Welcoming Nurse Practitioner Susan, Understanding Infertility, City Vs. Country Living, Signs You're Overworking Yourself, September Specials and Our New Partner!

Susan Geiger

Women's Health Nurse Practitioner with a Doctorate in Nursing

Susan Geiger

Women's Health Nurse Practitioner

Doctor of Nursing

Susan L. Geiger, DNP, MS, WHNP-BC, is a board certified Women's Health Nurse Practitioner and Doctor of Nursing (DNP). She is experienced in prenatal, gynecologic, and primary care of women of all ages. She graduated from Adelphi University on Long Island, NY with a Bachelor's of Science in Nursing; received her Masters in Nursing, with a specialty in Parent Child Nursing from the University of Michigan; and attended Walden University for her Doctorate in Nursing Practice.

Susan worked as an army nurse and in private practice in Labor, Delivery and the Neonatal Intensive Care Nursery. She has taught nursing at the college and university levels, in Michigan, Virginia and Pennsylvania and has been a

preceptor for Temple, Drexel, Penn State, and the University of Penn Women's Health Nurse Practitioner, Physician Assistant, Nurse Midwife and Family Nurse Practitioner programs. Providing women with the means to promote their own health and prevent illness for themselves and their families has been the essence of Susan's life and career. She is excited to be joining RWWC!

Understanding Infertility: Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)

By: Reproductive Medical Associates

When it comes to female infertility, one of the most common causes is polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), which can prevent women from ovulating. The good news is that there are ways to spur ovulation in women with PCOS, and achieve a healthy pregnancy and baby.

Dr. Jackie Gutmann, a reproductive endocrinologist at Reproductive Medicine Associates of Philadelphia and Central Pennsylvania, see patients with PCOS and helps them start their families. She answered some of our questions about PCOS.

What is PCOS?

Reproductive hormones are abnormally regulated in women with PCOS. In a perfect world, the hypothalamus, pituitary gland and ovaries all work together each month to grow follicles, stimulate one of them and release one egg from that stimulated follicle. In women with PCOS, several follicles are stimulated but none mature enough to ovulate, so there is no release of an egg and no chance to get pregnant.

Why do some women get PCOS and others don't?

We know genetics play a large role in who develops PCOS - first degree relatives of women with PCOS (mothers and sisters) have up to a 30-50 percent chance of developing the condition. There are also others theories about the cause of PCOS, such as the effect of the in-utero environment on the risk of developing PCOS later in life .

What are the symptoms of PCOS?

Irregular periods or a loss of menstruation entirely
Acne and abnormal hair growth (on the face, chest, or abdomen)
Obesity, difficulty losing or maintaining weight, and type 2 diabetes
Infertility
Anxiety, depression and eating disorders

Read more about PCOS here.

What Will It Be - City Or Country?

By: Dr. Maria Mazzotti

Even though I am a city girl at heart, I have to admit there are some good things about living in the country. I grew up in the suburbs (my parents hated the city) and once I went to college in the city, I never left. The biggest thing I miss is sitting outside in the summer, staring up at the sky and listening to the sounds of nature. But this isn't about me - so I would like to present the pros and cons of city vs suburban living.

City life provides more options for anything you need at a moment's notice. This can be a great thing, unless you have a hard time making decisions. The city offers multiple choices for essential things like different health systems as well as less important things that only seem essential like coffee shops. Sometimes finding alternative foods when you have food allergies/sensitivities may be more cumbersome in the country - while it is easier to find local produce in the country. However you may be lucky enough to have access to an open market in the city where you can get locally grown products.

The landscape of where you live does not discriminate on the types of sicknesses you can catch. Believe it or not, you can still get Lyme disease in a city. On the other hand, if you need medication or help from a neighbor, these things are more accessible in the city. Frequently there are fewer choices for medical specialists in the country and patients may need to travel further to get better care. Equally you can spend a lot of time in a car travelling from one point of the city to another or from one town to the next. Pick your poison.

Typically the city offers more resources in every category - whether you are considering a psychotherapist, yoga studio or the best French bakery...

Finish the article here.

Signs You Are Overworking Yourself

By: Dr. Rupa Natarajan

It's summer, the weather is (mostly) beautiful, but you're too tired or stressed out to enjoy it. Sound familiar? Fatigue that is unremitting, mood swings or depressed/anxious mood, changes in appetite, and feelings of detachment can all be signs that you are working too hard, and on the pathway to burnout. Other symptoms can include memory and concentration impairment, dizziness, frequent illnesses (or an illness that persists), palpitations, headaches, chest pain, gastrointestinal distress, labile/angry mood, and lack of productivity/motivation. If you have the above symptoms, it is important to get checked out by your medical provider, but you may also need to reconsider whether or not you are overburdened by demands of work and home.

Why does this matter? Long term stress and burnout (which is now recognized as a medical condition) can put you at risk of increased health problems, such as obesity or malnutrition, anxiety, depression, heart disease, chronic insomnia, and digestive problems, to name a few! Burnout is not just due to working too hard or too many hours. It can happen when the demands of your job/day overwhelm your body's capacity to handle stress.

Why does this happen? When your body initially encounters a stressful event, your senses send signals to a part of your brain called the amygdala, which plays a role in processing of memory, emotions, and decision making. A condition called "amygdala hijack" can occur in times of increased stress, where your amygdala is constantly activated rather than calmed by your prefrontal cortex, causing a cascade of biochemical triggers that lead to the release of stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline (fight or flight response). Instead of your body regulating its response to stress, it learns to exist in a hyper stressful state, putting your overall health at risk. In studies, individuals who identified as burned out were noted to have enlarged amygdalae, demonstrating that chronic stress leaves a mark on your brain and can restructure how you cognitively function.

Read the rest of the article here.

Welcoming Our Newest Partner:

Our mission is to fight food waste & hunger.

Each week, we curate fresh rescued fruits & veggies, pack 'em up & deliver to your doorstep for less than grocery. Our customizable boxes come in a variety of sizes & options so you can find the harvest that's just right for you!

Offering our members...

10% OFF EACH BOX