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]]>Sadly, feeling healthy doesn’t mean you are immunised against infertility. Although you both may feel in a great shape, this is no 100% indicator of your fertility. Many men and women have fertility problems without showing any outward signs. On the other hand, being unhealthy can be a risk factor for infertility.
Getting your period around the same day every month indicates that you’re ovulating regularly, but it doesn’t ensure that the eggs are good quality, explain doctors. Many factors determine your fertility, including the health of your reproductive system. “Your fallopian tubes (through which the egg travels to get fertilized) could be blocked, and you’ll still get regular monthly periods,” says Dr. Leondires. Again, that means not just eating right and exercising but keeping your sexual health in top form.
A visit to your gynae yearly for a Pap smear, STD screening, and cervical exam would not harm but just the opposite All of those will show potentially existing irregularities and infections so you can get treated for them before they affect your fertility.
At birth, a woman has seven million eggs, which slims down to 400 000 at the onset of puberty. During a woman’s lifetime, approximately 400 to 500 eggs will be released. As a woman ages, the ovarian reserve declines. A woman’s egg supply takes a rapid decline in the late 20s, again in the 30s and then most notably after age 35.
In others words, fertility changes throughout a woman’s life and doesn’t suddenly decline when she turns 35. Rather, many women reach their fertile peak in their early twenties, says Dr. Shari Brasner, author of ‘Advice From a Pregnant Obstetrician: An Inside Guide’. This is an age when most women aren’t even considering having children yet, says Dr. Brasner.
But just because you’re not thinking about children doesn’t mean your biological clock isn’t ticking. Knowing and understanding this from early adulthood can prevent a lot of heartbreak later on and give you realistic expectations about your chances of conceiving. Still! While it is true that a woman’s fertility dramatically decreases once she is older than age 35, women in their 20s can also have fertility problems.
This is one of the biggest misconceptions. Unless you have a perfect, consistent, 28-day cycle you’re not always most fertile on day 14. While the typical menstrual cycle is 28 days, not every woman is typical. In fact, many women have a cycle that lasts from 21 days up to as many as 35 days. To calculate your day of ovulation, count backwards 14 days from the last day of your cycle.
It very well could be day 14, or day 12, or day 20. While counting helps, tracking your fertility signs and patterns will help you determine better when your ovulation period is. Try tracking your basal body temperature, watching for changes in your cervical fluid, or testing your saliva or urine for the presence of chemicals indicating ovulation is near.
“This is one of the biggest misconceptions my patients have,” says Dr. Morris. “You’re older the second time, and your reproductive system changes over the years,” he says. Not only women but also men should consider the effect of ageing: researchers found out that a man’s sperm quality also declines with age.
A study of about 2 000 couples undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) found that pregnancy attempts were 70% more likely to fail if the man was 40 or older. So if you do plan on having more children, don’t wait forever. If you’re approaching age 35 – or you’re older – consider getting started on baby number two sooner rather than later and add Conceive Plus in your fun formula to get your good news quicker.
Miscarriage, which occurs in 20% of all pregnancies, doesn’t affect a woman’s ability to get pregnant, says Dr. Lerner, author of ‘Miscarriage: Why It Happens and How Best to Reduce Your Risks’.
In fact, experts say that in many cases, you can start trying to conceive again as soon as one month after the miscarriage. If you have three miscarriages in a row, however, it may be a sign of an underlying medical problem and your doctor should make thorough examinations to determine if something’s wrong.
It certainly sounds like a good idea in theory – the logic being that this will tip your pelvis and help your partner’s little swimmers get a direct route to your eggs. In practice however it is not necessary to torture yourself. Sperm are chemically programmed to travel directly to your baby-maker following ejaculation, regardless of what position you’re in. (Yes, those mighty sperm defy gravity.)
Sceptical? Consider this: Each time your partner ejaculates, he lets out about two to three cubic centimeters of ejaculation, with about 20 to 80 million sperm in each cc – in other words, if a little leaks out after you’ve had sex, there’s plenty more where that came from.
This one is actually rooted in some truth. You definitely shouldn’t feel guilty about having a glass or two of wine or even an occasional couple of beers while trying to conceive. However binge drinking or drinking to excess could put your body through the ringer and affect your fertility.
Reason? Drinking too much and too often can lead to irregular cycles, cutting down your chances of conceiving each month even further, and making it nearly impossible to chart or temp accurately. Just keep any drinking on the light side and you should be fine.
For some reason, when a problem with fertility arises with a couple, the party responsible is often assumed to be the woman—yet this couldn’t be further from the truth. Real stats: 40% of infertility problems are attributed to men. Another 40% is attributed to women, and about 20% of infertility problems can be attributed to both parties.
You just stopped using your birth control and your period started immediately coming month after month. This, however, is not a guarantee that you will get pregnant right away. For the majority of couples, getting pregnant doesn’t happen the first month they try to conceive. Studies show that healthy couples only have a one in four chance of conceiving in any given cycle. Still, our little trick can make this happen.
About the Author: For more fertility myths, visit the Conceive Plus website or Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/conceiveplusSA.
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]]>While there is a growing trend for women to put off becoming a mom until they are older, Vitalab Fertility Clinic’s Dr Merwyn Jacobson warns that the hands of the clock cannot be turned back.
“Fertility clinics can do a lot to help women in their 20s to mid-30s whose tubes are blocked or whose partners have a low sperm count, but age-related infertility is less promising.”
“The health risks to both mom and child are far greater once a women passes 35, with infertility, miscarriage and pregnancy complications such as gestational diabetes and pre-eclampsia becoming more common the older a woman becomes, as does the risk of having a baby with a congenital abnormality.”
Studies have shown that fertility begins to decline significantly after the age of 35, with an even sharper fall once a woman enters her 40s. At this time, the chances of having a miscarriage also rise. But Dr Jacobson acknowledges that there are many women who are not ready to have children during their most fertile period.
Balancing a career and the desire to have children is not always straightforward, and for many women, bearing a child is believed to be the easy part.
“We are not here to dictate when a woman should have a child, but we do want to dispel the myths surrounding later childbirth, and to give sound information about the risks associated with giving birth later in life,” explains Dr Jacobson.
“If you don’t have all the information, then you can’t make a realistic decision, and this can lead to heartbreak and regrets about delaying motherhood. Women need to realise that using fertility treatment is no guarantee of success; techniques such as IVF stimulate the release of more eggs but do not compensate for the effects of ageing on egg quality.”
Dr Jacobson adds that studies have shown that the live birth rate following IVF treatment for women aged under 35 is 31 percent. This figure falls to below five percent among women older than 42. Fertility also declines rapidly after the age of 35, making it much harder to become pregnant.
One of the latest infertility techniques is egg freezing, but Dr Jacobson said there is still too little known about the long-term effects of freezing, with regard to the women’s chances of becoming pregnant or potential genetic problems with the child.
“Women may think that they have an insurance policy with frozen eggs and may even decide to put off having children even longer, but there is no guarantee that these eggs will be viable,” says Dr Jacobson.
“This technique is without a doubt invaluable for infertility, but it is still in its infancy, and it does not overcome other age-related complications such as gestational diabetes and pre-eclampsia.”
The decision on whether and when to have a child would have to be one of the most important decisions a person can make.
Biology is unforgiving, but so too is the corporate world, and many women who make the decision to take a ‘pregnant pause’ during their career find the way back extremely difficult.
The desire to be in a stable relationship with a supportive partner or achieving financial independence also play a significant role in deciding when to have a child.
Dr Jacobson warns that women who do decide to wait until after they are 35 to have a baby need to consult a fertility clinic if they don’t conceive naturally almost immediately after trying, as the effectiveness of medical techniques also decrease the older you get. And he also reminds women that the ‘miracle’ babies like babies conceived by older mothers inevitably make headline news, whereas childlessness is a private and sorrowful experience.
For more information on fertility treatment visit www.vitalab.com
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]]>There are things men can do for their own health, as well as for the women and children (living and unborn) in their lives.
Whether or not you’ve written them down, you’ve probably thought about your goals for having or not having children and how to achieve those goals. This is called a reproductive life plan. It’s really important to have a plan and take action. Every woman, man, and couple can benefit from having a reproductive life plan based on values, goals, and resources.
Get screened and treated for any sexually transmitted diseases (STDs). Continue to protect yourself and your partner from STDs during pregnancy. Pregnancy does not provide a woman or the baby she is carrying any protection against STDs. The consequences of an STD can be significantly more serious, even life threatening, for a woman and her unborn baby if the woman becomes infected while pregnant. In addition, some STDs can cause infertility (not being able to get pregnant) in a woman.
Smoking, using “street” drugs, and drinking too much alcohol (binge drinking) is harmful to your health.
Secondhand smoke can cause early death and disease among children and adults who do not smoke. A pregnant woman who is exposed to secondhand smoke has a 20% higher chance of giving birth to a baby with low birth weight than women who are not exposed to secondhand smoke during pregnancy.
In addition, drinking too much alcohol and using “street” drugs can cause infertility among men.
Exposure to toxic substances and other harmful materials at work or at home, such as synthetic chemicals, metals, fertilizer, bug spray, and cat or rodent feces, can hurt the reproductive systems of men and women. These substances can make it more difficult for a couple to get pregnant. Exposure to even small amounts during pregnancy, infancy, childhood, or puberty can lead to certain diseases. Learn how to protect yourself and your loved ones from toxic substances and other harmful materials at work and at home.
Sometimes a man is born with problems that affect his sperm. Other times, problems may start later in life due to illness or injury. A man’s sperm can be affected by his overall health and lifestyle. Some things that can reduce the health or number of sperm include:
If you are concerned about your fertility, talk with your doctor or other health professional.
Obesity among men is associated directly with increasing male infertility. People who are underweight are also at risk for serious health problems. The key to achieving and maintaining a healthy weight isn’t about short-term dietary changes. It’s about a lifestyle that includes healthy eating and regular physical activity. Staying in control of your weight contributes to good health now and as you age.
If you are underweight, overweight, or obese, talk with your doctor or other health professional about ways to reach and maintain a healthy weight.
Collecting your family’s health history can be important for your child’s health. You might not realise that your sister’s heart defect or your cousin’s sickle cell disease could affect your child, but sharing this family history information with your doctor can be important.
Based on your family history, your doctor might refer you for genetic counselling. Other reasons people go for genetic counselling include having had several miscarriages, infant deaths, trouble getting pregnant (infertility), a genetic condition or a birth defect that occurred during a previous pregnancy.
As partners, men can encourage and support the health of women. For example, if your partner is trying to eat healthier in preparation for pregnancy you can join her and eat healthier, too. Or if your partner has a medical condition, you can encourage her to see her doctor and remind her to follow her treatment plan.
About the Author: Research shows that male infertility contributes to 50 percent of all couple’s fertility problems. Prelox® is a patented blend of Pycnogenol and L-arginine designed to actively treat male infertility. For more information, visit http://www.2tostartafamily.co.za/.
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]]>While exercise cannot automatically guarantee pregnancy, it can increase your fertility and thus your chances of falling pregnant.
These are the benefits of exercising before or whilst you try to conceive…
Exercise helps to keep you within your natural body weight. By staying within the recommended 18 to 24 body fat percentage, you will increase your chances of falling pregnant.
Exercise normally goes hand in hand with a healthy nutritional lifestyle, as well as efficient sleeping patterns. With this physical trinity in harmony, your physical well-being is at an all time high and this is probably the best time to fall pregnant.
Your emotional state has a lot to do with your chances of falling pregnant. Physical exercise increases your supply of happy hormones (endorphins). This makes you feel a lot more confident and happier about yourself. Thus, exercise is an easy and natural way to improve your state of mind.
Stress has a negative effect on your body and mind, which in turn impacts your fertility. If you are stressed, exercise can help rid you of the associated negative feelings. A happy body and mind is more fertile than a stressed and worn out one.
When we are active (and exercising), we tend to drink more water. Being properly hydrated plays a big role in our physical well-being. Water in itself helps to flush toxins from our systems and ultimately helps the body to function more optimally.
It is very simple. A healthy pregnancy starts with making sure that you have a healthy body. It’s important for your body to be healthy even before conception takes place, as your DNA configuration is passed on. This means that moms and dads-to-be need to be in top form, physically and emotionally.
If you are planning a pregnancy now or in the new future, then kick-start a healthier lifestyle today. Remember, that the key to a sustainable exercise lifestyle is consistency and not intensity.
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