Yesterday I made applesauce with the apples I picked at Cranes. I've been meaning to meet my new neighbors for a while so I put them in a nice jar and went over with my husband. The mystery has officially been solved. Sometime early in July our current neighbors came over to ask about the neighborhood before putting in an offer and now I know they followed through with that. They seem extremely outgoing and I'm glad they joined our neighborhood.
The couple has a 2 year old daughter and expecting one in late March. So that got me thinking about pregnancy again. The thought that came in my head was the different definitions of "pregnancy." Doctors use the date of the beginning of the last cycle because that is the only easy to identify moment for some women - but that is not when the pregnancy began so the weeks are messed up - as my lovely friend in South Bend has told me before - why would doctors want you to feel like you've been pregnant about 2 weeks longer than is actually the case anyway? I just never really thought about it in relation to other definitions. Plan B proponents would claim pregnancy started about a month later when implantation occurs. Maybe that is part of the reason I am so passionate about spreading the word on how great NFP really is. You can have a more accurate due date as well as a better understanding of the true start of pregnancy. Do doctors realize they are giving out two contradicting views of pregnancy? Two views and neither is entirely accurate. I wonder when "modern technology" will catch up to this little snafu
Showing posts with label plan B. Show all posts
Showing posts with label plan B. Show all posts
Friday, September 18, 2009
Tuesday, September 8, 2009
Same Commercial, Same Mood
This time I was watching the style network and saw the "Plan B" commercial again. I was surprised at how long it was but had to watch through the end - part of me couldn't believe that it would flat out lie. On the website www.planbonestep.com it does not say anything about how it works other than the fact that it is similar to the pill and not like the abortion pill (didn't even know there was one out there).
That being said, I had to do some extra research and found some answers on another website. Here is the paragraph I think they should have on the commercial:
And here is what I found earlier in that website:
I am not the best at science but here is a short lesson for everyone out there.
Step one: egg is fertilized
Step two: zygote (aka your baby) travels down fallopian tube for around a week
Step three: rapidly growing baby implants in the uterus to receive much needed nutrients.
If you take "plan b" less than a week after sex as directed there is no way it could cause a miscarriage from the uterus - the baby hasn't gotten that far yet. It can cause an existing pregnancy to fail because once the egg if fertilized all the DNA is there. In any case, I think that fact that the drug company does not explain how it works on even their website is dishonest and all women should learn a little more about how their reproductive system works before loading their bodies with hormones.
Unfortunately, many doctors, teachers and parents are not helping girls learn the right information. Many don't have it themselves. As a woman that has taken a lot of time trying to figure out what is happening in my body, I hope and pray that I am helping others by finding some sources that explain and reveal what doctors, pharmacists and commercials won't.
That being said, I had to do some extra research and found some answers on another website. Here is the paragraph I think they should have on the commercial:
How does Plan B One-Step work?
Plan B One-Step is one pill with levonorgestrel, a hormone that has been used in many birth control pills for over 35 years. Plan B One-Step contains higher dose of levonorgestrel than pills, but works similar way to prevent pregnancy. It works mainly by stopping the release an egg from the ovary. It is possible that Plan B One-Step may also work preventing fertilization of an egg (the uniting of sperm with the egg) or by preventing attachment (implantation) to the uterus (womb).
And here is what I found earlier in that website:
Plan B One-Step will not work if you are already pregnant and will not affect an existing pregnancy.
I am not the best at science but here is a short lesson for everyone out there.
Step one: egg is fertilized
Step two: zygote (aka your baby) travels down fallopian tube for around a week
Step three: rapidly growing baby implants in the uterus to receive much needed nutrients.
If you take "plan b" less than a week after sex as directed there is no way it could cause a miscarriage from the uterus - the baby hasn't gotten that far yet. It can cause an existing pregnancy to fail because once the egg if fertilized all the DNA is there. In any case, I think that fact that the drug company does not explain how it works on even their website is dishonest and all women should learn a little more about how their reproductive system works before loading their bodies with hormones.
Unfortunately, many doctors, teachers and parents are not helping girls learn the right information. Many don't have it themselves. As a woman that has taken a lot of time trying to figure out what is happening in my body, I hope and pray that I am helping others by finding some sources that explain and reveal what doctors, pharmacists and commercials won't.
Friday, August 28, 2009
False Advertising
Last night I was watching TV while my husband read behind me. I think I was watching Scrubs because I really could have used a laugh last night. Too bad that is not what happened - stupid commercial breaks! This is the first time that I have seen a commercial for Plan B or emergency contraception. They ran that add as a backup plan after contraception failure or unprotected sex. They made it look like it was simple and wouldn't cause many side effects even though it is a lot stronger than any birth control pill (how do you think it could work in just a couple days and after the fact).
What pushed me over the top was when they said it would not cause an existing pregnancy to fail. I knew that was a lie and practically yelled at the TV. My husband asked me what was wrong and I told him about their false advertising. So how can they get away with saying that? I looked back on a previous post of mine to find out. Mainly, plan B works by loading your body with hormones to prevent ovulation, but there is a second option that I explained in a previous post....
How can this misleading add go on tv? Who let them get away with changing the time that pregnancy occurs? Plan B definitely works by destroying the fertilized egg (which they say is not pregnancy) a small percentage of the time. And I'm sure only a small percentage of the time is it actually needed which is almost just as sad. Girls as young as 17 can get this over the counter and some will take it when they are not fertile and have no chance of becoming pregnant. It is a shame that their bodies will go through all that for nothing and that a commercial makes it seem like it is as simple as buying and taking something like cough syrup. I wish pro-life groups had more money so we could make fancy commercials that gave the whole truth and listed other options. I have to believe that most girls and women do this to their bodies because they think it is the only way they can keep living their life. There is information out there but it is many times extremely hard to find and I hope to help change that.
What pushed me over the top was when they said it would not cause an existing pregnancy to fail. I knew that was a lie and practically yelled at the TV. My husband asked me what was wrong and I told him about their false advertising. So how can they get away with saying that? I looked back on a previous post of mine to find out. Mainly, plan B works by loading your body with hormones to prevent ovulation, but there is a second option that I explained in a previous post....
The second option would be defined as an abortifacient. To get around this tricky word, proponents of the drug define pregnancy as the time when the fertilized egg implants to the uterine lining. However, science agrees that the genetic makeup of the new child is complete once the egg is fertilized and before it implants to the mother's uterus.
How can this misleading add go on tv? Who let them get away with changing the time that pregnancy occurs? Plan B definitely works by destroying the fertilized egg (which they say is not pregnancy) a small percentage of the time. And I'm sure only a small percentage of the time is it actually needed which is almost just as sad. Girls as young as 17 can get this over the counter and some will take it when they are not fertile and have no chance of becoming pregnant. It is a shame that their bodies will go through all that for nothing and that a commercial makes it seem like it is as simple as buying and taking something like cough syrup. I wish pro-life groups had more money so we could make fancy commercials that gave the whole truth and listed other options. I have to believe that most girls and women do this to their bodies because they think it is the only way they can keep living their life. There is information out there but it is many times extremely hard to find and I hope to help change that.
Friday, April 24, 2009
Plan B and Abortifacients
Plan B has been in the news recently in regards to age restrictions. It is in the process of becoming available to teens without a prescription or parental knowledge. Many see this as progress and a willingness to distribute resources, but I would argue most do not know what it really does or how it works.
Plan B is an accurate name since it is taken after the fact, within 72 hours, of intercourse. It contains a high dose of "birth control drugs" - hormones- that can either prevent ovulation or prevent a fertilized egg from implanting. The second option would be defined as an abortifacient. To get around this tricky word, proponents of the drug define pregnancy as the time when the fertilized egg implants to the uterine lining. However, science agrees that the genetic makeup of the new child is complete once the egg is fertilized and before it implants to the mother's uterus. I just want to give those children the respect they deserve and speak out in their behalf. I'm sure, if they could answer, they would want to live. To be fair, the abortive action does not happen the majority of the time it is taken, but that is not the only reason that this news is upsetting to me.
The birth control pill is full of hormones that can negatively affect the health of the women. The possible side effects are numerous and sometimes frightening. My original rejection of the pill had more to do with health than religious reasons. I had health issues in middle school and high school that required me to take medication daily. The pills I took affected my appetite, weight, ability to concentrate and, at times, indirectly affected my self-esteem. My body was not made to take in all those chemicals, but the alternative was to be sick so I did what the doctors prescribed. I told myself I would not subject my body to that type of treatment out of convenience or selfish wants. It helped me stay clear of drugs and drinking while in high school and helped me keep an open mind about NFP.
Do women realize the stress they are putting on their bodies? Do they realize that Plan B is not a lot different than the pill because they both prevent implantation as a last resort (if somehow fertilization had already occurred)? Last question - if the pill needs to be prescribed by a doctor because all of the side effects and the morning after pill or Plan B is 50x that dose, why do we think it is a good thing to give 17 year-olds access to it without a prescription? If someone has an answer to that please let me know.
If you want to know more of the theology behind my stance on contraceptives, look at the previous post.
Plan B is an accurate name since it is taken after the fact, within 72 hours, of intercourse. It contains a high dose of "birth control drugs" - hormones- that can either prevent ovulation or prevent a fertilized egg from implanting. The second option would be defined as an abortifacient. To get around this tricky word, proponents of the drug define pregnancy as the time when the fertilized egg implants to the uterine lining. However, science agrees that the genetic makeup of the new child is complete once the egg is fertilized and before it implants to the mother's uterus. I just want to give those children the respect they deserve and speak out in their behalf. I'm sure, if they could answer, they would want to live. To be fair, the abortive action does not happen the majority of the time it is taken, but that is not the only reason that this news is upsetting to me.
The birth control pill is full of hormones that can negatively affect the health of the women. The possible side effects are numerous and sometimes frightening. My original rejection of the pill had more to do with health than religious reasons. I had health issues in middle school and high school that required me to take medication daily. The pills I took affected my appetite, weight, ability to concentrate and, at times, indirectly affected my self-esteem. My body was not made to take in all those chemicals, but the alternative was to be sick so I did what the doctors prescribed. I told myself I would not subject my body to that type of treatment out of convenience or selfish wants. It helped me stay clear of drugs and drinking while in high school and helped me keep an open mind about NFP.
Do women realize the stress they are putting on their bodies? Do they realize that Plan B is not a lot different than the pill because they both prevent implantation as a last resort (if somehow fertilization had already occurred)? Last question - if the pill needs to be prescribed by a doctor because all of the side effects and the morning after pill or Plan B is 50x that dose, why do we think it is a good thing to give 17 year-olds access to it without a prescription? If someone has an answer to that please let me know.
If you want to know more of the theology behind my stance on contraceptives, look at the previous post.
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