4 Tips to Understanding Your Teenager Better

By Divya Agrawal

July 19, 2019

Photo: tips for teenage lifestyle via pexels

The teenage phase is essential for neurodevelopment. By the age of twenty or twenty-one, the brain is finally mature and is capable of finely tuned neural circuitry but hormonal changes during teenage create ripples. According to research, these 4 tips might help you to understand your teenager better.

Let Teenagers Sleep: Most teenagers don’t have a proper sleep pattern. A teenage brain needs at least eight hours of sleep every night. The brain develops and consolidates during sleep. Lack of sleep might make them impulsive, increases hunger, leads to obesity and it might hamper their memory too. In the United States, there are some schools which are bringing late school hours for teenagers to cope up with changing biorhythms. Almost two-thirds of teens are sleep deprived, elevating the cortisol level (stress hormone) which makes them irritable. Try and make sure they go to bed at the same time daily and wake up at the same time. It might be difficult to get them on a routine but not impossible.
Talk About Sex: When parents talk to their children about sex at an early age, chances are children will have sex later in life or they’ll use contraception. At times, we feel uncomfortable to talk about sex but it is essential to create a calm environment and not judge. It is important to listen to our children carefully about what they want to share, what they already know, and what they want to know. We need to discuss with them about sex frankly giving them all the necessary information even about the related infections and diseases.
Set a Great Digital Example: Teenagers are victims of social media and technology—even adult’s lives are ruled by technology. All of us get addicted to our phones or tablets. Some children spend about 8-to-10 hours on the screen which is alarming. We usually give a phone or an I-pad to our children to watch a video and have fun, as this is the easiest way to engage them. But later in life, it might become a problem. Children do what they see us doing. We defined a no phone zone or no technology zone for our family for some time during the day. It could be it during your dinner time or after dinner where no gadgets are allowed. Lead by setting an example. During this family time, try to listen more to your teenager instead of talking to them or giving lectures.
Do Not Spy on Your Teenager: Research shows that snooping on your teenager doesn’t do any good for you or your teen. If they see you spying on them, they will not discuss or share anything with you. Instead, try talking frankly with them. Children are likely to share more with the parents who directly ask them questions. Establish a friendly environment and try to have open discussions about every good and bad thing. You can include humor to make the conversation light. Build trust so that your children will come to you on their own to discuss their problems or share their happy moments.

This post originally appeared on Wonder Parenting.

Divya Agrawal

Tinybeans Voices Contributor

Hi Team,

I'm a mommy of a 9-year-old girl! I am an ACS by profession and writer by passion. This passion for reading and writing drove me to express my thoughts and experience on parenting in the form of a blog. Do check my personal blog - Wonder Parenting!!!

Is Seed Cycling the Answer to Restoring Hormonal Balance?

By Amy Beckley

Tinybeans Voices Contributor

June 27, 2019

Photo: Ella Olsson via Pexels

Editor’s note: Any medical advice presented here is expressly the views of the writer and Red Tricycle cannot verify any claims made. Please consult with your healthcare provider about what works best for you.

Ah, hormones. Most of us remember from 7th-grade biology that hormones have something to do with the reproductive system. And some of us may have more in-depth knowledge about how hormones impact monthly cycles and fertility. But did you know that hormones, especially progesterone, can impact skin, hair, mood, sleep quality, sex drive, weight, and general wellness?

If you have been measuring your progesterone and don’t consistently get a positive test throughout the implantation window, you may have low progesterone. Other signs of low progesterone include brown spotting before your period and irregular cycles, headaches, mood changes, breast tenderness, and more. For many women with low progesterone, PMS, and PCOS, seed cycling can help balance hormone levels and can also potentially reduce symptoms. Seed cycling is a natural and healthy way to help balance hormones, using…you guessed it: seeds!

What is Seed Cycling?

Seed cycling involves rotating certain types of seeds throughout your menstrual cycle, in order to promote a hormone balance. In a typical menstrual cycle, estrogen levels rise during the first half of the cycle (the follicular phase) and progesterone levels rise during the second half of the cycle (the luteal phase). When these key hormones are imbalanced, it can lead to menstrual irregularities, including breast tenderness, painful periods, acne, and PCOS symptoms.

How Does Seed Cycling Work?

Seed cycling involves tracking your menstrual cycle and eating specific seeds during different days of the cycle, to help ensure optimal levels of estrogen and progesterone when these hormones are present during the cycle.

During the follicular phase, estrogen is the star. For days 1-14 of your cycle (for those new to cycle days, day one is the first day you have your period), eat 1-2 tablespoons each of fresh ground flax and raw pumpkin seeds per day. These seeds naturally support estrogen production (by containing lignans and zinc), but can also help in clearing excess estrogen, also known as estrogen dominance.

In the luteal phase, progesterone takes over at center stage. After ovulation or on day 15 of the cycle, switch from flax seeds and pumpkin seeds to 1-2 tablespoons each of raw sunflower and sesame seeds per day. Sesame seeds (high in zinc) and sunflower seeds (high in vitamin E) help with progesterone production during the luteal phase.

Continue eating sunflower and sesame seeds daily through day 28 of your cycle. You then switch back to flax and pumpkin seeds once you start your period again.

Best Ways to Consume Seeds

Seed cycling works best when the seeds are raw and freshly ground, as grinding the seeds increases the surface area for absorption. There are many options for ways to consume seeds, including:

Making fresh seed butter (to enjoy with fruit or toast)
Making a raw seed-based granola
Sprinkling seeds on a salad
Blending seeds into smoothies
Mixing seeds into salad dressing
Adding seeds to chia pudding, oatmeal, or yogurt parfaits

I have had low progesterone throughout adulthood, which caused infertility challenges and continued to make for unpleasant periods, headaches, and low energy each cycle. I started seed cycling as a natural way to help her body naturally balance hormone levels. I’m a huge fan of seed cycling. After starting it, I have noticed fewer headaches, shorter and lighter periods, longer luteal phases, and overall increased mood and energy level.

It can take about three months for you to see the benefits of seed cycling. We recommend keeping a journal to keep track of your symptoms through the cycle so you can look back to see impacts over time. As always, if you have any concerns, it is best to consult your doctor. Happy cycling!

Amy Beckley

Tinybeans Voices Contributor

Amy Beckley is the founder and CEO of Proov, the first at-home rapid response urine progesterone test, a hormone critical to fertility and general wellness. Proov was developed from Beckley’s personal infertility experience. Using her PhD in Pharmacology and passion for helping others, Proov empowers women with the knowledge to better understand their bodies.

Are You Ovulating Sufficiently?

By Amy Beckley

Tinybeans Voices Contributor

June 25, 2019

Photo: pixabay

Believe it or not, when it comes to trying to conceive there is a “sufficient” way to ovulate. You probably already know that ovulation is needed for pregnancy. After all, without an egg, it is impossible to get pregnant. But there’s a “right way” to ovulate? It may sound strange but making sure you are ovulating sufficiently is critical to increasing your chances of successfully conceiving.

What Is Sufficient Ovulation?

Sufficient ovulation is a phrase used to indicate the fact that a woman is not only ovulating, but she also has enough progesterone to support conception. Progesterone is the hormone released by the corpus luteum or empty follicle after the egg is released. Its presence confirms ovulation, as, without an empty follicle, the body won’t produce progesterone. Progesterone is critical to preparing the uterine lining, so it is ready to receive a pregnancy. Without enough progesterone, the embryo either cannot implant at all or implantation is insufficient to support it. So low progesterone can lead to lack of conception or miscarriage.

But when a woman both ovulates AND has sufficient progesterone to support conception, she is ovulating sufficiently—meaning that she not only has an egg present for fertilization, but she also has enough progesterone to support implantation should the egg be fertilized. To successfully conceive, it is critical that a woman has both an egg AND enough progesterone to support implantation of a fertilized egg.

Can I Tell If I’m Ovulating Sufficiently?

It’s not that difficult to figure out if you are ovulating sufficiently, which is great news! But since there are so many ovulation testing options—which can get confusing—it’s important to take a moment to explain the differences.

Predicting Ovulation: Predicting ovulation is very important because it helps couples trying to conceive find the fertile window and therefore better time intercourse. There are actually only 5-6 days each cycle when a woman is fertile so it’s really important to time intercourse correctly when trying to conceive. Methods include: Ovulation predictor kits (luteinizing hormone or LH tests), cervical mucus monitoring, or saliva ferning patterns

Confirming Ovulation: Although it may seem like you’re good to go if you’ve predicted ovulation, prediction does not always mean something will happen. For example, a weather forecaster may predict that a storm is coming (using sophisticated scientific tools, I might add), but we don’t know if the storm actually happened until we observe it. And we can probably all agree weather forecasts aren’t always accurate. As such, much like the weather, confirming ovulation is an important next step. Methods include: Basal body temperature tracking, single progesterone test

Confirming Sufficient Ovulation: As we mentioned earlier, sufficient ovulation—meaning that a woman is ovulating AND has enough progesterone to support implantation—is critical when trying to conceive. While basal body temperature is great for confirming ovulation, it falls short of being able to confirm “sufficient ovulation.” That’s because basal body temperature looks for a slight spike in temperature – 0.5 – 1 degree Fahrenheit but the temperature spike does not correlate with the amount of progesterone present. So, getting a spike of 0.5-degrees does not necessarily mean you have low progesterone and getting a spike of 1-degree also does not mean you are good to go.

To confirm sufficient ovulation, it’s critical to ensure that progesterone levels are elevated to 10ng/ml in the blood—the level widely accepted as the minimum threshold to support conception—throughout the 3-4 day implantation window. This means it’s important to test progesterone multiple times during the luteal phase, or second half, of the cycle to make sure progesterone rises and stays elevated at a sufficient level such that conception can occur. Methods include: Multiple days of progesterone testing

When trying to conceive, making sure you are ovulating is good, but it may not be enough. Confirming sufficient ovulation can get you one step closer to ruling out what may be causing issues and to successfully conceiving. Testing progesterone can help you make sure you are ovulating properly and that you have enough progesterone to support conception!

Amy Beckley

Tinybeans Voices Contributor

How to Tell If You’ve Ovulated

By Amy Beckley

Tinybeans Voices Contributor

June 21, 2019

There are lots of ways to predict ovulation—from temperature trackers to cervical mucus monitoring to ovulation predictor kits (OPKs) that measure luteinizing hormone. These methods are great for answering the question “If I’m trying to conceive, when should I have intercourse?” Timing intercourse correctly is critical for conceiving and these tools are very important when trying to get pregnant. The good news is, there’s a lot of information already out there on predicting ovulation!

But what about confirming ovulation? A key point of distinction of “ovulation kits” or “ovulation predictors” is that they are only predictive of ovulation. Similar to predicting the weather, we only know if the prediction is right when we see what happens. The weatherman can predict that it’s going to rain tomorrow, but until tomorrow comes, we won’t know if the prediction is correct. It’s similar in that way to ovulation prediction methods, many of which fall short of actually allowing us to see that ovulation has happened.

So how do we make this critical observation? After all, problems with ovulation are the number one cause of infertility. Making sure the body is ovulating properly and the right level of hormones are present to support conception is another critical piece of the puzzle. There are a couple of ways to confirm that ovulation has happened and, as you might suspect, they all lead back to the super hormone, progesterone.

Ovulation Confirmation Method 1: Basal Body Temperature or BBT tracking

During the first part of your cycle, your basal body temperature (BBT), or your body’s lowest resting temperature, usually ranges between 97.0 and 97.7 °F. Before your ovary releases an egg, your BBT will dip a little. The day after ovulation, your BBT will generally increase at least 0.2 °F over the previous 6 days’ temperatures, and then stay high for a few days or more. The second half of the cycle, the luteal phase, typically sees temperatures in the range of 97.7 and 98.3 °F. Note that these numbers are just examples and every woman’s body is different.

This spike in temperature is driven by the underlying rise in progesterone that happens after ovulation. See, the empty follicle, or corpus luteum, produces progesterone and progesterone causes the temperature spike. If no egg is released, there won’t be an empty follicle to produce progesterone. As such, a spike in temperature, caused by progesterone, indicates that ovulation has occurred.

Ovulation Confirmation Method 2: Progesterone Monitoring

As explained above, the spike in temperature that confirms ovulation using the BBT tracking method is a direct result of progesterone rising in the body after ovulation occurs. Monitoring progesterone itself is therefore another way to confirm ovulation. Without that empty follicle or corpus luteum, there won’t be a rise in progesterone. So, no rise in progesterone = no ovulation.

But do you need both methods?

The simple answer is YES—especially when it comes to trying to conceive. Based on how your temperature and hormone levels change throughout your cycle, it might seem like you only need to measure one thing. But, the most complete picture comes from using both tracking methods.

BBT tracking is most powerful when used to track the cycle over time. By confirming ovulation using temperature tracking, BBT can be used to accurately calculate the timing of the next fertile window.

While basal body temperature tracking can be used to measure the slight increase in body temperature caused when progesterone rises and can, therefore, be used to confirm ovulation, it falls short of telling you if you have sufficient progesterone to conceive. As mentioned before, basal body temperature typically rises 0.5 to 1-degree Fahrenheit after ovulation from the presence of progesterone. But the temperature spike does not correlate with the amount of progesterone present. So, getting a spike of 0.5-degrees does not necessarily mean you have low progesterone and getting a spike of 1-degree also does not mean you are good to go.

To determine if you have enough progesterone to confirm sufficient ovulation, meaning you are not only ovulating, but also have enough progesterone to support implantation and early pregnancy, you need to test base progesterone levels.

To truly maximize your chances of getting pregnant during the fertile window, you should not only know IF you’ve ovulated but also know if your progesterone levels are where they need to be.

Amy Beckley

Tinybeans Voices Contributor

5 Summer Sleep Hacks For Babies and Kids

By Jamie Engelman

Tinybeans Voices Contributor

May 20, 2019

Photo: istock

With summer quickly approaching (though to be honest, here in Arizona, we’ve been sweating for weeks already) many parents are worried about weekend travel, late sunsets, and frequent BBQs totally derailing the wonderful sleep routine they’ve spent all winter working on. This fear is completely well-founded—sleep during the summer is hard. Between the travel, the excitement of not being in school, increased outside play, and late bedtimes, it’s easy to for schedules and routines to fall by the wayside (be that intentionally or unintentionally).

But even though it’s summer, babies and young children still need to be sleeping well. If you’re committed to maintaining some healthy sleep habits this summer (while also living your best life), it’s totally possible. With some strategic planning and firm boundaries, here’s how you can keep sleep on track this summer.

Make the Bedrooms Cool and Dark

Since the production of melatonin—our sleepy hormone—is impacted by light, having a super dark bedroom will make it easier for your child to fall asleep (and stay asleep) even with the extra hours of sunlight. It should be as dark during the day for naps as it is at night. You may have to get a little creative here. If you don’t already have blackout curtains, I recommend adding them to your Amazon cart STAT. But sometimes, even that isn’t enough. I’ve worked with families who have used tinfoil to block the window, tacks, and tape to bolster the sides, and towels to keep light, from under the door, out.

It is also important to make sure that your child’s bedroom is cool. In the hot summer months, it doesn’t take much for the room to warm up during the day. The optimal temperature for sleep is between 68°-72°F. If you cannot keep it that cool in the house, consider using a fan, light-weight pajamas, and fewer blankets (where appropriate).

Maintain a Good Bedtime Routine

Just because it’s summer, doesn’t mean you can’t continue your bedtime routine as normal. Sure, you may have a late night here and there and your little one will fall asleep in the car on the way home, but when possible, giving your child the predictability of a routine to fall back on will greatly help sleep stay on track. Bonus: It will also help ease the transition when school starts up again in the fall!

Schedule Downtime

One of the biggest mistakes parents make during the summer is over-scheduling themselves and their children. While it is definitely important to be outside, enjoying the sunshine and plethora of summer activities, it is also important to prioritize rest. Babies and young children can become overstimulated very easily so it’s important to honor naps and quiet time. If your child is still napping, having at least 30 minutes of downtime before trying for a nap or going down for bed can drastically help your child fall asleep. Giving your child’s body the chance to slow down is important. If you told me right after I walked out of the gym that I was supposed to lay down and fall asleep right away, I’d struggle too! And even if your child is no longer napping, quiet time is still helpful. Plan for at least 30-60 minutes during the day where everyone can take some time to recharge their batteries. This may not happen every day, but if you can make it a habit 80% of the time, you’ll all be better for it.

Stay Consistent When Traveling

It’s easy to bend to limitations and pressures around sleep during summertime travels. Maybe you’re sharing a room with your kiddos in a hotel or you’re staying with family members who are light sleepers. If you begin to relax your boundaries and let your little one into bed with you or begin feeding them all night long to keep them from crying out, you can see how easily a slip can turn into a slide. Older toddlers may test your boundaries around this: Are the rules at Grandma’s house the same as the rules at home? Maintain structure and hold firm to your priorities as much as possible and sleep should stay on track when you’re back home.

Honor Sleep

While summertime often means more travel, more activities, and a busier time in general, you can still make sleep a priority. Each child is different in how they react to changes in their schedule and how well they will sleep on the go. Especially if your child is a bit more sensitive, giving them the best environment to sleep in as often as possible can make a world of difference in keeping sleep on track. If your child is on multiple naps, prioritize having the first one at home if you can. It will make for a more pleasant child as you go about your fun summer activities!

While it is true that the best-laid plans often go awry, that doesn’t mean that you cannot strive for keeping sleep on track this summer. Be honest with yourself about what your priorities are and do not be afraid to voice them to friends and family. Enjoy the sunshine, travel, and quality time, but enjoy that sleep too!

This post originally appeared on Oh Baby Consulting.

Jamie Engelman

Tinybeans Voices Contributor

Jamie is a Certified Pediatric Sleep Consultant and offers personalized sleep solutions to exhausted families nationwide. With a background in child development and infant mental health, she keeps up to date on the latest evolutions in the field which allows her to blend technical knowledge with empathy and compassion to tailor her support.

This 20-Minute De-Stress Hack Will Have You Enjoying Spring in No Time

by Karly WoodApril 11, 2019

Picture this: you’ve had a tough day with the kids, didn’t get enough sleep, are worrying about the future and still haven’t planned dinner. Sound familiar? The pressures of parenting catch up with all of us, but there’s a simple 20-minute hack to get rid of stress and The pressures of parenting catch up with all of us, but there’s a simple 20-minute hack to get rid of stress and you’ll want to try it, STAT.

A study by the University of Michigan recently published in Frontiers in Psychology has found that the key to reducing your stress hormone levels is taking a 20-minute walk in nature. Permission to get outside and enjoy nature has been granted!

photo: Andre Furtado via Pexels

The “nature pill” as the study coined it, lowers the stress hormone cortisol when you time to walk for at least 10 minutes, three times a week. Researchers found the hormone was lowered by at least ten percent and that’s all we need to hear!

When it comes to finding your piece of nature, it’s up to you. Anywhere you feel you’re coming into nature fits the bill––a city park, a forest or a lovely field. There are just a few catches to get the most out of your nature pill. First, you need to take your walks during the day. Second, no reading, texting, talking, social media or even exercising! Communing with nature may not take long to get the stress-relieving benefits, but it does need your full attention.

So the next time your partner comes home after a long day, be sure to tell them you’re just taking your nature pill before hitting the trail––alone.

––Karly Wood

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Are You TTC? Here’s the Skinny on Progesterone—& Why It’s So Important

By Amy Beckley

Tinybeans Voices Contributor

April 11, 2019

Photo: Garon Picelli via Pexels

As the name suggests, progesterone—as in “pro-gestation”—is critical to conception and pregnancy. But we don’t hear much about this super hormone that not only indicates ovulation is occurring properly, but also prepares the uterus to receive a fertilized embryo for implantation.

So why is progesterone so important when trying to conceive? Let’s find out!

Progesterone confirms ovulation.

At the beginning of each menstrual cycle, progesterone levels are relatively low. First, Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) stimulates an ovarian follicle to develop, which causes an egg to mature and increases estrogen production. Then, as estrogen levels rise, FSH production declines and Luteinizing Hormone, or LH, production increases. A spike in LH levels indicates that ovulation or an egg being released from the ovary, is about to occur.

Many ovulation predictor kits measure LH, as the presence of this hormone is “predictive” of ovulation. After ovulation comes the luteal phase, where the corpus luteum produces progesterone. The corpus luteum is the empty follicle from which the egg was released. The presence of progesterone indicates that ovulation has, in fact, occurred, because if no egg is released, there is no empty follicle or corpus luteum, to produce it!

Progesterone stabilizes the uterine lining.

Each month, estrogen is released before ovulation and stimulates the uterine lining to build up. After ovulation, progesterone acts to stabilize the uterine lining so it is at the optimal thickness to support implantation. Progesterone’s role is to prepare the uterine lining for a pregnancy, allowing it to become receptive to the fertilized egg so that it can attach, implant and thrive for the duration of the pregnancy. Ideally, after ovulation, progesterone levels remain high, enabling a fertilized egg to successfully implant.

Progesterone enables a fertilized embryo to implant.

Since progesterone is involved in stabilizing the uterine lining, high levels of progesterone are needed for the embryo to attach in the womb and to maintain the pregnancy. Implantation typically occurs seven to 10 days after ovulation. Up until about the 8th week of pregnancy, the corpus luteum produces progesterone to support the pregnancy. After about the eighth or ninth week of pregnancy, progesterone production is taken over by the placenta and continues to nourish the fetus for the duration of the pregnancy.

Progesterone is needed to maintain pregnancy.

Whether generated from the corpus luteum or the placenta, progesterone levels consistently rise and remain elevated throughout the duration of pregnancy to support a healthy uterine environment for the growing fetus. It has some side benefits too. That pregnancy glow? That’s mighty progesterone at work making the skin appear firmer and brighter!

Tracking progesterone shows the full picture.

While traditional ovulation predictor kits are great for determining the best time for intercourse when trying to conceive, they fail to show the full picture. The menstrual cycle has two distinct phases. The first is the follicular phase, which is comprised of menstruation and the fertile window. This is the time leading up to ovulation. The second is the luteal phase, which is the time after ovulation and is critical for enabling conception and implantation.

Progesterone is the dominant hormone present during the luteal phase. By using ovulation predictor kits to track hormones during the follicular phase and tracking progesterone during the luteal phase, women can understand both halves of their cycle and therefore, the full menstrual picture!

Progesterone plays a critical, direct role in conception and pregnancy, but it plays a peripheral role in other aspects of women’s health related to conception and pregnancy as well. For example, progesterone plays an important role in libido. During ovulation, many women experience their peak in libido, which perfectly matches the fertile window of when you’re most likely to get pregnant.

In the luteal phase, progesterone levels significantly rise and libido typically drops as well. It’s as if high progesterone levels are a stop sign for your body to let you know you’re no longer in the fertile window. It is common for libido to fluctuate throughout the cycle, but what happens if you don’t have any sexual desire at any time during your monthly cycle? Well, this could be a sign of low progesterone. See, for a healthy libido, it is really the balance of estrogen and progesterone that matter the most and if these are out of balance due to low progesterone, it could tank your sex drive.

From confirming ovulation to supporting implantation to helping maintain pregnancy, progesterone is a hard-working hormone that is necessary for so much related to conception, pregnancy and general women’s health. If women are tracking hormones in the first half of the cycle using ovulation predictor kits, adding progesterone to their tracking regimen can help them understand the full menstrual cycle. Knowing about this critical hormone empowers women to ensure their body is ovulating properly and is prepared to receive and support an early pregnancy.

Amy Beckley

Tinybeans Voices Contributor

The Male Birth Control Pill Is Officially One Step Closer to Reality

by Shahrzad WarkentinMarch 28, 2019

The world is now one step closer to gaining a male birth control pill. A potential male oral contraceptive has just passed human safety tests.

The study, conducted at LA BioMed and the University of Washington in Seattle, Washington, included 40 healthy men, 10 of whom received a placebo pill while 30 men received the drug called 11-beta-methyl-19-nortestosterone dodecylcarbonate, or 11-beta-MNTDC for 28 days.

photo: Ake via Rawpixel

The drug is a modified testosterone that has the combined actions of a male hormone (androgen) and a progesterone. Among the men receiving 11-beta-MNTDC, the average circulating testosterone level dropped as low as in androgen deficiency. According to the study, the participants did not experience any severe side effects. About four to six men experienced mild side effects, including fatigue, acne or headache. No participants had to stop taking the pill due to side effects and they all passed safety tests.

“Our results suggest that this pill, which combines two hormonal activities in one, will decrease sperm production while preserving libido,” the study’s co-senior investigator, Christina Wang said. Before you get too excited, more testing and studies are still needed to determine the drug’s effectiveness in the long-term. “Safe, reversible hormonal male contraception should be available in about 10 years,” Wang predicted.

—Shahrzad Warkentin

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The FDA Just Approved the First Medication to Treat Postpartum Depression

by Shahrzad WarkentinMarch 22, 2019

For moms with severe postpartum depression, there could be new hope on the horizon. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved the first drug to treat postpartum depression—and it’s groundbreaking. According to the American Psychological Association, postpartum depression affects as many as one in seven women in the United States.

The new drug, which just received the FDA’s stamp of approval, is called brexanolone or Zulresso. Unlike other depression mediations, this one is not a pill, but is instead administered intravenously over the course of a 60-hour infusion in a clinical setting. Trials of the drug showed improvement for women in just 24 hours.

photo: Sharon McCutcheon via Unsplash

“This can potentially transform women’s lives and that of their families,” said Dr. Steve Kanes, chief medical officer of Sage Therapeutics, the Cambridge, Mass., biopharmaceutical company that developed brexanolone. “It’s not just the mother who suffers when there’s postpartum depression. It’s the newborn. It’s the other people in their family.”

The drug contains a synthetic form of the hormone allopregnanolone, a progesterone derivative. The progesterone hormone increases significantly during pregnancy then drops after birth, which could be a factor in developing postpartum depression.

The most common side effects of the drug in the trial were dizziness and drowsiness. Sage Therapeutics believes it will be considered safe for all moms, including those breastfeeding, but they are still waiting on a final FDA ruling.

The treatment won’t be cheap, however, with the single infusion running between $20,000 to $35,000, which won’t include the cost of a stay at a clinical facility—and of course, this doesn’t factor in the cost of childcare for the kids of moms with PPD while she’s in treatment. No word yet on if this treatment or how much of it would be covered by insurance.

—Shahrzad Warkentin

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Do You Have an Orchid or a Dandelion Kid? One Expert Weighs In

by Shahrzad WarkentinMarch 11, 2019

Raising kids can easily be equated with growing flowers: they both require nurturing to thrive, but the type of flower also makes a big difference in what that nurturing looks like. According to an expert, the same is true for different types of kids, and he has an answer to the question what’s an “orchid” child and how do you raise one?

Dr. Thomas Boyce, an emeritus professor of pediatrics and psychiatry at the University of California, San Francisco, is the author of a new book titled The Orchid and the Dandelion: Why Some Children Struggle and How All Can Thrive. He was interviewed recently on NPR’s Fresh Air where he explains that the majority of kids can be classified as “dandelions” because they are generally able to cope with stress and challenges in a healthy way.

photo: Petra Kebler via Unsplash

Orchid children, on the other hand, are more sensitive to both good and bad environments. They have biological reactions to their experiences which makes it difficult to cope with stress. Boyce conducted research in a laboratory setting to observe primary stress response systems in kids. One test measured the stress hormone cortisol and the other looked at the autonomic nervous system, otherwise known as the “fight-or-flight” system.

“We found that there were huge differences (among) children,” Boyce told NPR. “There were some children at the high end of the spectrum who had dramatic reactivity in both the cortisol system and the fight-or-flight system, and there were other children who had almost no biological response to the challenges that we presented to them.”

Boyce recommends that parents of orchid children can help their kids by being supportive and not trying to change them. They should also encourage their kids to try to move outside of their comfort zone. He told NPR, “I think that this is probably the most difficult parenting task in raising an orchid child. The parent of an orchid child needs to walk this very fine line between, on the one hand, not pushing them into circumstances that are really going to overwhelm them and make them greatly fearful, but, on the other hand, not protecting them so much that they don’t have experiences of mastery of these kinds of fearful situations.”

—Shahrzad Warkentin

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ML Interest Tag: hormone

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