It can be difficult to make the time to really monitor your health. We spoke to the experts, putting together your "Women's Health Handbook." Tonight TV20's Corrie Lovette shows us how to navigate a time when many women are struggling to find a balance--  the 30's.
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    Take a deep breath...It seems easy.
    "Sounds good."
     But finding the time to stop, take a breath and focus on 'you' is a major struggle for women.
     "I'm really not a good patient at all."
     36-year-old Young Mueller is balancing family life and a full time job, with a 3-year-old daughter keeping her schedule packed. 

     "I just think about work, getting home, dinner, husband, kid, baths, showers.. okay, bedtime, and then next thing you know a year's gone by," Young Mueller (36-years-old) said.
     Mueller knows what to do-- self breast exams, visiting the doctor each year, eating right and exercising, but staying fit hasn't been a priority until the last few years.
     "Never really exercised. Now I'm finding, especially after I had my first child, it's hard to lose the weight," Young Mueller said.
     If not before, weight is an issue most women begin struggling with in their 30's. Mueller is also considering having another child.
     "In the past, most women had their children very young, but there's a lot of women delaying fertility," Michael Cotter (OBGYN Physician) said.
      After the age of 35, women do have increased risks with pregnancy, but Dr. Sheyna Carrocio points out that when a woman has a healthy body mass index, the risks can be managed more easily.
    "I think you're very close to your ideal body weight. Some women have completed their child bearing years and now are grappling with heavy periods or deciding they want to limit their fertility with permanent sterilization," Sheyna Carroccio (OBGYN Physician) said.
     Doctors also begin looking at family history even more carefully, going beyond the preventative care prescribed during the 20's to what Dr. Anthony Agrios calls 'Maintenance Care.' That includes mole and skin exams, dental care, eyes, ears and more.
    "We start adding long term issues. Blood pressure monitoring has to be more careful, cholesterol monitoring begins, thryroid/hormone monitoring is often important," Anthony Agrios (OBGYN Physician).
     Mammograms can also start in the 30's if you're at greater risk. Pap smears are done with less frequency, instead of every year. Most women can have one every 3 years, but seeing your doctor annually is still critical.
     "We discuss things like depression. We discuss your menstrual cycle, how are they kids, life questions," Anthony Agrios (OBGYN Physician).
      Mueller has the motivation-- her family-- being healthy enough to be there for them in the long haul.
     "It's just a matter of stopping and taking care of myself, like dedicate a day."
     To create a lifetime of health...Corrie Lovette, TV20 News.
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     Tomorrow night we talk to doctors about women in their 40's.
     For information on everything from dental health to affordable health care, visit:

http://www.doh.state.fl.us/chdalachua/index.htm

http://www.doh.state.fl.us/chdmarion/index.html

http://www.womenshealth.gov/