Boosting Your Fertility

Fertility is the basis of getting pregnant. If you and your partner’s fertility level are not enough, then pregnancy is like finding a needle in a hay sack. Pregnancy is a really difficult to achieve. Nevertheless, maybe if both you and your partner will boost your fertility, then you can increase your chance of having that baby.

The best way to boost your fertility is keeping your body healthy. This however, involves both your physical state and mental state. Getting your body’s overall health into its maximum actually will not only boost your fertility. It will also prepare yourself once you get pregnant.

The very main thing with regards to fertility and overall health is your diet. The food you eat and consume will be the source of nutrients which your body needs. When proper nourishment is supplied to all of the body’s systems, then it could function to its fullest potential. This includes your respiratory system. When it’s properly nourished, quality eggs will be produced. In males, healthy sperms with very good tails and motility will be produced. Aside from this, there are a lot of fertility bursting foods which you can eat like whole grains and fish.

Exercise will also be beneficial in boosting fertility. Exercise gets you in the ideal weight to have a pregnancy. Little as you know, fat levels play a factor with regards to your fertility. When fat levels surround your body’s organs, it creates more pressure for these organs to function. In addition, certain studies link fat and weight which affects pregnancy. In women with high levels of fat or increased weight, it is more difficult to get pregnant as compared to those women with ideal weights. Besides this, high fat levels decrease your tolerance and energy levels. If you don’t have enough stamina and energy, you cannot have sex more often. Exercise will help you boost your fertility by getting your body into the ideal weight.

Another very important thing to do to boost your fertility is eliminating stress in the body. Studies have shown that women who are stressed out have more difficulty in getting pregnant. In addition to this, stress affects your sex life with your partner. You have very little appetite for sex when you are stressed out. Stress relieving activities such as yoga and acupuncture are just some activities that lower or relieve you from stress.

In addition to these measures, also be cautious of radiations. Radiations are linked to infertility and can damage your reproductive organs. If you work in an area which has radiation exposure, be cautious and always do the necessary protection to protect yourself from the harmful effects of radiation with regards to your plan of conception and especially if you are already pregnant.

Acupuncture and Infertility

Acupuncture originated in the East and has been around for an extremely long time.  It is the technique of inserting and manipulating fine needles into specific points on the body to relieve pain and to help a number of medical conditions.  Acupuncture typically regulates the blood pressure by stimulating the central nervous system.  It releases endorphins which inhibits pain and gives the body the feeling of wellness and also releases neurotransmitters and neurohormones, which help the body to heal itself.

Acupuncture can be used in combination with infertility treatments in order to treat issues like hormonal imbalances.  Since it helps regulate the body’s system, blood flow is increased to the vital organs and hormone levels are effectively regulated.  It also improves ovarian and follicular function.  It can increase blood flow to the endometrium, helping to facilitate a thick, rich lining.  Plus, acupuncture may improve the success rate of in vitro fertilization (IVF).

An increasing number of fertility specialists and centers offer it as a part of their IVF treatments.  With acupuncture, the embryo transfer process in IVF was shown to have significant improvements resulting more often in a pregnancy. Acupuncture can also be used to treat fertility problems like spasmed tubes.  Although blocked tubes will not respond to acupuncture, spasmed tubes are often de-spasmed with acupuncture.

Acupuncture is often combined with herbs to treat elevated follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), repeated pregnancy loss, unexplained (idiopathic) infertility, luteal phase defect, hyperprolactinemia (when not caused by a prolactinoma), polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) with irregular cycles, and male factor including men affected with sperm-DNA-fragmentation.

Like physical therapy, acupuncture is a process that helps the body to heal itself over time.  It is better to do more than less.  Women can be treated for three to four months before an insemination, in vitro fertilization (IVF), or donor-egg transfer.  Women are also encouraged to receive acupuncture treatments pre and post embryo transfer.  Continuing with acupuncture for this amount of time before a fertility treatment seems to also have a therapeutic effect.

Going through fertility treatments can be extremely stressful for the couple and for the woman in particular.  Acupuncture is a great way to reduce stress, anxiety and depression.  With so many ways that acupuncture has a positive effect on infertility treatments, it makes sense for a couple who is struggling with infertility to try every option that is out there.

There are very few risks when using acupuncture with infertility treatments. The biggest risk is that a miscarriage may develop if incorrect acupuncture points are used when a woman is pregnant.  That is why using an acupuncturist who specializes in treating fertility disorders is extremely important for those who wish to include acupuncture in their treatment regimen.  Also electro-acupuncture is a good alternative to conventional medical painkillers during labor.  It can also result in shorter hospitalization times which mean lower costs.

Plus, research suggests that the most effective fertility treatments involve a combination of acupuncture, herbal medicine, and traditional medical interventions.  Although, acupuncture and herbal medicines have not been known to help with conception on their own when traditional medical interventions are not used.

Herbal Remedies for Fertility

If you and your partner are have difficulty conceiving, you will be looking and may be considering possible fertility treatments.  There are a lot of fertility treatments which includes in vitro fertilization and artificial inseminations but these treatments are highly expensive.  Aside from the cost, these treatments are also associated with physical as well as emotional side effects.  For this reason, many are turning to alternative medicine such as herbal remedies.  Herbal remedies can work for both male and female infertility and help increase your chances for conception considerably.

Herbal remedies include the use of plants and plant extracts.  Herbal remedies are obtained from a wide variety of natural resources including plant leaves, bark, berries, flowers, and roots. They have long been used to address problems with fertility.  Herbal remedies work by increasing sex drive as well as having a positive effect on the reproductive organs as well as your hormones.  Herbal remedies can address different problems related to reproduction such as hormonal imbalance, irregular menstruation, erectile dysfunction, and sperm motility problems.

There are a lot of herbal remedies taken for fertility issues.  For women to increase fertility levels, common herbs that can be taken include red clover, raspberry leaves, lady’s mantle, false unicorn root, and stinging nettle.  Red clover is one of the most popular fertility remedies. It is high in vitamins, calcium, and magnesium which helps in nourishing the uterus and relax the nervous system, enabling conception. Red clover can be consumed by making it a tea.  Taking it daily could help you with your fertility issues. Raspberry leaf is high in calcium and also works to restore hormonal balance.  It is excellent when taken alongside red clover.  The lady’s mantle is a herb that assists in building up the uterine lining.  It also helps in regulating menstruation.  The lady’s mantle can be drunk as a tincture once daily.  False unicorn root not only restores hormonal balance in women, but it also helps to stimulate the ovaries and encourage ovulation.  The stinging nettle on the other hand, contains high levels of chlorophyll and minerals.  It helps to regulate hormones and it also aids in ovulation and menstruation.

There are also a few herbal remedies that are designed to target male fertility issues. Popular remedies include astralagus and panax ginseng (Chinese ginseng or Korean ginseng) Astralagus is thought to improve conception rates by improving sperm motility as well as concentration while panax ginseng is a popular infertility remedy that is believed to increase firmness and length of an erection.  It is also believed to increase testosterone levels, sperm count, and sperm motility.

However, herbal remedies should also be taken with caution as it can cause a number of changes in the body especially when taken with other herbs, prescription medications as well as over-the-counter medications. Natural herbal remedies have been known to cause serious side effects including heart attacks, strokes, and seizures.  This is the reason why before starting to take these herbal remedies, you should consult your doctor.  Additionally, you should follow the instructions and report to the doctor any side effects immediately once you experienced them.

Getting Pregnant After Age 35

The trend today with regards to having a baby is when you are 30.  The rate of women trying to conceive during their 30’s going to 40’s is increasing.  Other people suggest that our “30’s is the new 20’s”.  The world we live in today is quite different than the world of our parents or grandparents and there are a number of reasons why getting pregnant at this age is happening more than before.  One reason is that, today, more and more women are focusing on careers or education than in previous generations.  Most couples will succeed in conceiving but other couples may face difficulty making them turn to fertility treatments.  The older you are, the higher your chances of encountering various fertility obstacles, challenges, and delays. In other words, our fertility declines as we age.

Couples with any age have only a 20% chance of achieving a pregnancy each menstrual cycle.  Active fertility charting and ovulation testing, however, will increase those odds substantially.  A woman who is trying to conceive in her 30’s have a chance of less than 15% to conceive.  The monthly odds of conceiving decrease as a woman age due to various physiological issues such as hormonal balance.  This means it is much harder to get a positive result that you are pregnant if you are in your 30’s.  To increase your odds in becoming pregnant, you should stay fit and stay healthy.  Predicting your ovulation is also important as well as charting fertility.  By knowing your ovulatory cycles, you will your days when to make love and increase your chances of conceiving.

As we age, the balance of hormones also decline and with this, our fertility also declines.  The balance between reproductive hormones is crucial for regular ovulation.  A woman’s egg and hormones do not flow with the same balance and stability when she is in her 30’s.  The quality of these eggs as well as the capacity to stimulate maturation also is affected.  Because of this, menstrual cycles are difficult to predict and sometimes, ovulation does not also take place.  The presence of cervical mucus also plays a vital role in fertility.  As we age, cervical mucus also declines.  This may be related to hormonal imbalances as well.  Tests such as follicle stimulating tests can be used at home to assess whether you have reproductive hormone imbalance as well as the condition of your ovaries in producing eggs.

To optimize your chance of being pregnant at the age of 35, the first thing you should do is to have a healthy mental well being.  To do this, calibrate your expectations and realize that you may or you may not get pregnant.  Note that even for someone that is in their 20’s, the chance of getting pregnant is only 20%.  Simply realize that you may not get pregnant in just one night.  Reducing stress or anxiety is the second step for boosting your pregnancy chances. The less you worry, the better your mind and body work together.

Along with healthy well-being, a healthy physical well-being is also important.  Maintaining the proper weight is crucial as being overweight or underweight can adversely affect hormonal balance and cycle regularity.  Eat a healthy diet as well as exercises like yoga can help you.  Taking prenatal vitamins also contribute to the success of you having a conception.

You should also chart your basal body temperatures.  Knowing when you are ovulating will give you a widened opportunity of getting pregnant.  If you know when you ovulate and can time intercourse for your most fertile days, your chances will increase.  However at age 35, guessing your ovulation period is not sufficient, that is why starting an ovulation calendar is important.  If you have some cycle irregularities, herbal fertility remedies such as red clover and raspberry leaves can help.

The best thing to do if your 35 years old or older is to arrange a preconception visit.  It is best that you discuss your medical history, health status, and medications that you are taking with your doctor.  You can clarify your doctor about conceiving tips as well as expectations and they will point you in the right direction.  Your doctor will likely see if you have any interfering fertility issues as well.

Signs of Infertility

Have you ever considered what the primary signs of infertility in a human being are? We should be aware of the indications of infertility and that too, as early as possible. Signs of infertility can become apparent in several ways, including instinctive and cultural factors, irregular behavior of individuals while having a sexual union, malnutrition, a depressed mental condition, endocrinology factors, and the current health condition of persons. The overall general lifestyle, emotional quotients, financial issues as well as time represent pointers to infertility as well. In this context, it is important to distinguish between infertility and impotency. The factors mentioned above can result in infertility in a man or a lady, in case any of the former stops working normally. Read the rest of this entry