Cathy Seapy

LivingWell, Relationships

Five Resolutions for the New Year

As you step into 2025, here are five resolutions you can make for a healthier you!

Take Care of Yourself

Whether it’s sleeping in, making a healthy meal, or going on a walk, setting time aside to care for yourself is a great way to rejuvenate. Along with meeting physical needs, it’s important to meet your emotional needs as well. This can look different for each unique person. However, one way to take care of yourself that is the same for everyone is to make healthy decisions. Making choices that keep you safe and healthy are the best way to care for your physical, emotional, and mental needs.

Evaluate Your Relationships

Do the people around you support you and make you feel uplifted? Do they make you happy and inspire you to grow? If not, it may be time to re-evaluate your relationships. Surround yourself with people who make you feel loved. Healthy relationships are more important than you may think! By having good relationships and friendships, you may find that you’ll be happier and feel more supported.

Experience Something New

You don’t need to do something as drastic as cliff diving – unless that’s something you want to do! Picking up a new hobby or trying something you never have before can add a sense of adventure to your new year. You might discover something you enjoy that you never would’ve found if you hadn’t tried it. Who knows?

Build Yourself Up

Stop comparing yourself to others! Thinking about what other people have will only discourage you. Recognize the beauty and uniqueness of you! Once you stop competing with others, you’ll be more confident. You’ll see the value that you have and the special traits that make you you!

Set New Goals

What are you hoping to achieve this year? What do you want to accomplish? Once you know, make that your goal for this year. Whether it’s twenty goals or just one, they are all equally important. Make a list of all of the things that you’re hoping to achieve this year. This will give you something to work towards and a sense of accomplishment each time you reach your goals!

How We Can Help

If you are resolving to make healthy decisions this new year and find yourself wanting to get tested for STIs or pregnancy, LivingWell is here to help you. We offer pregnancy testing, ultrasounds, and STI/STD testing at no cost to you. Schedule an appointment with us today by clicking here, calling us at (530) 272-6800 or texting us at (530) 802-0858.

Cathy Seapy

CEO

The content on this page has been reviewed and approved by our CEO.

LivingWell, Medical

The Four Phases of Your Cycle

Every month, a woman goes through four phases of the menstrual cycle. Each phase has a different cause and varying symptoms. It’s helpful for a woman to understand each cycle to know herself and her body better.

So what are the four phases of your cycle? Let’s start with the first.

Menstrual Phase

More commonly known as your period, the menstrual cycle happens when a dropped egg from a previous cycle was never fertilized. Your body prepares for pregnancy every month by thickening the lining of your uterus. If you don’t get pregnant, your body expels the now unneeded blood and tissue, causing your period.

The length of the menstrual cycle depends on the woman. It typically lasts 4-5 days but can vary from a couple days to a week. During this time, you may experience symptoms such as:

  • Mood swings
  • Cramps in various places
  • Tiredness or fatigue
  • Tender or swollen breasts
  • Bloating
  • Irritability

As soon as your period ends, or sometimes a few days before, your body begins to transition into the next phase of your cycle.

Follicular Phase

The follicular phase lasts for roughly 16 days. This is when your ovaries produce between 5 to 20 small sacs known as follicles, which each contain an egg. “Only the healthiest egg will eventually mature (On rare occasions, a female may have two eggs mature). The rest of the follicles will be reabsorbed into your body” (Healthline). This is also when your uterine lining begins to thicken, creating an ideal environment for pregnancy.

During this time, you may experience an energy boost, increased productivity, and clearer skin.

Near the end of the follicular phase, your rising estrogen levels cause your body to release luteinizing hormone (LH), which kicks off the third phase of your cycle.

Ovulation Phase

Luteinizing hormone (LH) triggers ovulation and the release of an egg from your ovary. The unfertilized egg then travels down the fallopian tube where it can be fertilized by sperm.

The ovulation phase typically lasts about four days, however it only peaks for one full day. This is the time period where you are most likely to get pregnant.

During ovulation, you will experience some common symptoms such as:

  • A rise in your basal body temperature
  • Thicker and more discharge
  • A higher sex drive

Your basal body temperature is your temperature after at least 3 hours of sleep. It’s most accurate after a full night’s sleep. You can track your ovulation period by taking your temperature right after you wake up and marking it down to see when it increases.

The increased levels of progesterone and estrogen take you into your fourth and final phase.

Luteal Phase

The luteal phase looks different depending on if you are pregnant or not. If pregnancy occurs, your body keeps its rise in hormones, along with producing human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). This is the hormone that a pregnancy test will detect. Your body does this to stay ready for the fertilized egg to be planted in your uterus.

If you are not pregnant, the hCG becomes reabsorbed and your hormone levels will drop. “This leads to decreased levels of estrogen and progesterone, which causes the onset of your period” (Healthline). Going from a hormonal high to a deep low can cause premenstrual syndrome, or PMS. PMS can cause symptoms like:

  • Mood changes
  • Sadness
  • Food cravings
  • Low sex drive
  • Anxiety
  • Trouble sleeping

If you aren’t pregnant, the luteal phase lasts about 14 days. Once that time is up, your body begins the menstrual phase, causing the cycle to start over again.

Take Care of Yourself!

The constant changes that happen during a woman’s cycle can be challenging. Every woman has their own unique symptoms and needs during the different phases. Remember to take care of yourself and acknowledge your personal needs!

How We Can Help

If you are pregnant and looking for a safe space to explore your options, get your questions answered, or need pregnancy testing or an ultrasound to confirm your pregnancy, we are here to help you. Schedule an appointment with us today by clicking here, calling us at (530) 272-6800 or texting us at (530) 802-0858.

Sources and Links

Watson, Stephanie. Stages of the Menstrual Cycle. Healthline. 2023

https://www.healthline.com/health/womens-health/stages-of-menstrual-cycle

Higuera, Valencia. PMS: Premenstrual Syndrome Symptoms, Treatments, and More. Healthline. 2023.

https://www.healthline.com/health/premenstrual-syndrome

Eva Fisher, R.N.

Nursing Director

The content on this page has been reviewed and approved by our Nursing Director.

LivingWell, Parenting, Pregnancy

Postpartum Care Tips

Becoming a mother to a newborn can be overwhelming and bring many changes into your daily routines. While you adjust to these changes and take care of your little one, it’s important to take care of yourself, too! Postpartum recovery looks different for everyone. Here are some tips on how to care for yourself as you make the transition to motherhood.

1) Rest as much as you can

As impossible as it seems to get as much sleep as you want, it’s important to rest as much as you can to help with tiredness and fatigue. Your baby may wake up every few hours for feeding so do your best to sleep when your baby sleeps.

If you have a difficult time getting comfortable, sitting or laying on pillows can help ease the discomfort.

2) Maintain healthy eating habits

Your postpartum diet is essential to your energy level and wellbeing. Eating well after your delivery can help keep your milk supply regular and healthy (if you’re breastfeeding) and can speed up your overall recovery. Eating lots of fruits, vegetables, low-fat protein, low-fat dairy, and grains are the best choice for a postpartum diet. Drink lots of fluids to stay hydrated. You’ll find that a postpartum healthy diet doesn’t look that different from a normal healthy diet!

Eating foods that are high in fiber and drinking lots of water can help with softer bowel movements. If you’re still having trouble, ask your healthcare provider about getting a stool softener medication.

If you’re breastfeeding, you’re burning an extra 300 to 500 calories per day. Because of this, it’s important to eat that extra amount every day to keep up.

3) Ask for help

Don’t be afraid to reach out for help! The first few months after delivery are a very difficult time of adjustment. You don’t have to go through it alone! Whether it’s having meals made, chores done for you, or having someone watch your baby so you can rest, practical and emotional support can make all the difference.

4) Move your body

Moving your body after having a baby can make you feel more energetic and even relax you. However, before you begin to exercise again, make sure you’re cleared to do so by your doctor.

Don’t jump back into cardio right away. Start slow! Your body has gone through many changes since you first got pregnant. Keep it simple by doing activities like taking a walk or doing gentle stretching. As time goes on, you can slowly transition back into your original exercise routine.

5) Make yourself as comfortable as possible

After delivery, there are going to be some areas that may be sore and achy. These vary depending on what kind of birth you had. If you had a vaginal birth, there are many ways to relieve your vaginal soreness. A few of these are:

  • Sit on a pillow
  • Use an ice pack to cool the area
  • Apply witch hazel to a chilled pad and wear it for a few hours before changing it out. Witch hazel will soothe the soreness and help with swelling.
  • Take or sit in a warm bath
  • Ask your medical professional about using relieving medications, such as numbing cream or a stool softener if needed

Relieving any soreness after a cesarean (or a C-section) looks a bit different. A few ways to help with C-section pain are:

  • Seek pain relief medications from your doctor. There are many medications that are safe to take while you breastfeed.
  • Gently clean and dry the C-section wound daily. This can help with discomfort and prevent infection.
  • Use a warm (not hot) heating pad on your abdomen and incision area to help with pain.

If any pain becomes worse or continues to last in either scenario, notify your doctor. Any long-lasting pain or discomfort could be a sign of infection.

You got this!

Postpartum can be difficult, but you are strong and capable. You can do this!

How we can help

If you are pregnant and looking for a safe space to explore your options, get your questions answered, or want pregnancy testing or ultrasounds, we are here to help you. Schedule an appointment with us today by clicking here, calling us at (530)-272-6800, or texting us at (530)-802-0858.

Eva Fisher, R.N.

Nursing Director

The content on this page has been reviewed and approved by our Nursing Director.