Beyoncé’s Publicist Is Calling Out Pregnancy Shamers Over Lip Injection Claims
Rumors and speculation unfortunately come with the territory when you’re famous, and most of the time stars and their publicists simply ignore celebrity gossip. But Beyoncé Knowles’s publicist is not OK with new continued chatter that her client has had lip injections during her pregnancy — and she’s fighting back.
In a statement to Gossip Cop, Yvette Noel-Schure says that the false comments are pregnancy shaming and points out that carrying a child can impact a woman’s body in many different ways. “What do you know about the effects of pregnancy on a woman’s entire body? Please tell me,” she says. “Did you know that in addition to weight gain there is often a dramatic change in the blood flow in the system and increased fluid causing swelling? Do you know that often women’s gums get swollen? Do you know that it sometimes affects our speech, our ability to chew intently, and a host of other things?”
A post shared by Beyoncé (@beyonce) on May 4, 2017 at 11:06am PDT
Women’s health expert Jennifer Wider, MD, tells Yahoo Beauty that swollen gums are “common” during pregnancy. “It’s caused by hormonal changes which result in an increased blood flow to the area,” she explains. Additionally, Melissa Goist, M.D., an ob-gyn at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, says that women with swollen gums during pregnancy can also experience nasal swelling.
Christine Greves, MD, a board-certified ob-gyn at Winnie Palmer Hospital, tells Yahoo Beauty that the condition is specifically called pregnancy epulis, and the pregnancy hormone progesterone is to blame. Typically the condition occurs during the third trimester of a woman’s pregnancy. “It’s basically a lesion that originates from the gums and can proliferate,” she says.
Noel-Schure is right: It can interfere with a woman’s ability to talk, among other things. “Some women experience sensitive, irritable, bleeding, and swollen gums to such an extent it can interfere with their ability to chew and even their speech,” Wider says. However, Greves points out that this is the exception rather than the norm. “It usually doesn’t cause any problems or symptoms other than it’s just there,” she says.
Luckily, there is something women can do if they’re pregnant and want to lower the risk they’ll develop swollen gums. Wider says good dental care — including visiting the dentist during pregnancy — can help. “Some women ignore their dental health during their pregnancy, which is not a good idea,” she says. But since hormones are at play, some pregnant women can have great oral hygiene and still get swollen gums.
If you develop the condition, Wider says rinsing with warm salt water may help your gums feel better. If it bothers you, Greves recommends talking about further steps with your ob-gyn, who may refer you to an oral surgeon who can help.
But since swollen gums typically don’t cause additional side effects, many women simply ride it out. “Usually the best thing to do is let nature take its course and let it resolve at the end of pregnancy,” Greves says.
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