All Archives
NOTE: Opinions and advice provided on this website are based on the personal experience of the author, Stacy Quarty. Ms. Quarty in no way claims to be a professional source of medical, psychological or statistical information.

• Alcohol Consumption

• Am I Pregnant?

• Back Pain

• Belly Issues

• Birth Control

• Bleeding

• Body Odors

• Breast Changes

• Breast Feeding

• Calculating Conception / Due Dates

• Cancer

• Cervical Cerclage

• Cesarean Sections

• Chronic Health Problems

• Cigarette Smoking

• Constipation, Diarrhea & Gas

• Contractions

• Cotton Mouth

• Diet & Exercise

• Drug Use

• Ectopic Pregnancy

• Edema / Swelling

• Epidurals

• Fatigue

• Fertility Drugs

• Fetal Movement

• Genetics

• Gestational Diabetes

• Getting Pregnant

• Hair

• Harmful to the Fetus?

• Heartburn

• Heightened Thermostat

• Hemorrhoids

• Horror-monal Hysteria

• Hysterical Husbands & Partners

• Incompetent Cervix

• IVF (Invitro Fertilization)

• Labor
• Leg Issues

• Maternity Leave

• Medications

• Miscarriage

• Miscellaneous

• Morning Sickness

• Nesting

• Paternity

• Placenta Previa

• Placental Abruption

• Postpartum Depression

• Post-Pregnancy Issues

• Premature Labor

• Pre-Menopause

• Prenatal Testing

• Pregnancy Symptoms?

• Rh Factor

• Sex, Orgasms & Masturbation

• Single Parenting

• Skin Changes

• Sleep Deprivation

• STD (Sexually Transmitted Disease)

• Teen Pregnancy

• Tilted Cervix

• Unknown Pregnancy

• Unwanted Advice, Comments & Touching

• Uterine Cramps & Pains

• UTI (Urinary Tract Infections)

• Vaginal Discharge

• Vaginal Pain

• Vaginal Swelling

• Vaginal Tears

• Varicose Veins

• VBACs (Vaginal Birth After Cesarean)

• Weight Gain

• Worries During Delivery

• Yeast & Bacterial Infections

Q. I have severe Dysplasia or CIN III caused by HPV. How will this affect my baby during pregnancy and during labor and delivery? Will my baby get HPV? If this turns into cancer before I deliver and I need to have the cancer treated, what could happen to me and my baby?
-Kendra, Iowa

A. I claim to be no medical expert, but I will tell you what I do know. If you have HPV (Human Papillomavirus Virus), most commonly referred to as warts, and have an outbreak (warts present) during labor, your doctor will most likely perform a C-section to avoid transferring the virus to the baby.

Your Cervical Dysplasia (pre-cancerous cells) will probably not become malignant during pregnancy. If the condition does develop into cancer it will probably progress at a very slow rate and not require treatment until after delivery.

My sister was diagnosed with cervical cancer and had a tumor the size of a lemon when she was six weeks pregnant. Her OB/GYN recommended an immediate hysterectomy and radiation treatment, but she refused and decided to keep the pregnancy. During that pregnancy the tumor actually shrunk, as the blood and nutrients it needed for growth were re-routed to the baby. She had the baby at full term via C-section, then the hysterectomy and radiation treatment. Mom and baby are doing well today, five years later.

Q. I quit breast feeding over six months ago. When I was breast feeding, I developed a white cyst/bump on my nipple. It is very visible. It does not express. I am wondering if this is normal and whether it will go away over time. I realize my milk may still be there. I do have a bit of yellow crust on my nipples. The white cyst seems to be a swollen duct. I am experiencing no pain or discomfort, even to the touch.
-Stacey, California

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A. A blocked milk duct is normally painful and will go away shortly after breast feeding has ceased. Your cyst/bump could be an enlarged gland, a fibroid cyst or a cancerous lump. I recommend getting it checked out ASAP by your OB/GYN or general practitioner. If it does turn out to be malignant, the sooner you treat it, the better.

Q. What are the chances of becoming pregnant after having been treated for cervical dysplasia?
-Anonymous, Texas

A. (Note: cervical dysplasia is the presence of abnormal cells in the cervix that may develop into an invasive cervical cancer if not treated.)

It depends on what type of cervical dysplasia you had (mild, moderate or severe) and what type of treatment was performed. Treatment options include: cryotherapy, or freezing, done by freezing the abnormal cells; laser treatment using a tiny beam of light to vaporize the abnormal cells; loop excision, also known as "LLETZ" or "LEEP," using a fine wire loop with electrical energy flowing through it to remove the abnormal area of the cervix; cone biopsy, removing a cone-shaped piece of the cervix; or a hysterectomy, which is complete removal of the cervix and uterus. If you had the cryotherapy, laser treatment or loop excision, your chances of becoming pregnant are pretty much the same as before. With a cone biopsy, a small percentage of women may have trouble with conception and pregnancy. Needless to say, if you had the last treatment, the hysterectomy, you have no chance to get pregnant.