Headaches During Menstruation: What’s the Connection?
The hormones estrogen and progesterone play key roles in regulating the menstrual cycle. However, these hormones can also affect headache-related chemicals in the brain. The dip in estrogen before your period may cause a headache during menstruation, and estrogen...
Water Retention: Relief for This Premenstrual Symptom
Water retention (also called edema) occurs when fluid builds up inside your body. Some women notice water retention every month before their period. Hormone imbalances and a woman's diet can cause premenstrual water retention. Water retention can be uncomfortable and...
Diabetes and Menopause: What to Expect
Managing diabetes and handling menopause symptoms can feel like a daunting challenge for many women. Each condition can combine effects on your body. For example, if you feel dizzy, find it hard to focus, and are unusually irritable, is this due to hormonal changes?...
Get to Know Dr. Michael Clouatre, M.D.
Dr. Michael Clouatre completed his medical degree at Louisiana State University School of Medicine in 1993. Then, He completed an Obstetrics & Gynecologic Surgery internship and residency in 1997 at LSU Medical Center in Shreveport, Louisiana. How do you pronounce...
What to Drink While Breastfeeding and What to Avoid
If you’re breastfeeding, you may have noticed that you feel more thirsty than usual. Oxytocin released in breastfeeding triggers your thirst. It’s your body’s way of making sure that you are getting enough water to produce breast milk. As a nursing mom, it’s important...
Breastfeeding Diet: What Should I Eat While Breastfeeding?
If you are breastfeeding, you're giving your baby nutrients that will help his or her growth and health. But what foods are best for you? How might your diet change your breast milk and affect your baby? Is there a special breastfeeding diet I should follow? You don’t...
Umbilical Cord Blood: Delayed Clamping and Donating
After a baby is born, the doctor clamps and cuts the umbilical cord. However, some families delay clamping for a time. Delaying the clamping allows more time for the umbilical cord blood to flow to their baby. This delay is beneficial because the blood that remains...
Blood Glucose Screening and Tolerance Test: All You Need to Know
When you’re pregnant, your doctor will recommend a one-hour blood glucose screening and tolerance test to check for gestational diabetes, a type of diabetes that develops during pregnancy. Low-risk pregnant women typically take the screening test between 24 and 28...
Fourth Trimester – Happy, Healthy Mom Equals Happy, Healthy Baby
The fourth trimester, or the first three months of a baby’s life, is filled with a tremendous amount of adjustments and milestones for the baby. These mental and physical developments during your baby’s first three months outside the womb are just as important as...
What is Lightning Crotch? Dealing with Round Ligament Pain
Round ligament pain or “lightning crotch” is a brief, sharp pain in the lower belly, pelvis, or groin area on one or both sides. It’s one of the most common complaints during pregnancy. However, this discomfort is considered a normal part of pregnancy as your body...