• Does acupuncture help boost fertility? Jennifer Aniston thinks so (and we do too). According to Kiddicare.com:
  
  “Hollywood actress Jennifer Aniston has reportedly turned to acupuncture in a bid to improve her chances of conceiving, according to new celebrity rumours.

  Acupuncture is said to stimulate the energy pathways of the body using very fine needles and is thought to help boost fertility levels in patients hoping to get pregnant.”

• Have a big brother? He could be unknowingly influencing your reproductive patterns. According to an article at thefrisky.com,
  
  “Sheffield University researchers, who poured over birth, marriage, and death records, discovered that anyone, male or female, with an older male sibling is 5% less likely to have children than people with female older siblings. They also have children later in life and space their babies out.”







• Considering assisted reproductive technology such as IVF or donor eggs? A new study has found that the use of ART (assisted reproductive technology) increases the risk of certain birth defects such as heart defects, cleft lip and/or palate and gastrointestinal defects. According to CNN.com,

  ” As part of the National Birth Defects Prevention Study, which gathers information on birth defects from 10 states, Reefhuis and her colleagues compared 281 births using ART with more than 14,000 naturally conceived births. The researchers looked at approximately 18 categories of birth defects, but only those four were found to be “statistically significantly associated with ART.”

  The study findings pertain only to single births; the researchers did not find a link between ART and birth defects among multiple births. ART increases the chances of having a multiple birth, and infants born as part of a multiple birth are more likely to have birth defects regardless of the method of conception.”

  Sounds like one more reason to boost your fertility naturally before resorting to medical technologies.

• On the subject of natural fertility, copulation for many couples used to be fun until infertility set in. Then timing, ovulation, BBT and other tracking becomes the norm and lovemaking becomes a means to and end rather than something to do for pleasures sake. For some tips on how to bring the love back to your lovemaking and still try to conceive at the same time, check out this article at chealth.com. From the article:
  
  “Another common cycle that reproduction-focused couples fall into is going straight for the finale without spending time on foreplay. Remember when your relationship first began, before baby-making was on your mind, and you would spend so much time just exploring each other’s bodies? Well, go back to that.

  Include foreplay in your sexual regime in order to avoid letting sex become simply a means to an end. Enjoy the process and enjoy being close to one another by remembering that you used to have sex for pleasure.

  In order to keep your sex life thriving, it is important to focus on pleasure. Just because the mission is to get the sperm to the egg doesn’t mean the experience can’t be orgasmic and pleasurable for both members of the partnership.”

Read more at:
Jennifer Aniston turns to acupuncture to boost fertility, Kiddicare.com
Researchers Watch Big Brothers, thefrisky.com
Fertility Treatments Linked to Certain Birth Defects, CNN.com
Fertility and Your Sex Life, Chealth.canoe.ca

“When a woman gets treatment for in vitro [fertilization], she’s giving up her fertility, her womanhood, to a team … and not really getting in touch with her own body,” Mercier said. “I teach them how to get in touch with their own fertility signs.”

In practice since 1999, Mercier has focused on fertility therapies for the last couple of years.

Mercier’s Shared Journey Fertility Program emphasizes hormone balancing, increased blood flow to reproductive organs, and natural supplements to reduce acidity in the body.

It also involves 30 to 45 minutes of pelvic massage therapy three times a week for a month.

Mercier, owner of Sacred Space Naturopathy, is among a small minority of naturopathic physicians who specialize in treating fertility issues.

Click here to read the full story at KCChronicle.com

Sheryl’s comment:
This is another great example of how more natural, less invasive fertility treatments are moving into the mainstream. The article went on to tell the story of a woman who used progesterone cream to naturally boost her progesterone levels (and I am using the term naturally loosely here) as well as pelvic massages and she achieved pregnancy in six weeks.

While every couple’s results will vary, pelvic massage falls under the”doesnt hurt to try” category. If you are going to do it yourself then do not forget to throw in the foot massage for the reflexology benefits and the back massage for the enhanced circulation and chi flow. Enhance your results further with essential oils designed for fertility.

Author: Sheryl Lyon

So you decided that you are ready to try to have a baby. Maybe you will be one of the lucky ones who conceives within a couple of months or maybe you will find yourself among millions of fertility challenged couples. Whether you are ready to start trying tomorrow or you have been trying for a decade, you might want to improve your odds of conception with a method that is quick, painless, inexpensive, and non-invasive. Believe it or not, a visit to the chiropractor may help you conceive.

A series of research papers published in the Journal of Vertebral Subluxation Research found that chiropractic had positive results treating infertility regardless of the woman’s age, number of years infertile, previous medical intervention or health history including miscarriages, blocked fallopian tubes, amenorrhea, colitis, or trauma.

Your spine is a central highway of nerves. Just as an electrical cord has to be fully plugged in for an appliance to run, your reproductive system will not function properly if the nerves that lead to them are not functioning or are blocked in some way.

A chiropractor will identify pinched or pressed nerves and fix those spinal distortions, which are called subluxations. The distortions can be caused by many things including childhood falls, illnesses, accidents, poor posture, or even stress.

Once the subluxations are minimized or eliminated, a woman’s menstrual cycle can strengthen, the action that delivers the egg through the fallopian tubes to the uterus can improve, and some cases of endometriosis can begin to reverse.

Holistic websites, chiropractic patients, and chiropractors themselves abound with pregnancy success stories. Some women went to the chiropractor for other reasons only to find themselves pregnant, others have battled infertility for more than 10 years and then suddenly became pregnant within a couple of months or even a couple of visits to the chiropractor. These remarkable results are the same regardless of the technique used by the chiropractor.

Naturally this does not mean that everyone will get pregnant after a visit to the chiropractor only that it has worked for many women. It is certainly an option worth exploring either alone or in conjunction with other infertility treatments particularly if you have ever had an accident or illness.

You should be able to consult with a chiropractor and have an adjustment in less than an hour and the visit will probably cost $100 or less if it is not already covered by your insurance. The adjustments are totally non invasive, in fact they are done with the patient fully clothed. The procedure is painless although the sounds created by the adjustments may shock you at first.

Seeing a chiropractor is a great idea even if you are not trying to conceive because the nerves in the spine lead to more than just your reproductive organs but if you are trying to conceive, the benefits to fertility are just too compelling to ignore.

Does it really matter why or how it works? Or only that it works? Even if you do not believe in chiropractors why wouldn’t you try a proven fertility treatment that is easy, fast, gentle, non-invasive, covered by most insurance, inexpensive, painless and harmless? So do not forget to add an appointment with the chiropractor as part of your preconception plan.

Reproductive medicine author and expert simplifies five steps in navigating the maze of infertility.

Norwalk and Danbury, CT (PRWEB) — For couples that have tried in vain for months — sometimes years — to conceive a child, the diagnosis of infertility is usually met with a barrage of emotions. The most intense of all is often confusion, as a maze of possible problems and potential solutions spurs more questions than answers. “Is it me, or is it him, or is it both of us? Will I have to take drugs, or have surgery? Do I need a specialist? Is in vitro fertilization (IVF) our only choice? Where do we start?”

“The field of reproductive medicine has made rapid and incredible advances over the past decade in the area of infertility treatment options, and now the vast majority of infertile couples can achieve a successful pregnancy,” says Dr. John J. Stangel, Westchester County Medical Director of Reproductive Medicine Associates of Connecticut. Dr. Stangel, co-author of the new book, The Unofficial Guide to Getting Pregnant, adds, “But a huge amount of new information has left many couples to navigate a maze that seems to be intimidating.” This can lead to emotional frustration from not knowing which path to choose, physical discomfort from unnecessary or inappropriate treatments, and even financial troubles from the cost of treatment and the confusion over insurance coverage, Dr. Stangel notes.

“Fortunately, although the sea of infertility solutions is vast and deep, there is a step-by-step system that simplifies the process of determining which path is right for each individual couple,” Dr. Stangel assures. “The first step, of course, is to consult a reproductive specialist — a medical doctor, often an obstetrician, trained and board certified in Reproductive Medicine and infertility,” Dr. Stangel explains. Then, after the following five steps, an infertile couple is usually on their way to a healthy, successful pregnancy:

Step 1: The Fertility Workup -
This exam is the crucial first step for couples requiring treatment for infertility. Both mom-to-be and dad-to-be participate, and the questions range from the mundane (”How old are you?” and “Have you ever had a child?”) to the complex (”Did your mother take Diethylstilbestrol [DES] when she was pregnant with you?” and “Have you ever had chemotherapy or radiation to treat cancer, and if so, what specific drugs were used?”). Dr.Stangel adds, “A physical examination, along with discussion of medical histories, lifestyle histories, timing of intercourse and even choices of undergarments for dad-to-be are fair game during the workup.” This is also a good time to ask specific questions, or to tell your doctor about anything you suspect might pertain to your infertility.

Step 2: The Hormone Check -
While In Vitro Fertilization and other Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ARTs) tend to get most of the attention, the fact is that only 3% of infertile couples require IVF or other ARTs to conceive. “The great majority of female infertility can be attributed to hormone imbalances,” Dr. Stangel notes. “When this is the case, there are a number of drug and hormone therapies available to normalize the hormone levels, and even some lifestyle options like weight loss or weight gain that may help regulate a woman’s cycle to help conception along,” he adds.

Step 3: The Sperm Check -
Motility, viscosity, quantity, quality — the possible problems with sperm are a contributing factor in nearly half of all infertile couples’ inability to conceive. “A lab experienced at doing semen analysis should evaluate the sperm. The lab results should be interpreted by a urologist, andrologist or reproductive endocrinologist – each experienced with this type of study,” Dr. Stangel urges. Again, there are a number of lifestyle-related fixes for sperm issues, as well as several drug and hormone therapies available.

Step 4: The Structural Inspection –
Along with the above studies, specialists move to the structure of both the male and female reproductive systems. Troubles in this area include blocked fallopian tubes, uterine malformations and even problems with the penile and seminal structures. “Most of the time, if there is a structural problem surgery is needed to correct these issues in order to achieve a pregnancy,” Dr. Stangel explains.

Step 5: Exploring the ARTs -
In the event that the first four steps don’t result in pregnancy, Assisted Reproductive Technology can help. From In Vitro Fertilization, ZIFT, GIFT and TET procedures to promising new techniques for maturing eggs outside the womb and cryopreservation of human eggs, the ARTs are helping tens of thousands of couples each year to achieve a healthy, successful pregnancy. Originally designed for women with damaged fallopian tubes, ART is now used to address every conceivable fertility issue, with an average success rate of about 30% per attempt.

“While it can be overwhelming at times, with the right guidance, the maze of infertility can be a journey of hope and, ultimately, happiness for couples wishing to have a child,” Dr. Stangel concludes.

Bio:
Dr. John J. Stangel is Westchester County Medical Director and a lead physician with Reproductive Medicine Associates of Connecticut, Dr. Stangel is board certified in Reproductive Endocrinology and Infertility. He has been in private practice since 1976 with his office located in Rye, NY.

Some of Dr. Stangel’s former positions include: Medical Director of the Westchester Affiliate of the Institute for Reproductive Medicine and Science of Saint Barnabas; Clinical Director of Reproductive Medicine, Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Women’s Health Montefiore Medical Center at The University Hospital for the Albert Einstein College of Medicine; Medical Director of IVF America Program Westchester in Port Chester, NY; and Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology at New York Medical College at Metropolitan Hospital in NY and at Westchester County Medical Center in Valhalla, NY.

Upon graduating from NY Medical College, Dr. Stangel completed his internship at Beth Israel Medical Center in New York City and his residency in Obstetrics & Gynecology at Mount Sinai Medical Center. He returned to NY Medical College for a fellowship in Reproductive Endocrinology. Dr. Stangel is a charter member of both the Society of Reproductive Endocrinologists and the Society of Reproductive Surgeons.

Dr. Stangel is the editor and contributing author of the textbook, ‘Infertility Surgery’. He has published numerous scientific papers and articles and has contributed to many textbooks. Dr. Stangel has also authored a laymen guide to infertility entitled, ‘The New Fertility and Conception‘. His most recent book, co-authored with Joan Liebman-Smith, Ph.D., and Jacqueline Nardi Egan, is ‘The Unofficial Guide to Getting Pregnant’. He has also lectured widely in the United States and abroad.

Image Source: http://flickr.com/photos/stevemonty/203052584/

Many people can empathize with the pain of discovering you cannot have children, and some are so touched they are compelled to action. Luckily modern scientific techniques have been able to help infertile couples through sperm and egg donation for many years.

Donating eggs differs dramatically from donating sperm in the amount of preparation it requires, and the invasiveness of the operation to remove the eggs.

This is why in addition to a medical check up, family history review and scan of your ovaries, donors might be expected to attend a counseling session when they apply. This should help to assess their reasons for wanting to donate and prepare them for the procedure.

A potential donor needs to be between the ages of 18 and 35 to qualify. Often clinics also prefer donors who have children of their own, for various reasons such as the small risk to their future
fertility and the capacity to comprehend what they are giving to another person.

Before the treatment begins, the donor needs to stop taking the pill or any other hormonal contraception, so that they have a natural menstrual cycle.

Following their first “natural” period, they will begin taking daily injections to stimulate the ovaries. They can have these injections at the donation clinic, at their local surgery or they may wish to inject themselves at home. Small needles are used, and administered into the fatty tissue in the abdomen.

They are required to make two to three visits to the clinic during this preparation for vaginal ultrasound scans to monitor the progress of the stimulated follicles in their ovaries. Once the clinic finds the ovarian response is peaking, the donor is asked to take a late night injection of HGC to ripen the eggs. The egg collection will take place in the clinic or hospital the next morning.

The procedure is carried out under intravenous heavy sedation. This means that while the donor is not unconscious while the eggs are taken, they will not be aware of what is going on, and should not experience any pain or discomfort.

In ordinary circumstances, they will be able to return home the same day. They must have somebody to accompany them though, as the sedation takes a little while to wear off. Additionally they will be given a course of antibiotics to reduce the possibility of infection.

The clinic should inform them of possible risks such as Hyperstimulation syndrome, bleeding or infection. Hyperstimulation syndrome effects about 1 in 20 donators, and happens when fertility
drugs create too many eggs in the ovaries.

The same clinic should be able to diagnose the condition, and give dietary suggestions and other precautions to take to avoid complications arising. In general, the condition is temporary and
treated by rest and hydration.

Other things to consider include that fact the egg donation will not necessarily result in a child. Although the donors are not generally permitted to meet the intended parents, some clinics allow the donors to know whether the result of their fertility treatment was a success.

In some countries, such as the UK and Ireland, a child conceived through donated sperm or egg cells can find out contact details of the donor once they reach eighteen. For some people this is a very positive thing, but for others it might not be. The donor would have no legal obligation or rights to a child born, even though they are genetically related.

Utilizing the services of an egg donor requires huge levels of commitment and tenacity for both the donor and the prospective parents but in many some of infertility can be a fairly straightforward path to conception.

Find out more by visiting http://www.egg-donors.info

About the author:
Ciara McGrath is a full time mother to four teenage daughters. Find out more at Egg Donors Info and Fertility Info

Sheryl’s comment:
Naturally the point of this site is to explore methods of improving fertility naturally through herbs, nutrition, exercise and alternative methods. This article just provides information on how the medical alternatives work.

Source: http://www.prweb.com/
A spokesperson for London Nutritionists Foods For Life has dismissed the recent health scares about fertility and IVF treatment as a moneymaking smokescreen by fertility ‘experts’.

(PRWEB)– Tony Bishop-Weston, an ‘optimum nutrition catering consultant’, says “there’s no doubt the UK health service have a poor record on assisted pregnancy but the real tragedy is that very many cases of infertility can be helped simply by better health and nutrition.”

Fertility - barometer for health
Even with IVF (In Vitro Fertilization) it’s very difficult to stay pregnant if your body hasn’t been nutritionally nurtured. The body is very good at deciding that all those nine months of effort just aren’t worth it. If you are not feeding yourself right, scoffing little but sugar and saturated fat and artificially stimulating yourself with caffeine instead of food then what chance has the baby got to grow into an optimally healthy adult?

Of course sometimes it’s more complicated than stupified, drugged, poisoned, malnourished sperm or poisoned eggs lacking essential amino acids and omega fats but even in these cases optimum nutrition is often even more important to avoid IVF being a waste of time and money.

“sometimes it’s more complicated than stupified, drugged, poisoned, malnourished sperm or poisoned eggs lacking essential amino acids and omega fats…”

The main problem is that showing people why they should avoid coffee and eat more broccoli and hempseeds is not nearly as profitable as complicated medical procedures and selling rigorously tested expensive patented drugs.

Expensive addictions
Some people would rather pay thousands of dollars on pills and surgery rather than ditch the morning espresso and give up the cigarettes and five bottles of chardonnay a week. They don’t want the extra personal responsibility. They already have enough stress in their lives which is often at the root of the problem and it’s easier to delegate to an ‘expert’.

Over 1% of births artificially ‘assisted’
The Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) published a guide that indicates that 8,800 babies (1.5% of all births) are now born every year by IVF, 3650 every year are born by intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI), and many more thorough other Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART), underlining how successful the treatment has become since it was first pioneered in Britain in 1978.

Causes of infertility
In 1992, The British Medical Journal reviewed 61 separate studies and concluded there had been an average 42 per cent fall in sperm count from 113 million per millilitre in 1940 to 66 million. Sperm counts under 20 million per millilitre point to infertility and, under 5 million, sterility.

Some researchers are looking at the root cause of infertility rather than lucrative quick fix methods but funding is tight. CHAPS the Chemicals And Pregnancy Study is looking into whether workplace chemicals and toxins are to blame for problems with fertility.

Copper maybe an issue. Although copper is an essential element, an excessive amount is toxic. The symptoms of copper poisoning, which are frequently associated with suicidal intent, are clearly documented including: nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, hypotension, jaundice, haematuria, anuria, coma and death. One of the most prominent sources of copper comes from our drinking water supplies running through copper piping. Particularly in areas where the water is soft and acidic, as this literally corrodes layers of copper off the pipes. Cigarette smoking is also a prominent source of excessive copper accumulation Similarly oral contraceptives are notorious in raising the body’s copper burden. (Foresight)

Nutrition Solutions
London Nutritionist Yvonne Bishop-Weston works with Foresight the charity for preconceptual care, fertility and pregnancy. Foresight help hundreds of couples every year to have healthy babies.

Yvonne reveals some interesting statistics “Foresight has shown that Nutritional Therapy can double the success rate of babies born to couples with infertility issues. Foresight therapies achieve 72% success rate of healthy babies born while the success rate for assisted conception is only 30-47%.

Image Source: http://flickr.com/photos/jensaar/255849776/

read the full article at Health.Womens.Blogspot.com

Sheryl’s comments:
Apparently scientists have discovered that they can successfully transplant the wombs from women who are brain dead but still have a beating heart. This naturally raises ethical questions, as pointed out in the article, as to whether is it right to transplant organs when no-one life is at stake.

As we know, many parents who are trying to conceive, are willing to stop at nothing to achieve their dream. Who knows the medical and psychological implications of having a uterus transplant for the parents and more importantly the child?

“Chasteberry is derived from the dried, ripened fruit of Vitex agnuscastus. It contains the two iridoid glycosides, agnuside and aucubin, as well as flavonoids, essential oils, and progestins. The berries exert a progesterogenic effect on women and an antiandrogenic effect on men.” FightingInfertility.com

Chasteberry has historically been used to regulate the female estrogen/progesterone balance. Chasteberry can help regulate your menstrual cycle because it stimulates your pituitary gland to release more luteinizing hormone which increases the progesterone released by your ovaries.

If you suffer from amenorrhea, excessive menstrual bleeding, painful or irregular bleeding, PMS symptoms, fibroids or endometriosis, you may benefit from regular use of a Chasteberry supplement. Like most herbal remedies, patience is key because herbal remedies take time. It should be taken for at least six months for infertility and fibroids and eighteen months for endometriosis and amenorrhea.

Men generally do not take Chasteberry because of the antiandrogenic effects and women who are pregnant, breastfeeding or on hormone replacement therapies need to speak with their doctor, naturopath or herbalist before taking Chasteberry, because it alters your hormonal balance. Naturally those warnings do not apply to woman trying to conceive, but you should probably stop taking it once you become pregnant.

Purchase: Chasteberry
Image Source: http://flickr.com/photos/paul_garland/2595630379/

Taking a break of a month or two can be beneficial on many levels and even more therapeutic if you combine it with an out of town vacation. Chronic stress, lack of sleep, lack of sunshine, poor nutrition and other unhealthy habits can all have a negative long term impact on your fertility. By ignoring your mental health and wellness, you could be exacerbating the problem without knowing it. Not only that, but you owe it to yourself to incorporate balance into your life whether or not you have a child.

Life needs to be about balance in order for a person to be happy. Whenever you put too much of your focus onto only one area of your life, you do it to the detriment of every other aspect of your life. You feel out of balance because you are not paying attention to other aspects of your life, some of which might be very good. You rob yourself of the joy of celebrating other positive moments in your life, such as a promotion at work or the deepening of a friendship. Taking Time Off From Fertility Treatments

If you are of advancing age or have other extreme fertility challenges, you may feel that you cannot afford to “waste” a month or two, but consider the toll on your mental and physical health and the fact that you may be inadvertently making matters worse. You do not have to give up, but you do need to take care of yourself first and that may mean taking a step back to relax, refocus and breathe.

Buy The Audio CD: Indigo Dreams, Real Techniques for Real People Feeling Real Anxiety
(also available in MP3 format)