A Doctor’s Guide to Pregnancy is a concise blend of medical information and practical tips for pregnant women and what things are important to pay attention to. Besides describing the basic anatomy, Dr. Donaldson covers a whole host of topics sure to interest the pregnant woman and which will be a great source of information, a source book. Not only is the book easy to read, but you will also feel like the doctor is in the room with you discussing the different topics. Now if you have questions beyond what is covered in the book, then these are topics to bring up to your own obstetrician.

A Doctor’s Guide to Pregnancy is a concise blend of medical information and practical tips for pregnant women and what things are important to pay attention to. Besides describing the basic anatomy, Dr. Donaldson covers a whole host of topics sure to interest the pregnant woman and which will be a great source of information, a source book. Not only is the book easy to read, but you will also feel like the doctor is in the room with you discussing the different topics. Now if you have questions beyond what is covered in the book, then these are topics to bring up to your own obstetrician.

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Teamwork is needed to accomplish the highly technical operative procedures that are available today to keep you running smoothly. It takes input from doctors, nurses and other operating room staff along with medical technology companies to be able to provide the leading surgical procedures to you. Today’s advances come from working together to fulfill the surgical team’s needs so that you benefit by having MINIMALLY INVASIVE procedures available to you that reward you with a shorter hospital stay, less pain and a faster recovery.

ENDOMETRIAL ABLATION TECHNIQUES-for heavy periods. TENSION-FREE VAGINAL TAPE(TVT)-for urinary incontinence). UTERINE ARTERY EMBOLIZATION-for fibroids. ADVANCED HYSTEROSCOPIC SURGERY-for polyps or fibroids. UTERUS-SPARING MYOMECTOMY for fibroids. LAPAROSCOPIC HYSTERECTOMY(total or subtotal)-when all else fails.

Many of the conditions that are described in this book may be amenable to medical treatment or other simpler treatment options. What I have attempted to achieve with this book is to provide a focused guide to what you can do when the “easy” answers have failed to provide relief.

Chapter one reviews the basic pertinent anatomy that you need to be able to understand the information laid forth in the book.

Chapter two focuses on providing the essential information regarding the common issues plaguing women today that may result in the need for surgery. These disorders include heavy periods, fibroids, involuntary urine loss and pelvic organ prolapse. Selected non-surgical measures to alleviate these problems are also reviewed in this chapter.

Chapter three provides the reader with the surgical treatment options available. Tried and true techniques as well as those that are on the cutting edge will be explained. Comparisons are made between the various procedures with respect to success rates, complications and other pertinent issues. Estimates of hospital stay and how much time you can expect to take off from work are highlighted. Keep in mind that these times may vary for you as your needs may differ from the average.

It is apparent that there are many different ways to approach a particular surgical problem and to cover all of these would be impossible. I have selected the most common procedures for this book. In some cases the procedures described are perhaps not readily available in your neck of the woods or perhaps your physician was not trained to perform them. Well ya gotta go with what ya got! Perhaps for some it may worthwhile taking a trip to a place where such procedures are readily available. How about Hawaii? Not a bad place to get some R+R after surgery! Some might think that physicians in other parts of the world may have a completely different take on things, when in fact open communication across borders has made many of these procedures available globally. What may not be mainstream today may very well be tomorrow. It may be worth asking your medical provider if one of these procedures is right for you. Don’t be shy, most of us are already used to being handed printouts from the Internet by our patients!

Infused within the chapters I relate heart-warming tales of lives that have been turbo-charged by the course of treatment they chose.

It should be acknowledged that some of the procedures described in this book should be performed by those who have had the experience and training to provide the service and that they are capable of managing, what I call, the collateral damage or the operative complication. The worst of these I call “train wrecks”. Well-meaning and highly qualified surgeons can and will have complications. Recognizing those complications in a timely manner and addressing them is of critical importance in salvaging the situation.

Of paramount significance is the end result with respect to your quality of life following surgical intervention. I assume here that you expect your quality of life to be positively enhanced! For instance, I included some information regarding sexual function after undergoing surgery on the reproductive tract. Many of you are keenly interested in learning beforehand how surgery might affect your relationship with your partner.

A recent study*1 looking at patient satisfaction will hopefully open the eyes of many physicians and other health care providers. It was noted that even when we achieve a medical cure, it doesn’t mean you the patient are going to be happy. The study noted that patients are most upset when what they expected to happen didn’t, and when what they didn’t expect to happen did. Very dissatisfied patients were those who were cured of the problem that they came in for, but the surgery resulted in another problem that interfered with their daily activities. The highest satisfaction rates are correlated with a return to normal daily activities, lifestyle improvement, symptom resolution and a sense of preparedness for surgery. It is my hope that this book will play a part in preparing you for your surgery and will result in having NO MORE BAD DAYS!

Creating Life Against the Odds

Most prospective parents, when arriving at the decision to have children, presume their journey will be an exciting and rewarding one, resulting in the birth of a healthy baby. When those dreams are shattered because they cannot conceive or miscarry, they ask, “Why me? What did I do wrong?” The trauma of infertility is as devastating to one’s self-esteem as any other life crisis, it can destroy intimate relationships—or it can bring out the best in us.

In her book, Creating Life Against the Odds, Dr. Higgins, an obstetrician/gynecologist, describes her own experience becoming a mother by ovum donation. She also shares the first hand accounts of dozens of others who have turned to assisted reproductive technology (ART) in order to realize their dreams of becoming parents. These are stories Dr. Higgins has heard from her patients and from hundreds of women (and men) she has counseled or communicated with through confidential Internet support groups. The stories of these courageous individuals became the inspiration for Creating Life Against the Odds.

Dr. Higgins takes us along on their journeys as they struggle with infertility, as they explore the options that medical science now offers, as they meet obstacles, and as they adjust to repeated loss. She also takes us into the minds and hearts of sperm and ovum donors, surrogates, and gestational carriers, looking at what makes them want to lend such an intimate, helping hand. Are they like organ donors? Do they do it for financial gain? When ART enters the picture and donors or surrogates are used, how should we describe their relationship to the children they helped create? And what about the children? Are they like adoptees? How do they understand their birth origins? And what should their parents tell them?

Dr. Higgins’ wisdom as a well-traveled physician, who has delivered babies and counseled patients from many cultures, allows her to tackle tough practical and ethical questions from a global perspective. These questions are answered honestly, with deep compassion and respect for those courageous men and women who have sought the help of ART and who belong, as a result, to a special group of parents whose success in family-building is due to an extraordinary commitment and a selfless expression of love.

Creating Life Against the Odds

Most prospective parents, when arriving at the decision to have children, presume their journey will be an exciting and rewarding one, resulting in the birth of a healthy baby. When those dreams are shattered because they cannot conceive or miscarry, they ask, “Why me? What did I do wrong?” The trauma of infertility is as devastating to one’s self-esteem as any other life crisis, it can destroy intimate relationships—or it can bring out the best in us.

In her book, Creating Life Against the Odds, Dr. Higgins, an obstetrician/gynecologist, describes her own experience becoming a mother by ovum donation. She also shares the first hand accounts of dozens of others who have turned to assisted reproductive technology (ART) in order to realize their dreams of becoming parents. These are stories Dr. Higgins has heard from her patients and from hundreds of women (and men) she has counseled or communicated with through confidential Internet support groups. The stories of these courageous individuals became the inspiration for Creating Life Against the Odds.

Dr. Higgins takes us along on their journeys as they struggle with infertility, as they explore the options that medical science now offers, as they meet obstacles, and as they adjust to repeated loss. She also takes us into the minds and hearts of sperm and ovum donors, surrogates, and gestational carriers, looking at what makes them want to lend such an intimate, helping hand. Are they like organ donors? Do they do it for financial gain? When ART enters the picture and donors or surrogates are used, how should we describe their relationship to the children they helped create? And what about the children? Are they like adoptees? How do they understand their birth origins? And what should their parents tell them?

Dr. Higgins’ wisdom as a well-traveled physician, who has delivered babies and counseled patients from many cultures, allows her to tackle tough practical and ethical questions from a global perspective. These questions are answered honestly, with deep compassion and respect for those courageous men and women who have sought the help of ART and who belong, as a result, to a special group of parents whose success in family-building is due to an extraordinary commitment and a selfless expression of love.