There is a tremendous increase in interest in the use of alternative medicine. According to recent research published by the New England Journal of Medicine and the American Medical Association, alternative medicine is being used by over 50% of U.S. adults and by over 80% of the world’s population. As consumers of healthcare we are beginning to realize that we have responsibility for the state of our health. Our health is affected by our genetic make up, the environment and our lifestyle choices.

Many of the women and their families I have worked with over the years feel they have benefited from participation in their own health care and by utilizing alternative therapies along with our conventional medical approach. In particular, many women find relief from minor discomforts related to menstrual cycle phases, pregnancy, birth, postpartum, and menopause. This article introduces three useful complementary modalities: homeopathy, herbology, and aromatherapy/flower remedies. These modalities may be used in addition to conventional medical care and treatments.

This topic is open to both parents and teens. We realize that talking to your teen about sex is not easy and that is why we want to help lay down the foundation you need as a parent to educate and communicate with your teen regarding sex. We want your teenager to hear the facts from us regarding the risks of STDs and options regarding abstinence and birth control. The goal of this seminar is to help open the doors of communication between you and your teen regarding sex and all decision making that surrounds it. Rita-Marie Goudreau, CNM, will be our speaker.

The seminar will be held on Thursday, September 29 at our Stafford office location from 6:30pm-7:30pm. Please tell your friends to come join us as well! Light refreshments will be provided.

Written by mom - Kristina Leischner

Our son Brady Andrew Leischner was born December 23, 2004. Now Kevin and I had prepared for a baby that would be on time or one that would be late considering this was our first child. I had been very active walking etc. my entire pregnancy. I gained 30lbs and I was even told that I needed to slow down a little. I went to the doctor that morning and met with Rita-Marie who asked if I was really trying to hold off having this baby until after Christmas-the answer was YES. So being so knowledgeable she didn't do an exam because she said sometimes that onsets labor, she also told me to take it easy.

Needless to say I am sometimes horrible at following my providers’ advice. I went last minute shopping for one gift for my husband at Potomac Mills but ended walking the whole mall up and back - my mom swears that's why I went into labor.

I've been with the Adler Center for a little over two years. I started working right after I graduated from Nursing School. I am a LPN and a phone triage nurse for the practice. I spend a majority of my time answering patient questions and providing results over the phone as well as assisting providers during patient care. My favorite part of being with the Adler Center is watching our pregnant patients from their first visit to their six week postpartum visit when I get to see their beautiful babies!

What is a baby story? Well, it's a story that is written by a new mom which tells about her experience with delivering her baby through the Adler Center. By sharing these stories, new patients can see what delivering with the Adler Center is like, family and friends can read about your birth and see pictures on our website, you can brag about your experience through labor and help other mothers prepare by allowing them to read about your experience.

We encourage moms that have delivered not only recently, but even if they delivered with us several years ago to share their story(s). It's always interesting to see what other people go through during their pregnancy and delivery. Click here to read some of the baby stories already published in our E-Newsletters and on our website.

So far, our subscribers have loved reading our baby stories each month. Many people have told us that they can't wait until the next E-Newsletter to read another! If your baby was delivered by The Adler Center, and you would like to share your experience on our E-Newsletter and website, we urge you to write an article and email it to us. Don't forget to send a picture to go along with the article!

What topics would you like to learn about? We select topics for this E-Newsletter based on concerns we hear about in the office and the latest medical news. If you have a health issue you'd like to read about, a seminar topic you'd like to hear about, or any suggestions about how to better our practice - please let us know. We welcome your suggestions and comments!