Tubal Reversal - Is It The Right Answer?

Often when a couple wants to have a child following a tubal ligation they will be told they should look into IVF or in vitro fertilization. But, the question is why are they told this? Couples ask if there is any other option and they are told not really other than adoption. This is not the case and many couples have used another option that is not as widely known about as IVF.

The procedure many couples are using is what is known as tubal reversal surgery. This surgery has been used by thousands of couples all over the world and the demand is growing. What tubal reversal is actually quite easy to understand. When the tubal ligation is performed the fallopian tubes are somehow blocked. The blockage can be performed by using clips, rings, cutting the fallopian tubes and even using a method where they are burned. What happens in tubal reversal surgery is that the surgeon literally repairs the fallopian tubes. Although the fallopian tubes will not be exactly the way before the tubal ligation they are returned to "working order". This then makes it possible for the egg and sperm to meet and result in conception. Tubal reversal surgery is a much more natural way to conceive and it is also a lot less expensive than the alternative treatment of IVF. The leading tubal reversal center located in the United States charges about $7000.

Tubal ligation reversal surgery is also much easier on the woman's body. There is the initial surgery but after the healing time all is complete. With IVF, there are multiple medications and procedures that have to be performed. Many women need to take time out of work over the course of the procedures. With tubal reversal surgery most are able to return to work within a couple of weeks.

There are a few factors that will need to be considered when researching the surgery. The first is the type of tubal ligation that was originally performed and the age of the woman at the time of reversal. If the fallopian tubes have not been completely damaged then reversal is certainly possible. As to the age of the woman it is quite clear that the older the woman is the harder it may be to become pregnant. As long as a woman is ovulating and having menstrual cycles regularly she is still considered to be fertile. There are many women in their 40's and over having children following reversal ligation surgery.

The experience of the surgeon should also be considered a big decision factor. The more experience the surgeon has the better the outcome of the repair. There are surgeons in the repair field that will not attempt to fix the ligations that have more damage. The surgeons with more experience have probably already performed this type of repair and have a better success rate. When looking for the right surgeon be sure to ask about their statistics. Do not be afraid to ask where there statistics come from. This is so crucial to picking the best surgeon to perform the surgery.

Three Steps to Being an Adventurous Shopper

You are out with your girlfriends and it is time for lunch. Where do you go? There are lots of cafes to choose from. Will it be ethnic, organic or the café in the bookshop? In the end, you usually choose the tried and true café where you know what to expect. The lunch is nothing special.

How often do you do something similar when it comes to choosing where to buy your clothes? Back to the tried and true, usually a retail or chain store most of the time. You get clothes that look okay yet you feel that your wardrobe is full and you have nothing that you really want to wear.

It is time to become more adventurous.

Like cafes, there are dress shops everywhere. It is time to play and explore. Most of the advice in magazines is about tried and true classics or they highlight the trend of the season. The slightly different clothes that add excitement and personality to your wardrobe are often found in small, secret places.

Here are my three modern dressing tips for business and professional women over 40 to make your adventurous shopping easier.

Step 1 - Explore Your Local Suburb and the Neighbouring Ones

It is easier, closer and hidden gems are often right under your nose. Remember the feeling of excitement when you found a new coffee shop that had just opened in your local area? It is not long before you go in and taste what they offer. You cannot walk in and out. You have got to stop, have a coffee and cake and then decide if you will return.

So it is with the little dress shops in your neighbourhood. Pick a street or shopping centre to explore. Check out the ads in your local paper and make a list of new shops to visit. Stop at that dress shop you have always driven past because you have pre-judged it by its name or its location. Be daring and ask a well-dressed local where she shops.

Step 2 - Get to Know the Owner or Saleswoman

It i time to face your fear of being talked into something expensive you do not really want. Take a friend if it makes you feel safer.

Go exploring with a goal in mind - either to find a certain item of clothing or to find a new shop that stocks clothes for your work, lifestyle and personality. You are looking for a shop that also gives great service. You are over 40 and old enough to speak plainly. Age has its benefits.

Tell the saleswoman why you are there. A good saleswoman cannot help you if you do not know who you are and what suits you and your whole lifestyle. You want someone who will only suggest small changes to develop your unique style. Walk away from someone who wants you to make a radical change. She has not made a real effort to listen and understand you. If you feel comfortable with this person and you get a gut feeling that you can trust her, you will be more open to suggestions about new styles and colours to try on.

Step 3 - Expect Some Failures

Not every new coffee shop meets your expectations. You move on without feeling guilty. So it will be with exploring new dress shops. There will be some successes and some failures.

You will have to walk away from some shops. Say thank you and then politely tell them why that shop is not for you (be it the clothes or the service). Be a mature adult rather than a scared child afraid to speak your truth.

Staying with the tried and true is doing the same and expecting different results. Being a little more adventurous is about finding a new dress mentor who helps you become a more definable and shining you. Together you both enjoy sharing the adventure.

Fashion - Here Today, Gone Tomorrow or Sticking Around

Help! You scream as the change of another season comes and there is the newspaper headline - Real Trends for Real Women - and it has the top 10 trends for the coming season. Only 10, you think sarcastically. You read on and there is an eleventh one in there as well as five more fashion trends in another article in the newspaper supplement.

No wonder you are confused about what to buy to feel modern and look good without converting your spare bedroom into a giant walk-in wardrobe.

Here is my no-nonsense guide to help business and professional women over 40 interpret new season fashion trends.

Do Not Believe All the Words

These types of articles often tell us to forget fads and unwearable runway trends. Ten seems to be a favourite number. So off they go to find examples of how to interpret their chosen trends for the coming season. Sounds helpful but in order to get ten of them they mix trends with fads and classics.

A fad is a short-lived, one-season fashion or colour that suits only a limited number of women. It is definitely aimed at the young and slim or women who can wear that season's particular colour.

A trend is a fashion or colour that looks good on most women and stays around for one to three years. It changes from a fad to a trend in its second year.

When a fashion suits every woman and can be interpreted in many different variations, it becomes a modern classic like crossover styles. These are the modern dressing skills that every business and professional woman needs to learn.

Fashion writers prefer to call most fashion ideas trends rather than fads because women will buy a trend. We convince ourselves that it is a good financial buy because everyone is wearing it. When someone close to you asks you why on earth you bought that, you can reply that you will get lots of wear out of it as it is a modern and trendy.

Go Beyond the Hype

When you see and read these articles, be critical and go beyond the hype. If there is a colour of the season eg gold, it is because gold is a colour that those with warm colouring can wear well. Choose carefully - gold skinny jeans are a fad whilst gold accessories are a classic look that suits most women.

Ask yourself these two questions. Will I be happy wearing this next year and the year after? Are the women whose fashion sense I admire wearing this?' If you can answer yes, to both questions, buy them. If you answer no, put them back. Life is too short to waste money on clothes with no real value. You want versatility so you can wear the new item with a number of other clothes currently in your wardrobe.

Find the Real Treasures

The real fashion treasures are not fads or trends. They are modern classics or old classics worn in modern ways. This is where you learn and apply modern dressing skills to your professional and business dressing.

An often overlooked classic is the Trench Coat. If you do not own one, look for one in a colour other than black that will go over your dresses or skirts/pants and tops. A red or beige trench coat will look smart for years and years. Wear your old or new trench coat with a narrow or medium width matching or contrasting-coloured leather belt as an alternative to the cloth belt that comes with the coat.

Sheer material jackets are also a modern classic. They can be interpreted differently for various seasons. The material adds interesting texture, it allows the colours underneath to shine in a new light and it covers but does not completely hide your arms - good for those worried about saggy arms and wrinkles.

By all means, read and look at any article on each season's top trends. Do not believe all the words. Go beyond the hype. Find the real treasures. Let your real personality shine.

The New Slimmer Me - Who Is She?

You have made the decision, stopped the excuses and faced your embarrassment. You have dropped weight and are well on your way to your target goal weight.

Suddenly you are scared. Who is this new woman who is emerging from under the protective layers of weight? There is less of you weight-wise but more of you emotional-wise that is being exposed. With less weight, people notice and compliment you more. How is the new you going to dress?

Dropping weight means changing your mindset and your dressing habits. Here are three smart dressing tips to help you dress for the new confident you.

Your Covering Changes not Your Basic Body Shape

Many women believe that when they drop weight, they change from a large, rounded apple shape to an hourglass shape. That is not true.

Your basic body shape is determined by your bones and the width of your shoulders. These do not change. Only your covering over them is changing. As you drop weight, your true body shape will become obvious and more defined. Now is the time to become excited about who you really are.

Look at your shoulder, waist and hip width in the mirror. If all three are the same width, you are rectangular. If your shoulders are the widest, you are inverted triangle. If your hips are the widest, you are pear-shaped. If your shoulders and hips are virtually equal and your waist is smaller, you are hour-glass. If your waist is the widest, you are an apple shape.

Read articles and books on body shapes and how to dress for yours or book a consultation with an Image Consultant.

Styles that Work for all Body Shapes

Crossover tops and jackets are great for changing body shapes. Choose ones with ties so that you can wrap them tighter as you drop dress sizes. Retailers, pattern books and some party plan clothing companies have wrap jackets that can be worn many different ways. This is a money-saving option to expand your wardrobe and look fashionable while continuing to lose weight.

Modern wrap dresses and classic shift dresses suit every woman. Wear one with a self-tie or belt and you can bring it in a few sizes as you slim down. Tops, shirts and dresses with a princess line from the shoulder flatter all body shapes. Take the side seams in as you get smaller. Do not safety-pin side seams. That is sending a negative message to your mind and body.

Clothes that skim your body make you feel good about yourself.

Quality or Cheap & Cheerful

It is your call. Both do the job. You can go to shops that sell classic styles in good quality fabrics at a reasonable price. If necessary, have them altered to fit. Alternatively go to a discount store, outlet centre or boutique stores that have cheaper, fashionable clothes. Try the second-chance or charity shops. It is not about the price. It is how you wear it.

Do buy new clothes and new underwear. Waiting until you reach your magic goal weight is denying yourself the pleasure of the journey. Tell yourself you are worth the effort and the cost of looking nice whatever your weight and size.

Magic Tip:

Raise your skirts and show some leg. Best skirt length is just below the knee. Second best is just below the widest part of your calf. Add nice shoes. People will love the new you because you are doing what many women over 40 are scared to do. You are showing your legs.

Discover the new you as you make dropping weight an exciting journey not a punishing chore.