St. George Magazine Article July 2012

What can you do during your 20’s and 30’s to reduce your Chances of Breast Cancer?

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, breast cancer is the second most commonly diagnosed cancer among American women. Less than 0.5 percent of women will get breast cancer before age 39. Your 20’s and 30’s are prime time for preventative measures to help keep your risk as low as possible continuing into your 40’s and beyond. Here are things you can control to help keep your risk low:

• Maintain a healthy weight. Staying trim doesn't just look good-it helps reduce your risk of breast cancer. Excess fat can increase the amount of estrogen your body produces which can increase your chances of breast cancer.
• Watch your alcohol intake to no more than one drink per day.  Three drinks per day increases your rate by 50%
• Consider avoiding soy. There is conflicting evidence about whether soy increases your chances of breast cancer due to its pseudo-estrogenic effect. It might be better just to avoid it until we know more.
• Consider a non- hormonal birth control method. The available data about hormonal contraceptives containing estrogen, suggests a slightly increased risk, so consider whether the benefits of the pill outweigh the risk of taking it. If you have a family history of breast cancer, for example, you may want to choose a different form of birth control.
• Have a baby if that is something you would like to do. Women who have a child before the age of 30 have a slightly lower chance of breast cancer. Your breasts complete their development after a first pregnancy, which makes them less sensitive to carcinogens, or cancer-causing substances.

·         Breastfeed your babies. Research shows that your breast cancer risk is reduced by 7% with each baby and another 4.3% for each 12 months she breastfeeds.  If you have a family history of invasive premenopausal breast cancer nursing your baby can reduce your risk by as much as 60%

• Check out your family history. The biggest risk for breast cancer is genetics. If you have certain genetic mutations, called BRCA1 or BRCA2, you're at much higher risk for developing the disease. 20 to 30 % of women with this gene will develop breast cancer by the age of 40 and 50% will by the age of 50. A simple but expensive blood test, $3,100, can tell you if you are a carrier. There are also significant emotional and psychological consequences of testing to consider as well as the risk of discrimination by insurance companies if you do have the genetic abnormality so keep those in mind.
• Consider getting a breast thermography exam which takes a Digital Infrared Image of your breast. It is based on the principle that metabolic activity and vascular circulation in both pre-cancerous tissue and the area surrounding a developing breast cancer is almost always higher than in normal breast tissue. They compare the image from year to year and it can help detect breast cancer much earlier than a traditional mammogram. A thermography exam does not replace a mammogram for those of the appropriate risk group or age range but it can provide even more information about the health of your breast tissue.

DyAnna Gordon BS,CPM,LDEM is a Southern Utah native, wife and mother of four and  a Licensed Certified Professional Midwife serving Southern Utah and providing homebirth and birth suite services as well as herbal and nutritional counseling, and breast feeding support.

St. George Magazine Article December 2011

Options and Benefits abound for Mothers Wanting a Natural Childbirth Experience in Southern Utah

            In conversations with elderly women, I have been surprised to find that while some couldn't remember what they had eaten for breakfast that day, all had detailed memories of the births of their children, both the treasured parts and more difficult parts.  The experience of giving birth profoundly impacts a woman forever.  Many women had little choice in their birth experiences.  Either they gave birth before the advent of modern anesthesia techniques, or gave birth during the time of “twilight sleep birth” when women were given pain medication that rendered them unconscious or into such a trance that they would not remember what they went through to birth their babies.

            In the modern world, women have more options.  They can choose a “natural birth,” without any type of medication to start, stop, or numb the pain of labor, or an epidural, anesthesia placed in the epidural space in the woman’s spinal column, causing a cessation of pain below her waist. Epidurals can be a lifesaver for women who need cesarean sections and a very useful tool for those with long or drawn out labors.  However, natural childbirth offers tremendous benefits for the laboring woman and her baby:

·         Reduced chance of cesarean section

·         Easier time breastfeeding

·         Increased bonding between mother and infant and less separation

·         Increased participation by the mothers partner in the birth experience

·         Increased maternal sense of accomplishment

Natural childbirth also helps avoid many side effects that can occur from epidurals:

·         Reduced maternal blood pressure and fetal heart rate

·         Labor slowing, leading to additional medication to augment labor

·         Increased maternal temperature

·         Difficulty pushing

·         Increased likelihood of having a cut made (episiotomy) to birth the baby

·         Increased need for forceps or vacuum extractor to birth the baby

·         Increased cesarean section rate

·         Increase in infant hypoglycemia (low blood sugar)

·         Increased chance of baby having to spend time in the nursery

·         Maternal anesthesia headaches (“epidural headache”)

·         Increased incidence of postpartum maternal back pain and paralysis

            While a natural birth is not the only road to a positive birth experience in Southern Utah, it is easiest to have a positive natural birth with some preparation.  Here are some local options to help women achieve that goal. 

Natural Childbirth Classes

Understanding the birth process makes it easier to cope with labor.  Classes are offered by the hospital and by other trained instructors. There are different approaches to childbirth education, make sure your class is focused on natural childbirth. 

Doula Services

A doula is a trained professional birth coach.  They provide support to the laboring mother and her partner by providing information, massage, changing of positions, relaxation support and other techniques to help ease the pain of labor.

Careful Selection of a Care Provider

Several local obstetricians, family doctors, and hospital based certified nurse midwives support and encourage natural birth. Shop around. You are paying your provider for a service: choose someone who supports your wishes while safeguarding your health and your baby's. 

Out-of-Hospital Birth Options

Southern Utah has one of the highest homebirth rates in the nation. Many trained and qualified homebirth midwives serve the women in the area, providing wonderful, safe experiences for both the mother and baby. The benefits of homebirth include:

ñ  Midwives are trained professionals who know normal birth and how to handle complications and have good relationships with the hospital if it becomes safer for you to birth there

ñ  One on one attention

ñ  Birthing in the comfort of your own home with water birth as an option

ñ  A clean environment, free of many of the “super bugs” that reside at hospitals

There are also out-of-hospital birth suites available in both St. George and Cedar City.   Birth suites provide the benefits and resources of homebirth outside your home if you aren't comfortable birthing there. 

More and more Southern Utah women everyday are realizing the benefits of choosing a natural birth for themselves and their children. The right tools can make all the difference and change a potential frightening and overwhelming experience to one that is treasured.

DyAnna Gordon, BS, is a Southern Utah native, mother of 4, doula, childbirth educator, birth trauma support group facilitator and traditional midwife at Complete Beginnings Childbirth Services