Baby Talk January 2019

Bump to Birth
Fertility & Conception
5
THEY GIVE YOU THAT WOMANLY
LOOK!
You can thank your ovaries for producing the
estrogen that gives you that lovely womanly look,
with your shapely hips, bountiful breasts, and overall feminine
features. Estrogen is also responsible for developing the
female reproductive organs. During pregnancy, your ovaries
gives you that womanly baby bumps, which is a direct result
of their reproductive duties.
They place us at risk too, for
certain diseases
From ovarian cysts to polycystic ovary
syndrome (PCOS) and ovarian cancer,
women are at risk of experiencing an array
of ovarian illnesses that men don’t. Of all the
reproductive tract cancers, ovarian cancer
is the leading cause of death in women. So
it’s important for women to take good care
of their reproductive health with regular
gynecological exams and Pap tests. See your
doctor if you experience any symptoms like
pelvic pain, bloating, or discolored or foulsmelling
vaginal discharge.
6
OVARIES ENHANCE SEXUAL
PLEASURE
Our ovaries produce estrogen that lets us have
a thriving, active sex life, with a healthy libido to
boot. Normal estrogen levels lets you keep that drive at its
optimal state and help lubricate the vagina. After menopause,
estrogen levels drop, which
can decrease libido and cause
vaginal dryness, making
sexual activity unpleasant.
The longer you keep your
ovaries in working order, the
better your sexual desire.
All is not lost after
menopause though - you
can ask your doctor about
hormone replacement
therapy and topical estrogen
to maintain your sexual
activity and pleasure.
One day, they’ll stop
working
Ovaries work hard for nearly 50 years, so
it’s logical they’d like to retire someday. After
menopause, our busy ovaries finally take
a break and quit producing hormones and
releasing eggs. Without these hormones, your
menstrual cycle stops for good. (After a year
without a period, you’ve reached menopause.)
You may want to talk to your doctor about
hormone replacement options to help maintain
your libido, lubrication and other benefits of
estrogen now that your ovaries are no longer
producing it naturally.
8 BabyTalk | January 2019