I don’t have a preferred contraception. They’re all seriously nasty and come with a monster list of side effects, complications and troubles. The copper IUD is one many women turn to because it doesn’t contain ‘synthetic’ hormones. We visited the mirena a few weeks back – you may like to take a read of that here.
The copper IUD is a small intrauterine device that prevents pregnancy (see below image).
Stunning image by my good friend CJ photography
If you are vegan (or vegetarian the non variety type eater) your choice in diet may be standing between you and your more fertile self. If you are reading this and you are a non meat or animal product eater, and you don't have a menstrual cycle, you might like to consider why. That said, if you are a meat eater and you too have an absent menstrual cycle, you equally need to ask yourself the same question. "What exactly is my body telling me here?"
Here's a tip – theres a great chance your belly ring is causing your body more harm than you may realise. The conception vessel is the meridian than runs through the centre of your body – connecting you from top to bottom. From a TCM perspective, this is where all the communication occurs for the events involved in reproductive health including hormone regulation, ovulation, menstruation, implantation, and all your lady (and man) inner workings (think egg and semen quality, hormone interaction…. you get the drift right?) Now the belly ring poses two major issues from my perspective. Firstly, it creates a permanent obstruction in the acupuncture point CV (or REN) 8. This acupuncture point is never needled in a clinical situation. It is in fact 'forbidden' to do so in TCM practice. And secondly, as I've outlined, being on the conception vessel, it is one of the most important meridians influencing fertility.
If there is just one time our adult lives that we really feel the urge to leave old habits behind, it's when babies are on the to do list. Thing is, getting fertility fit can be stressful – and that can be one big fizzer on the fertility front too! It's a vicious merry go round. By now, you may have had the chance to read my e-book, where I talk about the specifics on the good habits you should be creating around your health. Truthfully, I prefer to focus on your fertility through wellness and health, not on the baby making act itself. Fertility isn't babies. Fertility is having a healthy reproductive system.
So can one bad habit make me infertile?
As sure as I love coconuts, one single bad habit will be enough to flick off the fertility switch.
image from blog.mybigeyekids.com
I see patients from all walks of the fertility journey. Some natural fertility, some assisted conception and some, that have truly been over the hill, to the moon, around the block and back again. One thing I know is this; the fertility journey can be tough. Really tough. That's why I write here – to share some of that load, to educate and help others make well informed decisions. I was connected with Candace and Chris from our mis-conception several weeks ago. They write a fabulous blog and share about their journey – a very rough, tough and heartbreaking one thus far. Take the time to look around their site – it may be exactly the support you are needing in your own journey – it's all about connecting. Connecting with people who are in the same boat – grabbing the orr's and rowing together.
I've wanted to touch on the physical and emotional strain of IVF for a long while – and whilst I see and share with hundreds of couples in this position, I myself have not personally experienced IVF. So I asked Candace and Chris to share with us, from their perspective, how IVF has affected their lives. I figure there is no better than those living it, to tell their story. My main motivation for it is this – to help couples understand IVF isn't necessarily the easy route (although for some, the only route, granted). In fact, it is far from simple and straightforward as you are about to see. It makes for a very straining, painful and disconnected time. I want you to remember, IVF isn't always a last resort either – I also see people who are told they will never have children, fall pregnant. But, by some tiny miracle, they do. Trust me, it happens.
More of your fertility questions answered.
"I am wondering at what point you recommend going the medical intervention route (if at all)? We have been trying for 3.5 years. The specialist ….. recommended trying natually as long as we wanted to, and then if we had no luck the next step would be clomid and IUI. Do you have any advise about when to take that next step? I am 33."
I'm not at all opposed to assisted conception – in fact approximately 40% of the couples I see in the clinic come to us for support surrounding reproductive medicine, from clomid to IVF. Sometimes, assisted conception is the best way moving forward. Sometimes, especially in instances of couples who have been trying for a long period of time, it is whatever gets you to parenthood the quickest because as time goes by, emotional health begins to fade. What we know is when we add acupuncture and herbal medicines to the mix, we see an increase in success by up to 70%. This is mostly because the body is well cared for from top to toe – not just focusing the reproductive organs. We know when the whole body is supported, we see great outcomes.
As for a time frame to head toward medical assistance – it will differ for all couples. In the clinic I apply a certain protocol. Once I'm satisfied both partners have a certain level of wellness and fertility, I allow six months, before we might begin to discuss further exploration. One thing I have learnt is that the longer a couple is trying, the more disheartened they generally become, which does no favours for their fertility – because fertility isn't only a state of physical wellness, it also involves the emotions.
I am also wondering if there is anything you can recommend in terms of Chinese medicine for someone on a limited budget? I talked to a wonderful local practitioner about acupuncture for fertility and he said he would want to see me a few times a week for at least several weeks at a cost of $100 per session. The time commitment would be very difficult to manage, and while I don't doubt it would be worth every penny the several thousand dollar investment simply isn't an option for me right now.
My best advice is to find a practitioner that can work within your parameters. Each practitioner's approach will differ, and this is because they do what they find works well in their practice. For me, I like to see patients on average, twice a month, as well as the use of prescribed supplements. I find this works really well for me and we achieve fantastic results using this protocol.
Get to the bottom of what is happening for you. Make sure you and your partner are in great shape, gear your lifestyle toward fertility (the new e-book out this week is your perfect go-to for this), have a semen analysis (I'm only ever too happy to look over one of these) and make sure your menstrual cycles are sound. Once you have ticked all these boxes, should things not be happening for you, it's time to look further and seek assistance.
In most instances, this is enough to provide a solid foundation for a happy and healthy pregnancy.
Plastic is everywhere, and as much as we try to avoid it, every corner we turn, there it is again. And as convenient as it is to pop last nights leftovers into a plastic container ready for tomorrow's lunch – it might be time to start considering your options because it's doing whacky things to our fertility. Of course, you knew I was going to say that, but hear this; it isn't limited to our fertility. Keep reading.
Bisphenol – A (BPA) is the culprit. It's a contaminant widely used to make plastics amongst other things (like dental products and canned goods), which is having wild remafications especially on women's fertility. A Yale study showed that it was affecting the key developmental genes that form the uterus, meaning that women who were exposed to BPA during pregnancy had a higher chance of producing offspring with defect reproductive organs and lowered fertility. When you nut it down, this is a result of oestrogen like properties present in BPA. Too much of anything is never a good thing – too much oestrogen can be a bad mix in the fertility stakes. Oestrogen is essential for ovulation and you could be forgiven for thinking that more of it sounds promising. However, high levels of oestrogen will push ovulation out, creating an infertile menstrual cycle. It is important that there are enough days pre and post ovulation for your hormones to do their job. If ovulation is pushed later into the cycle, there simply isn't enough time for progesterone to do it's thing. Men aren't exempt either. Too much estrogen will lead to poor sperm quality, including abnormalities and motility troubles.
But wait, there's more. High levels of this pretend oestrogen can cause problems with hearing and have been linked to degenerative disorders like Alzheimers.
Whatever way you look at it, it's time to switch or ditch. Here's how:
1. Many plastics are now being made BPA free. Choose wisely and avoid cheep plastics that will leech these chemicals into you food. Quality products will cost a little more but when you weigh up the long term effects, it is a very small investment. This also extends to babies bottles.
2. Avoid heating food in plastic containers of any kind. I'm skeptical. Just don't do it. Move the food to a plate or bowl before reheating.
3. Choose glass containers where possible. Better still – reuse glass jars and bottles. Check out what Lou from Table Tonic has been doing with hers here.
4. Many plastics (think take-away containers) are designed to be used once and ONLY once. Follow this rule.
5. Get yourself a stainless steel water bottle or BPA free plastic bottle and never, ever drink water out of a bottle that has been sitting in the sun.
These BPA's in some cases can be the sole cause of fertility troubles in both men and women. It's a simple change to make for greater gain.
Want the chance to get your hands on your own fertility friendly water bottles? I'm giving one lucky facebook follower, 3 Bobble bottles (500ml), valued at over $45. To be in the running, head to our Pagoda Tree facebook page and simply 'like' us!
Image from flickr - I searched for 'lost faith' and this came up. I like it.
I’m often slightly broken hearted when I hear a patient say she has lost faith in her body – because it is failing her. Often by the time she comes to see me this woman has good reason to believe she has been let down by her body. She has been to hell and back, and then around the block again, however much of the problem lies within this very belief, that her body is broken and isn’t working and never will work again. This belief is a bad seed, planted deep into her thoughts and into her body.
One thing I know for sure is how to get the body working. I can find what needs fixing and then I can get straight to work to fix it. In the fertility game, many practitioners are quick to blame the female and jump into forceful, quick fix treatments. Like in every area of life, I know that quick solutions aren’t often useful. They can leave the body even more depleted, more broken and only increase the belief the body is incapable, because band-aid solutions don’t solve the problem and never will.
Last week I was asked to comment on a story, the general gist was “can long term sadness lead to infertility?” My short and simple answer was “you betcha bottom dollar it can!” Here is how it happens – Over a period of time as emotional strain, and stress wear her down, the body recognises it’s unsuitability to reproduce. It switches off all the signals the brain is sending to the reproductive organs. This means that egg quality, ovulation, and endometrial lining all begin to be compromised because the body knows that right now, at this point in time, it’s not capable of supporting a pregnancy. Western medicine jumps straight onto getting ovulation happening again with medication – which in some instances can be very useful, but in women who are feeling emotional strain, increased hormones in the body will begin to have the opposite effect as the ovaries actually begin to become ‘sluggish.’ Ovulation enhancing treatments work by putting more fertility stimulating hormones into the body to make the reproductive organs work actually starts to backfire. These women who are having these signals ‘switched off’ are the worst candidate for this type of treatment (i.e. clomid) as their ovaries begin to tire and slow down. This is the total opposite effect of what the drugs aim to achieve. In addition the lining begins to thin, and the cervical mucus begins to dry up. It’s a fertility nightmare!
So what do we do? Quite simply – we get those ovaries working again! We increase uterine blood flow, treat the emotional state of the patient and equally important and often overlooked – we get to work on the male. I think many readers would be surprised to discover how often the root of fertility issues are actually not physical but emotional. The actual stress of trying to make a baby is affecting the woman and the actual problem lies within the males sperm. You might like to read about how to improve sperm quality here.
The best example I give patients to help them understand the importance of quality semen is by sharing how much of the tiny embryo comes from each of them – 50% from him, 50% from her. Now if the embryo is fertilised and this 50/50 counterpart comes together, it begins doing it’s thing of dividing and making cell upon cell which eventually becomes the baby. At the same time, the embryo is releasing pregnancy hormones, in which the woman’s body responds to BUT without this release of hormone from the embryo, the woman’s body has nothing to respond to. So it is vital that the quality of the embryo (remember 50/50) is paramount otherwise this release of hormone will be weak or insufficent. If the semen is of extremely poor quality, you might be in fact only getting 10% input from the male, meaning we see a 10/50 relationship. Like the division of household chores – if its not even – noone is happy! This is definitely not enough to encourage the female body to continue with implantation and also not enough work done on the embryos behalf of secreting hormone to tell the woman she is pregnant. The embryo itself is responsible for this initial release in pregnancy hormone, NOT the female. This is just one cause of recurrent miscarriage but a great example of why it is so important to consider both partners fertility.
So rather than getting set on the belief that your body is failing you – how’s this for an idea? Start recognising that it is talking to you. Your body is telling you that something isn’t working well. Use this message as a sign to set about fixing it. As frustrating as it is, your body is literally screaming at you that something needs to change. Quick fixes may work once for someone, one day. The rest of the time, it may take a little effort to get things back on track – but probably far less time than how long it’s taken to break. Look for long term solutions that work. Band-aids work well for wounds, not ovaries.
You might have seen yesterday the ‘breakthrough’ Adelaide fertility scientists have made in discovering exactly when your biological clock will stop ticking. It’s called ‘the egg timer test.’ Not to make fun of a serious topic but the name prompts me to ask the question; will I get a side serve of spinach with that? (of course leafy greens are essential for great health, high in Vitamin C and anti-oxidents and provide a serious fertility and reproductive boost!) Anyway, jokes aside and in case you missed it – check it out here:
Whilst this may be of use, especially to older women wishing to have children, it raises many questions for me as a natural fertility specialist.
The test is very limited in its findings since it only provides information of ovarian reserve – that is, how many potential eggs remain in the ovaries at that point in time and with this determine the age to which a woman will be fertile. But I know all too well – no two women are the same which means no two fertile women are the same.
There are so many factors in the fertility game – eggs just being one part of the puzzle and even then, if these eggs are of poor quality, that in itself must be addressed. The overall health of the woman (and her partner) is the number one, most important key to fertility. Unfortunately this test provides no insight to the quality of eggs, the reproductive organs (including the endometrium, uterus, fallopian tubes, cervix and ovaries), hormone health, the health of the male partner and overall health of the woman – ALL imperative when assessing the potential to reproduce.
My major concern is that this test will provide a false sense of security to women waiting to have children. The reporter indicates it may help women to know when the right time to have a baby is. I’m not quite sure how it may pinpoint this – the right time, again, is dependent on many factors. What it will show is when it will be too late. Anything before that expiry date relies on the condition of each individuals health.
I’ve said it time and time again – we can’t always stop the clock completely but we can indeed slow it right down, and in some instances we can turn it back. I’m sure you have seen television shows where you literally watch extremely unhealthy people turn back the clock and gain health – adding years onto their lives. We all have the ability to create positive lifestyle habits to increase fertility and preserve our youth. It isn’t necessarily an age thing – it’s a health thing. Same goes with fertility – it isn’t necessarily about age – it’s all about how the insides tick.
I want to encourage you to focus on preserving your health, fertility and youth rather than focusing on it running out. The results can only be good!
I’m interested to hear your thoughts on this hot topic. Would you find this test useful and why? I’m struggling to comprehend why Danielle James feels that (if you watch the video you can see the comments made in reference) this test is “as significant and (will have) a bigger impact on women’s empowerment and liberation since the contraceptive pill.” I feel if women are relying on a one facet test to provide insight into their reproductive health potential – they may be substantially missing key information, or on the flip-side be lead to believe they have missed the boat all together when really, under the right care they still have a great chance of conception.
