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The Female Reproductive System - Revere Health

Posted by Revere Health

March 21, 2017 • OB/GYN

Bringing a new life into the world would be impossible without the female reproductive system. The process of life begins here when a female egg cell is fertilized by a male sperm, creating a fetus and starting the nine-month cycle that eventually leads to birth. But the female reproductive system has other jobs too.

A woman’s reproductive system contains both external and internal structures, all of which serve a specific purpose. The female body goes through many changes during life, many of which occur in the reproductive system.

The external structures of the female reproductive system have two primary jobs:

1. 1. Allowing sperm to enter the body during intercourse
2. 2. Protecting the internal structures from potential infections

The main external structures that help accomplish these tasks include:

• Labia majora: These are the large lips of the vagina that help protect it at the outer layer. The labia majora contain glands that secrete oil and sweat, and when a female goes through puberty, hair growth will occur around the labia majora.
• Labia minora: These are the small lips of the vagina that vary in shape and size for every woman. They sit just inside the labia majora, surrounding the vaginal opening. The labia minora contains very delicate and sensitive skin, which can easily become swollen or irritated.
• Bartholin’s glands: These are glands that create mucus to be secreted from either side of the vaginal opening.
• Clitoris: The clitoris is a small protrusion of skin located between the two labia minora lips. It’s covered by a fold of skin called the prepuce. The clitoris and prepuce are similar to the penis and foreskin in males, they are extremely sensitive and can become erect with stimulation.

The internal structures of the female reproductive system are suited more for reproduction than protection, because they’re already protected by many of the external structures. These internal structures include:

• Vagina: The vagina is a canal that allows the cervix to connect to the outside of the body. The vagina is also called the birth canal.
• Uterus: Also called the womb, the uterus is a hollow organ that houses a developing fetus during pregnancy. There are two parts to the uterus: The cervix is the lower part that opens into the vagina, and the corpus is the main body of the uterus. When an egg has been fertilized, the corpus expands to hold a baby. The cervix also provides a canal to let sperm in and menstrual blood out.
• Ovaries: The ovaries are small glands on either side of the uterus, and their job is to produce eggs for fertilization and other hormones. These eggs are called ova, or oocytes.
• Fallopian tubes: These are thin tubes through which eggs travel from the ovaries to the uterus. When a sperm fertilizes an egg, it occurs in the fallopian tubes. Once fertilized, the egg then moves to the uterus, implanting itself to the uterine lining. If the egg isn’t fertilized, it will pass through the uterus and the uterine lining sheds away. This is known as the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle. Roughly 6 or 7 million eggs are produced in the female body during the fetal stage—reduced to about 1 million present at birth, and about 300,000 by the time a woman reaches puberty. Only 300 or 400 of these eggs will actually enter the fallopian tubes during a woman’s life.

The female reproductive system is an important structure with an important job, and keeping it healthy is vital. If you are of childbearing age, make sure you visit your doctor regularly for screenings and to ensure you maintain good reproductive health. Your doctor can also answer any questions you have about what’s happening in your reproductive system.

Obstetricians/gynecologists at Revere Health OB/GYN provide a full range of healthcare services to women throughout all stages of their lives including; puberty, child-bearing years, menopause.

“The Female Reproductive System.” Cleveland Clinic. http://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/the-female-reproductive-system

“Your Guide to the Female Reproductive System.” WebMD. http://www.webmd.com/sex-relationships/guide/your-guide-female-reproductive-system

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Pregnant women | Tervisliku toitumise informatsioon

During pregnancy and lactation, a woman's need for dietary energy, vitamins and minerals is somewhat different from that of an ordinary adult. Sufficient and varied food is necessary so that the organism developing in the mother's womb receives everything that it needs for growth.

But even more attention is required in relation to the mother herself, because the reserves of many nutrients in her body, incl. minerals and vitamins may be exhausted during this time.

Pregnancy and the postnatal period is a good time to change the lifestyle and nutrition of the whole family. Positive changes in the dining table of a young family affect the eating habits of newborn children.

Nutrition during pregnancy is not significantly different from nutrition at other times, with a few exceptions.

During pregnancy, you should eat a varied and nutritious diet. This means eating different foods from different food groups. The wider and more varied the choice of foods, the more likely a woman is to get the nutrients she needs. For example, milk and dairy products are rich in calcium and complete proteins, but they are low in iron. Meat and fish products are rich in iron, but they do not contain vitamin C. Fatty and sugar-rich foods should not be abused. They are usually tasty, but they are low in vitamins and minerals.

We get all the nutrients we need from a variety of choices. In addition, contaminants and additional substances (for example, preservatives or food colorings) contained in a particular product within the permitted limits, with constant monotonous use, can accumulate in the body and lead to undesirable consequences.

Dietary risk factors in pregnancy are:

underage pregnancy, high fat (and sugar) foods and generally unbalanced eating habits, veganism, smoking, alcohol or drug use, low or high body mass index, and continuously consecutive periods of pregnancy and feeding.

The main recommendation is to eat a variety of foods that contain sufficient amounts of carbohydrates (bread, rice, pasta and potatoes), as well as a lot of vegetables and fruits. Sour-milk products and a fresh salad with a little vegetable oil will help the digestion process.

A healthy diet includes a moderate amount of dairy products in the diet, as well as protein-rich foods such as lean meat, fish, eggs, peas, lentils. In general, we can say that food should be as fresh as possible, tasty, rich in vitamins and minerals, of high quality and varied.

A balanced diet and adequate physical activity during pregnancy have a long-term impact on a woman's and family's eating habits, body weight and health. It is important that when planning a pregnancy, the body mass index (BMI) of a woman is in the normal range, i.e. between 18.5 and 24.9. With this body mass index, pregnancy complications are the least common. Weight gain during pregnancy can vary greatly from woman to woman.

The recommended weight gain during pregnancy for women who had a normal body mass index before pregnancy is 11.5-16 kg. This increase is natural and should not be attempted to be reduced, as mild weight gain during pregnancy can lead to impaired fetal development and growth and increase the risk of having an underweight baby.

Low birth weight increases the risk of health problems in childhood and is a risk factor for the development of coronary insufficiency, hypertension and type II diabetes in adulthood. Studies in which researchers monitored women's diet during pregnancy have shown that reduced food intake during pregnancy is associated with an increased risk of neural tube defects in the first trimester. In addition, eating disorders during pregnancy can lead to miscarriage, a low birth weight baby, and an increased likelihood of postpartum depression.

Overweight is also undesirable, since it is an additional risk factor for both mother and child, especially if overweight is noted at the beginning of pregnancy. Excessive weight gain is a risk factor for gestational diabetes, gestational hypertension, miscarriage, and breast cancer.

Pregnancy is not a good time to follow a strict diet or lose weight because sufficient weight gain is necessary for both the woman to have a baby and the baby for normal development and growth. It is also not recommended to lose weight drastically just before pregnancy, especially in consecutive pregnancies, as this can lead to deficiencies in certain nutrients such as iron and folate, which can negatively affect pregnancy.

Body mass index (BMI, kg/m 2 ) before pregnancy	The recommended increase in body weight to the end of pregnancy, kg
<18.5 (insufficient weight)	12.5–18
18.5-24.9 (normal weight)	11.5–16
25.0-29.9 (overweight)	7–11. 5
>30 (obesity)	5–9

Please note:

• - by about 300 kcal, in the III trimester - by about 500 kcal, and with pure breastfeeding - by about 600-650 kcal. If physical activity is significantly reduced, then it is not advisable to increase the intake of food energy, because this can lead to an excessive increase in body weight.
• The increase in body weight during pregnancy also leads to an increasing need for fluid . A larger amount of fluid is also required due to increased loads associated with the need to remove metabolic products - one's own and the child's. Therefore, in our time, it is not recommended to reduce the amount of fluid consumed during pregnancy. It is necessary to proceed from the individual feeling of thirst. At the same time, in the second half of pregnancy, salty and spicy foods should be refrained from, since it causes excessive stagnation of fluid in the tissues and the occurrence of edema.
• Drinking large amounts of alcohol affects a woman's ability to become pregnant. The use of large amounts of alcohol (more than 80 g of strong alcohol per day) at the initial stage of pregnancy can significantly affect the development of the fetus. Therefore, women who are planning to become pregnant or are pregnant are advised to completely stop drinking alcohol. Alcohol penetrates into breast milk, which can lead to alcohol poisoning of the baby.
• Ingestion of large amounts of caffeine during pregnancy may result in spontaneous abortion. In addition, caffeine intensifies intestinal motility, thus impairing the absorption of vitamins and minerals, which can become a factor that will lead to their deficiency during pregnancy and lactation. Caffeine passes into breast milk and in the first months of life can accumulate in the baby's body, since his liver can not yet work with full load and remove caffeine. Accumulated caffeine can make a child restless, excitable, which may cause them to cry frequently. In addition, they found support for the assertion that excessive consumption of caffeine during the feeding period reduces the amount of milk.
• The need for most minerals and vitamins increases - but not twice. The most important thing to pay attention to is getting enough folate, vitamins C and D, calcium, iron and magnesium from food, especially for vegans who may have problems getting vitamin B12, calcium, iron and zinc. If the diet is varied, it contains a lot of vegetables and fruits, as well as products from other food groups, vitamin preparations are usually not required.
• The need for folates especially increases in the first months of pregnancy. If enough of them were consumed even before pregnancy, this provides a supply of these substances in the body, which is especially important for women of childbearing age. Folates reduce the risk of developmental abnormalities, especially in the brain and spinal cord (prevent neural tube defects). This kind of deviation can develop in the first 28 days after conception. Since about half of pregnancies are unplanned, every woman of childbearing age should get 400 micrograms of folate per day or take folic acid supplements just in case.
• Toward the end of pregnancy, if you are nursing for a long time, or if your diet really does not allow you to maintain an adequate level of hemoglobin in the blood, it may sometimes be necessary to take iron supplements. This can only be done as prescribed by a doctor, when it is impossible to increase the level of hemoglobin through nutrition.
• Magnesium deficiency is dangerous for both mother and child. It has been established that children whose mothers experienced magnesium deficiency are at high risk of insulin resistance and metabolic syndrome (tendency to obesity, high blood pressure, high levels of lipids and sugar in the blood, which can lead to cardiovascular diseases). If you consume only large amounts of calcium, the child's bones will become brittle, increasing the risk of birth trauma and distant bone fractures. Magnesium also gives bones flexibility. The need for magnesium is increased in pregnant women with eclampsia and hypertension. Deficiency in the body of magnesium leads to the accumulation of calcium and sodium in it, which interferes with blood circulation in small vessels, leading to an increase in blood pressure.