Fertility - How-To-Get-Pregnant

Study Says This Super Food Gives Sperm Super Powers!

noreply@blogger.com (Colette Bouchez) — Thu, 26 Jan 2012 02:07:00 +0000

If you're trying to get pregnant, make sure your hubby or partner chows down on plenty of salmon and tuna fish sandwiches. Why? A new study from the University of Illinois adds to a growing body of evidence that says DHA, a type of omega fatty acid found in fish, is essential for healthy baby-making sperm.

Writing in the journal The Biology of Reproduction, experts say it works by helping to to turn round, immature sperm into a pointy-headed super swimmer with an extra long tail - and that means sperm that are much more likely to swim faster and penetrate an egg.

"Normal sperm cells contain an arc-like structure called the acrosome that is critical in fertilization because it houses, organizes, and concentrates a variety of enzymes that sperm use to penetrate an egg," said Manabu Nakamura, a U of I associate professor of biochemical and molecular nutrition. His study is among the first to show that an essential fatty acid known as DHA is critical for forming the acrosome - which in turn is critical for forming healthy spearm.

"Without DHA, this vital structure doesn't form and sperm cells don't work," said Timothy Abbott, a doctoral student who co-authored the study.

In his new book Eat, Love, Get Pregnant; A Couples Guide To Boosting Fertility, reproductive expert Dr. Lauersen recommends a variety of foods high in DHA and other essential fatty acids which he has long believed play a huge role in boosting not just the production of healthier sperm, but also healthier eggs.

" Fish is by far the greatest source of DHA and other essential fatty acids, but you can also find many other foods that are fortified with DHA, including eggs, some soy products, even certain yogurts," says Dr. Lauersen.

Dr. Lauersen believes female fertility also gets a boost from these foods.
"It helps to build healthier, stronger eggs that are easier to fertilize and are generally healthier overall, with a reduced risk of miscarriage, " says Dr. Lauersen, who details a number of fertility problems that can be helped by essential fatty acids in Eat, Love, Get Pregnant.

In the new study doctors found that when a male is short on DHA, sperm can't fully form, so their cell structure becomes irregular. Although DHA is found in many tissues of the body - including the brain and the retina, in men it has it's greatest concentration in the testicles.

Dr. Lauersen adds that many lifestyle factors can deplete our DHA reserves, including stress as well as exposure to pesticides and other environmental chemicals. Morever, while DHA is considered an essential fatty acid, the body can't manufacture it on it's own - you have to get it from food or supplements.

Dr. Lauersen says that while whole foods remain the best source of essential fatty acids, natural fish oil supplements can help insure that DHA levels remain high.

For more information on a variety of foods and natural supplements that have been scientifically shown to boost both male and female fertility, pick up a copy of Eat, Love, Get Pregnant or Green Fertility: Nature's Secrets to Making Babies.

For more information on the new study click here.

This story originally appeared on Examiner.com - National Edition

Copyright by Colette Bouchez 2012 - All Rights Reserved. In addition to US Copyright, the text of this FERTILITY BLOG is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License. All Formatting and style elements of this page are not available under this license and Colette Bouchez retains all rights in those elements.

Hidden Cause of Infertility: What You Must Know!

noreply@blogger.com (Colette Bouchez) — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 04:27:00 +0000

January is Thyroid Awareness month - a problem most women associate with weight loss or gain.

But did you know that a thyroid problem can be a major but often hidden cause of infertility? Sometimes symptoms can be so subtle you might not notice them - except that you can't get pregnant!

Check out this link for an inexpensive at-home test that can put your mind at ease! If you do find you have a problem, bring the test result to your doctor and discuss your treatment options.

Most of the time a short regimen of medication is all you need to get your thyroid back on your track and your fertility flourishing - Dr Lauersen

Copyright by Colette Bouchez 2012 - All Rights Reserved. In addition to US Copyright, the text of this FERTILITY BLOG is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License. All Formatting and style elements of this page are not available under this license and Colette Bouchez retains all rights in those elements.

FREE ! Sample chapter from Eat- Love- Get Pregnant - the hottest new breakthrough fertility plan!

noreply@blogger.com (Colette Bouchez) — Thu, 12 Jan 2012 03:46:00 +0000

TTC ? Looking to ensure the health of your baby? Seeking ways to boost your fertility - and your partner's fertility - to increase your chances for pregnancy success? Want to do it all safely, gently, naturally?

Then Eat- Love - Get Pregnant is for you! Click to read a FREE SAMPLE CHAPTER and learn more about how this amazing breakthrough self-help plan ( already tested on thousands of couples at a prestigious fertility clinic) can help you and your partner boost your fertility, get pregnant faster and have a healthy baby! By renowned fertility expert Dr Lauersen and women's wellness expert Colette Bouchez!
Click here to read your free chapter!

Copyright by Colette Bouchez 2012 - All Rights Reserved. In addition to US Copyright, the text of this FERTILITY BLOG is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License. All Formatting and style elements of this page are not available under this license and Colette Bouchez retains all rights in those elements. The authors of this blog may or may not benefit from the products or services advertised or reported on.

Holidays & Infertility: How To Get Through The Emotional Ups and Downs

noreply@blogger.com (Colette Bouchez) — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 19:01:00 +0000

“When you’re infertile and struggling to get pregnant, even the sight of a sidewalk Santa Claus can bring tears to your eyes. “ - Sarah S, fertility patient.

by Colette Bouchez

The stockings are hung by the chimney with care - and everywhere you look it seems the world is decorated just for children. Indeed, it's the holiday season - and there's almost no other time of the year when the concept of family is more prominent.
And for most folks, a warm and loving family celebration - complete with the "kids" table - is the picture perfect postcard of what the holidays should be.
But if you're trying to conceive - and especially if you're having a difficult time getting pregnant – this time of year, and the emphasis on family and children, might not make you feel much like celebrating.
"Normally the holidays bring out all kinds of emotions in everyone - happy memories, sad remembrances - and all kinds of feelings rise to the surface," says fertility expert Dr. Niels Lauersen, author of the brand new book "Eat, Love, Get Pregnant: A Couple's Guide To Boosting Fertility and Having A Healthy Baby " ( Ivy League Press - December 2011).

But when you are trying to conceive, " says Dr.Lauersen, "emotions are in especially high gear, and with so much emphasis on family and children, it's easy to see how couples trying to conceive can really feel the sting of being childless this time of year more than ever, " he says.
Other experts in the field agree.
"The nature of infertility is isolating. Holidays that are centered on family and the celebration of children tend to amplify the feelings of beingon the outside, " says Eugenia L. Gullick, Ph.D, a psychologist with Reproductive Endocrinology Associates of Charlotte, North Carolina, an Attain Fertility Center.
"We have over 13,000 Fans in our Facebook community and ... one of the most common [holiday] threads of conversation was about the desire to isolate and avoid family gatherings altogether," says Stephanie Himmel-Nelson, Community Manager for Attain Fertility.
Jealousy, Anger, and Infertility
But in addition to feelings of isolation, Dr. Lauersen says many couples may also feel an almost uncontrollable sense of jealousy and even anger towards friends and family members who either have children or who are pregnant - emotions they then feel guilty about experiencing.
If that is how you feel, Dr. Lauersen says it’s okay - and ....

To continue reading this article click here.

Copyright by Colette Bouchez 2011 - All Rights Reserved. In addition to US Copyright, the text of this FERTILITY BLOG is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License. All Formatting and style elements of this page are not available under this license and Colette Bouchez retains all rights in those elements.

Dr Lauersen Offers Couples New Advice For Getting Pregnant

noreply@blogger.com (Colette Bouchez) — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 22:50:00 +0000

By Victoria Winston

Guest Blogger

Whether you’ve been trying to get pregnant for a while – without much luck – or you’re just starting your journey to parenthood, you may be overlooking one of the most important ways to boost your fertility – and all you have to do is roll over in bed to catch a glimpse of what you need!

That’s because one of the newest concepts in boosting fertility involves your relationship with your partner .

Indeed, according to fertility expert Dr Niels Lauersen, many couples do not realize the power that each of them has on the other’s fertility – and what each of you can do to help optimize your goals as a couple, to get pregnant fast.

“It’s a brand new science, but the medical evidence is mounting that the ways in which we interact with our partner can have not just psychological effect on how we feel, but also a powerful physical effect on our body and on getting pregnant,” says Dr. Lauersen.

In fact the physical effects, he says, often involves the functioning of reproductive hormones necessary to get pregnant.

“One of the first indications we had that this is true was a study done a number of years ago that that showed that women who have not ovulated for years can spontaneously begin doing so the as soon as they fall in love,” says Dr. Lauersen.

Other studies , he says have shown that the way partner’s relate to one another both in and out of the bedroom can also have quite an impact on everything from sperm count and motility in men to health egg production and hormonal stimulation in women.

“We now know, for example, that if a woman is in a stressful relationship, certain biochemical events occur that can keep her from ovulating - or even stop her menstrual altogether,” says Dr. Lauersen.

In men, he says, stress and unhappieness in a relationship can cause everything from temporary impotence to a reduce sperm count.

“This is not to say in any way that every couple who has a fertility problem secretly has a relationship problem. That is not true. But what I am saying is that sometimes relationship stresses - particularly when a couple is having problems conceiving – can get out of hand to the point where they increase the fertility problems even more, “ says Dr. Lauersen.

On the positive side, Lauersen says research also shows that couples who have a fantastic – even a little bit wild – sex life may have an easier time getting pregnant.

“It’s not just because they have sex more frequently – it’s because studies show that sexual excitement can help a man ejaculate a greater concentration of sperm , while orgasm in women helps to pull more sperm into the uterus, and helps keep it there longer. And both these things can increase the chance for conception,” says Dr. Lauersen.

To address these and many more “couples” issues leading to infertility Dr. Lauersen recently published his 14^th book - Eat, Love, Get Pregnant: A Couples Guide ToBoost Fertility and Having a Healthy Baby ( Ivy League Press, NY – December 2011). Here he and co-author Colette Bouchez detail not only how relationships affect fertility, but also detail dozens of everyday things couples can do together to simultaneously boost their chances for conception. This includes diet and exercise, vitamins and nutrients, herbal remedies, sleep, relaxation – and of course how to have sex to make a baby!

Moreover, every suggestion in the book is backed by proven medical studies – as well as having been tested on thousands of couples in Dr. Lauersen’s New York City fertility center.

Indeed, the book reads like a virtual blueprint for Getting Pregnant – as it uncovers many little known factors about the everyday things that can influence fertility.

To learn more about this fascinating new approach to getting pregnant visit www.EatLoveGetPregnant.” The book is available in paperback at Amazon.com and fine bookstores nationwide, as well as in Ebook formats including Kindle, Nook, Kobo, Sony E-reader and more. Find it at Smashwords.com .

Getting Pregnant In The Cloud: New Study Solves A Fertility Mystery

noreply@blogger.com (Colette Bouchez) — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 04:29:00 +0000

By Colette Bouchez

Two new studies published this week in the journal Nature shed new light on causes of male infertility- and offer new evidence of how certain vitamins and minerals could make all the difference!

Indeed, the research shows that just before fertilization, cells surrounding an egg release a "cloud" of the hormone progesterone, which in turn not only helps bring sperm to it's side, but also creates a chemical reaction allowing the tail of the sperm to beat wildly, helping it to penetrate the eggs outer shell and allow fertilizaiton to occur.
What's more some experts say that in light of the new research, certain vitamins linked to progesterone production could play a vital new role in making sure an egg sends out the signal to sperm -and that it's strong enough to bring about the chemical reaction necessary for pregnancy to occur.
To read more on this fascinating new discovery, including the vitamins that can help, and discover some brand new causes of male infertility and how to fix them, CLICK HERE

Copyright by Colette Bouchez 2011 - All Rights Reserved. In addition to US Copyright, the text of this FERTILITY BLOG is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License. All Formatting and style elements of this page are not available under this license and Colette Bouchez retains all rights in those elements.

Halting Premature Birth: Conflict Over Common Treatments

noreply@blogger.com (Colette Bouchez) — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 01:38:00 +0000

Two new studies question the use of traditional methods for reducing premature birth. Here's what you need to know ....

By Colette Bouchez

Two popular treatments currently used individually to prevent pre-term labor – folic acid and progesterone – may not, in fact, stop early births as once believed. That’s the news according to two separate studies recently presented at the annual meeting of the Society For Maternal Fetal Medicine in San Francisco.

In the first study, a group of Norwegian researchers will present evidence that taking folic acid (the vitamin also known as B9) before and during pregnancy, does not protect against spontaneous, pre-term delivery as once thought.

Indeed, in earlier American studies research suggested that taking folic acid before and during pregnancy could reduce the incidence of pre-term labor by up to 70%. Because, however, the study group was comparatively small, doctors worldwide questioned whether or not these results could be duplicated in a larger study group.

In this new Norwegian study, researchers looked at the births of some 72,000 children. Using the criteria of singleton births with preterm delivery ranging from 22 to 36 weeks in otherwise normal pregnancies, they compared records from mothers who took folic acid supplements, or consumed foods high in folic acid, to those who did not. The information was gathered from questionnaires filled out by the mothers at weeks 17, 22 and 30, and the questions included not just the use of folic acid supplements, but also foods high in folic acid, such as enriched grain breads.

The result: There was no statistically significant difference in the rate of pre term birth among women in either gorup, regardless of the amount of either dietary or supplemental folic acid they consumed before or during pregnancy.

Indeed, the study, which to date is the most comprehensive of it’s kind, showed no protective effects of folate intake on pre term delivery.

That said, doctors continue to stress the importance of folic acid as a prenatal nutrient, particularly in regard to reducing the risk of neural tube defects, a brain development problem than can cause severe mental retardation and impair growth and development on all levels.

Study 2: Progesterone found unable to prevent pre-term birth in twins.

In at smaller, second study on premature birth aslo presented at today’s meeting, researcher C. Andrew Combs, M.D. will report that the use of the common pre-term labor hormone treatment known as 17-Hydroxyprogesterone does not, appear to reduce the rate of pre-term births among mothers carrying twins - a group most likely to be at risk for pre-term delivery.

In this small study carried out at 18 different locations, 160 mothers were randomized to receive either the natural progesterone treatment or a placebo with some beginning as early as the 20th week of their pregnancy. Normally, 17-Hydroxyprogesterone, which is manufactured by the mother’s adrenal glands, increases naturally during the third trimester of pregnancy, thus giving birth to the idea that supplements of this steroid hormone could play a role in preventing pre-term labor - an idea popular among many high risk obstetricians.

The study result: There was no statistically significant difference in the incidence of pre-term delivery or neo-natal death among the group of women taking the progesterone supplements, vs those who received a placebo treatment.

As such, the study authors conclude that the use of 17 –Hydroxyprogesterone is not an effective treatment in reducing the rate of pre-term birth in women carrying twins.

Ironically, however, also presented today at today’s conference was a March of Dimes award, given on behalf of research showing how natural progesterone works to prevent pre-term labor.

The award was presented to study author Errol R. Norwitz, M.D, Ph.D., OB/Gyn –in-Chief at Tufts Medical Center for his research on how certain proteins found in progesterone appear to prevent pre-term labor by affecting apoptosis – the normal, orderly death of cells that takes place in the fetal membranes. If the death of cells that make up the fetal membrane can be halted or slowed down, Dr. Norwitz contends that the membrane itself remains thicker and stronger, which, he says, may mean it is less likely to rupture prematurely causing a premature delivery. The research was supported in part by a March of Dimes grant.

While this study appears to be in obvous conflict with the findings also presented today by Dr. Combs, experts say one reason may be that women carrying twins could respond differently to progesterone supplements than women carrying singletons - or that perhaps larger doses may be needed to see an effect. It's also possible that the cause of premature birth in twins may be different from the cause of premature birth in singletons, and may require a different type of treatment.

What everyone seems to agree on however, is the need for more reearch in this area. Indeed, in joint statements issued as early as 2008 by both the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Society for Maternal-Fetal Medicine, it was noted then that further studies were needed on the use of progesterone as a treatment for preterm labor before any solid conclusions can be drawn on it’s potential value.

They also stated that “based on current knowledge it is important to offer progesterone for pregnancy prolongation only to women with a documented history of a previous spontaneous birth at less than 37 weeks of gestation," which is a recommendation that many doctors continue to follow today.

According to the March of Dimes more than a half million babies are born prematurely in the United States each year, at an annual cost of some 26 billion dollars. More importantly, premature birth is the leading cause of newborn death, and babies who do survive a premature birth can sometimes face lifelong health challenges. Being born even just a few weeks early can result in higher rates of hospitalization and illness than babies born full-term. In the last few critical weeks of pregnancy many organs –including the brain – undergo important developmental changes, that might not occur if birth occurs too soon.

Continue reading more on Examiner.com
Copyright by Colette Bouchez 2011 - All Rights Reserved. Reprinted Courtesy of Examiner.com

Cervical Cancer: Good Nutrition, Regular Screenings & Safe Sex Can Protect You & Your Fertility!

noreply@blogger.com (Colette Bouchez) — Wed, 19 Jan 2011 04:08:00 +0000

January is Cervical Cancer Awareness Month – and it packs a powerful message no woman can afford to ignore. Here’s what you need to know …

By Colette Bouchez

As we spin head first into a brand new year – and a brand new list of resolutions we’re eager to tackle- it’s easy to let some of life’s more mundane tasks slip by - especially health screenings.

Which is one reason why health awareness months can serve such a strong and powerful purpose: They remind us of the importance of taking care of our health and move us in the direction of preventive care.

If you’re a woman, never is this more true than it is right now during January, the month dedicated to cervical cancer awareness - a disease which, while it affects some 12,00 women a year, can be prevented!

Indeed, with the help of 2 important cervical cancer screening tools – the Pap smear (which looks for abnormal cells within the cervix) and the HPV test ( which detects the human papillomavirus, the leading cause of cervical cancer ) your doctor has the power to not just detect this disease at its earliest, most easily treated stages, but in many instances detect the kind of pre-cancerous cell changes that, once treated, can stop this disease from ever occurring.

And that’s not just good news for your overall health – it’s also great news for your fertility.

Cervical Cancer and Getting Pregnant: What You Should Know

Though it has a specific name, your cervix is actually the lower portion of your uterus. It is the “connector ” which brings together the upper part of your uterus (where your baby attaches to the lining and grows) and the birth canal, through which your baby is born. So it’s easy to see how the health of your cervix is vital to your fertility.

Normally, that health is maintained by the lining of the cervix – a layer of cells that develop, grow and die, and are replaced by new cells, in a cycle that lasts anywhere from 7 to 14 days. The continuing turnover of these cells is one factor that determines cervical health

When, however, due to any number of health challenges these cells come under attack - including infection with the HPV virus - that normal life cycle becomes disrupted. Cells don’t die as they should, and as a result they begin to build up, causing the lining of your cervix to thicken and change in both shape and form. This cell “overgrowth” is known as “dysplasia” – a condition said to affect between 250,000 and 1 million women a year.

Fortunately, for some women dysplasia – even that caused by HPV - can revert to normal on its own. When your immune system is strong, and you are healthy, you simply overcome the HPV virus – or whatever factor is causing the cell build-up - and the dysplasia stops.

For a significant number of women, however, this isn’t the case. For these women, the HPV, if present, does not go away, and the dysplasia – regardless of the cause – continues to worsen. Eventually, if not stopped, these cell changes lead to the development of cervical cancer, which can progress at an alarmingly fast rate.

Unfortunately, the treatment for late stage cervical cancer involves removing not just the cervix, but the entire uterus and usually the ovaries , which is often followed by either chemotherapy, radiation or a combination of both. All of this pretty much puts an end to childbearing.

The Good News: According to fertility expert Dr. Niels Lauersen, “ If you catch cervical cell changes early on, not only can the dysplasia be treated and the cancer prevented - or if the cancer is already there, treated at a very early stage - these treatments won’t harm your ability to have a baby."

Lauersen adds that the treatments for dysplasia or early cervical cancer can include either electro cauterization or laser vaporization (both work to burn away or vaporize the pre-cancer or early stage cancer cells.) Other treatments, he says, include the LEEP procedure (which uses electrical current passed through thin wire loop to remove the abnormal tissue) or a “cone” biopsy (which removes a wedge shaped piece of the cervix containing the bad cells). And, he says, none of these procedures will interfere with your ability to get pregnant in the future!

Preventing Cervical Cancer & Protecting Fertility:

What Else You Can Do

While having regular Pap smears and tests for HPV are two ways to protect your fertility, since the HPV virus is sexually transmitted, if you are not in a monogamous relationship ( or your partner is not monogamous) you might also want to consider the protection of Gardasil – the first and only vaccine shown to protect against HPV.

Although the vaccine has been the subject of some controversy – with some women having experienced life –threatening and life-changing side effects – to date the vast majority of women who have had the Gardasil vaccine appear to suffer no serious side effects or lasting problems.

If, however, you don’t want to get the vaccine, then practicing safe sex is a must – and using condoms is essential.

Perhaps most important to remember is that good nutrition can also make an important preventive difference in protecting against both cervical cancer and the effects of HPV . According to Dr. Lauersen’s new book Green Fertility: Nature’s Secrets To Making Babies, there are also a number of key vitamins and nutrients that studies have shown can help protect against the cell changes that lead to dysplasia – or in some instances even reverse dysplasia once it begins. As a bonus, these same nutrients protect your fertility as well!

Among the most important he says, are Vitamins C, E, and beta carotene ( vitamin A) , plus other carotenoids found in fruits and vegetables such as carrots, apricots, squash and cantaloupe.

What do all these nutrients have in common? Lauersen says they are all antioxidants, natural chemicals which enhance immune system function. And according to experts this could hold the key to protecting cervical cells from undergoing unhealthy changes.

How Vitamins Can Protect You From Cancer

Indeed, in a study at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in New York City, researchers found that women who had cervical dysplasia routinely had lower blood levels of both beta carotene and vitamin E when compared to healthy women. Moreover, there was also a direct correlation between the amounts of beta-carotene and vitamin E in the blood, and the stage of cervical abnormality – with the more advanced cases having the more significant nutrient deficiencies.

Likewise, a previous study also conducted at Albert Einstein, found that women who consumed less than 30 mg of vitamin C daily were 10 times more likely to develop cervical dysplasia than women who consumed more.

In studies elsewhere, doctors showed that topically applying vitamin A directly into the cervix was able to reverse cell changes associated with dysplasia in up to 50% of women

According to Green Fertility, another key nutrient is folic acid or vitamin B9. How can this help? As you read earlier, cells lining the cervix renew themselves every 7 to 14 days – and in the process continually form new DNA. Lauersen says that when the body is short on folic acid, abnormalities in DNA formation can occur – and that can mean a higher risk of dysplasia.

Conversely, keep your folic acid levels high – at least 400 mcg per day – and you may keep your DNA production humming along in a normal and healthy fashion. Not surprisingly, folic acid is also the nutrient that can protect the DNA in the cells of your developing baby, thus helping to ensure a successful pregnancy and reduce your risk of miscarriage at the same time.

So, along with regular screenings, practicing safe sex, and the addition of these nutrients to your diet, you not only have the power to reduce your risk of cervical cancer, but maybe even eliminate that risk entirely – and preserve your fertility for years to come. And that’s the kind of awareness that can make a real difference in your life!

To learn more about these specific helpful foods and nutrients– as well as how much you need to take - and to read more about other natural ways to protect your fertility and your health, visit GreenFertility.com – or pick up a copy of Green Fertility: Nature’s Secrets for Making Babies.

Colette Bouchez is the co-author of Green Fertility: Nature’s Secrets For Making Babies.

Copyright by Colette Bouchez 2011 - All Rights Reserved. In addition to US Copyright, the text of this FERTILITY BLOG is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License. All Formatting and style elements of this page are not available under this license and Colette Bouchez retains all rights in those elements. The owners and contributors to this blog may or may not benefit from the products, services or treatments mentioned herein.

Relieving A Mother’s Guilt About Autism: The Cause Remains Unknown

noreply@blogger.com (Colette Bouchez) — Wed, 12 Jan 2011 22:56:00 +0000

An off handed comment by a researcher suggesting mothers who don't take good enough care of themselves might to be to blame for their child's autism touched off a firestorm of anger and rightly so. If you were one troubled by this week's report take heart: There is no evidence you should ever blame yourself. Here's what you must know ...

By Colette Bouchez

This week the early release of a study from the February issue of the journal Pediatrics made headlines, with news concerning new reasons for autism – a developmental disorder that can range from mild to severe and is said to effect up to in in every 110 children.

In the paper, lead author Peter Bearman, PhD, the Jonathan Cole Professor of the Social Sciences at Columbia University in New York City reported that one reason behind the disorder could be having children too close together.

Based on records of some 660,000 children born in the state of California between 1992 and 2002 the researchers say second born children conceived within one year of their older siblings were three times as likely to be diagnosed with autism when compared to second children conceived three or more years after their older sibling.

The results, say researchers suggest that having children close in age could be the link to autism.

When asked for a possible reason, Bearman commented in media reports that it could be linked to a mother’s prenatal and even preconception nutrition, suggesting as he did that possible low levels of nutrients such as folic acid or iron could be the cause.

“ It could be a biological factor, such as maternal depletion of nutrients … or another process that hasn’t been described or discovered yet,” Bearman has said, igniting somewhat of a firestorm of guilt in mothers everywhere. But is there any real truth to the idea that prenatal nutrition is at fault?

Looking To The Past For Answers In The Present

Certainly, past research has shown that a woman’s prenatal and preconception intake of nutrients can play a key role in affecting baby’s health in myriad ways. Most notable are the mound of studies linking a low prenatal intake of folic acid to a group of devastating birth defects known collectively as neural tube defects. In short, when a mother’s intake of folic acid during pregnancy is low her baby’s risk of being born with neural tube defects rises significantly.

And who could forget the now-famous Dutch study of 1944 – conducted using records of births recorded during a severe famine in the Netherlands. Here researchers learned that babies born to mothers who did not support their pregnancy with proper nutrition were more likely to suffer low birth weight – a condition that can go forward to affect the child’s health and development in myriad ways – including an increased risk of coronary heart disease later in life.

Indeed, time and again it has been shown that prenatal nutrition – and more recently, preconception nutrition - can have an enormous impact on not only the health of the developing baby, but also on whether or not conception even occurs!

And in this respect, it’s perfectly logical to want to take that small leap of faith and link the possibility that close births deplete a mother’s nutritional stores in a way that might increase the risk of autism.

But does it?

What We Don't Know About Autism

First it’s important to realize that nothing in this study looked at a mother’s prenatal nutrition or her levels of folic acid or iron. The study simply made a connection between close births of children and an increased risk of autism – and nothing more. The suggestion that prenatal nutrition may be a link was entirely speculative and not shown in this study or any other to be relevant to the findings.

Fred R. Volkmar, MD, the Irving B. Harris Professor and director at the Child Study Center at Yale University in New Haven recently told WebMD , “This is preliminary, and nobody else has seen this yet ...We don’t know if it is true, or if it is true, why would it be true.”

Also important to keep in mind: Three weeks ago a very solid study published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives offered similarly convincing evidence that autism was linked to freeway traffic – and the pollution that resulted.

Before that it was studies linking autism to food preservatives, artificial sweeteners, too much food coloring … the list is almost endless.

And let’s not forget the most recent debacle over the now-defamed studies linking autism to the MMR vaccine.

Certainly, this new research could one day turn out to be the most exciting advance in the history of autism science. But the point is that right now, it is just one more in a sea of studies that have failed to prove anything we can rely on as true. And in my opinion, based on what we know thus far, to prematurely suggest to mothers of autistic children they may have been at fault , seems a bit irresponsible - and the kind of guilt trip that quite frankly helps no one, least of all the children.

Worse still may be the charlatans who may follow this lead , twisting the facts to sell you vitamins, or nutritional guidance or even a crate of oranges in hopes of protecting your child from autism.

So to all the loving and caring parents of autistic children who look deep into their own soul everyday searching for answers: Do not blame yourself. We all pray that the mystery of autism will one day be solved. But as of today, no one has yet solved it.

Colette Bouchez is the co-author of Green Fertility: Nature's Secrets For Making Babies - a diet and nutritional guide to pre conception health. The opinions expressed in this blog are strictly her own.

Copyright by Colette BouchezBouchez retains all rights in those elements. The owners and contributors to this blog may or may not financially benefit from the products and services associated with the materials presented herein. The owners and contributors of this blog may or may not benefit directly or indirectly from the products and services featured throughout.

Danes Say Going Organic May Not Make You More Fertile

noreply@blogger.com (Colette Bouchez) — Sun, 09 Jan 2011 02:48:00 +0000

If you’re spending a ton of money on organic fruits and veggies listen up: A new study says traditionally grown products could be almost as good for your fertility . Here’s what you need to know.

By Colette Bouchez

The premise seems so obvious it’s hard not to believe it: Vegetables grown organically, without the use of pesticides or chemicals should be healthier and more nutrient dense.

But at least according to one study, that’s just not true. In research presented this week in the Journal of Agriculture and Food Chemistry, researchers from The Food Institute at the University of Denmark found that carrots, onions and potatoes grown under organic conditions generally contained no higher levels of antioxidants –among the key nutrients in veggies – or other healthful properties, than the same produce grown commercially, using pesticides and other chemicals to help them grow.

According to Danish researcher Pia Knuthsen, there are certainly many good reasons to pay the higher price that organic fruits and vegetables command – most notably better taste and possibly health benefits that come from avoiding the chemical contaminants not found on organic food.

That said, if you’re buying organic because you think the nutrient value is higher, then Knuthsen says her studies show that’s probably not the case.

“On the basis of the present study carried out under well-controlled conditions, it cannot be concluded that organically grown onions, carrots, and potatoes generally have higher contents of health-promoting secondary metabolites in comparison with the conventionally cultivated ones. The ability of crops to synthesize selected secondary metabolites was not systematically affected by the growth system across different growth years and geographical locations,” says Knuthsen in the study.

Why Organic May Not Be Worth The Price

For the current Danish study researchers cultivated onions, carrots, and potatoes in three different geographical locations over a two year period. One group of vegetables were treated to conventional agriculture techniques while two other groups were cultivated using organic farming methods.

After harvesting, the scientists measured levels of flavonoids and phenolic acids – two key types of antioxidants – in all three groups.

The result: There was no statistically significant differences between the level of nutrients found in foods grown using traditional commercial agriculture methods and those grown organically. In short, the commercially grown, non-organic produce was as healthful, in terms of key nutrients, as that which was grown organically

Organic Food And Your Fertility

So, what does this mean to you – particularly if you’re trying to get pregnant? According to the book Green Fertility: Nature’s Secrets For Making Babies, the nutrients found in many fruits and vegetables can play a key role in enhancing fertility. Onions, for example, are one of the main sources of polyphenols and a rich source of flavinoids – both of which have been shown to play a key role in the production of healthy sperm.

Another group of polyphenols are phenolic acids, found in many fruits and vegetables, including carrots and potatoes can boost female fertility, by increasing blood flow to the ovaries and uterus, and help insure the health of every cell involved in conception.Other nutrients found in many types of fruits and vegetables can have direct effects on the reproductive hormones necessary for egg production and a health conception. So, a fertility diet high in these nutrients can be a real plus - whether you're trying to get pregnant on your own or looking to boost the success of your next insemination of IVF.

Certainly it’s always a good idea to avoid chemical exposures when and where you can –particularly when you are trying to conceive. But that said, it’s also comforting to know that many of the key nutrients which protect your reproductive system from chemical assaults, are in full force, ieven in the fruits and vegetables that aren’t grown organically.

The bottom line: If you just can’t afford to “fork over” the extra bucks for organic fruits and vegetables, you can rest easy knowing that you’ll be helping your reproductive health by filling your plate with produce - no matter how or where it is grown!

For more information on dozens and fruits and vegetables proven in medical studies to have specific and direct effects on fertility and getting pregnant, visit GreenFertility.com – or pick up a copy of Green Fertilty: Nature’s Secret’s for Making Babies.

ColetteBouchez is the co-author of Green Fertility: Nature’s Secrets for Making Babies.

Copyright by Colette Bouchez 2011 - All Rights Reserved. In addition to US Copyright, the text of this FERTILITY BLOG is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License. All Formatting and style elements of this page are not available under this license and Colette Bouchez retains all rights in those elements. The owners and contributors to this blog may or may not financially benefit from the products and services associated with the materials presented herein.

Med Study: Increase IVF Success and Reduce Miscarriage With Natural Treatment

noreply@blogger.com (Colette Bouchez) — Tue, 04 Jan 2011 01:27:00 +0000

A new study found that a simple natural oil emulsion could be the key to a more successful IVF. Here’s what you need to know… By Colette Bouchez

If a group of British researchers are right, improving your odds of a successful IVF – and reducing your risk of miscarriage - could be as easy as using a simple, inexpensive soy-based oil treatment one week prior to when your fertility procedure takes place.

That’s the conclusion of some new research being presented later this week at the British Fertility Society Meeting in Dublin , Ireland on January 6^th.

Here researchers from Care Fertility, an IVF clinic in Nottingham, England will present evidence that an intravenous treatment using a prescription-only soy-based oil known as Intralipid prior to an IVF procedure , dramatically increases pregnancy success rates while reducing the risk of miscarriage.

Dr. George Ndukwe, of the Care Fertility Clinic in Nottingham where the study was conducted, told the Daily Mail: “Every day in my clinic I see women who have had numerous IVF cycles all with the same negative outcome and no baby. We are now devoting our attention to finding answers when nature goes wrong.”

According to Ndukwe and his team at least some of those answers can be found in Intralipid, the soy based fatty acid that researchers say plays a role in helping a newly implanted embryo attach to the mother’s uterus and begin to thrive.

The Study: Research on Intralipid involved 96 women – average age 37 - all of whom experienced at least 6 previous failed IVF attempts. Fifty of the women in the group received infusions of the soy-based oil, given by intravenous drip about a week before their IVF was to take place. Forty six of the women received no treatment.

All the women subsequently underwent an IVF procedure, which included removing their eggs, combining them with sperm in a laboratory dish , and then implanting the resulting embryo into the woman’s uterus.

The Result: Fifty percent of the women who received the Intralipid infusions achieved successful pregnancies, compared to just 9 percent of those not treated.

In terms of miscarriage, just two women who received Intralipid miscarried (about 8 percent) compared to seven miscarriages in the group who did not receive the infusions (about 64 percent).

What is Intralipid – And Can It Help You?

So what is this seemingly “magic” fluid called Intralipid? Lest you think it’s a brand new “miracle” drug, guess again. Intralipid was approved by the FDA in 1962 to help correct an essential fatty acid and calorie deficiency in those who are unable to eat normally – either due to gastrointestinal difficulties or the inability to swallow.

It consists of 20% Soybean Oil, 1.2% Egg Yolk Phospholipids, 2.25% Glycerin, and Water . Given as an intravenous infusion it bypasses the stomach and goes directly into the bloodstream to supply the body with several essential fatty acids. These are substances required for many biological functions, including reproduction – but they can’t be made by the body. As such they must be obtained via food, supplements, or in this case the intravenous infusion.

Reduce Inflammation – Get Pregnant Easier

Although the new study surrounding the use of Intralipid for fertility purposes is new, it’s important to point out that previous studies have found that other sources of essential fatty acids have had similar fertility-related results.

Indeed, in one study published in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, researchers found that simply adding more foods high in an essential fatty acid known as Omega 3 to the diet had enough of an impact on reproduction to kick start ovulation in women with PCOS ( poly cystic ovary syndrome) who were not ovulating at all.

Other studies have shown that foods rich in omega 3 fatty acids ( like cold water fish, flax seeds and walnuts) can encourage a healthy conception in all women by reducing inflammation that can frequently impact the production of fertility hormones, as well as cause inflammation within the uterus that could result in pregnancy loss.

Indeed, Dr. Ndukwe suggests - and many fertility experts agree - that a leading cause of infertility in women today is related to inflammation, often the result of undiagnosed immune system malfunctions. This, he believes causes an excess production of white blood cells (called natural killer cells) which he says ‘fight’ the pregnancy by triggering the production of chemicals that attack the placenta or the embryo. And indeed, abnormally high levels of white blood cells have been shown in some studies to increase the risk of miscarriage.

In fact, currently the arthritis drug Humira – which reduces inflammation - is being used by some fertility experts to boost pregnancy rates in some women suspected of having inflammatory –related infertility. Moreover, Professor Siobhan Quenby, of Solihull Hospital and Warwick University, in England, has already successfully used an anti-inflammatory asthma drug to curb the immune response in a pilot trial of women plagued with chronic pregnancy loss.

And of course, there is the old standby of taking one baby aspirin a day beginning two weeks prior to conception and continuing throughout the first trimester, to reduce the risk of miscarriage – a regimen long prescribed by many fertility doctors. The active ingredient in the baby aspirin: the anti-inflammatory compound salicylic acid.

But it’s also important to remember that studies show that for many women, simply increasing their intake of essential fatty acids – particularly Omega 3 fatty acids – either via diet or supplements, can have a similar positive impact on reducing inflammation, while increasing conception rates and decreasing the risk of miscarriage in women who do conceive.

Moreover, once you do get pregnant, studies also show that essential fatty acids reduce the risk of premature birth while helping women avoid pre-eclampsia and possibly post partum depression after birth.

Getting Pregnant: The Green Fertility Plan

The new study on Intralipid reports that the treatment is easily tolerated, has few side effects and is relatively cheap to administer. So in this respect, it may be worth talking to your doctor about adding it to your IVF regimen.

At the same time, however, remember that Mother Nature offers similar results via foods and nature-based supplements of essential fatty acids, including Omega 3’s as well as fatty acids known as linoleic acid and gamma linoleic acid, otherwise known as GLA.

To learn more about the power of all anti inflammatory essential fatty acids to boost your fertility naturally, as well as increase the success of your IVF procedures and reduce your risk of miscarriage visit http://www.greenfertilty.com/ – or pick up a copy of Green Fertility: Nature’s Secrets for Making Babies.

Colette Bouchez is the co-author of Green Fertility: Nature’s Secrets for Making Babies.

Copyright by Colette Bouchez 2010 - All Rights Reserved. In addition to US Copyright, the text of this FERTILITY BLOG is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License. All Formatting and style elements of this page are not available under this license and Colette Bouchez retains all rights in those elements.

VIDEO: Miscarriage - 5 Ways To Reduce Your Risks

noreply@blogger.com (Colette Bouchez) — Mon, 03 Jan 2011 04:15:00 +0000

If you've lost even one pregnancy then you know how devastating this experience can be. While many women blame themselves when a miscarriage occurs, this is virtually never the case.

There are, however, some things that every couple can do to reduce

their risk of pregnancy loss and have a healthy baby!

Watch this video for 5 tips on avoiding miscarriage

from Green Fertility: Nature's Secrets For Making Babies

To learn more about reducing your risk of miscarriage and having a healthy baby be sure to visit

http://www.blogger.com/goog_2023512441

Copyright 2010 - All Rights Reserved. In addition to US Copyright, the text and video of this FERTILITY BLOG is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License. All Formatting and style elements of this page are not available under this license and the owner of this blog retains all rights in those elements.

Three Pre Natal Nutrients Shown to Make Babies Healthier And Smarter!

noreply@blogger.com (Colette Bouchez) — Wed, 29 Dec 2010 05:10:00 +0000

New evidence suggests that mothers who take 3 key nutrients before and during pregnancy may give birth to smarter, healthier babies! Here’s what you need to know.

By Colette Bouchez

Want to give birth to a smarter baby? Make sure to get an adequate supply of the mineral iron and the nutrient folic acid (vitamin B9) before and during your pregnancy!

That’s the exciting result from a new study released today by researchers in Nepal India. Here doctors found that women who took prenatal vitamins containing both iron and folic acid before and during pregnancy gave birth to children with more highly developed cognitive skills, as well as better developed motor skills than the babies born to moms who skipped these important nutrients.

The children whose mother’s took the vitamins also showed a higher, more developed level of reasoning skills and displayed an enhanced sense of behavioral skills including inhibitory controls, when compared to babies whose mother’s did not have the benefit of these nutritional supplements.

While most women are aware of the importance of taking prenatal vitamins while they are pregnant, fertility experts like Dr. Niels Lauersen say too many still don’t realize the importance of also taking these vitamins before they even try to conceive.

“Many women are pregnant 6, 8 or even 10 weeks before they know it- a time when your baby is going through critical stages of development that could greatly benefit from many nutrients, but particularly folic acid,” says Lauersen, co- author of the new book “ Green Fertility: Nature’s Secrets for Making Babies”

So, says Lauersen, taking a daily prenatal or high potency vitamin beginning two months prior to when you want to conceive will help ensure that your baby’s nutritional needs are met from the moment of conception.

Iron supplements, say Lauersen are most critical towards the end of the pregnancy, as the baby’s blood supply begins to expand putting extra stress on the mother’s supply.

The WHO (World Health Organization) estimates that up to one-half of all pregnant women in developing countries are anemic at the time during pregnancy due to a lack of iron.

Vitamin D Helps Baby Breathe Better!

If you want to breathe easy about your baby’s ability to breathe, make sure you get an adequate supply of Vitamin D during your pregnancy. How can this help?

In a new study just published today in the journal Pediatrics, a group of Harvard researchers found that babies born with low levels of vitamin D in their bloodstream, were much more likely to develop wheezing problems, and were more susceptible to infant respiratory infections, including Bronchiolitis, a viral infection of the lungs, that is the leading cause of hospitalization among infants. In the US.

Conversely, babies born with higher levels of Vitamin D appeared to gain protection against these common health problems.

The level of vitamin D in a baby’s bloodstream is a direct reflection of the amount of Vitamin D in the mother’s bloodstream during gestation. And in a previous study these same researchers proved that the risk of infection was higher amongst babies born to mothers who did not have adequate levels of vitamin D during pregnancy.

In the new study the doctors directly examined the cord blood samples taken from 922 children in New Zealand, looking for their specific levels of vitamin D. The researchers then followed the children for a period of five years, periodically assessing their health via questionnaires filled out by their mothers.

The result: Researchers found the lower the level of vitamin D in each child’s cord blood sample, the higher their risk of developing wheezing problems during the first five years of life. Those with exceptionally low levels of D were twice as likely to develop respiratory infections including colds, coughs and ear infections during the first three critical months of life. Doctors reported that the D-deficient babies also experienced a greater risk of infections and illness overall, when compared to babies with higher levels of D in their cord blood.

The one surprising finding in the study was that the lack of vitamin D and the increase in wheezing did not appear to correlate with a higher risk of asthma.

That said, according to the book Green Fertility: Nature’s Secrets for Making Babies, even if a lack of vitamin D does not increase your baby’s risk of asthma, making certain your levels remain high during pregnancy could ultimately help reduce the severity of any asthma that does occur, simply by reducing the risk of respiratory conditions known to exacerbate the disease.

The body makes Vitamin D naturally via exposure to the sun - you'll need about 20 minutes a day without sunblock to reach minimum levels. You will likely need vitamin D supplements to reach the maximum amount necessary to improve your baby's health.

For more information on the key vitamins, minerals and other micro-nutrients that can help you get pregnant as well as increase your baby’s health once you do conceive, visit Green Fertility.com or pick up a copy of Green Fertility: Nature’s Secrets for Making Babies.

Copyright by Colette Bouchez 2010 - All Rights Reserved. In addition to US Copyright, the text of this FERTILITY BLOG is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License. All Formatting and style elements of this page are not available under this license and Colette Bouchez retains all rights in those elements. The creators and contributors to this blog may or may not benefit from the mention of any products or services featured in these posts.

New Prenatal Test Promises a Safer Way To Detect Abnormalities

noreply@blogger.com (Colette Bouchez) — Mon, 27 Dec 2010 22:35:00 +0000

A groundbreaking new blood test promises to isolate potential genetic defects as early as the 9th week of pregnancy -without any risk to mother or baby. Here's what you need to know.

By Colette Bouchez

If a group of Hong Kong doctors are right, it may now be possible to map out an unborn baby’s entire genetic blueprint using just one tube of the mother’s blood – and do it as early as the 9^th week of pregnancy.

That’s the hope for a brand new blood test that promises to give parents the information they need about the health of their unborn baby, without the need for invasive testing that carries a risk of miscarriage.

Indeed, at present the most common way to detect a fetal abnormality is a procedure known as amniocentesis. In this test – usually performed between the 15^th and 20^th week of pregnancy – doctors insert a needle into the mother’s abdomen to extract samples of the amniotic fluid surrounding the baby in the uterus. By testing this fluid doctors are able to map out an array of potential genetic birth defects.

While the test works exceedingly well, it is not without it’s drawbacks – the most serious of which is a 1% risk of miscarriage . This procedure-induced pregnancy loss becomes even more overwhelming when the parents learn that the test results are normal – and their baby would have been normal as well.

But now a team of scientists from the Chinese University in Hong Kong promise to do away with any risk of that heartbreak by using the new non-invasive blood test to detect the same problems as an amniocentesis, without any risk to mother or baby. And, to do so as early as the 9^th week of pregnancy.

In the past looking for genetic disorders via a blood test was a long and laborious process requiring a separate set of parameters for each individual disorder. This was because doctors believed only isolated portions of a baby’s DNA were present in the mother’s blood.

Now however, the Hong Kong doctors say their groundbreaking discovery reveals that the entire genetic blueprint for each child is present in a single sample of a mother’s blood. This , they say, opens the door to detecting an entire range of genetic abnormalities - including the most common forms of anemia known as alpha and beta thelassaemia, as well as cystic fibrosis - with a single, non -invasive test.

Dennis Lo Yuk-ming, who led the research, told the Deutsche Presse –Agentur that the process of teasing out all the elements to make the test work was on the order of “assembling a jigsaw containing a million pieces.”

So how did they do it? The new blood test works, say experts, by first isolating the chromosomes inherited from the father, and then locating the rest of the baby’s DNA by looking for differences in the level of gene concentration in the mother’s blood –indicating which genes the baby inherited.

Together, these two pieces of information form the genetic blueprint of the unborn child.

While the blood test is indeed promising, presently it’s very costly. The researchers say their next step is to bring the cost down, which the scientists believe is entirely possible by reducing the search to include only the most common genetic defects. The new, more affordable test could become available worldwide as early as the coming year.

For more information on ways to prevent the risk of birth defects related to miscarriage visit Green Fertility.com – or pick up a copy of Green Fertility – Nature’s Secrets for Making Babies.

Copyright by Colette Bouchez 2010 - All Rights Reserved. In addition to US Copyright, the text of this FERTILITY BLOG is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License. All Formatting and style elements of this page are not available under this license and Colette Bouchez retains all rights in those elements. The creators and authors of this blog may or may not benefit from the mention of products or services featured in these pages.

Could DHEA Be The Natural Fertility Wonder Drug?

noreply@blogger.com (Colette Bouchez) — Fri, 24 Dec 2010 00:24:00 +0000

A one-time controversial supplement, DHEA gained new status when a study found it could help older women make better eggs. Now new research shows it may cast an even wider net in helping women of all ages get pregnant. Here's what you need to know.

By Colette Bouchez

It was just a few years ago - 2005 to be exact - that a study published in the journal Fertility & Sterility found that supplements of a hormone known as DHEA (short for dehydroepianodrostone) could help older women undergoing IVF treatments make more and possibly better quality eggs.

Now new research out of Israel shows it may not just be older women who can benefit from this supplement - but all women trying to get pregnant. In research conducted at Tel Aviv University in Tel Aviv, Israel led by Adrian Shulman, MD, doctors discovered that women who took supplements of DHEA before undergoing IVf treatments had triple the rate of pregnancy success compared to women who did not take the supplements. Moreover, the DHEA supplements appeared to work as well on younger women as the earlier studies showed it worked on older women.

What Is DHEA - And How It Helps You Get Pregnant.

While the use of some supplements, particularly herbs, can date back hundreds, if not thousands of years, the use of DHEA supplements is relatively new. As a compound made by the body naturally, it is a precursor necessary for the production of steroid hormones -including some directly involved in reproduction. While it is normally present in the male body in large amounts - and is a precursor to manufacturing testosterone - in a womans' body it's usually present in much smaller amounts.

While no one is certain of the exact mechanism behind the DHEA success, researchers from the Center for Human Reproduction (CHR) in New York City who pioneered the use of this supplement believe it reduces the risk of chromosomal abnormalities in eggs - abnormalities that would otherwise lead to an inability of the egg to be fertilized, or result in a miscarriage. Experts say that occasionally these miscarriages happen so early on, a woman might not even know she is getting pregnant, instead believing that she is infertile.

Indeed, by helping the body to actually create "healthier" eggs, not only does the rate of fertilization go up, but the rate of miscarriage goes down - which could be great news for women who have lost one or more pregnancies.

In one study published recently in the journal Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology, doctors found the rate of spontaneous miscarriage was exceptionally low in women who were using DHEA supplements.

According to published reports, Norbert Gleicher, MD, medical director of CHR and a lead author of a breakthrough study on DHEA says “This is the first direct evidence that DHEA beneficially affects egg and embryo quality by reducing chromosomal abnormalities.” He continues to say that ”It appears likely, however, that this is not the only way by which DHEA exerts its positive effects on older ovaries. Indeed, DHEA may only be a forerunner for a whole new family of infertility drugs, which, ultimately, still may allow older women to conceive through well-designed infertility treatments.”

David H. Barad, MD, MS, second lead authors and Clinical Director of CHR’s IVF Program, adds: “Our finding may have implications far beyond infertility because it suggests that beneficial effects of DHEA supplementation on embryos' chromosomal health could also be extended to normally fertile older women.” DHEA supplementation, like taking folic acid to prevent neural tube defects, could become routine in prenatal care.

Can DHEA Help You?
To date, the number of studies conducted on DHEA is still relatively small, and involve a small number of women. Moreover, virtually all of these studies have involved women undergoing IVF treatments - which in and of itself allows for a very controlled conception environment.

And while so far this research has been favorable, what we don't know yet is if DHEA will have the same positive effect - or any effect - on women trying to get pregnant on their own. Remember, the women undergoing IVF are already identified as having fertility problems - which means the DHEA may be correcting a deficiency that led to their inability to conceive. Whether or not it would have the same or equal power in women who do not have this deficiency - or a different deficiency - is yet to be discovered.

So, should you take DHEA to help you get pregnant? Right now the best advice is to talk to your doctor. You might be a candidate for this treatment if you have already had one or more miscarriage, or if getting pregnant seems to be taking longer than it should.

If you do decide to give DHEA a try, make certain to purchase it from a reputable compounding pharmacy who makes the supplement from scratch. This will help insure potency. You also want to be sure to purchase "pharmaceutical grade" DHEA for the best results. The amount used in many of the studies was 25 mg three times a day - but again, talk to your doctor to decide on the right dosage for you.

While it's not likely that a DHEA supplement will harm you, it can have some nasty side effects including oily skin and hair and an increase in acne. On the plus side, however, many women report a dramatic upswing in their sex drive - so that might be worth a pimple or two!

For more information on DHEA as well as other all natural supplements that increase fertility visit GreenFertility.com - or pick up a copy of Green Fertility: Nature's Secrets for Making Babies.

Copyright by Colette Bouchez 2010 - All Rights Reserved. In addition to US Copyright, the text of this FERTILITY BLOG is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License. All Formatting and style elements of this page are not available under this license and Colette Bouchez retains all rights in those elements.The authors and owners of this blog may or may not directly or indirectly benefit from the products, books , or other sources mentioned in the is blog.

Older Moms, Fertility Drugs & The Risk of Breast Cancer: The Legacy of Elizabeth Edwards & The New Green Fertility Movement

noreply@blogger.com (Colette Bouchez) — Tue, 14 Dec 2010 00:30:00 +0000

No one knows why a woman gets breast cancer; but research shows late motherhood and the use of fertility drugs could increase the risks. Here's what you need to know.

By Colette Bouchez

It was back in November of 2004, when, as a nation still giddy with excitement over a presidential election, we learned Elizabeth Edwards, wife of a then- leading VP candidate John Edwards, was diagnosed with invasive ductal breast cancer, a particularly severe form of the disease.

Now, some six years later, we mourn her death, passing as she did last week at age 61, from complications arising from that original breast cancer which spread first to her bones and ultimately her liver.

While no one knows why any woman gets breast cancer, there are some factors that increase the risk. Among them is bearing children later in life, with some research suggesting the use of fertility drugs might play a role.

As such it begs the question, was Edwards – who became pregnant at age 48 and age 50 and has acknowledged the use of fertility medications - a victim of the very technology that is supposed to create life, and not end it?

"In light of what we now know about links between cancer and late-age pregnancy, and more recently, about hormone use and cancer, it's a valid question. Unfortunately, it's one that is, at best, difficult to answer," says Julia Smith, MD, director of the NYU Cancer Institute Breast Cancer Screening and Prevention Program and the director of the Lynne Cohen Cancer Screening and Prevention Clinic for High Risk Women at Bellevue Hospital Center, and Breast Cancer Preventive Care Program at the NYU Clinical Cancer Center.

What we know thus far: The risk of breast cancer naturally increase as a woman ages. Smith says it also rises in relation to the age at which a woman has her first child and her last child, beginning at age 30. “The older a woman is when she has her first baby and her last baby, the greater her risk of breast cancer in the future," says Smith.

According to news reports, Edwards was in her early 30s when her first two children were born -- a son, Wade, who passed away in an accident in 1996, and her daughter, Catherine, now 28. Edwards was approximately 48 when she became pregnant with her second daughter, Emma Claire, and about 50 when she conceived her son Jack.

While no one is certain exactly how Elizabeth Edwards conceived at such an advanced age, it has been reported her pregnancies were aided by the use of fertility drugs – hormone-based medications used to create multiple eggs and encourage the growth of a thick uterine lining necessary to sustain a pregnancy. And therein lies a second cause for cancer-risk concern.

Indeed, a growing number of doctors now worry that when you combine the intense estrogen overload associated with some fertility drugs, with the high estrogen levels that occur during pregnancy – all an age when a woman should naturally experience a decrease in these hormones - another breast cancer red flag appears.

“Right now we just don’t know if being hit with a blast of estrogen after years of decreasing levels increases the risk of breast cancer or if fertility drugs further fuel that risk. Women deserve to know, but we just don't have the answer yet, “ says Smith.

Some of what we do know, however, came to light via the massive Women’s Health Initiative study published in the Journal of the American Medical Association in 2002. Here research on some 16,000 women taught us that a combination regimen of estrogen and progesterone commonly used to treat peri menopausal and menopausal symptoms increases the risk of breast cancer in some women.

But does that risk profile apply to women roughly in this same age group taking similar hormones not to avoid hot flashes, but instead to have a baby?

“ We don't know one way or the other if there is an increased risk of breast cancer associated with taking fertility drugs thus far, the data has been conflicting. But it's certainly a question that needs to be addressed further, and certainly needs to be answered,” said Margareta Pisarska, MD, co-director of the Fertility Program at the Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles appears to agree. “

Could GREEN FERTILITY Be The Answer?

Currently there is no definitive conclusion as to whether or not fertility drugs will increase a woman’s risk of breast cancer later in life. And while it may be some time before we know for certain, many fertility experts are not waiting around to find out.

Instead, they are moving forward with a rapidly growing movement known as “Green Fertility “ - a way of increasing a woman’s chances of conception, even women over 40, using all natural therapies. Alone or in combination with a brand new type of drug-free GREEN IVF, it could just be the safe, sane and possibly healthier alternative for the millions of women struggling with fertility issues.

Included in the green fertility treatment regimen are foods which focus on nutrients proven in studies to affect egg production and release in women and healthy sperm production in men; vitamin and nutrient therapy designed to balance hormones linked to common fertility problems; and specific types of exercise – like yoga - and a moderate weight maintenance program - all which studies have shown can boost fertility naturally.

Moreover, many “green” fertility doctors now also recommend a series of Chinese herbs, as well as acupuncture treatments to gently and safely encourage conception.

"Acupuncture works to restore the flow of Qi -- your essence, your body energy -- so with regards to infertility, treatment has a calming, restorative effect that increases a sense of well- being and ultimately helps the body to accept the creation of life," says acupuncturist Ifeoma Okoronkwo, MD, a professor of medicine at New York University School of Medicine.

While taking the “Green” approach to getting pregnant can help the tens of thousands of couples diagnosed with “unexplained infertility” doctors say there are some conception problems – like blocked fallopian tubes or uterine scar tissue in women - for which the “green” treatments are simply not enough on their own to help. When this is the case, the answer may lie in the new “GREEN IVF “ - a natural cycle fertility treatment that works without the need for fertility medications.

Indeed, instead of bombarding her body with fertility drugs and hormones to increase egg production and release, the new Green IVF relies on vitamins, nutrients, diet and exercise to encourage fertility and then uses traditional IVF techniques to harvest a single, naturally produced egg. The remainder of the IVF treatment remains the same.

“ According to John Zhang,M.D., Ph.D., director of the New Hope Fertility Clinic in New York City, the new natural cycle IVF is “ Ideal for women who choose to live a drug-free and chemical-free lifestyle, or for those women who, because of age or fertility problems, are less likely to produce multiple eggs, even if heavy IVF drugs are administered.”

But does it work? A number of studies show that it does! In research published recently in the journal Fertility and Sterility, doctors from Rome, Italy found that in women who previously did not respond well to IVF medications, were able to have a healthy “green fertility” implantation at a rate three times that of women who took traditional fertility medications.

The bottom line: Whether you have a family history of breast cancer, or simply want to avoid the use of fertility medications and encourage a faster, healthier pregnancy naturally, then the Green Fertility movement may be your answer.

To learn more about Green Fertility including the new GREEN IVF visit www.GreenFertility.com .

Colette Bouchez is the co- author of the new book : Green Fertility: Nature’s Secrets for Making Babies” ( Ivy League Press, NY, 2010).

How To Get Pregnant: Try Dancing With The Stars!

noreply@blogger.com (Colette Bouchez) — Thu, 02 Dec 2010 19:47:00 +0000

Looking to get pregnant faster? Try dancing with the stars! Discover how one of the sexiest dances on this hit show can increase your fertility - plus more natural ways to get pregnant faster!

By Colette Bouchez

Trying to conceive ...and looking for ways to boost your fertility naturally? Or maybe you're hoping to increase the success of next IVF or insemination procedure - without the use of fertility drugs.

Although paying strict attention to diet and nutrition and getting the proper amount of exercise are three important ways to boost fertility naturally, some interesting new studies have shown there are also a few newer ways to give your conception odds a boost - and have some fun at the same time!

To get you going in the right direction, here's 3 new and unusual ways that studies show can increase your fertility and help you get pregnant faster!

How To Get Pregnant Tip # 1: Put On Your Dancing Shoes

As anyone who who has ever spent an evening watching Dancing With The Stars can tell you, tripping the light fantastic on the ballroom floor is a wonderful and fun activity. But did you know it’s also a potent stress reliever that can help you get pregnant? It’s true!

Studies in both Germany and at the University of New England found that dancing lowers levels of stress hormones that would otherwise interfere with conception. Among the most stress relieving of all dances is the sexy tango which studies show can dramatically lower levels of cortisol, a stress hormone that in high concentrations has been shown to interfere with conception.

Because dancing with a partner to music you both love appears to have the most positive effects on stress reduction, if you can get your hubby to join you on the dance floor, that’s a fertility plus! But if not, you can also gain benefits by simply plugging in your Ipod to the tunes you love and dance to your own beat. Studies show there are many positive stress reducing effects from dancing alone.

In fact, experts say it evokes a state of “mindful meditation” similar to doing yoga.
Moreover, studies have also shown that listening to music can actually alter your brain waves and change the way your entire body chemistry works – particularly in the area of brain chemistry where many fertility “signals” originate. So whenever you can, take a “music break” - relax, dance a bit if you can, or if not simply kick back and the let music take you away!

How To Get Pregnant Tip # 2: Practice Yoga

For centuries Chinese Medicine doctors have been “prescribing” activities like yoga and medication to increase fertility. Now, modern western science has caught the wave, with new studies showing these ancient Chinese techniques may be the ticket to pregnancy success.

And further, that reducing stress levels via such activities as yoga and meditation not only reduces this enzyme but in the process increases fertility!

In a major study published in the journal Fertility & Sterility researchers from the US Nataional Institutes of Health and the UK’s University of Oxford report that women who have a higher level of an enzyme marker for stress have a more difficult time getting pregnant.

And it doesn’t take much effort to see a positive result! Simple yoga positions practiced for just 20 minutes 3 to 5 times weekly may be enough to increase fertility in just several weeks time!

How To Get Pregnant Tip # 3: Spend Time In the Sun!

The link to conception is Vitamin D!Because the body utilizes sunlight to manufacture vitamin D, spending time in the sun can be a natural fertility booster! indeed,studies show that couples who are deficient in vitamin D can suffer from several related forms of infertility. Wit Vitamin D women can have a problem ovulating, while men may not manufacture enough testoserone - the hormone necessary for sperm production and maturation.

Need more evidence that sunlight can help you get pregnant? Epidemiologic data shows that in countries where the latitude is the highest - meaning that sun exposure varies dramatically during the year - conception rates were consistently higher in late summer, which, not coincidentally, followed a season in the sun! Birth rates are also the highest in spring - which means conception occured in the fall, again, after a summer in the sun!

For a whole lot more fast and easy ways to increase your fertility - including a vitamin, herb and nutrient program successfully tested on thousands of couples - pick up a copy of Green Fertility: Nature's Secrets for Making Babies. Or visit GreenFertility.com - your source for a natural pregnancy and a healthy baby!

Copyright by ElleMedia Network 2010 - All Rights Reserved. In addition to US Copyright, the text of this FERTILITY BLOG is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License. All Formatting and style elements of this page are not available under this license and Colette Bouchez retains all rights in those elements. The creators and producers of this blog may or may not financially benefit from products or services which appear on this blog.

The Natural Infertility Cure

noreply@blogger.com (Colette Bouchez) — Sun, 14 Nov 2010 01:57:00 +0000

Check out our brand new video for

GREEN FERTILITY!

Don't know what Green Fertility is ? Watch the video and discover

the brand new, all natural way to enhance your fertility

& get pregnant faster -

whether you're trying to conceive naturally

or you're looking for ways to boost the

success of your IVF, ISCI or Insemination procedure!

You can also learn more about Green Fertility

and discover the exciting new book

that can change your life at:

http://www.greenfertility.com/

Copyright by Colette Bouchez 2009 - All Rights Reserved. In addition to US Copyright, the text of this FERTILITY BLOG is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License. All Formatting and style elements of this page are not available under this license and Colette Bouchez retains all rights in those elements.

TTC? Win a FREE COPY of Green Fertility and Get Pregnant Fast!

noreply@blogger.com (GettingPregnantNow.Org) — Sat, 30 Oct 2010 21:46:00 +0000

Green Fertility.com in conjunction with SheKnows.com is proud to announce a fabulous new contest where you can win a FREEE copy of the brand new book Green Fertility: Nature's Secrets For Making Babies by Niels Lauersen, MD and Colette Bouchez!

This 500 plus page book ( an $18.00 value) is jam packed with the latest information you will need to get pregnant naturally - or to naturally enhance the success of any medical reproductive technology including IVF and ICSI!

Based on scientific studies and used by thousands of couples to get conceive quickly and easily,this natural baby making program can help you get pregnant - even if you've been diagnosed with unexplained infertility!

To enter the contest and win your FREE COPY of Green Fertility: Nature's Secrets For Making Babies, click here!

Copyright by ElleMediaNetwork.com 2010 - All Rights Reserved.In addition to US Copyright, the text of this FERTILITY BLOG is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License. All Formatting and style elements of this page are not available under this license and ElleMedia retains all rights in those elements.

Green Fertility: A Breath of Fresh Air For Couples TTC!

noreply@blogger.com (GettingPregnantNow.Org) — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 08:20:00 +0000

Brand new book helps couples overcome infertility - naturally!

By Victoria Winston

If you're trying to get pregnant, if you're looking for new ways to overcome unexplained infertility, if you just want to have the healthiest baby possible, then look no further: All your answers can be found in Green Fertility: Nature's Secrets for Making Babies - the brand new book by best selling pregnancy and fertility authors Niels H. Lauersen, M.D., Ph.D and Colette Bouchez!

Based on a proven treatment plan already used by thousands of couples at a prestigious New York City fertility center, this breakthrough plan offers couples scientifically proven natural methods of maximizing their fertility and teaches them step-by-step how to get pregnant fast and have a healthy baby!

In this revolutionary approach to getting pregnant the authors combined the power of ancient holistic wisdom with the most important, scientifically proven studies on natural treatments, to give couples fast, easy, natural ways to overcome common fertility problems and get pregnant fast!

Separating fact from fiction about the foods, vitamins, minerals, herbs, supplements,fitness activities, environmental concerns, & lifestyle factors that can affect conception, Green Fertility features the very latest information proven in medical studies to make a difference, along with the natural fertility plan already successfully used by thousands of patients to get pregnant quickly, easily and naturally - even after assisted reproductive technologies failed them!

Just some of what I discovered in Green Fertility:

* How to prepare your body for a fast, natural conception
* How to ensure the health of your baby
* 10 Proven Ways To Maximize Fertility & Get Pregnant Faster
* The New PreCoception Exam: Tests You MUST Have
* 7 Super Nutrients To Boost Male & Female Fertility
* 6 Super Fertility Foods To Eat Right Now
* Bread, Chocolate & Getting Pregnant: What You Must Know!
* 5 Minute Fertility Boosters You Can Do Every Day
* How Stress Affects Conception - & How To Bullet-Proof Your
Fertility From Harm
* 6 All Natural Ways To Predict Your Most Fertile Time
* 4 New Ways To Encourage Ovulation – Even If You Have No Cycle
* The Truth About Fertility Drugs - & The Natural Treatments That
Work Better!
* 5 Lifestyle Factors That Block Fertility – And How To Beat Them
* How To Read Your Own Body Signs to Predict Ovulation
* The Common Household Chemicals That Can Disrupt Ovulation.
* The One Lifestyle Habit That Destroys Fertility

And trust me when I tell you this doesn't even begin to scratch the surface of what you'll find in this 500 plus page book! In fact, if you have PCOS or endometriosis, this is about the only fertility book I've seen that devotes entire chapters to both these problems - including the natural treatments that work best, and which ones to avoid.

If you're searching for a way to boost your fertility, if you're trying to get pregnant and it's just not happening, if you're looking for fast, easy solutions that don't take a lot of time or cost a lot of money, then Green Fertility: Nature's Secrets for Making Babies is the book for you!

To learn more about this fascinating new book and find lots of free tips and advice visit
www.GreenFertility.com.

Copyright ElleMediaNetwork 2010 - All Rights Reserved.In addition to US Copyright, the text of this FERTILITY BLOG is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License. All Formatting and style elements of this page are not available under this license and Elle Media retains all rights in those elements.

A Baby At Last! Common Sense Wisdom for Getting Pregnant !

noreply@blogger.com (GettingPregnantNow.Org) — Tue, 15 Jun 2010 19:39:00 +0000

A Baby At Last for singer Celine Dion, after a reported six IVF failures at a New York fertility center. But experts say the secret to fertility success is to stay focused, recognize your feelings, and make sure you communicate those feelings to your partner and your doctor! Here's how to do it all!

" A BABY AT LAST! " These are the words that warm our hearts - even when they come from couples we don't even know. Why? Because everyone knows that having a baby is one of life's greatest joys - and when you've gone through a long struggle just to get pregnant, the joy of being able to say " A baby at last" is something you will never forget!

At the same time, the weeks, months and sometimes years leading up to that moment can strain a couple to the brink - not only financially, but emotionally. And for some it is a time when they turn away from each other, instead of towards each other. Why does it happen?

According to relationship experts Poula and Hans Jorn Filges, one reason is that couples undergoing fertility treatments simply don't talk enough to each other or relay how they really feel.

"It's important that couples talk to each other, not at each other - that they share their frustrations instead of taking their frustrations out on each other. This is true of any situation, but it is especially true when something as fragile as your fertility is involved," says Poula Filges, who, with her husband Hans Jorn Filges co-authored the Danish best selling book " Let's Talk."

Being able to speak the words " A Baby at Last" is wonderful, says Poula Filges, but, she says, "it's also important to speak a lot of other words so that you can finally get to that point - it's all about communication, and it makes a huge difference in how you will get through this experience," she says.

According to New York fertility expert Dr. Niels Lauersen, talking is an extremely important part of not only partner communication, but also doctor-patient relations - and it can even influence the success of your treatments.

"Too many times couples feel intimidated to share their emotional feelings about their infertility, not only with each other, but even with their fertility doctor ; they try to put up a brave front and pretend they are coping fine, when in fact, they are not ," says Lauersen, co author with Colette Bouchez of the international best selling infertility book " Getting Pregnant: What You Need To Know Now" ( Simon & Schuster/Fireside Books, NY).
What they almost never realize, he says, is that the stress and the anxiety that builds up when you don't share how you are feeling , can actually have an impact on the success of whatever fertility treatments you are trying.

"If you are stressed , if your relationship with your partner is under stress, your body thinks 'Hmm this is not a good time for her to get pregnant' - and it can actually work to keep you from conceiving," says Lauersen. If all you think about are when you are going to be able to speak the words " A baby at last" , the stress can really get out of hand, he says.

At the same time, sharing your feelings and your fears with your doctor can not only help you to better cope, it can help him or her to tailor your treatments to be even more successful.

"When a couple opens up and tells their doctor how they are feeling, the doctor can sometimes make important adjustments in medication or even prescribe nutritional or other natural ways to help them combat the stress so that their fertility treatments can actually work better," says Lauersen, the medical director of GettingPregnantNow.org .

Poula Filges agrees: " A couple must talk to each other, but they must also share how they are feeling with their doctor - and doctors must also become more adept at listening and helping their patients to talk to them, to make themselves more accessible and let the patient know they are interested in what they think and feel emotionally."

A Baby At Last: It Can Happen For You!

Today, getting pregnant is easier and more likely to happen than ever before. The technologies that have come forward in just the last decade alone are astounding in the number of problems they can solve.

Still, experts say that for some the most difficult part of getting pregnant is grappling with the frustration, the anxiety and the fear of never being able to say the words "A Baby At Last" . And if that's how you feel, experts say talking can do wonders !

"If you find you cannot talk to your doctor, talk to a trusted friend, your mother, your sister - and especially talk to your partner and encourage him to talk to you as well. When you do everything in life - including getting pregnant - becomes a lot easier," says Lauersen.

For more common sense wisdom and expert advice on getting pregnant, pick up a copy of Getting Pregnant: What Couples Need To Know Now, and visit GettingPregnantNow.org - the trusted fertility sources for over 20 years!

Copyright 2010 - All Rights Reserved.In addition to US Copyright, the text of this FERTILITY BLOG is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License. All Formatting and style elements of this page are not available under this license and the owners retain all rights in those elements.

Antibacterial Soap & Your Fertility:What You MUST Know!

noreply@blogger.com (GettingPregnantNow.Org) — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 02:21:00 +0000

It was recently announced that the FDA and the EPA will be taking a closer look at health dangers - including infertility - linked to chemicals found in hand sanitizers, anti bacterial soaps and more! Getting Pregnant looks at the latest findings -plus a cache of powerful all natural antibacterial products that protect without fear!

By Colette Bouchez

If you're like most folks you’ve probably got at least one bottle of hand sanitizer in your handbag - and maybe a bathroom or kitchen sink filled with antibacterial soaps and detergents. Indeed, between the proliferation of new germs that seem to be swarming our earth, and the tainted foods that keep landing on our grocery store shelves it’s hard not to give in to the proliferation of new ways to stay germ free.

But if you’re a couple trying to conceive you need to pay special attention to some new concerns about one of the most common anti-bacterial ingredients around. It’s called triclosan - and it recently became the focus of a new FDA and Environmental Protection Agency ( EPA) review for safety concerns.

What kind of concerns?

According to the Environmental Working Group’s database of hazardous chemicals, studies on triclosan found links to cancer, allergies, immuno- toxicities, irritation of the skin, eyes and lungs.

But what’s most important for those of you trying to get pregnant is that triclosan is also connected to a host of developmental and reproductive toxicity issues - mainly because it is believed to be a "hormone disruptor” . These are chemicals that, once absorbed by the body begin to act much like a real hormone - including binding to hormone receptors in our body. This in turn "tricks" our system into believing the real hormone is present, and in doing so initiate a number of “false signals” that in turn cause other hormonal and chemical activities to occur.

* In one study recently conducted by researchers at the University of California at Davis, triclosan - and it’s chemical cousin triclocarban - were found to disrupt reproductive hormone activity and interfere with a type of cell signaling that occurs in the brain and other cells.

* In another study published in the journal Endocrinology, Dr. Bill Lasley a professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology concluded that unlike other classic endocrine disruptors which bind to cell receptors, triclocarban actually impacts that way our natural sex hormones act. This in turn appears to depress the natural production of both estrogen and androgen ( the male sex hormone) and in the process disrupt our fertility in myriad ways.

Indeed, when a hormone disruptor messes with your reproductive hormones, it can throw your entire reproductive biochemistry into a tailspin.

* Women can experience changes in the menstrual cycle and
ovulation that are dramatic enough to delay or even prevent
conception.

* Some exposures are strong enough to cause infertility or even
miscarriage - sometimes occurring at such an early stage you
might not even know you are pregnant.

* When men are exposed, sperm count may be affected , along
with sperm motility and maturity.

In fact, researching just a little deeper we find that triclosan is actually a pesticide closely related to dioxin - a known chemical health threat, endocrine disruptor, and carcinogen. According to the FDA, triclosan “could be” and is “suspected to be “ contaminated with dioxins - a chemical known to have devastating effects on fertility.

Buyer Beware: Is Triclosan Hiding In Your Home?

While the majority of the triclosan you see is found in products like hand sanitizers and antibacterial soaps, you may be surprised to discover how many products actually contain these chemicals - and don’t include it on the label.

You can, in fact, find triclosan in not only many cosmetics, but also in soaps, dishwashing detergents, toothpastes, shampoos, skin creams and moisturizers, shaving gels, kids toys, workout clothes, and socks, to name a few! ( See full product list here) . And because of this, it’s also found its way into our environment.

According to Rep. Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), who has been pushing federal regulators to take stronger action to restrict the use of triclosan and other chemicals, “ It’s in our drinking water, it's in our rivers and as a result, it's in our bodies. . . . I don't think a lot of additional data has to be collected in order to make the simple decisions about children's toys and soaps that people use. It clearly is something that creates a danger,” he recently told The Washington Post.

Indeed, the exposure to triclosan is now so great that the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention report that residues are showing up in the urine of 75% of Americans.

That said, Brian Sansoni of the Soap and Detergent Association,which represents the 30 billion US cleaning products industry recently said in an interview that concerns about triclosan are unfounded.

In a quote to the Washington Post he added " These products and ingredients have been reviewed, regulated and researched for decades," and he added that " science strongly supports the safety and efficacy of these products." He also said that the time was not only right for these products, but that they were necessary to protect us in a time of increased threats from disease.

Kinder, Gentler, Anti Bacterial Protection: It's Here Now!

Currently, The European Union classifies triclosan as dangerous to the environment while both the Canadian and Japanese governments have banned its use in cosmetics. In the United States, both the FDA and the EPA have agreed to take a second, much harder look at triclosan, including whether or not it could be causing reproductive harm.

But as anyone who has ever waited for a government report can tell you, answers are not likely to affect what’s on supermarket shelves any time soon.

So what’s a couple trying to conceive to do in the meantime ?

First, remember that studies also show that vigorous hand washing for 20 seconds or more with regular old soap and hot water will go a long way in wiping out most germs destined to do us in.

But if you’re looking for an extra edge of protection,
there are kinder, safer natural antibacterial products
available! Among the best choices are products
manufactured by Cleanwell - an entire company
that is devote to killing germs on contact,
with no harmful chemicals!

To that Cleanwell products rely on a combination of the natural herbal antibacterial known as thyme, in conjunction with a series of essential oils to to provide the same (or better) protection as triclosan, without the inherent dangers.

Moreover, these same oils have been shown in independentclaboratory studies to kill the “ bad” bacteria ( including MRSA, salmonella and E-coli) without destroying the “good” bacteria on skin that is designed to keep us healthy.

According to Dr. Larry Weiss, the medical director of CleanWell, “ The good bacteria on our hands and skin helps us stay healthy by protecting against bad germs we’re exposed to through contact; that’s why it’s important to choose soaps and hand sanitizers that help your body maintain a healthy balance of bacteria.”

But Cleanwell is not alone on the store shelves. Companies such as DEFENSE manufacture an all natural antibacterial soap that uses a combination of tea tree oil and oil of Eucalyptus to fight bacteria associated with MRSA, ringworm, staph, impetigo, herpes, jock itch and athletes foot.

California Baby offers a natural antibacterial wash for both children and adults that relies on lemon, tea tree oil and ravensara for natural antibacterial properties along with a recommendation to “vigorously “ wash your hands for 20 seconds or more for the best protection.

And that's just the beginning of what you will find . Indeed, if take some time to visit stores featuring natural or organic products you’ll find a nice selection of natural products that can help protect you from germs without compromising your fertility. Most companies also make their products available online so a little Googling can’t hurt either!

While it’s clear we can’t completely avoid triclosan and other chemicals that can impact our fertility, the more we can reduce our exposures through better product choices, the less likely we are to experience problems.

For more information on how to find the hidden triclosan in your personal care and home products click here. For the latest advice and information on getting pregnant fast be sure to visit GettingPregnantNow.org - The Trusted Fertility Source For Over 20 Years!

Copyright by ElleMedia 201o- All Rights Reserved.In addition to US Copyright, the text of this FERTILITY BLOG is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License. All Formatting and style elements of this page are not available under this license and Colette Bouchez retains all rights in those elements.

"Not Yet Ready For Prime Time" Sperm

noreply@blogger.com (Colette Bouchez) — Tue, 27 Apr 2010 20:07:00 +0000

Research sheds new light on why some men have fertility problems - and what can be done to turn things around!

By Colette Bouchez

While a great deal of the difficulty in getting pregnant is frequently focused on women, it’s important to remember that up to 50% of all fertility problems are male related.

Now, two new studies offer important pieces in the male fertility puzzle, helping to sort out the reason why some couples may be having problems conceiving. Moreover, both new studies point to a defect in a protein involved in helping sperm to mature and grow as the key culprit.

“Our study shows for the first time to our knowledge that [this protein]…. is associated with a strong impact on fertility outcome,” says lead study author Dr. Jessica Escoffier of the Grenoble Institute of Neuroscience, one of two locations where the independent research was conducted.

Indeed, one of the major causes of male infertility is related to sperm which fail to fully develop. When this occurs, two possible problems result. The first is a decrease in sperm motility – meaning that the “little guys” either can’t swim quickly enough to reach the egg in time, or that they lose their direction when they try to swim.

But even if his sperm does successfully reach it’s destination, without proper maturation, entry into the shell of the egg is not possible - and that means fertilization will not take place.

While there have been many theories as to what can keep both these problems from occurring, today two new studies have independently shown that a defect in proteins crucial for sperm development may be at the root of the problem.

In the one study, conducted at The Toyko Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, a group of Japanese researchers zeroed in on a protein which is expressed in the area of the testes where sperm is made . Test subjects who were lacking in this protein ejaculated sperm that were considered “immature” – or not yet ready to fertilize an egg. Both motility and the ability to penetrate the egg appeared to be impacted.

In the study, conducted at the Grenoble Institute of Neurosicence in France, Escoffier and her colleagues found that this same protein played an essential role in the health of the “acrosome” - a portion of the head of each sperm that produces enzymes which help break down an egg’s shell , allowing entry and subsequently, fertilization to occur. In subjects who were lacking this protein, sperm were not able to fertilize an egg in the test tube – the process known as IVF.

Although the research was done in mice and not humans, researchers say they are confidant that the results are applicable and may represent a whole new target for both male fertility medications which target and excite this protein, as well as male contraceptives which help dampen the activity of the protein.

Both studies were published today in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.

In the meantime, remember that many advances in the treatment of male fertility can help nearly all men to father a child. In the procedure known as ICSI, for example, individual sperm are extracted from a man's testicles and placed directly into the egg, thereby reducing a great many of the obstacles to conception.

Also remember that many men can dramatically improve the health of their sperm via simple changes in diet and lifestyle. Good nutrition, along with avoiding certain foods, can be the deciding factor that helps some men go from infertile to fertile without any medical treatments.
To learn more about the foods that can help male fertility click here.

Or visit www.GettingPregnantNow.org to learn more about the latest natural and medical treatments for helping you get pregnant fast!

Copyright by ElleMedia/ Colette Bouchez 2010 - All Rights Reserved.In addition to US Copyright, the text of this FERTILITY BLOG is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License. All Formatting and style elements of this page are not available under this license and Colette Bouchez retains all rights in those elements.

Birthing A Mother: New Book Sheds Light On Surrogacy

noreply@blogger.com (GettingPregnantNow.Org) — Thu, 01 Apr 2010 19:00:00 +0000

Are you infertile? Are you having problems getting pregnant? Find out if the surrogacy option is right for you?
(Pictured: Sarah Jessica Parker & Matthew Broderick, son, and new twins delivered by a surrogate.)

By Dr. Niels H. Lauersen

Medical Director, GettingPregnantNow.org

Are you having problems getting pregnant? Have you been told that you cannot carry a baby to term? Have you thought about the possibility of another woman carrying your child.

If so, you’re among a growing number of women who may benefit from the power of surrogacy, the fertility treatment that allows one woman to carry the baby for another. And for many it can be a life-changing experience.

Indeed, most recently the concept of surrogacy made worldwide headlines when actress Sarah Jessica Parker and husband actor Matthew Broderick conceived twins using a surrogate mother (pictured above).

And, in fact, for those women who, for any variety of reasons cannot or chose not to carry a baby in their own womb, it offers the chance for genetic parenting that otherwise might not be possible. For the surrogate it can be an opportunity to give life – and more importantly give a child – to a woman or man who might otherwise never know the experience of genetic parenthood.

And now, a brand new book explores that very relationship with groundbreaking new research on the surrogacy experience. Titled Birthing a Mother: The Surrogate Body and the Pregnant Self the book is based on a study conducted by cultural anthropologist Elly Teman, a Research Fellow at the Penn Center for the Integration of Genetic Healthcare Technologies at the University of Pennsylvania. Offering up a unique perspective on the surrogacy experience, it is a book that I believe is likely to help every woman considering this option to know and understand the emotional and even the physical process, better.

What Does Surrogacy Involve?

There are many different types of surrogate pregnancies – some which involve the use of the intended mother’s eggs and some with donor eggs or the eggs of the surrogate. Sperm can come from the baby’s intended father or from a donor. Surrogates can become pregnancy using traditional fertility treatments such as IVF, or via artificial insemination.

In terms of choosing a surrogate, it can be someone the couple knows – such as the intended mother’s sister, cousin, or even her own mother. Other times it’s may be a complete stranger – someone they meet through their doctor or through one of a growing number of surrogate agencies.

But irregardless of how the two women meet, the relationship between birth mother and intended mother is a complex one, filled with emotions on every level.

And in fact, the new book Birthing a Mother probes the intimate experience of being a surrogate while also exploring how surrogates – and their intended mothers – walk a fine line of emotional negotiation that can be difficult, and yet rewarding, for both.

The book also dispels many common myths about the surrogacy experience, including the one I have heard most often from my patients – the fear that the surrogate will not relinquish the baby when the time comes. While certainly this has been known to happen, by and large, surrogates are well adjusted women who enter into the experience with the mindset that they doing this for someone else’s benefit – and rarely is it a problem when birthing day arrives.

In fact, I have seen some of the most incredible, lasting bonds develop between birth mother and biological mother – which is something Teman’s study also found.

Her research, which looked at Jewish Israeli women, traced the process by which surrogates psychologically and emotionally disengage from the fetus they carry. In that work she too found that most of these women develop a profound and often lasting emotional bond with each one – and one that in the end, I believe can be beneficial to both women as well as to the child.

Early reviews of Birthing a Mother touch on Dr. Teman’s skill as a writer and on the groundbreaking nature of her work , while the book itself offers a glimpse of a world that most will never see or experience.

If You Are Considering Surrogacy

If you are considering surrogacy to make your own dreams of motherhood come true, I urge you to read this book; if you are woman who has considered being a surrogate, this book will guide you to make the right choice. If you are a woman grappling with infertility – particularly if you are over age 40 – then this book can open your eyes to another option you may have never considered.

Do be aware, however, that surrogacy is not sanctioned in every state. In some states in the US surrogacy is outlawed, in other states it is allowed only among women who are blood relatives. For more information and a state-by-state law guide visit: AllAboutSurrogacy.com

To learn more about the surrogacy experience, including costs and medical information, visiting GettingPregnantNow.org

Copyright by ElleMedia2010 - All Rights Reserved. In addition to US Copyright, the text of this FERTILITY BLOG is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License. All Formatting and style elements of this page are not available under this license and Colette Bouchez retains all rights in those elements.
Disclosure:Purchasing a book directly from this site may benefit the owners of this blog.

Getting Pregnant: Too Much Sex ...Or Not Enough?

noreply@blogger.com (GettingPregnantNow.Org) — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 03:45:00 +0000

A new study challenges conventional wisdom on male fertility and how often to make love to get pregnant fast. Here's what you need to know.

By Niels H. Lauersen, MD, PhD.

Can making love too often help – or hurt – your chances of getting pregnant? That’s the question addressed by a brand new study on male fertility presented just last week at the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology meeting this week in Amsterdam.

It was here that Australian fertility expert Dr. David Greening presented some compelling evidence showing that the more often a couple has sex within a given 7 day period, the healthier a man’s sperm is likely to be.

And while it seems to make common sense that the more times you make love, the greater your chances of “hitting the bulls eye” , it’s important to note that this new research goes against conventional fertility wisdom when it comes to male fertility, the frequency of intercourse and pregnancy success.

Indeed, for many years research seemed to indicate that more times a man ejaculated sperm, the fewer sperm he would have with each ejaculation . As such it seemed clear that the more times a couple made love – particularly just prior to a woman’s fertile time – the fewer sperm would be available for conception. And that would naturally reduce the rate of getting pregnant.

As such, I, and many fertility experts, routinely cautioned couples to refrain from making love in the days just prior to a woman’s most fertile time (5 days prior to ovulation and the day of ovulation) and then, to make love every other day during this fertile time. This, we believed, would not only help ensure the heartiest supply of sperm in each ejaculation – which in turn would increase the chance for pregnancy – but also give a man’s reproductive system adequate time to rebuild a strong sperm count for each subsequent ejaculation. All of which is excellent for male fertility. Now, however, Dr. Greening's study appears to show the opposite may be true. In his research on 118 couples , he found that the healthiest sperm may come only after days of regular ejaculation.

Does Too Much Sex Harm Male Fertility?

Indeed, according to Dr. Greening's research, the percentage of sperm containing damaged DNA dropped from 34% after the first ejaculation, to just 26% by the time the man reached day seven of daily ejaculations. Since sperm containing damaged DNA are not only less likely to fertilize an egg, but are also more likely to increase the risk of miscarriage, it seemed obvious that the lower percentage of defective sperm ( on day 7) should yield a better opportunity for a healthy pregnancy.
But why should this be the case? Well, Dr. Greening says he doesn’t know what is behind the surprising finding, but he hypothesizes that the sperm benefits may be derived from reduced exposure to potentially damaging forces within the testicular ducts – the place where sperm sits while waiting to be ejaculated. Indeed, the more ejaculations that take place, the less time sperm will spend sitting in that testicular “fertility waiting room” – and that, in turn, may reduce the rate of potential damage.

And, in fact, most fertility specialists, including myself, have always recommended that when you are trying to get pregnant you should wait no more than 48 hours between ejaculations during the fertile time, specifically to avoid “old” sperm, that does have an increased risk of becoming damaged.
That said, if Dr. Greening's findings can be duplicated in additional studies, it is my guess that the advice to have sex every day may only apply to men who have less than optimal sperm, and not to the vast majority of men with healthy sperm containing good DNA.

Indeed, for men with healthy sperm, and healthy testicular ducts, I continue to believe in the conventional wisdom which dictates sex is more “fruitful” in terms of pregnancy, when it occurs every other day and not every day during a woman’s most fertile time.
Too Much Sex To Get Pregnant – Or Too Little? How To Tell What’s Right For You!
So, how do you know which method or timing is right for you? Well one important way to tell is to have your partner speak to his doctor about a simple semen analysis. This painless, non-invasive test will check your partner’s sperm count and help determine if there is any risk of DNA defect.

Indeed, in much the same way that I have always advised my female patients to have a base line fertility exam before trying to get pregnant, I also advised that their partners have a baseline sperm analysis as well. So this is a good idea in any case.

If everything does check out okay – and his sperm appears healthy and strong - then I suggest you time your love making to occur every other day during your most fertile time. I believe this will be the fastest route to getting pregnant.

If, on the other hand, there are some DNA sperm irregularities, it may be better to make love every day and to begin doing so two to three days before your most fertile time, and to continue every day through your ovulation.

In any event, every man can boost his sperm count and enhance his fertility by eating a healthy diet including lots of fish, tomatoes, onions and garlic – all good for male fertility – and taking a multi vitamin containing zinc and selenium - all of which I have written about in my new book The New Fertility Diet Guide.

For more information on getting pregnant visit GettingPregnantNow.org – the home site for the international best selling fertility guide “Getting Pregnant: What You Need To Know Now.

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