"Hello, I have bleeding gums most of the time, I floss and brush regularly and nothing seems to improve. I have 4 children, had them very close together, year after year. Could the pregnancies be causing my bleeding gums? Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you."

Being constantly pregnant will definitely take its toll upon a body. We immediately suspect that you have kidney dysfunction, or you are using a terrible toothpaste, but it is probably both. The likelihood of kidney dysfunction is always the greatest concern in such cases. Other signs of failing kidneys are changing vision, water cravings, frequent urination, severe energy problems, a weakened immune system, swelling in feet or calves, hormonal problems, and a loss of appetite. You may notice that these symptoms mimic those of pregnancy, which is why they might have been ignored. The cause of kidney stress is almost always chemical, unless it was caused by diabetes, which is technically also related to chemical exposure (i.e. artificial sweeteners, chemotherapy, pharmaceuticals, tainted supplements, municipal water, etc.). For your sake and your children's, you need to eliminate the source of the kidney damage, and you need to take the kidney support protocol that is cited in our diabetes article. Eat a carrot daily too. You should supplement with iodine in exactly the way described in our article about iodine supplementation, since a strong thyroid can compensate by producing some hormones that are usually left for the kidneys to produce, as a way to reduce some of the stress from the kidneys. It would also be wise to avoid getting pregnant for a couple of years. Four kids ought to keep you plenty busy until then. If no other contraceptive option is acceptable to you (and "the pill" eventually has horrific consequences), then you could try taking a double dose (to the bottle's recommendation) of a neem supplement daily. It also works as a contraceptive if the male takes it, but do not rely on that. Be advised that neem may cause hormone imbalances in women, so you would have to experiment to determine its help-to-harm ratio for you. We normally avoid the topic of birth control because we have reason to believe that our boss, God, likely frowns upon it in general. However, it might literally be a life-saver in your case. Neem combined with Saint John's Wort is slightly more effective in contraception, but Saint John's Wort is rumored to cause birth defects if the person is already pregnant. The studies are sparse and sketchy. By the way, you could try treating the symptom of your bleeding gums with our dental product, but it is likely to be a symptom of a more serious issue, so be proactive in strengthening your kidneys regardless. We are betting that you got some 'help' from the doctors during the pregnancies and during the birthing process. You may be paying the price for it now. Our women's health topics are spread throughout this site, but to put it all together, you might need to reference the Women's Health chapter of our book. If you are a vegetarian or vegan, then that alone could be your problem.