Blog

Are birth control pills dangerous?

May 6, 2021 by Kevin Brent Leave a Comment

That is a common question these days as the risk of blood clots with the J and J vaccine is being compared to the risk of clots with certain birth control methods.

All combination contraceptives ( a combination of estrogen and progesterone, with estrogen being the more risky for clots ) have a small risk of blood clots. These aren’t the clots you see during your period, but the ones that form and block blood flow in important blood vessels- deep vein thromboses in legs (DVT), clots in lungs that can be fatal (pulmonary emboli or PE) or blockages in the vessels of the head and neck , which lead to strokes.

Anyone on the pill, patch or ring needs to understand that these clots are a rare, but dangerous complication of estrogen ( also occur during pregnancy and in women using estrogen replacement therapy for menopausal symptoms) and to know the warning signs. If you are on these medications and have a hot, swollen, tender leg without a recent injury- you need to seek medical care immediately to rule out a clot, because a clot in the leg can travel to the lungs or other organs and cause major issues.

That said, these methods of birth control are still very safe for most people and pregnancy carries a higher risk of clot than these medications. For women wanting to avoid these risks, or women with certain medical issues that make them more prone to blood clots, there are a number of progesterone only methods of preventing pregnancy- progesterone only pills, IUDs, implants and more.

Birth Control Methods and the Risk of Blood Clots

COVID-19 Update

March 31, 2020 by Dr. Tamar K. Gottfried Leave a Comment

As we all change our habits to slow the spread of the Covid-19 virus, we are exploring new, safer options to take care of our ob/gyn patients. Current recommendations are to avoid any routine office visit that can wait a month without harm. We have not yet been cancelling existing appointments, but that may be required at some point. In an effort to be available for our patients, we will now offer some Telehealth visit options.

We can currently use Facetime, Facebook messaging and will be adding an app called doxy.me to use as well. We will need your email to invite you to the visit.

For our pregnant patients: If you are low risk and feeling well and prefer not to come in for routine visits that don’t need bloodwork or ultrasound, please ask to reschedule to a Telehealth visit. We will ask you to get a home blood pressure cuff / a thermometer/ and a scale at your pharmacy and take your blood pressure, weight and temperature prior to the visit. We will email you a link and a time to log in for the visit like a regular appointment. You will have a 10-15 minute with Dr. Gottfried or Terri. For patients who need monitoring once or twice a week or have other issues needing in person evaluation, we will see you in the office like usual.

For our non- pregnant patients, if you would like to use Telehealth for a counselling or results visit, please schedule a time by calling in , texting , or using zocdoc. We will schedule a visit for you and this will be billed to your insurance using the Telehealth codes.

For all patients who need to come in to the office for a visit, we are doing our best to protect you and to protect our staff . If you have a fever, cough, or are otherwise feeling ill, please call us first to receive specific instructions. For all patients, please come to the visit by yourself if possible to have as few people in the office at a time as possible. Please leave children at home as they may be carriers of the virus without symptoms. If you are coming in for an ob ultrasound, you can have one other person accompany you. We can include other family members in the ultrasound visit via your phone and a conferencing app.

For all of us, please observe social distancing- only leave your house when you have to. Walks outside are okay if away from other people who don’t live in your household. Store visits and food pick ups should only be made by one , low risk member of your household. If everyone goes out to the store or restaurant, it defeats the purpose of social distancing.
Please do what you can to keep you and your family healthy. We are here for you to help you through this difficult time. Please call if we can help in any way.

How to address feminine health questions during the Covid-19 pandemic

March 31, 2020 by Dr. Tamar K. Gottfried Leave a Comment

As we are trying to limit patient traffic through our office during this difficult time, I am thrilled to announce new telemedicine options for ob and gynecology consults.

What is telemedicine? Telemedicine means that you can have confidential access to YOUR doctor or nurse practitioner from the comfort and safety of your home. A lot of what we do in medicine is listening and talking and counselling and coming up with a diagnosis and treatment plan, and that can be done just as easily in a remote setting. We can even look at incisions or bumps or rashes in this format since it is private and secure

How does telemedicine work? First, we schedule an appointment time for your visit and update your insurance information and any demographic information that may have changed since your last visit here. Then, one of the medical assistants Eli or Pattie will call you to update your medical information, and finally, at the time of your visit (it can be a a few minutes delayed since we are still seeing urgent and pregnant patients in the office and are still delivering babies ) you will get an email with the link to your visit. Click on the link and Terri or Dr. Gottfried will be there to speak with you.

What kinds of visits can be done with telemedicine? Any visit that doesn’t require immediate physical exam, ultrasound or lab test can start this way. Birth control consults, birth control pill refill visits, Abnormal bleeding, rash or new skin lesion checks, wound checks, questions about pregnancy symptoms or problems, menopausal symptoms, even consults for our new Viveve procedure, which treats bladder leakage (which can be very helpful if you are coughing or sneezing a lot or exercising more at home). Also, this kind of visit is ideal for consults about lab results or ultrasound or biopsy results.

What are the costs of telemedicine visits? If you are pregnant, these visits are part of the ob package. For gyn visits, these are billed to your insurance just like an office visit, but using different codes Even AHCCCS and Medicare are encouraging patients and doctors to do visits using this technology.

In summary, we are here for you both in person and remotely. While we are asking routine visits to wait until the recommendation for staying at home has been lifted, we are available for pregnancy and gynecology problem visits and your other female health needs. We still are offering in house ultrasound and laboratory services for your convenience . Please call with any questions or book online through the website.

What’s new at TG MD?

February 25, 2020 by Dr. Tamar K. Gottfried Leave a Comment

We haven’t posted anything new for a while, but there are so many new things going on at the office that we are excited about.

We have a nurse practitioner!

Terry Patin, Women’s Health Nurse Practitioner, has joined the office and brings her 20 years of women’s health experience to the office. She loves seeing both pregnant and non pregnant women to help with all aspects of female health. Even better, with Terri in the office, we almost always have same day appointments available either by calling the office or to be booked directly on the ZocDoc button on the website.

We have Saturday hours! Now we are open for ultrasound and appointments with Terri every other Saturday morning. This makes it even easier to schedule your annual or problem visit appointment.

Our website is now mobile friendly! This makes it easier to book appointments.

We have a nonsurgical treatment for bladder leakage! We are pleased to offer Viveve, which can help with vaginal health issues with a pain free office procedure. Many of the girls in the office have had this treatment done already and can tell you more about their experiences. Contact the office for more information and check back for upcoming specials.

Can I find a doula- friendly obstetrician?

May 2, 2013 by Dr. Tamar K. Gottfried Leave a Comment

Historically, the birth of a baby has been a family event. Throughout much of human history, a woman has given birth surrounded not only by her birth attendant, but by female family and friends who bring their combined experiences to help make her labor and delivery as easy as possible. Nowadays, this is no longer a given. Many women live far from family members or find that their close friends and family may not have any prior birth experience to share with them. This lack of support and knowledge can often complicate the birth experience, especially for a woman who is planning an unmedicated labor and delivery.

In the modern, mobile society, many couples need an extra person to help them navigate the birth process, someone to replace the knowledgeable family members of the past. This is where a doula comes in. A doula is an experienced birth attendant that can be hired by a couple to help them during labor and delivery and even after the baby comes home. Sounds like a great idea- why wouldn’t most obstetricians be thrilled to have a doula in the labor and delivery room? Unfortunately, many OBs have a misconception of the role of the doula or have had an isolated bad experience and feel that their role in the process will be threatened if a couple has a doula there.

Ideally, a doula is an asset to both the laboring woman and to the medical staff. She can help a woman find different ways to transcend the pain of labor, she can help translate medical terminology and what is going on, she can support a couple in the decisions they make during the birth process. A doula, an expectant couple and their medical team all have the same goals- a healthy mom and baby, achieved by as natural a process as can safely happen.

Tamar Gottfried is a Board Certified Obstetrician/ gynecologist practicing general Ob/gyn in Mesa Arizona and affiliated with Banner Desert and Banner Gateway Medical Centers. She can be contacted at 480-545-0059. This is a general interest article only and is not intended to be medical advice. See a medical professional before making medical decisions

My baby is almost due- do I need a birth plan?

September 10, 2012 by Dr. Tamar K. Gottfried Leave a Comment

Expectant mothers are bombarded with tasks to complete for the births of their babies- It can be a bit overwhelming. Is a birth plan a necessary part of the pre-baby preparation? Not necessarily.

A birth plan is a lists of likes and dislikes to help guide the medical staff in the labor and delivery department to meet the needs and expectations of a couple. There are many birth plan templates on line and in pregnancy advice books. However, for the majority of couples, the preferences expressed in these prefabricated birth plans do not apply to them. For example, many of the birth plans state that the couple wishes to avoid routine shaving, enemas, and episiotomies- most of which have not been standard practice since the 1970s. For a couple who do not have strong objections to hospital policies or who are not planning an unmedicated delivery, a birth plan may not be needed.

Birth plans are more important for couples whose wishes might deviate from standard labor and delivery practices. The couple who wants to avoid any intravenous fluids or fetal monitoring, who want certain music playing in the room, who do not want any pain medicine offered or even mentioned, or who want to deliver in an alternative position should write out their preferences ahead of time and discuss them with their OB well before they are in labor. That way, their doctor understands their vision of their labor, and can explain which desires are easy to fulfill, and which will be more difficult, or even unsafe and why.

The best birth plan is one that is put together during the last months of pregnancy and is brought to the obstetrician and labor and delivery units to be discussed before the craziness of labor begins. As an obstetrician, I am always happy to discuss birth plans with expectant parents at OB visits. Most importantly, the birth plan should also include some flexibility, since, however important a birth plan is, it is more important to have a safe labor and birth that ends with a healthy mother and child.

So I’m pregnant and eating for two- Can I eat as much as I want now?

September 9, 2012 by Dr. Tamar K. Gottfried Leave a Comment

The old adage that pregnancy is a time of “eating for two” has been around for some time. Yes, the pregnant mom IS eating for two, but one of them is very small. For most of us, eating whatever and as much as we want IS a fantasy. Unfortunately, during pregnancy, it is no more of a reality than at any other time.

Diet during pregnancy is important to the health and growth of the growing fetus, but the amount of weight gain required varies according to a mother’s pre-pregnancy weight. While an underweight woman needs to gain over 35 lbs to grow a healthy baby, an overweight lady can gain as little as 10-15 lbs to do the same. Not gaining enough weight in pregnancy cause cause issues with inadequate fetal growth, while excessive weight gain can lead to gestational diabetes, large babies, cesarean delivery and difficulty with weight loss after delivery.

It is perfectly normal to maintain weight, or even lose weight in the first trimester due to decreased appetite, nausea, or even vomiting, which is common in early pregnancy. Some women even gain weight in the early months of pregnancy because they find that eating throughout the day can reduce nausea. In contrast, by the third trimester, an average weight woman should be gaining about a pound a week.

How does a pregnant woman gain a healthy amount of weight during pregnancy? For the underweight to normal weight mom, it may mean eating 6 small meals throughout the day, snacking healthily on smoothies and trail mix and peanut butter sandwiches or granola. For the woman at risk for an excessive weight gain, it may mean drinking only calorie free beverages ( no sugary soda, juice or vitamin waters) and low or nonfat milk ( a couple glasses a day max). It also means making sure that there is protein at each meal (even breakfast) and weighing and measuring foods to keep a food diary. Some women gain too much even though they are eating the right kinds of foods, because they are eating too much of them.

For women of all sizes who are experiencing an uncomplicated pregnancy, exercise is an important component of every day. Simply moving enough to get the heart rate up at least 30 minutes a day helps promote healthy fetal growth and development. No one is required to become a distance runner during pregnancy, but continuing previous exercise routines or developing new low impact habits is ideal. For more personalized advice about weight gain and exercise during pregnancy, contact your obstetrician.

I don’t want a pregnancy now, but maybe in the future. What are options in long term reversible contraception?

September 8, 2012 by Dr. Tamar K. Gottfried Leave a Comment

Although the birth control pill and sterilization are the most popular forms of contraception, these options are not for everyone. There is a large group of women that want to avoid pregnancy for several years, but want the option of a pregnancy in the future. For these women, who may worry about forgetting to take a daily pill, missing a doctor’s appointment or losing insurance coverage and not being able to pay for birth control pills or shots, long acting reversible contraception (LARC) methods are a safe and convenient option.

An increasingly popular example of a LARC is the Mirena Intrauterine Device (IUD). Mirena is a T- shaped device that is inserted in a woman’s uterus for up to 5 years. It slowly releases progesterone over that time period, making the uterus an unfriendly place for sperm, preventing pregnancy. A happy side effect of Mirena is that the hormones in it thins the uterine lining, lightening the monthly period to almost nothing. While there can be irregular bleeding at first, most women using Mirena have barely any bleeding each month. Fortunately, the dose of hormone in Mirena is quite low and mostly acts inside the uterus, so other side effects (weight gain, mood changes) are minimal.

Unfortunately, Mirena only comes in one size (designed for a uterus that has carried a pregnancy) and is not always a good option for the woman who has never been pregnant. Sometimes Mirena can be difficult to insert or can be pushed out by uterine cramps in these cases. Also, since Mirena goes into the uterus, it is not ideal for the woman who is not in a monogamous relationship and could be exposed to sexually transmitted diseases. These STDs, combined with an IUD can cause a more serious pelvic infection. For women who do not want these risks associated with an IUD, the Implanon device is a great alternative.

Implanon (soon to be called Nexplanon) is an small rod which is inserted into the inner arm in a painless office procedure, and slowly releases a form of progesterone over a 3 year period. Side effects are minimal, but include irregular bleeding, which lessens with time. This method is ideal for women who want long term birth control, without the risks of a uterine method. The rod is small, can’t be seen by others unless pointed out to them, and is easy to remove when the time comes.

The third LARC is for the woman who wants to avoid hormones altogether. The Paragard IUD has been around for decades and is a reliable long term method. It is a copper device that is inserted in the uterus and creates an anti- sperm effect on the uterus which prevents pregnancy. Major side effects include heavier and crampier periods, making it a better option for the woman who has light, reasonable periods to begin with.

In conclusion, there are multiple birth control options for the woman who wants a few years of protection. A gynecologist can help a woman decide which one is best for her individual situation.

I feel a vaginal bulge- Are my insides falling out?

July 27, 2012 by Dr. Tamar K. Gottfried Leave a Comment

Pelvic prolapse is a common complaint in women, especially those who have ever been pregnant. Sometimes, it is something noted by a gynecologist on a yearly exam. Other times, women notice a bulging while in the shower or wiping. Although many women are initially alarmed by this, pelvic prolapse comes in varying degrees and often has little to no impact on a woman’s daily life.

Prolapse is when there is a decrease in strength or a tear in the supportive tissue of the vagina, allowing the nearby organs to bulge into the vagina, especially during bearing down (exercise, coughing, straining for a bowel movement). A bulge in the vagina can be the rectum (rectocele), the bladder (cystocele), the intestines (enterocele), or the uterus. If a woman has had a hysterectomy, the vagina itself can prolapse, bulging into itself. The organs don’t actually come into the vagina, they just push onto the vaginal wall, creating a bulge or ball.

In severe cases, prolapse can cause an uncomfortable pressure sensation, can irritate the vaginal tissues, and can cause bladder or bowel dysfunction. A woman with symptomatic prolapse can try physical therapy or can use a device called a pessary to relieve her symptoms. Pessaries are made of rubber or silicone and come in different sizes and shapes. They are worn in the vagina to hold things in place. Some women use these only during waking hours- others wear them all the time and, if they are not capable of taking them in and out, see a gynecologist for regular removal and cleaning every few months. When conservative measures fail, there are a number of surgeries that can be done for prolapse. However, it is important to refrain from repetitive coughing or heavy lifting after prolapse surgery to minimize the chance of recurrence.

Fortunately, many cases of pelvic prolapse are mild. For these women, who have mild prolapse and minimal to no symptoms, there is no treatment necessary. This is a condition that can be monitored yearly at the Annual Gyn Exam and may never impact a woman’s life.

What is it like to have robotic assisted gynecologic surgery- a physician’s perspective

July 26, 2012 by Dr. Tamar K. Gottfried Leave a Comment

As an ob/gyn physician, the last thing I wanted to do was have gynecologic surgery on myself. Much to my dismay, I discovered that my uterus was hosting several large fibroid tumors. Since I didn’t have any of the typical symptoms of heavy or painful periods, my first instinct was to ignore them. However, given that my uterus was the size of a 4-5 month pregnancy, it became apparent that the fibroids were going to have to be removed before they got larger or grew enough tumor friends that a minimally invasive surgery was not an option.

Although many women in their 40s would jump at the opportunity to have a hysterectomy and be done with periods forever, I was relatively fond of my uterus. It had carried three lovely kids, and I was hoping to go through life with as many of my parts intact as possible. For this reason, and the distant dream of having a little girl to add to my brood of boys, I chose to have a myomectomy, a surgery to remove just the fibroids and preserve my uterus. Additionally, because I am self employed and do not like to spend more than a few days away from my patients, I chose to have the surgery done laparoscopically. My surgeon would use the da Vinci robot to remove my fibroids through 4 tiny incisions and I would return to work in a week.

There is a joke among medical personnel that our medical issues always turn out to be more complicated than anticipated and I was no exception. My surgery- supposedly to remove 5 fibroids in 4 hours- turned out to be a 6 hour procedure to remove 14 tumors. Even so, my gifted surgeon did this through the promised 4 tiny incisions and I was walking unassisted to the restroom within a few hours postop. I was off the IV, drinking fluids and on just a few pain pills that first night and home the next day. My second day home, I went for a 25 minute walk outside and was taking over the counter Advil for pain.

In earlier times, a surgery like the one I had would have meant 6 weeks out of commission and a difficult recovery. I am fortunate that the latest technology has allowed me to return to activity within days. At this rate, I plan to be running and lifting weights by next week. This may not be a “typical” recovery, but it is possible. In conclusion, minimally invasive surgery, like the one I had, is possible and available to appropriate candidates. Although I am not currently performing the robotic procedures, my office partner, Dr. Lori Carrillo and my own surgeon, infertility specialist, Dr. Millie Behera, are available for consulation.

Blog

Related Article