Hello All,
I am not sure whether after the introductions I am on this list or not.
I want to know whether stress has adverse effects on the birth of babies.
I was under extreme stress when I gave birth to my third baby because the
doctor wanted to tie my tubes and tried to get me to sign something as I
was being wheeled into the operating room....I was furious, especially when
the nurse tried to co-erce me to offering me a pen and the agreement.  I
chocked with anger I remember.  Quite apart from this being against my
morals I was furious that, at such a vulnerable moment without proper
counselling, a mother should be asked to do such a thing! (I have since
learned that there millions of women who are being sterilized without their
knowing about it!  I was lucky they asked me!)

I want to ask you whether you know anything about the Billings Method of
natural family planning? This puts a mother in total charge of her
fertility naturally! I am just curious because I have been teaching it for
20 years in Canada.  However, I am British and was educated in Birmingham
until "A" levels. I went to university in France and in Montreal. I have
three children and am married to the President of Rowing Canada.  I am,
therefore, very involved with women athletes and coaches who want to put
their "eights" of women on the contraceptive "pill".

I have just prepared the following about stress and how it suppresses
ovulation.


Stress & The Woman Athlete ?
 - Dr. John Billings answers
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

WHAT IS THE EFFECT OF STRENUOUS PHYSICAL EXERCISE ON A WOMAN'S REPRODUCTIVE
CYCLE?
A. Strenuous muscular activity, especially when continued regularly for
weeks or months, suppresses the hypothalmus-pituitary-ovarian axis, which
controls the ovulatory mechanism in the ovary. This is physical stress and
the effect becomes more and more evident if the stress is continued. In
women of reproductive age, and of good health, the cycles become irregular
often with short luteal phases. Then some episodes of bleeding may occur
without preceding ovulation. Finally ovulation stops and there is
amenorrhea. Ovulation has been suppressed. If the strenuous activity is
stopped, or at least greatly reduced, fertility will gradually return.


IS TAKING THE CONTRACEPTIVE PILL A GOOD THING FOR YOUNG WOMEN ATHLETES TO
CONSIDER IN ORDER TO REGULATE PERIODS?
A. The contraceptive pill is intended to suppress ovulation and usually
does so. It is therefore irrational for the stressed athelete to take
contraceptive medication. Such unwise treatment would be equivalent, in
treating disease, to taking medication which had actually caused the
disease. Some women athletes are concerned about prolonged lengths of time
without bleeding. All they need is reassurance that their fertility will
return with reduced physical stress. There is no need to take drugs to
bring it back. Instruction in the BOM (Billings Ovulation Method) will give
them all the information needed to manage their fertility naturally
throughout the different stages of their reproductive life; achieving or
avoiding pregnancy; irregular or regular cycles; breastfeeding,
pre-menopause etc. (Website: http://www.billingsmethod.com.) The idea that
cycles or menstruation can be regulated by contraceptive medication is pure
mythology. The medication abolishes the normal cycle and replaces it by
uterine bleeding which is manipulated by the chemicals administered.


HOW IS BONE DENSITY AFFECTED WHEN AN ATHLETE DOES NOT
CYCLE FOR LONG PERIODS?
A. The most important way for women to protect themselves from osteoporosis
in later life is to maintain an active exercise programme when they are
younger. Exercise is the most important influence of all in maintaining
good bone structure. So the effect of exercise would protect  against any
effect on the bones resulting from perhaps several months without ovulatory
cycles. However, it would be prudent for these young women to so organise
their competative schedules that they regularly have long times without
sufficiently intense physical training to cause amenorrhea.


WHAT STUDIES HAVE THERE BEEN REGARDING WOMEN OLYMPIC ROWERS AND WHAT ADVICE
WOULD YOU GIVE THEM CONCERNING TRAINING FOR OLYMPICS 2000 IN YOUR COUNTRY,
AUSTRALIA?
A. The classical study was carried out at Harvard University in USA by our
colleague Prof. James Brown and some others working together. The subjects
of the study were women rowers training for the Olympics. This was about
ten years ago. It was found that the strenuous training gradually resulted
in long cycles, irregular cycles and finally the suppression of ovulation
and amenorrhoea. In the September of that particular year the very
strenuous training was stopped and normal ovulatory cycles returned by
Christmas. I cannot see any objection to temporary interruption of the
strenuous training and just following a more simple lifestyle with light
exercise and the avoidance of obesity with a later return to more strenuous
training as the Olympic events come closer. It could even be that this
respite would so much improve the health of the women that in the end they
would achieve much better results. This simple, natural management is very
much to be preferred to any kind of  medication, particularly the
contraceptive pill. The contraceptive pill would ensure that the normal
pattern of the ovarian oestrogens would be completely suppressed. There is
no need for rest from strenuous training to occupy several months. I would
suggest that after the return of ovulatory cycles there could be a gradual
build up again to the level of preparation appropriate to Olympic contests.

J.J. Billings AM, KCSG, MD, FRACP, FRCP (Lond.)
President, World Organization Ovulation Method/Billings (WOOMB
International Inc.)
E-mail address: [log in to unmask]   website: www. woomb.org
More information ~ www.billingsmethod.com

Susan Fryer,
Calgary Billings Centre,
Website: http://www.billings-centre.ab.ca
or http://www.billingsmethod.com or http://www.woomb.org




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