News Photo by Kayla Wikaryasz On Tuesday, Tammie Nameth, executive director at Options Pregnancy Center, works at her desk in the pregnancy center in Alpena. Options Pregnancy Center offers resources to women and partners experiencing unplanned pregnancies.

ALPENA — May is National Women’s Health Month, a time for women to pause and reflect upon their health and observe ways in which they can better their lives.

According to a District Health Department No. 4 (DHD4) press release, National Women’s Health Month encourages women and girls to make their health a priority. This includes caring for physical, mental, social, and emotional aspects of health. Practicing healthy behaviors complements health care prevention and treatment options.

Tammie Nemeth, Options Pregnancy Center executive director, and Vicki Rupert, Options Pregnancy Center nurse clinic manager, both weighed in on the importance of National Women’s Health Month as well as the nuances of women’s health.

“I think it’s important for women to take that time to recognize that they have needs and that their needs need to be met,” Rupert said. “Your own cup has to be filled before you can get to others…we spend so much time as women giving and giving and giving that sometimes we forget to do a little bit of filling of our own cup.”

Nemeth agreed with Rupert and added that self-care truly makes the difference in a woman’s life, especially if they have many responsibilities.

“Sometimes to be really effective in what you do, whether it’s your leadership, your family, your business, your kiddos…in order to really provide and take care of them, you really do have to pause and take care of yourself,” Nemeth said. “Otherwise, the warranty runs out.”

Nemeth and Rupert both stressed the intrinsic nature of women to take on leadership and nurturing roles within their family units and communities.

“I have found in women’s health that women (are) the caregivers, whether intentionally or not,” Rupert said. “So they tend to take on the burdens of other people.”

In the case of pregnancy, Rupert said many women come to Options concerned about how their pregnancy will affect and change other people’s lives. Regarding overall health, Rupert said that women tend to ignore signs that can lead to larger problems down the road.

“Women do tend to take care of their husbands, their children, maybe a parent, or their siblings…then they always tend to put themselves last,” Rupert said. “Sometimes they will ignore the little symptoms.”

Rupert also said that many women tend to neglect routine screenings such as mammograms.

Nemeth and Rupert explained that there have been improvements to women’s health in the last 20 years, ranging from ultrasounds, pregnancy and cycle tracking applications, prenatal care, and more.

Rupert added that society has minimized taboos around women’s health and that women can talk more about their health experiences than ever before. Both women also commented on the pressures young women can face when struggling with societal expectations to choose between being a successful career woman or being a stay-at-home mom.

“You’re not failing because you’re not home all of the time, but be home a good portion. And when you’re present, be present,” Nemeth said. “You’re not failing because you’ve chosen to be a stay-at-home mom. That’s important work … embrace that, run with that, and do it with excellence. But I know that there is certainly grace and we’re designed to do both. And it’s okay. We’re not competing.”

Rupert agreed with Nemeth and added that everyone should be mindful of what their motivations are.

“I encourage everyone to examine their ‘why’ behind why they’re doing it,” she said. “Are you seeking to be the CEO because that was something somebody placed on you when you were young? Women have a little bit of tendency, sometimes, to be people pleasers … but if that’s not your calling and not your heart’s desire, then I think we put a lot of stress and effort into trying to maybe become that. And that leads to depression.”

Rupert said that the sense of depression and dissatisfaction in one’s life can be because they are not truly seeking their purpose.

According to the Office on Women’s Health, womenshealth.gov, women are nearly twice as likely as men to experience major depression. Additionally, around one in five women experience mental health issues during pregnancy or in the first year after giving birth.

As for other key facts on women’s health, the office notes that cancer causes one in six deaths among women, and women younger than 50 are nearly twice as likely to develop cancer as men in the same age range. Also, more than one million women in the United States experience menopause each year, and most women reach menopause between 45 and 55.