Category: Fertility Clock Blog

Fertility Clock Blog, My Future Baby Blog

Increase Your Pregnancy Odds …

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In high school, sex ed teachers may have told you that you could easily get pregnant any time you had unprotected sex. Now that you’re actually trying to conceive a baby, you might be second-guessing their warning. In some situations, it takes more than just throwing out your birth control to get pregnant. The better you understand your menstrual cycle the more likely you’ll be to identify your fertile window and increase your chances of conception:
 

The Average Menstrual Cycle

The average woman will have a 28-day menstrual cycle, with ovulation occurring around cycle day 14. However, there are wide variances in the normal cycle. According to Womenshealth.gov, a normal cycle can last anywhere from 21 to 35 days long, and ovulation can occur anytime between cycle day 13 and cycle day 20. After an egg is released and ovulation occurs, women who have a normal cycle will have a period within 14 to 16 days. If you’re thinking about trying to conceive, consider keeping a calendar of when you get your period each month to understand what the normal cycle length is for you.

Signs of Ovulation

Ovulation is notoriously difficult to predict, largely because it does not always occur on the same day each month. Keep an eye out for signs of ovulation as you approach the middle of your cycle each month. Some women feel cramping around the time that they ovulate, while others will notice a change in cervical mucus. According to the Mayo Clinic, cervical mucus becomes clear and slippery just before ovulation occurs. It is sometimes said to resemble a raw egg white. Take note of your cervical mucus consistency throughout the month to help you have an idea of when you’re going to ovulate.

Chart Your Fertility

Charting is a great way to identify your own personal cycle patterns and discover when your fertile window is each month. If you chart for several months, you will often notice that a pattern emerges. According to Womenshealth.gov, there are three main methods for charting your fertility:

  • Test your basal body temperature using a basal body thermometer
  • Calculate ovulation using an online ovulation calculator
  • Track your cycle by monitoring your cervical fluids

 
Consider combing all three methods to get an accurate idea of when you’re most likely to conceive each month.

Causes of Infertility

Many factors contribute to infertility, including age, general health disorders and environmental surroundings. According to Womenshealth.gov, the most common cause of infertility is a woman’s failure to ovulate each month. Web MD notes that there are a variety of treatments available to treat infertility. There are fertility drugs on the market designed to stimulate ovulation. In addition, women can undergo fertility treatments like in vitro fertilization. During in vitro fertilization, eggs are removed from the woman and a male partner donates sperm. The egg is fertilized and then subsequently implanted into the woman’s uterus resulting in pregnancy. If you feel you may have fertility issues, set up an appointment with your doctor.

Fertility Clock Blog, My Future Baby Blog

Omega-3s May Lead to Healthier Babies

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Pregnant women who took daily supplements of DHA, a type of omega-3 fatty acid, had longer gestations, bigger babies and fewer early preterm births, according to a new clinical trial.

In the double-blinded study, published online in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, researchers randomly assigned 154 healthy women to take 600 milligrams of DHA during the last half of pregnancy and 147 to take a placebo.

After adjusting for maternal education, socioeconomic status, prior pregnancy, smoking and other risk factors, they found that babies whose mothers took supplements were almost a half pound heavier than those of the mothers who took none, and they were slightly longer with larger head circumferences.

Almost 5 percent of mothers who took the placebo gave birth at 34 weeks’ gestation or less, compared with only 0.6 percent of the mothers who took DHA. Read full article.

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Egg Freezing No Longer Experimental

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Egg freezing is no longer considered “experimental” by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM).

Last week the ASRM lifted the “experimental” designation on egg freezing. This decision was based on published studies indicating that frozen eggs worked as well as fresh eggs in young women. Safety data was also reassuring.

While it is promising to see the “experimental” designation lifted, the ASRM still maintains that egg freezing should not be used to counteract reproductive aging – in other words, those women over the age of 35 seeking fertility preservation. The reason for this stance continues to be a lack of published data on birth rates and safety in this group of women.

In 2009 I was invited by the ASRM to participate in a national debate on the “experimental” designation of egg freezing. My conclusions at that time still hold true:  women who wish to counteract reproductive aging  should be given the opportunity to make an informed decision on egg freezing after being counseled on the appropriate risks and alternatives and should seek advice and treatment from an experienced physician who has demonstrated births from eggs of women frozen while in their 30’s.

You can read the in-depth report released by the the ASRM about oocyte cryopreservation here.

by Dr. John Jain

 

Fertility Clock Blog, My Future Baby Blog

Caffeine Counts

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Practitioners at Tao of Wellness often ask their patients to reduce or eliminate caffeine from their diet because its stimulating effects are counter-productive to their treatments.

Many people rely on regular consumption of excessive amounts of caffeine. While the drinker may only be aware of the pleasant “lift” that caffeine provides, it has many other effects throughout the body. Caffeine stimulates the nervous system, increases heart rate, blood pressure and possibly cholesterol. It raises blood sugar, and increases metabolism. Caffeine can also irritate the gastrointestinal tract, leading to decreased absorption of nutrients.

Avoiding caffeine is especially important for women who are trying to conceive because caffeine consumption may decrease female fertility, as well as being associated with increased incidences of miscarriages, low birth weight, and birth defects found in newborns. Caffeine overly stimulates and eventually depletes the adrenal glands which are associated with fertility and reproduction. Caffeine can also contribute to symptoms of pre-menstrual tension and menstrual cramping.

It is often difficult to have a sense of just how much caffeine you are consuming because companies are not required to reveal caffeine content on their product labels. A general recommendation is to keep caffeine intake to 40 milligrams per day or less. The following list will give you a general idea of how much caffeine is in commonly consumed beverages.

Approximate caffeine content, in milligrams, for eight ounces of beverage. Keep in mind that caffeine content can vary widely between different brands, brewing methods and serving sizes.

  • Brewed coffee 135 mg
  • Black Tea  40 mg
  • Cola  30 mg
  • Green Tea  20 mg
  • Decaffeinated coffee  5 mg
  • Hot Chocolate  5 mg
  • Decaffeinated Tea  2 mg
  • Herbal Tea  0 mg

For more information in Traditional Chinese Medicine go to Tao Of Wellness.

Fertility Clock Blog, My Future Baby Blog

What Are Fertility Drugs?

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There are a variety of drugs used for fertility treatment. Some are used to produce more ovarian egg follicles. Some are also used to suppress the pituitary gland and prevent ovulation. Others are used to support the uterine lining and early pregnancy.

Medications That Affect Follicles:

Eggs are housed in a protective sac called a follicle. To promote the growth of ovarian egg follicles, the pituitary gland naturally secretes the hormone Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH) into the blood stream. Typically only enough FSH is secreted each month to promote the growth of one egg follicle despite there being many follicles available in each ovary.  A tablet form of fertility medication called clomiphene citrate (Clomid) can be taken to increase the amount of FSH being secreted by the ovary. In this manner clomiphene citrate induces the growth of multiple egg follicles, typically 2-4 in number.

Alternatively, injections of FSH (called gonadotropins, Follistim, Gonal-F, Menopur, and Bravelle) can be used to induce the growth of even more follicles. These injections are given subcutaneously (under the skin) for 8-12 days. Once the follicles are ready, an injection of the hormone hCG (Ovidrel, Pregnyl) is used to ovulate the follicles. At this point eggs are either combined with artificial insemination or harvested and fertilized in the lab (in-vitro-fertilization) to create embryos which can then be transferred directly to the uterus.

Medications That Affect Ovulation:

During in-vitro fertilization treatment, drugs are used to turn off the natural pituitary hormones in order to synchronize egg follicles and prevent premature ovulation. The most common drug used for this purpose are oral contraceptive pills. During in-vitro treatment, injections of gonadotropin help eggs to develop better. However, during this stage eggs become vulnerable to premature ovulation. A second medication called leuprolide acetate (Lupron) can be used, in conjunction with oral contraceptive pills or alone, in order to prevent premature ovulation. Interestingly, leuprolide acetate actually belongs to a class of drugs called GnRH agonists- which, when injected, initially cause the pituitary gland to produce more FSH. However, with continued use, the drug eventually overwhelms the pituitary gland resulting in the opposite effect – pituitary suppression. For women who make a low number of eggs, leuprolide acetate in sometimes administered in micro-dose amounts to promote higher pituitary FSH production in order to yield more eggs. Instead of administering leuprolide acetate for a prolonged period of time to achieve pituitary suppression, a similar medication called a “GnRH antagonist” (Ganirelix, Cetrorelix), can be injected when egg follicles begin to grow. The use of this additional drug prevents the pituitary gland from causing premature ovulation. The “antagonist” provides instant pituitary suppression unlike that of leuprolide acetate which requires prolonged use to achieve suppression.

Medications That Support The Uterine Lining:

During a normal menstrual cycle, one egg follicle is recruited under the influence of pituitary FSH and subsequently ovulates as a result of the pituitary LH surge. The egg follicle makes a potent hormone called estradiol during the first two weeks of the egg’s development (pre-ovulation). After the egg is ovulated the remaining part of the egg follicle then begins to produce progesterone in addition to estradiol. These hormones together cause the uterine lining (the endometrium) to thicken and begin to secrete molecules which help the embryo develop into a pregnancy. In some forms of fertility treatment such as frozen embryo transfer, egg donation and surrogacy, tablets or patches of estradiol and suppositories or injections of progesterone are given to artificially prepare the endometrium to be able to support the early pregnancy.

By Dr. John Jain

Fertility Clock Blog, My Future Baby Blog

What is Minimal Stimulation IVF?

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Minimal Stimulation IVF differs from traditional IVF in the type and amount of fertility medications used to stimulate the growth of egg follicles.

Traditional IVF uses injections of the hormone FSH (follicle stimulating hormone) to stimulate the growth of multiple eggs which are then harvested from the ovary and fertilized in the laboratory (in-vitro fertilization) before being transferred to the uterus as embryos.

With Mini Stim IVF, a tablet form of fertility medication called clomiphene citrate is taken for 5 days to increase the natural production of FSH in order to recruit multiple egg follicles. Hormonal injections may be used for a few days but at much lower doses than used in traditional IVF.

Although fewer eggs are recruited with Mini Stim IVF, the ones that do grow are believed to be highest in quality. Other benefits include less injections, shorter treatment times and lower cost. Mini Stim IVF is a good alternative for women who respond poorly to traditional hormonal stimulation or have failed traditional IVF.

Fertility Clock Blog, My Future Baby Blog

Increasing Fertility Through Acupuncture

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Acupuncture has been shown to help women become healthier, stronger and experience less stress – and it’s been having a positive effect on helping women achieve a pregnancy and deliver a healthy baby. Especially in conjunction with IVF, the combination of the two approaches is very powerful.

Preconception care is something we use as a way to prepare the couple to achieve the best possible outcome in preparation for  IUI,  IVF or ICSI. Ideally taking 2-3 months to implement a specialized fertility-enhancing diet, having fertility acupuncture sessions, taking herbal formulas if needed, or supplements for specific conditions such as thin lining, poor egg or sperm quality, stress or underlying auto-immune or thyroid imbalances, etc. can make a huge difference in the outcome as well as in the woman’s overall health and quality of life. Having acupuncture pre & post embryo transfer is also incredibly beneficial, increasing the chances of conception by 62%. Using acupuncture in preparation for egg freezing as well as for treating male factor infertility is also greatly beneficial. All of these approaches have a synergistic effect, and can help get a patient achieve optimal health, and improve conditions which might later be a huge hindrance to the success of an IVF protocol.

Although Western medicine has a lot to offer in terms of thoroughly analyzing and treating specific issues in both female and male factor infertility, adding in other modalities, like acupuncture, herbal formulas, nutritional guidance and certain lifestyle modifications and exercises can enhance the patient’s health and vitality, as well as increase the chances of conception and giving birth to a healthy child.  Another benefit is that these more Eastern-based approaches tend to have a huge stress-relieving effect on the patient, increasing a sense of well-being and decreasing the negative cortisol-stress response which often interferes with trying to conceive and fertility treatments. In terms of IUI,  IVF or ICSI, acupuncture has a positive influence on these processes for several reasons – it may improve egg quality and effect ovarian reserve, as well as improve a patient’s response to gonadotropins and outcomes for poor responders (Quintero et al., 2003). 

Acupuncture can also improve endometrial thickness and quality of lining (Yu, et al., 2006). Some studies have also shown that acupuncture is beneficial as it enhances oocyte maturation, uterine perfusion, improves implantation, encourages ongoing pregnancies and reduces miscarriages. In terms of supplements and herbal formulas, oral antioxidants were shown to improve ICSI outcome where sperm had DNA damage if taken for at least 2 months (Fertility Sterility, 2006).

This holistic approach, including nutritional changes and herbal formulas when warranted, have been shown to treat various imbalances related to infertility, as well as improving overall disease states and vitality, effecting the whole body, potentially helping to regulate hormones and leave a patient more physically receptive to any Western treatment. InChina, want-to-be-parents eat specific foods and attempt to clear up any health issues before trying to conceive, as it is believed that this creates the best chances for conception. Moreover, it helps to create not only a pregnancy, but a healthy child, the ultimate goal. According to epigenetic studies, we now know that what the parents eat and what they experience as stressors does indeed effect not only if they will conceive, but the health of the child when they do. So it benefits the parents to get a jump start and begin the process early, continuing a healthy diet and lifestyle before Western treatment, during IVF treatment and other reproductive procedures, and throughout the pregnancy as well.

This integrative treatment is helping women to conceive healthy children – evidence that integration is a potential key in building families in the healthiest way possible.

By Virginia Prior, DAOM, L.Ac., MATCM, Dipl.O.M. (FABORM)
Doctor of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine

To schedule an acupuncture appointment, or for more information, contact Virginia at:
virginiaprior@gmail.com
(310)930-5328

Fertility Clock Blog, My Future Baby Blog

Infertility and Men

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Infertility is a problem for 15 percent of couples trying to have a baby. Problems with the man in the family can account for a large percent of the problem.

Mike, Danielle and 9 month old Ava are a lovely family. It’ll be Mike’s first Father’s Day, and a special one. It took five years for the Mateos to conceive a child.

“It’s going to be overwhelming especially after hearing that it might not have happened for us. It makes it all the more special,” Mike said.

The Mateos spent four years and a lot of money. They went through many procedures without success. Enough to frustrate any couple.

“We just didn’t want to hear that we couldn’t have a child,” Mike said.

So they went for a second opinion with Dr. Hyacinth brown. She found that Danielle had an immune system problem that was hampering pregnancy, and that Mike had a low sperm count.

Read full article.

Fertility Clock Blog, My Future Baby Blog

Nonprofits help cancer survivors with fertility preservation

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At 31 years old, Alice Crisci was diagnosed with breast cancer.

The Redondo Beach resident bared it all in a photo shoot with the Daily Breeze back in 2008 before undergoing a double mastectomy.

The photos were a celebration of her body before cancer would change it forever. The newspaper continued to follow her journey, including her decision to ensure that after remission she’d have a chance at realizing her dream of becoming a mother.

“I learned very early on in the process that my fertility would be at risk, that there was a 50/50 chance I’d be left infertile,” says Crisci, now 35. “And that was a chance I wasn’t willing to take.”

So Crisci went through fertility preservation, a process that cost her $20,000 and had to be paid in full that day. Not qualifying for financial assistance, she charged the entire amount on her American Express card.

Read full article.

Fertility Clock Blog, My Future Baby Blog

Can Diseases Make You Infertile?

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What is infertility? Well there is no reason to think that you are infertile as you could not conceive just after trying for just a few times. Infertility can be explained as the biological inability to conceive even after trying for a long time. Some diseases cause infertility in both men and women.

In some cases, infertility issues are caused due to the male partner. In other cases it is due the female and in some cases due to both. Infertility is not always caused due poor lifestyle or sexual habits. Here we are listing down some diseases that can cause infertility in you or your partner.

Read full article.