• 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

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.

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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%.

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Acupuncture is an alternative medical treatment that has been practiced for over 2000 years. Created in China, the practice of acupuncture is based on the belief that a disruption in the energy flow in the body can cause energetic imbalances, which is believed to be the root cause of most of the disorders suffered by people. These obstructions can be cleared and the energy flow of the body can be restored by the insertion of tiny needles into specific areas of the body. There are over 2000 different acupoints on the human body and the disease determines which insertion points should be used.
Acupuncture is now used around the world to treat a variety of conditions, such as osteoarthritis, infertility, smoking addiction, gastric hyperacidity, sciatica and low back pain.

How Does Acupuncture Treat Infertility?
The use of acupuncture to treat infertility is a comparatively new concept for western societies. The ideology behind acupuncture for infertility is that acupuncture will increase the amount of blood flow to the sexual organs and balance the hormones present in the body. This practice is proven to be effective by increasing ovarian potency in women and assisting in sperm creation for men.

Using acupuncture for infertility treatment is most commonly used when a couple is experiencing functional issues, such as erectile dysfunction or irregular ovulation. In some scenarios, acupuncture is used as supplementary procedure for in vitro fertilization, helping women to relax their uteruses during the embryo transfer process. A study conducted in 2002 by German researchers found that acupuncture increased the success rate of in vitro fertilization by up to 16% and reduced the amount of miscarriages in women receiving in vitro fertilization by 12%.

What is the Acupuncture Treatment Like?
Acupuncture is a pretty painless procedure and side effects are very uncommon. The most common adverse events reported include the transmission of infectious agents, minor bleeding at the insertion point and needles broken beneath the skin. These risks will be very much reduced if the acupuncturist is a licensed and capable professional that has gone through the required 2000 to 3000 hours of training and has passed the required board exam.

Acupuncture for infertility treatment can be a long-winded process. In most scenarios, acupuncture therapy requires 12 individual appointments, lasting about an hour in length and occurring weekly. During this hour long appointment, a physical test will be given and any complications or issues that have arisen since the last appointment will be discussed.

Using acupuncture to treat infertility is quickly gaining acceptance in the United States. Although whether the procedure is useful is intensely argued among doctors, the fact of the matter is that it seems to work and it certainly doesn’t hurt to try. For couples who have been trying to conceive a child without success, using acupuncture therapy to aid in infertility treatment may give them the breakthrough they need to finally have a baby.

Author: Natalie Williams
About the author: Natalie Williams is the author of Pregnancy101.net a treasure tome full of pregnancy tips on pregnancy symptoms, fertility, breastfeeding, birth and conception issues. Be sure to discover a woman’s infertility story on how she overcame multiple miscarriages to become pregnant in her thirties.
Buy: East Meets West: Acupuncture and Herbs for the Treatment of Infertility
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Doctors Discovering More Clues to Solve the Mysteries of Infertility
Norwalk and Danbury, CT (PRWEB) — There is little in the world of medicine more frustrating than the mysteries of infertility. The American Society for Reproductive Medicine reports that about 10% of childbearing couples in the U.S. struggle with the questions of infertility. “Why can’t we achieve pregnancy on our own?” “Why didn’t our In Vitro Fertilization attempts work?” “Do I have ‘good’ eggs?” While the process of conception still remains a mystery at many levels, the good news is that researchers are finding more and more clues to improving the process, from ovulation and egg retrieval to fertilization and implantation.

“The process of conceiving and carrying a healthy baby to term is complex, with many variables that have to fall into place,” notes Dr. Mark Leondires, M.D., a reproductive endocrinologist, Medical Director at Reproductive Medicine Associates of CT, and a leading authority on reproductive medicine. “There are numerous factors that affect this delicate balancing act, but by breaking the process down and focusing on the minute details of each stage of conception, reproductive medicine researchers have been able to solve many issues that were a mystery to us just a few years ago,” Dr. Leondires adds.

It all starts with an egg
In fertile women, each month one follicle nurtures the growth of a single egg that is released into the fallopian tube then fertilized. However, the process is not quite so simple for the roughly 6 million American women who struggle with infertility. Stimulating ovulation with medication has been standard therapy for ovulatory disorders, but Dr. Leondires explains that research and practice have led to a more targeted approach in recent years. “Today we have an arsenal of different therapy combinations, from those that work best on young, responsive patients to those that are effective with poor responders whose follicle counts are lower than usual,” he says.

Delivering the sperm
When conception occurs naturally, the sperm meets and fertilizes the egg somewhere between the ovaries and the uterus – usually in the fallopian tubes. However, a host of factors can make this process difficult, if not impossible, and that’s where In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) comes in. “Today we can help women with structural abnormalities in the reproductive organs that make it impossible to conceive naturally, as well as men whose sperm quality or quantity make it difficult to achieve fertilization, to conceive through IVF,” Dr.Leondires notes. “Although IVF facilitates fertilization by joining the sperm and egg in the laboratory it does not guarantee fertilization,” Dr. Leondires points out. “Many factors come into play. The sperm must be able to penetrate the egg, then the sperm and egg membranes must merge, and finally, the egg must ‘close’ itself off to other sperm,” he explains. Doctors can also assess any problems that are occurring during the fertilization process, and fix them with a process called Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI). “With ICSI, one healthy sperm is injected directly into the egg, which eliminates challenges associated with membrane penetration or additional sperm entry,” Dr. Leondires adds.

Monitoring the embryo
Once an embryo is created, doctors have new ways to monitor and evaluate its likelihood of survival in the womb. A recent trend is to allow the embryo extra time in the laboratory, enough to develop into a blastocyst. “As a more mature embryo comprising 125-530 cells, a blastocyst may allow improvement in embryo selection for transfer, which could lead to fewer embryos transferred and a lesser chance of a multiple gestation, which in and of itself can be a risk for loss of the pregnancy,” Dr. Leondires explains.

In fact, Dr. Leondires urges IVF patients to consider the potential for multiple births seriously when they are asked how many embryos they wish to transfer per attempt. “I encourage my own patients to weigh their diagnosis, the number of cycles they have undergone, and the risks associated with a multiple gestation. ,” he notes.

After the transfer
“Supporting the early pregnancy is another challenge that reproductive medicine experts have been researching for many years, and we have learned that there are probably hundreds of factors that converge perfectly in order to create a successful implantation,” Dr. Leondires says. The good news is that miscarriage rates are no higher for IVF pregnancies than they are for naturally conceived pregnancies. “When an infertility patient successfully conceives, she is carefully monitored, and given hormone replacements that simulate what the body does naturally to support a healthy pregnancy to term,” Dr. Leondires explains.

“Like many other ‘medical mysteries,’ infertility is becoming less and less mysterious as researchers and physicians work to uncover effective new ways to treat this challenging disease,” Dr. Leondires concludes.

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.

Sheryl’s comment:
The point of this site is to explore methods of boosting fertility naturally and clearly IVF is not natural, however I try to include articles about all methods of treating infertility for your information and hopefully you choose to try natural methods such as diet changes and acupuncture prior to undergoing expensive and painful medical treatments.

Buy the Book: Taking Charge of Your Fertility
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For many couples desperately trying to bear children, infertility is a reality. Usually, a couple with fertility problems attempts many chances at having a biological family–including in vitro fertilizations. Many couples wish to experience the joy of carrying and giving birth to a child, but physically cannot produce a viable embryo. After trying all viable options, many couples give up hope. However, there is an option that has given infertile couples the ability to have children, even if they are not biologically their own. If a woman is capable of carrying a child to term, this option may be the light at the end of the infertility tunnel. Embryo adoption allows an adoptive couple who cannot conceive on their own the ability to carry and give birth to that life, creating a family of their own.

When a couple tries in vitro fertilization, egg and sperm are combined in a laboratory setting to create embryos. These embryos are then frozen using a cryogenic process to keep the embryo alive. Only one of these embryos is implanted, leaving the rest sitting in the preservation freezer waiting for the couple to make a decision. If the couple does not want more children, they can donate the embryos to be used by an infertile couple. Several organizations deal especially in embryo adoption and accept embryo donation from generous couples. One such organization, The National Embryo Donation Center (NEDC) was created to provide options for the couples facing the problem of what to do with these embryos. Another organization, Snowflakes Embryo Adoption, is part of the organization Nightlight Christian Adoptions. Nightlight specializes in assisting all potential adoptive parents with traditional adoptions or embryo adoptions. Before embryo adoption, couples were forced to either destroy the embryos or donate them as research subjects.

Embryo donations can be either open or anonymous adoptions. Upon donation of the embryos, the donating couple can choose to reveal their personal information to those who become parents and carry the embryo. Similarly, couples interested in adoption can request the adoption to be conducted anonymously. Since adoption can only take place after the child has been born, using the term “adoption” for this process is somewhat of a misnomer. Embryo adoption is a legal proceeding that involves specific documentation. Unlike adoption, when the child is born, the names of the adoptive parents will appear on the birth certificate. Once the legally-binding donation contract has been signed, the donating couple cannot place any claim on the child, especially after the child’s birth.

Just like in vitro fertilization, embryo adoption is not guaranteed to result in a pregnancy or a child. Unfortunately, only about two-third of the embryos survive the thawing process. There is only a 20 to 25 percent chance embryo implantation will successfully result in a pregnancy. However, if a couple desires to carry and give birth to a child, these chances may be their best bet.

Economically speaking, embryo adoption runs about a third the amount of standard in vitro fertilization. For many couples, the economic aspect of infertility treatments result in closing many doors. In addition to these costs, travel expenses must be included since many organizations require you visit their location for initial screening and the actual implantation process. If the first embryo implantation does not result in pregnancy, the couple usually has a couple of additional chances. The embryo adoption process at NEDC provides couples with three chances of implantation of the adoptive embryos. Much like in vitro fertilization, the more chances necessary for embryo adoption increases the cost. Granted this is a small price for the joy of giving birth to a child and creating a family, it is outside of the means of some infertile couples. Before embarking on the embryo adoption experience, all decisions need to be made to ensure this process is an option.

Embryo adoption gives couples with the inability to have biological children but have the desire and love to start a family a second chance. To decide if embryo adoption may be an option for your and to learn more about the process, consult the Snowflakes website at or the National Embryo Donation Center.

Copyright 2005 by Dana Sanders. All rights reserved.

About the author:
Looking for information about adoption? Go to http://www.aaadoption.com All About Adoption is an Adoption and Infertility Information Directory and Resource Site which provides a consolidated listing of the best Adoption and Infertility sites in one easy to navigate location.

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PCOS or Poly cystic ovarian syndrome is a condition that affects approximately ten percent of the female population, the symptoms vary from woman to woman but generally the main symptoms are:

• Infertility due to lack of ovulation
• Acne and oily skin
• Infrequent menstrual periods or no menstrual periods or irregular bleeding
• Increased hair growth on face, chest, stomach, back, thumbs and toes
• Weight gain
• High cholesterol
• Type 2 Diabetes
• Thinning hair
• Mood swings and irritability
• Sleep apnea
• Patches of dark skin
• High blood pressure

There is no cure for PCOS, but each of the symptoms can be managed individually.

Birth control pills can be used to regulate the menstrual cycle in woman that do not wish to become pregnant. They will also help reduce the male hormone levels and reduce acne. All symptoms will return when the pill is stopped.

Diabetes medication can be prescribed to control the type 2 diabetes, namely Metformin. Metformin will reduce the amount of male hormones produced which will help slow down the excessive hair growth and can also help with ovulation.

Fertility treatment can be used to stimulate ovulation for woman that wish to become pregnant, although by using these medications there is a risk of multiple births. IVF is another option.

Laser hair removal and electrolysis are two non medical ways to remove unwanted excess hair. Other options are Spironolactone, which is a blood pressure medicine but it has been shown to decrease the male hormones effect on hair, or Propecia.

To relieve symptoms of PCOS it is important to keep healthy. Exercise and a healthy diet will help the body to lower glucose levels and to use insulin more efficiently. Even a small loss in body weight can help to regulate the menstrual cycle.

To help induce ovulation, surgery is an option, although it is not recommended as a first course of treatment. Ovarian drilling is performed by the surgeon by making a small incision above or below the navel and inserting a small instrument that acts like a telescope into the abdomen. The doctor then punctures the ovary with a small needle carrying an electric current to destroy a small portion of the ovary. These effects may only last a few months and it is possible that the surgery can create scar tissue on the ovaries. This treatment doesn’t help with increased hair growth and loss of scalp hair but it will help to lower male hormone levels and induce ovulation.

About the author:
Lucy Bartlett is a proud contributing author. Find more articles here. For more info visit PCOS or PCOS Treatment

Sheryl’s comment:
Please explore fitness and nutrition options prior to ovarian drilling or IVF. These drastic options may address the symptoms but not the cause. Check out this site for lots of information on PCOS including natural remedies. Or read Positive Options for Polycystic Ovary Syndrome.

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“Not your typical vacation itinerary, but one that ’s becoming increasingly popular among American women struggling with infertility issues and overwhelmed by the cost of IVF in the United States. By traveling abroad for fertility procedures, women can pay thousands of dollars less than what they’d spend at home.”
Click here to read the full story at MSNBC.com

Sheryl’s comment:
If you have exhausted all nutrition, fitness and other natural fertility boosters and you are willing and able to try alternate fertility options then this article may be of interest to you. Prior to considering invasive and expensive IVF, I recommend trying:

• Organic food and drink
• Organic toiletries and cosmetics
• Yoga or Pilates for fertility
• A walking program
• Massage for fertility
• Acupressure & or Acupuncture
• Chiropractic treatment
• Meditation or other deep breathing exercises
• Reflexology (or a few barefoot walks in the sand)
• Juice, herbal and/or sauna detox
• Raw, vegan diet (no processed food) diet
• Supplements designed to enhance fertility

All of these options have helped some couples achieve pregnancy when they had been unsuccessful at conception in the past. These options do not hurt to try and they are so much easier and less expensive than IVF.

That said, if you are going to try IVF, then why not try outside the US? The US healthcare system is an overpriced racket anyway. Obviously you should do your homework prior to going overseas for any healthcare but if you choose carefully you can have the same (or better success rates) at a fraction of the cost.