Infertility Issues - The Center for Fertility and Gynecology

At today's meeting at Braemar Country Club in Tarzana, The Motherhood Consortium was honored to have Dr. Marc Kalan and Dr. Nurit Winkler from The Center of Fertility and Gynecology speak on the issues of "fertility". Some of the important concepts were that there are some very distinctive signs of potential infertility that when noticed should prompt a woman wanting to have children to contact the center immediately. The sooner you are able to begin the process, the better your chances of success. At gestation, woman have the the most amount of eggs available to them and they diminish in amount and quality with each menstrual cycle. If you are planning pregnancy, the best timing would be to attempt within one to two days before ovulation. If there is a problem with regular menstruation, then blood tests will be take to test the ovaries for FSH (follicle stimulating hormone) and E2 (Estradiol). The tubes will also be tested to see if there is blockage of some sort. Ultrasounds can be taken of the uterus to and another source of testing would be the sperm. Couples should seek treatments on a timely basis instead of trying on their own for a lengthy period without results nor treatment. They also spoke about Clomid, a pill that binds with the estrogen receptor and causes the hypothalamus to sense a lack of estrogen. This type of treatment has an 80% ovulation success rate and a 15% pregnancy rate. This is one of the ways they measure what might be causing infertility. Those who are ultimately candidates for IVF (In Vitro Fertilization) is as a result of a tubal factor, male factor, or unexplained infertility. IVF is the fertility treatment that has the highest success rate, requires close monitoring but is a higher risk of multiple pregnancies. They also spoke of "egg freezing" and other non-traditional reproduction, and pre-implantation genetic diagnosis. such as egg donation, gestational surrogacy and testing for genetic disorders. One of the attendees who apparently was quite familiar with "The Center for Fertility and Gynecology" and the Doctors spoke very highly not only of their expertise in the field but also the unusual caring and nurturing qualities that they possessed.

Clearing The Air

The aftermath of a great dinner sometimes means clearing the air in the kitchen!


While the weather has temporarily turned back to unseasonably hot in Los Angeles I still found I had a need to eat a good piece of meat. My loving husband had seen a recipe for a caramelized shallot and walnut side dish that seemed the perfect match for a Chateaubriand I was dying to make. Both dishes turned out perfectly, and with the addition of some greens we relished every bite while watching election results sipping a nice red. I will post the recipes shortly.

The problem came after when an extraordinary meal lingered about the kitchen through cooking odors.

How do you fix this if you don’t live in Southern California where you can open the doors yearlong?

I know we all want to linger a bit to enjoy our creations, and it’s beneficial to digest before doing heavy lifting, but clean all the dishes pots and pans thoroughly very shortly after the meal. Wipe all counters and the stove top as well. Throw out the garbage, as food odors tend to linger. I always keep lemons and lime handy, cut one in half and add it to the garbage disposal, and sense the air quality improve immediately. You may want to add a splash into the dishwasher or sink as you clean it as well. Cleaners with fragrances can improve things as well. I recommend Lysol Neutra Air Sanitizing Spray; it eliminates odor problems at their source and leaves a clean pleasant fragrance.

Cleaning the kitchen can be as much fun as orchestrating a great meal while it helps burn a few calories in the process. Happy eating, happy cleaning, happy living.

http://www.martaperrone.com

Rosie, The Jetson's Maid comes Home to Roost

In the name of science, or “The Jetsons”, there is a new automated floor cleaner called Mint (http://www.mintcleaner.com). It uses a Swiffer like wet/dry cloth system, has a cool Apple like look, cleans in a grid format and works the corners.

All well and good, but there is something about it I find unsettling.

Cleaning the floors has a cathartic rhythmic feel, one I loathe to give up especially to a machine. Doing the floors is usually the last part of a home cleaning process, one that says’ “I am done, case closed, the house is clean”. It is slightly meditative, a gliding trance like motion somewhere between a no-brainer and doing a downward dog.

So while the Mint may be a great new addition to our mechanical automated housekeeper homemaker world, I will leave it to others. As for me I will continue to be slightly old school, give me the mop, pail and the assurance and satisfaction of knowing I finished the job thoroughly.

Parents Educational League of Los Angeles

Desiree Lapin's new venture The Parents Educational League of Los Angeles PEL is an online resource for parents and schools, from Independent to Public to Private, a one stop shop that puts it all at your fingertips. After an interesting talk on the state of public/private education by Paul Cummins from New Visions Foundation (a nonprofit organization that seeks to catalyze change in American public education, Desiree Lapin showed us all the new website and all it’s functionality. The Parents Educational League is what you need when considering your family’s educational needs.

About Ama De Casa Profesional

Nannies and Housekeepers Are Not Charity Cases!!

Recently read a blog from a mother who was concerned about needing to be charitable to her nanny or housekeeper during these tough economic times. She continued to explain various studies have shown that many wealthy people tend to be less charitable towards their household help comparing her circumstances and questioning what level of charity she should provide. This began to infuriate me. Nannies and Housekeepers (who are mostly immigrants) come to this country to find a better living and create a life for themselves and their families. They are for the most part the hardest working individuals I have ever known. They are not interested in handouts and someone giving them bags of clothes that family members no longer can use or would otherwise throw away. Sure it is always nice to receive something that is in good condition and no one wants anymore, but that isn't what these workers want the most. They want to be paid fairly, put on payroll, receive the benefits of payroll, be paid overtime, get holidays and vacation time and be provided ultimately some form of health insurance. What we need to do as a society is to incorporate this well-needed labor force into our system and treat them as we would any other Resident or US Citizen. There is no need to consider nannies and housekeepers as charity cases. Let's consider them as hard-working individuals who deserve to be treated as any other person here legally in the United States who provides a well-need service.

CPR CLASS - September 11th

We have contracted CPR USA to provide CPR and First Aid classes at our offices monthly. Classes include lecture and skills practice for Basic First Aid and CPR for Adult, Child and Infant Emergencies. In 4 hours you will learn how to recognize an emergency, react safely and render the most effective care giving the injured person the greatest chance to survival. All classes meet the OSHA guidelines and American Red Cross Guidelines for Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation & Emergency Cardiovascular Care. It also includes a comprehensive CPR student workbook and Certification. Call (818) 784-8102 to register. The cost for both CPR & First Aid is $50/per person.