent conditions) stretch across various parts of a person’s physical and mental health.  PCOS, plus its comorbidities, can make it feel like you’re constantly underwater trying to manage the ups and downs of your physical and mental health. Those...

Pregnancy is a wild ride, and let's be real — it comes with some pretty unexpected twists and turns. One minute you're marveling at your growing bump, and the next, you're wondering if that weird feeling means you need to sprint to the bathroom. Enter Braxton Hicks contractions, those practice contractions that can leave even the most prepared mamas-to-be scratching their heads. But here's the burning question: do these sneaky contractions have anything to do with your bowel movements? Let's dive into the nitty-gritty of Braxton Hicks and bathroom breaks, shall we? Can you feel Braxton...

So, the new year is officially here, and if you're planning on starting (or maybe restarting) your IVF journey soon, you might be feeling a whole mix of emotions right now — excited, nervous, maybe even a little overwhelmed. And honestly, that's totally normal! IVF can sometimes feel like you're training for some kind of medical marathon. Only instead of stocking up on energy gels and sports drinks, you're facing hormone injections, doctor's visits, and a whole lot of new information. But hey, you've absolutely got this. And trust us, the secret to navigating IVF like...

Many women are choosing egg freezing as a way to preserve their fertility options for the future. It's a big decision that, naturally, comes with a lot of questions about how it will impact your daily life, especially if you prioritize fitness.   The good news is that you don't have to abandon your exercise routine completely, but you do need to make some adjustments — we've got the scoop on making it work. Egg freezing recap Before we get into the exercise specifics, let's break down the egg freezing process. Typically, it takes about two weeks...

You’ve probably heard the term “hypochondriac” to describe someone who worries a lot about their health, goes out of their way to avoid germs, or spends significant time looking up health conditions online. People sometimes use this term in a negative way to essentially call someone out for being “dramatic” about their health, but in reality, hypochondria isn’t a personality trait, it’s a mental health issue that can cause real distress for people. Similar to “OCD”, which is still frequently used to describe people who are meticulous, the real meaning of “hypochondria” has been watered down...

As the clock strikes midnight and a fresh calendar year unfolds, many of us feel that familiar urge to make grand declarations about how we'll transform our lives with a laundry list of ambitious goals: hitting the gym at dawn, cutting out every drop of sugar, or promising to read a book a week. Those big plans can feel exciting at first, but often become overwhelming, often fizzling out faster than champagne bubbles. Small, realistic changes tend to stick around longer — and can add up to big results over time. So this year, why not...

I have a confession: I have never made a New Year’s resolution. To me, they’ve always felt like a recipe for failure... especially because the narrative around them is always so distinctly pegged to pushing hard in the first two-ish weeks of the year before falling off the proverbial wagon.  After all, January 12 is colloquially known as “quitter’s day”. And if that’s not a sign that there’s something wrong with the way we’ve been approaching New Year’s resolutions, I don’t know what is. While I understand the appeal of starting a new year with a...