Dr Judy Ford has released a new E-Book “Making Love and Babies”. Her work with couples has shown that more than 50% of infertile couples have infrequent sex. Her book explores the reasons and helps couples to address the various issues.

Adelaide, South Australia (PRWEB) — An e-book “Making Love and Babies” written by infertility expert, geneticist Dr. Judy Ford, is available on theweb-site http://www.drjudyford.com/Making_Love.shtml.

Many people would think it obvious that couples need to make love in order to conceive naturally. Obvious perhaps, but Dr Ford’s work with hundreds of couples shows that more than 50% of infertile couples are intimate less than once a week. About 30% have sex only once a month in order to try to conceive. So she asked why is this so and what can be done about it?

In this helpful book, Dr Ford explores the reasons for the low level of intimacy. There are many reasons found including age, the length of the relationship before deciding to have children, stress, business pressures, several different types of emotional problems and poor sexual technique. There are also effects of reduced fertility itself and Dr Ford lists a number of simple lifestyle changes that can vastly increase fertility.

The book encourages couples to throw away the thermometer and ovulation monitors and learn how to make time for and enjoy great sexual encounters. It gets down to the nitty gritty as it explains the role of orgasm in fertility and shows how some common sexual practices could be inhibiting conceptual success.

This is a book about loving relationships. It has many words of wisdom that would benefit most couples, even those who have had their families or who don’t wish to conceive. It has lots of practical and helpful advice for many couples who have been having problems.

Counselling and Consulting services are also offered at http://www.drjudyford.com

Author: Sheryl Lyon

Everyone is aware of cycles of the sun and moon. They give structure to our days, months, and seasons. But did you know that the sun and moon can influence your fertility?

When you are in sync with the earth’s natural rhythms and cycles you can boost your fertility. If you work against nature’s rhythms as many of us do, then you may be harming your delicate fertility balance.Your biological clock is intimately linked to your reproductive system by utilizing the same hormones that trigger ovulation and sperm maturation. Therefore both women and men are affected by respecting or ignoring their natural rhythms.

Importance of Bright Light
Getting adequate sunlight or other full spectrum light during the day is key to optimum fertility for many reasons. Vitamin D is created in our bodies when we are exposed to sunlight and Vitamin D deficiencies have been linked to infertility.

Adequate sunlight also helps regulate circadian rhythms which allow you to sleep better at night. Regular exposure to the sun also helps you maintain a strong immune system which is necessary to maintain a healthy pregnancy. Women who get more sunlight also have consistent and stronger menstrual cycles.

Finally, bright light prevents your body from overproducing melatonin which suppresses fertility. This might explain why it is easier for women to conceive in southern regions and during the summer months.

Importance of Darkness and Full-moon Light
Many researchers believe that prior to the introduction of electricity into our homes, all women menstruated during the new moon and ovulated during the full moon. This has been proven by studying cultures today that do not use electricity. Women in these cultures sleep in close to total darkness except for the days surrounding the full moon.

The small amount of light from the full moon is enough to halt melatonin production long enough for ovulation to occur. Most women can synchronize with the cycles of the moon in about three to four months by altering the light level while they sleep. Coordinating menstruation not only strengthens your cycle in many ways but it also makes it much easier to pinpoint the optimal timing for intercourse.

Darkness also plays an important role in optimal fertility by triggering melatonin, on most dark nights, which leads to a good nights sleep. Just make sure to prevent overproduction with bright light in the morning.

Deep sleep helps restore and rejuvenate the reproductive system. Lack of sleep can increase cortisol levels, lead to an increased use of caffeine and other fertility reducing substances, disrupt your hormone balance, cause depression which in itself can affect fertility, or it can lead to relationship problems with your partner. In extreme cases sleep deprivation can stop ovulation altogether.

How to synchronize with nature

• Get at least one hour of bright sunlight a day
• Try to get bright light soon after waking
• Use full spectrum indoor bulbs during the winter months
• Use a light simulation device 15-30 min morning and night (particularly in winter)
• Aim for total darkness at night. Use room darkening shades. Avoid all lights
• On the three days of the full moon, try to bathe yourself in soft light while you sleep. A light from a closet, a 75-100 watt nightlight or even opening your blinds to the street light should do the trick.
• Try to go to sleep with sun and get up with the sun. You might be surprised if you do not use lights or TV, how sleepy you get.
• Make love during the full moon
• Keep sleep and wake times consistent and avoid shift work. If you are tracking ovulation signs, then you should taking your basal body temperature at the same time every morning anyway.

Efforts to conceive can be challenging and heartbreaking. The fertility enhancing methods mentioned here are easy, free, and painless. They will boost your overall health as well as your fertility so if you are trying to conceive it can only help and not hurt to synchronize your cycles with the earth.

How can women over 35 reduce the time to conceive or identify fertility problems early? Using Ovusoft Fertility Planning software, which will assist you in fully understanding your body and its natural cycles.

Had I known or cared at 20 or even 30 that one day my hormones would one day rage and I would actually want a child in my 40’s, would I have done anything differently?

Actually no. I never wanted children, so I planned my life and my career without them, even now with a loud ticking clock and 41 years old I am still not rushing to get pregnant. Despite the all of the recent news about age related infertility, I will do this on my terms or not all.

Recent books (i.e. Creating a Life by Sylvia Hewlett) have created a huge controversy about this “career vs. family” issue and the latest studies note this alarming trend but paradoxically don’t offer any suggestions for increasing the chances of those of us who are already “older”. They simply suggested that women start earlier.

I know that with advancing age my fertility is declining, you only have to look in the mirror to see that you are not as lovely as you were in your 20’s or 30’s, so it stands to reason that in your 40’s our eggs will be equally as old. Unlike men who reproduce fresh sperm approximately every 3 months, my eggs were with me at birth, and have lived my life. Additionally fertile cervical fluid declines with age and sperm survival will depend upon the state of the cervical fluid and how close a woman is to ovulation.

Should I look to the past to gain an idea of my fertile future? My mother and her mother both had children in their early 20’s with no difficulty and went through the menopause in their 50’s. On my fathers side going back 7 generations, nearly all of them had their first child during their 20’s, and with the exception of one, all went on to have children into their 40’s.

Despite the trend for women to have children later, figures published by the ONS for 2000 shows that of the 766,000 conceptions, the highest percentage was 25-29 age group (27%) followed by the 30-34 age group (25%). The data shows that women were still most likely to conceive in their twenties, with 748.8 conceptions for every 1,000 women, compared to 421.4 for women in their 30’s.

The statistics published by the ONS are equally interesting. The number of live births per 1000 women, from 1981 to 1998 for women:-

Under 20 rose by 11%
20-24 dropped by 31%
25 – 29 dropped by 22%
30-34 rose by 29%
35-39 rose by 82%
40 + rose by 60%

Like me, everyone knows someone who has had a baby in her 40s. There is the constant stream of celebrities who have had babies later on, Madonna had Lourdes at 38 and Rocco at 42, Emma Thompson was 40 with Gaia, Kim Basinger 42 with Ireland and Geena Davis 46 with her first child. Is it that we are simply so much healthier than our grandmothers’ generation, or that, we have forgotten that our reproductive life is just the same as it was all those years ago.

Many infertile couples are prepared to undergo enormous sacrifices, to produce a child, when nature has made it almost impossible. For me, should I be unable to get pregnant ‘normally’ I will not even consider Assisted Reproductive Technologies. This is because as women grow older, the success rates of IVF procedures drop with each ensuing month along with the high cost and stress.

Luckily, there is something for couples like me, which can cut the time to conceive in half and identify possible fertility problems early in the process of trying to get pregnant. We can practice the Fertility Awareness Method (FAM) – a scientifically validated, natural form of pregnancy achievement and/or contraception.

Fertility Awareness is the charting and interpretation (either manually, or using an FDA-approved software application) of body signs, like waking temperature and cervical fluid. Toni Weschler, M.P.H., a nationally recognized women’s health educator, popularizes this method in her best-selling book, Taking Charge of Your Fertility and in Ovusoft Fertility Planning Software the first FDA-approved software to automate the Fertility Awareness Method, which was developed by Weschler in conjunction with Ovusoft, LLC.

How Ovusoft software works:

Ovusoft puts couples in charge by providing the tools for pregnancy achievement without the use of drugs or hormones. By simply taking her daily waking temperature (basal body temperature) and checking her cervical fluid, a woman can use Ovusoft software to determine her short window of fertility during which she can conceive. In addition, the results of other fertility products, such as BabyStart Home Fertility Test kit for couples, (comprising a ovulation test kit for her and a home sperm count test for him) can be incorporated into the Ovusoft analysis. The program’s “Fertility Advisor” feature tells a woman, in plain language, exactly what is happening in her body each day of her cycle and advises her on what she should be doing to monitor her fertility. And in this way you can let nature takes its course or try to select the sex of your baby.

Purchase Ovusoft

Couples facing infertility typically have a million questions.Although the vast majority of them – from which drugs and therapies work best to what kind of undergarments the “dad-to-be” should be wearing – are asked and answered with compassion and professionalism, here are also questions that often don’t get answered. Either no one can work up the courage to ask them, or because they just don’t seem relevant to conception.

“Despite the fact that infertility treatment is so closely linked to sexuality, this aspect of a couple’s life is often very uncomfortable for them to discuss,” explains Dr. Mark Leondires, M.D., Medical Director at Reproductive Medicine Associates of CT, and a leading authority on reproductive medicine. “We find that it’s the more personal questions involving a couple’s unique sexual practices or other habits that are more likely to go unasked…and unanswered,” Dr. Leondires adds. The most embarrassing questions can be the most important ones.

According to Dr. Leondires, some of these uncomfortable questions need to be asked, because the answers can hold the key to helping couples achieve a healthy pregnancy more quickly. “Sometimes it’s the activity in question itself that should be modified or stopped in order to better the couple’schances for pregnancy,” Dr. Leondires notes. His list of straight answers
to infertility’s most uncomfortable questions includes:

1.QUESTION: Does having an orgasm help you to get pregnant?
ANSWER: “Not necessarily. During normal intercourse, the ejaculate fluid in which the sperm travel through the uterus and into the fallopian tubes is usually effective at doing its job. However, the uterine contractions that occur during orgasm may help or hinder the process, depending upon the direction of those contractions while the sperm is en route.”

2.QUESTION: Should we have to have sex every day while I’m trying to get pregnant?
ANSWER: “No. It can take up to 48-72 hours for a man’s sperm count to replenish after an ejaculation, having intercourse every day can actually decrease your chance of pregnancy. It is only important to have intercourse around your ovulatory phase for you to achieve pregnancy. For most women this occurs during the middle of the menstrual cycle, but you can confirm this using an over-the-counter ovulation predictor kit, or by charting your basal body temperature (BBT).”

3. QUESTION: I get my period regularly, so I must be ovulating and fertile…right?
ANSWER: “if you are in the 90+% of women who have regular, ovulatory cycles. However, having a regular period that is anovulatory – meaning no ovulation occurs – is not completely uncommon. Again, to confirm ovulation you can use an OTC ovulation prediction kit or by tracking your BBT.”

4.QUESTION: Should I try to stop the sperm from leaking out after sex? If so, for how long?
ANSWER: “It may provide some benefit. What you are feeling is actually the ejaculate fluid. This fluid contains protective agents that support the sperm’s survival as it travels through the vagina. The ejaculate will break down and release the sperm in about 30 minutes after ejaculation. For this reason, it may be a good idea to remain reclined on your back with a pillow under your hips if it’s comfortable, for 30-45 minutes following intercourse.”

5.QUESTION: I think my husband masturbates sometimes. Should he stop while we’re trying to conceive?
ANSWER: “He should certainly try to modify the practice. While it is very normal for men to masturbate, a man’s sperm count will decrease with each ejaculation. In general, an optimal sperm count usually is achieved after about three days of abstinence. So, masturbation is not recommended for the three days prior to the beginning of your ovulatory phase. Also, if you are having fertility concerns, your partner should have a semen analysis.”

6.QUESTION: Is it okay to diet while trying to get pregnant? Is it safe to cut out Carbs?
ANSWER: “Some women have difficulty discussing dietary habits with their infertility doctors, sometimes because they fear that their weight is a contributing factor to their difficulty conceiving. Women of all shapes and sizes can achieve pregnancy. Of course, if your ‘biological clock’ permits, it is a better bet to attain a healthy weight prior to pregnancy. But in general, it’s
safe to try to lose weight at the same time you are trying to achieve pregnancy. However, it is unsafe to diet while trying to conceive or while pregnant if you are already underweight and have abnormal menstrual cycles. Remember, it is recommended that most women attempting pregnancy eat a healthy diet, which includes consuming at least 20% carbohydrates. Pregnant women should also consume adequate amounts of folic acid, calcium and iron. While you can increase your dietary intake of these crucial vitamins and minerals, the easiest way to ensure you’re getting enough of them is to take a daily prenatal supplement.”

THE IMPORTANCE OF ASKING
According to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), about 10% of Americans of childbearing age experience infertility – defined as the inability to achieve and maintain a full-term pregnancy after one year of trying. The diagnosis is often devastating and stressful for both partners, Dr. Leondires notes. “The process of coping with – and receiving treatment for
– infertility is a sensitive and intimate one.” He adds, “However, because patients and practitioners are on the same team, and share the same goal of achieving a healthy, full-term pregnancy, it’s critical that patients find a doctor with whom they can frankly discuss issues and ask questions.

“A knowledgeable, well-trained, expert physician is most important, but so is a compassionate, caring advocate. The best infertility specialists are both,” Dr. Leondires adds.“We find that it’s the more personal questions involving a couple’s unique sexual practices or other habits that are more likely to go unasked…and unanswered,”

Bio:
Dr. Mark P. Leondires, M.D., FACOG, is a leading authority on reproductive medicine. Dr. Leondires is board certified in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility. He is a member of the Society of Reproductive Endocrinologists, the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Dr. Leondires earned his medical degree from the University of Vermont College of Medicine and completed his residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Maine Medical Center in Portland, Maine. Dr. Leondires completed a fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland.

After completion of his training, he fulfilled his military obligation by serving as the ART Director for the largest and most successful program in the military health care system at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. During this time he was an Assistant Professor at the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences and clinical faculty for the Combined Fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology. Dr. Leondires is currently Medical Director and lead physician with Reproductive Medicine Associates of Connecticut (RMA-CT) in Norwalk.

Along with numerous teaching and research activities, Dr. Leondires has published articles in professional medical journals, national consumer magazines and newspapers, as well as abstracts and book chapters. More information about Reproductive Medicine Associates of Connecticut is available at www.rmact.com.

Image Source: http://flickr.com/photos/1974caca/2523855408/

Source: www.PRWeb.com

Seattle, WA (PRWEB) — Over the past few years, a number of innovative “trying-to-conceive” products have hit the shelves of pharmacies and online fertility shops. Just to name a few, the ovulation microscope, fertility supplements like FertilAid, and even ovulation-predicting software have enriched the fertility landscape, making trying to conceive a baby much, much easier.

This week’s release of a new fertility product, the Fairhaven Health Non-Mercury Basal Thermometer, marks an exciting milestone in preconception products: A safe, ultra-accurate, and healthy alternative to standard mercury thermometers. Call it a “green product” or just call
it smart science, the Fairhaven Health glass basal is a non-mercury basal thermometer that offers all the accuracy and ease-of-use of traditional thermometers, but without the environmental danger and health hazards that mercury poses to families, pregnant mothers, and developing babies.

Millions of women use basal thermometers daily to “fertility chart”, or predict when they are most fertile. Now, couples dreaming of having children no longer need to worry about their glass thermometers breaking - or the hazards of mercury in the home. This is especially true during pregnancy when you very much need to avoid toxins or household hazardous waste.

As the EPA states, “For fetuses, infants, and children, the primary health effect of methylmercury is impaired neurological development. Methylmercury exposure in the womb can adversely affect a baby’s growing brain and nervous system.” Home exposures can occur, according to the EPA, when products that contain elemental mercury break and release mercury to the air, particularly in warm or poorly-ventilated indoor spaces. Now, many states are pulling standard mercury thermometers from the shelves due to these concerns regarding toxicity, fetal health, and family safely.

Mercury exposure is not safe in any amount. There is simply no safe level for any human being but it is especially true for a developing fetus and small children. Mercury exposure during pregnancy can cause a multitude of problems for the fetus, most notably neurological development. Simply put, mercury has no place in the home of anyone trying to conceive, pregnant or with small children especially if mercury free alternatives exist.

The Solution: A Mercury-Free Glass Basal Thermometer

As an alternative to mercury thermometers, the Fairhaven Health Glass Basal Thermometer is just as accurate and family-friendly. Containing an environmentally-safe liquid alloy, the Fairhaven Health thermometer is completely non-toxic; in the event it breaks, it can simply be cleaned up with warm water. Better yet, the non-mercury glass basal thermometer is ultra-accurate, exceeding standards for pinpoint accuracy. Using a non-toxic alloy instead of mercury, the Fairhaven Health glass basal thermometer is capable of measuring the slightest temperature increases, particularly important when you are fertility charting.

As a quick introduction for the uninitiated, a basal thermometer is a highly accurate thermometer designed to measure your resting temperature (after several hours of sleep). Women who are “TTC” (or trying-to-conceive) use a basal thermometer the first thing in the morning, before getting up or moving around in bed. To chart fertility, simply record your basal temperature daily in your ovulation calendar or fertility chart.

Sometime around the middle of your cycle, you will notice that your basal body temperature has suddenly increased. This increase of temperature is caused by hormonal changes that “heat the body up” to make a more “fertile home” for a baby. By monitoring when your basal temperature increases, you will know the exact date of ovulation, or peak fertility. Over time, you will see patterns in this temperature increase that allow you to predict ovulation and increase your odds of conceiving.

Using the new Fairhaven Health glass basal thermometer, you have all the accuracy of a mercury thermometer, but without the dangers to health and family (especially if you are pregnant or trying to conceive a baby). Also convenient, it even comes with a handy no-break carrying case that serves to magnify the result. Just slip the thermometer into the carrying case and get a precise close up view of the exact basal temperature. Retailing for around just $15, this mercury-free thermometer is just a better basal, plain and simple.

About Fairhaven Health, LLC Fairhaven Health (http://www.fairhavenhealth.com) is a provider of preconception and fertility products like FertilAid for Women and Men, Fertile Focus, FertiliTea, and the Mercury-Free Glass Basal Thermometer. Contact us at 360.671.0859.

Sheryl’s comment:
While charting has clearly been proven useful for many couples it is certainly not the ideal situation. Charting and ovulation predictors can sometimes leave the male partner feeling like a tool. If you have lost sight of your ideal to conceive your child in love then continue with your charting and ovulation predictors but do not lose sight of making love. If you make love three times a week then you should always have living sperm ready and willing to fertilize that egg when it decides to make its appearance.

Natural family planning is very effective when used to either prevent or achieve pregnancy. There are a variety of methods used in NFP when trying to conceive and a few tools such as ovulation beads to make it easier to predict ovulation. The easiest way to use NFP to conceive is to count forward 10 days from the first day of your period. Then make love every day for an entire week (maybe twice a day). With this method you will not miss ovulation if you are on a 28-29 day cycle and you will have a great supply of sperm ready to fertilize your egg. If you are intent on pinpointing ovulation then here is a great primer on checking your cervical mucus.

Copyright 2006 David Picella

Natural family planning has been shown to be up to 99% effective when used for the purpose of avoiding pregnancy. It can also be used as a method of assisting infertile couples to achieve pregnancy. Sometimes couples learning the cervical mucus method of natural family planning experience confusion as they attempt to accurately document the signs of fertility. NFPList.org has published a flowchart that demonstrates an algorithm for making cervical mucus observations which can be summarized as follows:

The very first thing that must be done before anything else is to decide if the cervical mucus was lubricative. The lubricative sensation must be obvious. If the mucus is lubricative, it is considered “peak-type” indicating that it is very fertile. It is still necessary to observe and finger test a lubricative observation so that the characteristics of the peak-type mucus are documented completely. Determining whether or not lubrication is present occurs before any visual observations are made–this is important to remember!

“Cervical mucus changes are monitored for determining when ovulation occurs through the cervical mucus monitoring test. As your cycle progresses, your cervical mucus increases in volume and changes texture. The changes in the mucus that is secreted from the cervix reflect where you are in your cycle. The consistency of your cervical mucus changes during the cycle due to hormonal fluctuations. You are considered most fertile when the mucus becomes clear, slippery, and stretchy. Many women compare mucus at this stage to raw egg whites.” Babyhopes.com

If the mucus is not lubricative, then it is necessary to determine whether or not anything can be lifted from the tissue or stretched between the fingers. If there is no “lift” AND there is no lubrication, then the observation is essentially dry (see flowchart). If the mucus can be lifted, then the finger testing procedure must be performed.

When lifting mucus, if it is either stretchy (1 inch or more) or at least a portion of it is clear (meaning that it looks like saran-wrap and you can see through it), then it is considered peak-type mucus. If non-lubricative mucus is not stretchy AND it is also not clear, then it is considered non-peak mucus. It should be noted that non-peak mucus is also fertile meaning that intercourse on a day of non-peak mucus would be expected to lead to a pregnancy.

This brief algorithm for making cervical mucus observations is obviously not meant to substitute for proper instruction with a certified natural family planning instructor. Similarly, without proper instruction, natural family planning cannot be expected to be as reliable as has been shown in published studies. While there are multiple methods of natural family planning that rely on the observation of cervical mucus based on very similar decision making strategies, they may not all be exactly the same.

“Cervical mucus plays an important role in enabling you to get pregnant. The most important role that it plays is that it facilitates conception by allowing fertilization to occur at a time distant from ovulation. The role of the cervical mucus is to nourish, protect, and speed the sperm on its way up through the uterus and into the Fallopian tubes so that it can fertilize the egg and help you in getting pregnant.” Babyhopes.com

If this article has peaked your interest in natural family planning, then perhaps now is the best time to find someone in your area who can introduce you to a this wonderful, safe, effective, and low cost way of understanding and learning to live in harmony with your fertility. What are you waiting for?

About the Author:
NFP and Infertility: http://www.majella.us Pregnancy calculator: http://picella.com/tools/pregnancy-date-calculator.htm David Picella, NP, is a PhD student at the University of Milwaukee Wisconsin.
Image Source: http://flickr.com/photos/biggreymare/951706000/

Fertility monitors allow a couple to easily identify their most fertile time of the month. For couples who find achieving conception a difficult process, this information can greatly increase their odds of becoming pregnant.

There is only a short period every month where the woman’s egg is ready to be fertilized. The main use of the fertility monitor is that it advises when conditions for fertilization are ideal. These monitors can not guarantee success, but many couples greatly improve their chance of becoming pregnant when they understand their peak conception dates for each month.

Fertility monitors can be found online or at local drugstores. There are many different types available. The simplest monitors can use a test stick placed in a collected urine sample. These may be messy, however and not as reliable as some of the more advanced models available.

The more advanced fertility monitors are easy to use and can provide a more accurate result. The process below explains how to use them:

* Select a time of the day where you will be able to perform the test consistently. Most people prefer the morning. Monitors usually allow a testing window of six hours.
* On the first day of your cycle, set the monitor, usually by pressing a button. The monitors will subsequently alert you when it is time to perform the test.
* Many monitors require that a test stick be held in a stream of urine for about three seconds and the stick then placed in the monitor receptacle.
* The monitor then automatically performs the test. Once the test time has completed, the device will flash a signal.
* Remove and read the test stick. You’ll learn if fertility is peak, high or low. That way, sexual activities can be planned for the greatest possibility of conception.

The most advanced monitors can actually track and learn your hormonal pattern after a few months of use. It will learn when you are definitely not fertile and advise that no tests are required on these days. This feature saves you time and money on test sticks.

Some of the more advanced fertility monitors may, at first, appear to be a little on the expensive side. They can cost as much as $300 or more for the most advanced, feature rich models. For the budget conscious there are simpler units at a small fraction of that price.

If you compare the cost of a fertility monitor to the cost of fertility treatments such as IVF, drug therapy, artificial insemination, fetal implant or others, you will find the most expensive monitor to be a great value. Medical intervention can cost thousands and thousands of dollars without any guarantee of success.

Be aware when choosing your monitor that most test kits come with only 30 strips for monitoring fertility. This means you want to be certain you can purchase additional strips in case you need to use the monitor for several months to achieve your goal of conceiving. Reviews and recommendations on fertility monitors are available from many sources including your doctor, in consumer publications and online. Naturally you should select a monitor made by a well known company that is simple and easy to use.

It is not unusual for otherwise healthy couples to take several months to conceive. Don’t be discouraged if you do not become pregnant in your first few months because that is totally normal.

If after a year of careful monitoring you have not conceived, you may choose to undergo additional fertility tests. Even then, if problems are found there are many options open for further treatment.

Hormones and fertility are greatly influenced by mood and emotion, so don’t feel pressured or place pressure on your partner. Fertility monitors and other treatments greatly improve your chances while timing your intercourse based on your peak fertility periods.

About the author:
Get Fertility Help Learn about Taking Charge of Your Fertility at http://www.fertility-help.com/

Sheryl’s comment:
Fertility monitors are a very useful tool but I am afraid that most couples are not maximizing their fertile days because they wait to have sex until the test tells them they are fertile. Ideally, a couple will have made love every day for six days up until ovulation. Ovulation should be the cue to stop making love. Sperm can live up to six days in a woman’s reproductive system so it makes little sense to begin having sex when the monitor tells you that you are fertile because you are not taking advantage of the six day window. You want as much sperm ready to go when that egg is released. Stock up!

Here is a very simple way to plan your conception schedule. If you are on a 28 day cycle, then note the first day of your last period. Mark a week and three days out on the calendar. (If you start your period on a Sunday, then you want to start having sex the following Wednesday). Start having sex every day for that entire week. That is your fertile week and should end approximately on your ovulation date. Studies have shown the highest conception rates for couples that copulate every day for the six days prior to ovulation. It makes perfect sense so please do not use the monitor to start trying….use it to stop!

Human fertility and reproduction are intricate, delicate and mysterious balancing acts. While fertility can seem unstoppable and powerful if you consider world population or teenage pregnancy rates, it is in fact a complex system that can easily be affected by outside influences.

Processed food, household toxins, inactivity, stress, pesticides, plastics, and even your shampoo can gang up on your reproductive organs, immobilizing them and causing them to shut down or only work sporadically.

Can this be reversed? Absolutely! Couples who are diagnosed with unexplained infertility experience tremendously high pregnancy rates with natural infertility treatments such as acupuncture in conjunction with basic lifestyle changes.

Read on for a comprehensive list of links to other websites and articles which offer valuable natural fertility information, lifestyle choices that are conducive to pregnancy, infertility definitions and ways to treat common causes of infertility with natural methods. If I am missing anything or you have a site to recommend to the list please send an email to fertility at amuchbetterway dot com.

Lifestyle Choices For Getting Pregnant Naturally

• Alcohol and Fertility - A little wine should be fine
• B12 Deficiency Can Cause Miscarriage
• Best sexual position for conception
• Coping with the Stress of Infertility
• Daily Relaxation Options for Fertility
• Fertility Awareness, Food and Night Lighting
• Fertility Detox Diet
• Fertility enhancing vitamins
• Female orgasm aids conception
• Fertility Supplements
• Have sex frequently (daily)
• Have sex in the morning
• How to Chart Your Cycle
• Making the Most of Fertility Charting
• Meditation, Relaxation & Journal Techniques
• Naturopathy for Infertility
• Nutrition and Food Tips for Men and Women
• Yoga can increase fertility
• Vitamins for Fertility
  

Natural Infertility Treatments

• Acupuncture
• Aromatherapy
• Ayurveda
• Ayurvedic Perspective
• Chiropractic
• Conception Cap
• Fertility enhancing retreats - FAQ
• Herbs for Infertility
• Homeopathy for Infertility
• Hypnosis, Fertility & Stress
• Hypnotherapy for Unexplained Infertility
• Infertility program at the Mind Body Medical Institute in Spring House, PA
• Lunar Fertility
• Massage
• Natural Infertility Treatment Providers in the US
• Reflexology
• Robitussin for Cervical Mucous
• Traditional Chinese Medicine

Some Causes of Infertility

• Age and Infertility
• Comprehensive list of all known causes of male infertility
• Diabetes, Obesity & Infertility
• Infertility and Weight
• PCOS
• Sexually Transmitted Infections
• Stress, Infertility and Solutions
• Toxin Exposure and Fertility
• Toxins & Fertility
• Why Male Sperm Counts Are Dropping Around the World

Natural Remedies for:

• PCOS
• Endometriosis
• Endometriosis 2
• Endometriosis 3
• Fibroids
• Pelvic Inflammatory Disease
• Menstruation disorders/Fibroids/PID

Infertility Definitions:

• AH (Assisted Hatching)
• AI (Artificial Insemination)
• ART (Assisted Reproductive Technologies)
• Clomiphene (Clomid)
• Cryopreservation of Embryos
• Donor Oocyte
• Egg Donation
• Embryo adoption
• Endometriosis
• FSH (Follicle-Stimulating Hormone)
• GIFT (gamete intrafallopian transfer)
• HCG (Human Chorionic Gonadotropin)
• ICSI (Intra Cytoplasmic Sperm Injection)
• IVF (In Vitro Fertilization)
• Laparoscopy
• Luteinizing Hormone
• PID (Pelvic Inflammatory Disease)
• PCOS
• Secondary Infertility
• surrogacy
• Unexplained Infertility
• ZIFT (zygote intrafallopian transfer)

Online Tools/Support/Charting

• Check your BMI (should be 19-28)
• Menstrual Cycle Myths and TTC Realities
• Resolve.org
• Fertility Friend
• Fertility Connect
• Printable Ovulation Calendar
• Ovulation Calculator
• Natural ways to monitor fertility
• Ovulation Symptoms and Signs
• Basal Body Temperature
• Preconception Checklist
• Check Your Cosmetics & Personal Care Products for Reproductive Toxicity

Shopping

• Natural Fertility Store
• Fertility/Infertility Books
• Saliva Ovulation Microscope
• Pregnancy Wheel/Ovulation Predictor
• Cycle Beads
• Male Fertility Test
• Fertility Blend for Women
• Fertility Blend for Men

Featured Fertility Books:

• Taking Charge of Your Fertility
• Conscious Conception
• Healing Gourmet - Eat Boost Fertility
• The Infertility Cure
• Your Fertility Signals

Natural Fertility - The Ultimate Guide

Recently a number of our clients have asked us about the relationship between acupuncture and fertility. Planning a pregnancy is an exciting time in a person’s life - filled with new expectations, experiences and discoveries. It is a time of reflection as well as one of looking towards the future, and an ideal time to explore optimal health. Thankfully, for over 2,500 years, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practitioners have been examining the most effective ways to help naturally boost fertility and ameliorate imbalances that contribute to reproductive difficulties. The practice of TCM includes acupuncture, nutrition, herbal medicine and gentle energy building exercises.

We know that many different factors play a role in determining the chances of conception and carrying to term. Some of these factors require aggressive treatment or are irreversible (such as menopause), and should be ruled out. However, much of the time, natural medicine and moderate lifestyle changes have powerful results without any adverse side effects. Additionally, acupuncture is regularly utilized in conjunction with Assisted Reproductive Therapies [including: Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) and In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)], to increase their effectiveness. (1).

It is important for the prospective mother to become intimately familiar with the body’s rhythms and cycles. This can be done by charting early morning temperatures, examining cyclical changes throughout the menstrual cycle, and using non-invasive home test kits to determine hormonal shifts. This serves several purposes: one is to know the time during the menstrual cycle when conception is most likely to occur (ovulation), another is to bring to light the underlying blockages or deficiencies that need to be addressed. Lastly, it helps women to be in touch with their bodies. I always encourage my patients to become curious observers of the interconnected nature of all life. This is elegantly demonstrated as body temperature, fluids, and emotions all ebb and flow together.

A balanced diet is of utmost importance where reproductive health is concerned. I often recommend holistic nutritional counseling - which is offered at our center. Reducing caffeine, alcohol, sugar and foods high in saturated fat, while eating plenty of color rich vegetables and essential fatty acids is key. Only buy organic foods to avoid pesticides and additives. If one eats meat and dairy, choose those that have not been hormone fed. More specifically, there are foods and herbs that facilitate balance, based on each individual’s needs. Chinese medicinal herbs - with over 25 centuries of continual use - can be safe, effective and nourishing when prescribed by a Nationally Board Certified Herbalist. Additionally, incorporating gentle energy building exercises - such as Tai qi, Qi gong, or Yoga - nourish the spirit, calm the mind and strengthen the body.

One of the strengths of Traditional Chinese Medicine is that it takes into consideration every aspect of one’s life, including factors such as: sleep patterns, stress level and digestion. Through acute observation and analysis the TCM practitioner is able to assess imbalances that are seemingly unrelated but reveal underlying patterns of disharmony that can contribute to infertility. In essence, acupuncture stimulates the body’s innate ability to heal itself rather than merely suppressing symptoms. Thus, acupuncture works by treating the “root” of the problem as well as the “branch” to enhance overall functioning.

Today scientists are attempting to translate the effects of this ancient medicine into modern biophysical terms as more research comes out in support of acupuncture’s effect on fertility. Western medical theory holds that acupuncture initiates electromagnetic signals via the nervous and endocrine systems, to the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus is responsible for the hormonal activity that is directly connected to ovulation, menstruation and conception. Furthermore, by mediating the sympathetic nervous system (which is easily and often over-taxed due to stress), acupuncture stimulates vasodilation and effects blood flow to the ovaries, fallopian tubes, and uterus. This, in turn, increases the viability of the ovum, thickens the uterine lining, and assists implantation of the fertilized egg - while decreasing the likelihood of miscarriage. (2).

It is important to note that statistics show at least 30% of infertility cases are caused by male factors and another 30% involve a combination of both male and female. A recent study indicates that acupuncture improves sperm count, motility and quality. (3).

The goal of Traditional Chinese Medicine is to harmonize the entire being, tilling the soil for the creation of an overall environment that nurtures growth and well-being. I work in partnership with my patients to address their specific needs and objectives. They are often delighted to discover what far reaching effects it has on their health.

Paulus et. al Fertility and Sterility, 2002 Apr;77(4):721-4. Influence of acupuncture on the pregnancy rate in patients who undergo assisted reproduction therapy.
(42.5% of patients who received acupuncture resulted in clinical pregnancies verses 26.3% in the control group who did not).
East Meets West in Reproductive Medicine. Mike Berkley. c.2006.</li> <li>Pei, J. Fertility and Sterility, July 2005; vol 84: pp 141-147.
(The researchers write that acupuncture treatment is a simple, noninvasive method that can improve sperm quality).

Author: Sadie Minkoff
About the author: Sadie Minkoff is a Licensed Acupuncturist and Herbalist in Washington, DC, http://www.Acupuncture-DC.com” She received a Masters of Science in Oriental Medicine, and
holds Diplomate status in Oriental Medicine from the NCCAOM (National Certification Commission for Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine). Her practice focuses on Women’s Health.

Buy the DVD: East Meets West: Acupuncture and Herbs for the Treatment of Infertility with world-renowned fertility specialist Dr. Mike Berkley, L.Ac., DA(RI)
Image Source: http://flickr.com/photos/euart/282104427/

Source: www.PRWeb.com
NORWALK, CT (PRWEB) Five key facts that can increase your chances of pregnancy: Leading Reproductive Endocrinologist Reveals Simple Self-Assessments.

As one of the human body’s most basic and most powerful processes, pregnancy – and the ability to conceive a child – is often thought of as a “natural” occurrence. Yet there are numerous factors involved in achieving and maintaining a healthy pregnancy, and even a minor flaw in just one area can wreak havoc on couples attempting to conceive.

Dr. Mark Leondires, one of the Northeast’s leading reproductive endocrinologists, shares his “top five” list of requirements for pregnancy, and points out simple ways that women can self-assess their level of function in those areas.

Dealing with infertility is draining, from a mental, physical and emotional standpoint,” Dr. Leondires notes. He believes that much of the difficulty lies in the powerlessness people feel when a medical situation is “out of their hands.” “By providing five simple ways that men and women can determine – and enhance – their own fertility levels, I hope to give them back a sense of power over the process,” Dr. Leondires explains. The five factors he discusses are:

1. That “tick-tock-tick-tock” you’ve been hearing isn’t just your imagination.
“The biological clock is real,” Dr. Leondires stresses. Women are born with all the eggs they’ ll ever have, and the vast majority of these eggs never mature. What’s more is that quality, as well as the quantity of viable eggs, diminish with age. “If you are over 35, and you haven’t been able to achieve or sustain a pregnancy over the course of six months’ unprotected sex, see your OB/Gyn or a reproductive endocrinologist,” Dr. Leondires advises.

2. What’s your cycle?
A normal cycle that produces ovulation lasts between 23 and 36 days. If yours is shorter or longer, it is possible that you are not ovulating. To check, take your temperature every day before you rise from bed, and chart it on a graph for two to three months. “The basal body temperature will typically dip a bit mid-cycle, then spike and remain higher until menstruation,” Dr. Leondires says. “The dip and spike usually indicate ovulation.” A more reliable tool to check for ovulation would be an Ovulation Predictor Kit. This kit can be purchased from any local pharmacy. By checking the hormone levels in the woman’s urine, the kit can help most women accurately time intercourse during their ovulatory phase.

3. Check your tubes.
The fallopian tubes are the only route between the ovaries and the uterus, and they’re usually the spot where sperm fertilize the egg. If one or both tubes are blocked, conception will be difficult. “A history of a pelvic infection, tubal pregnancy, abdominal surgery, or ruptured appendix can damage your fragile fallopian tubes,” Dr. Leondires says. Yet, forty percent of women with damaged fallopian tubes do not report any history of infection. A simple X-ray called a hysterosalpingogram can determine the condition of the fallopian tubes.

4. Timing is (almost) everything.
Up to 20% of couples miscalculate the optimal time for conception. Dr. Leondires suggests subtracting 17 days from the average number of days in your cycle, and having unprotected sex on that day, and two days later. “It’s best to have sperm waiting for the egg in the fallopian tubes prior to ovulation,” he notes. “And since sperm can live for two days or longer, intercourse prior to ovulation is often the key to success.”

5. Sometimes, it’s a male thing.
Up to 40% of fertility- challenged couples encounter a male factor, Dr. Leondires points out. Perfectly healthy men can have a low sperm count of less than 20 million per ejaculate. But the good news is that the majority of couples with male-factor infertility can conceive with intervention. Wearing loose fitting clothing, avoiding nicotine and excessive caffeine or alcohol, and having a simple sperm test can help diagnose and allow treatment for male-factor infertility, Dr. Leondires says.

Bio:
Dr. Mark P. Leondires, M.D., FACOG, is a leading authority on reproductive medicine. Dr. Leondires is board certified in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility. He is a member of the Society of Reproductive Endocrinologists, the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology, and the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Dr. Leondires earned his medical degree from the University of Vermont College of Medicine and completed his residency in Obstetrics and Gynecology at Maine Medical Center in Portland, Maine. Dr.Leondires completed a fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility at the National Institutes of Health in Bethesda, Maryland. After completion of his training, he fulfilled his military obligation by serving as the ART Director for the largest and most successful program in the military health care system at Walter Reed Army Medical Center. During this time he was an Assistant Professor at the Uniformed Services University of Health Sciences and clinical faculty for the Combined Fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology. Dr.Leondires is currently Medical Director and lead physician with The Center for Advanced Reproductive Medicine in Norwalk CT. Along with numerous teaching and research activities, Dr. Leondires has published articles in professional medical journals, national consumer magazine and newspapers as well as abstracts and book chapters.

Buy the Book: Increase Fertility and Achieve Conception the Natural Way
Image Source: http://flickr.com/photos/expeditions/523531413/