No Smoking!

We all know the dangers of smoking, but this new research shows an increased lkelihood of miscarriage from being exposed to second hand smoke...

Women who smoked were more than twice as likely as nonsmokers to miscarry, the researchers found. They also found that those whose cotinine levels indicated they were exposed to second hand-smoke were 67 percent more likely to miscarry than those who weren't exposed to second-hand smoke.

Second-hand smoke exposure boosts miscarriage risk | Health | Reuters.co.uk

technorati tags:miscarriage, fertility, pregnant

Designer Babies?

Some interesting news about choices offered at fertility clinics when screening embryos for implantation using IVF.  The technique (PGD) was developed to screen for potentially deadly diseases, but also can be used to screen for non-serious issues, such as the baby's gender.  Many worry that clinics that offer various screening options, will lead to increasing numbers of "designer babies".

Choosing Baby's Sex Becoming Popular - Washington Post

Choosing Baby's Sex Becoming Popular Washington Post, United States - 3 hours ago ... Almost half of US fertility clinics that offer embryo screening say they allow couples to choose the sex of their child, the most extensive survey of the ... VITAL EVIDENCE Increasingly, Couples Use Embryo Screening Washington Post all 58 news articles

technorati tags:pregnant, infertility, pgd

Do You Have The Time?

I'm not sure what to make of this new gadget. It tracks everything fertility related and keeps it stored in a handy timepiece! Any comments?

ww.slashgear.com/the-fertility-watch-191709.php

Fertility Overview

This article provides a nice overview of what factors affect your fertility...

Fertility Forecaster WHOI, IL - 2 hours ago ... polycystic ovary disease, excessive use of alcohol, use of certain drugs, damage to the fallopian tubes, uterine polyps, endometriosis, fibroids, adhesions or

technorati tags:pregnant, fertility

The Pain Of Miscarriage

Whether it happens to you or someone you know, learning how to deal with the pain of miscarriage can be a difficult experience.  This is a subject that doesn't get alot of attention, yet people really need to know how to offer support to those close to them who have suffered this type of loss.  Most importantly, recognizing that it is a loss, not something to just "get over."  One woman's story...

It's a very isolating, scary experience. You don't know how to be. You had your life planned, your baby's life planned."

Scotsman.com Living - People - Healing the pain of miscarriage

technorati tags:miscarriage, pregnant

Infertility Conference

It is continually reported that most women who are struggling with their attempts to get pregnant, do not get the emotional support that they need. This topic and others is to be covered in a conference geared to women facing infertility issues. One topic sure to be discussed is the role that stress plays in trying to conceive...

Studies of women struggling to have a baby show they're just as depressed as women dealing with cancer, AIDS or heart disease. Infertility is that severe a blow to their psyches. It affects virtually every aspect of their lives, from their relationships with their partners, friends and family to their financial stability.

Infertility conference offers women support - Nashville, Tennessee - Tuesday, 09/12/06 - Tennessean.com

technorati tags:infertility, pregnant

Male Factor

This article hightlights some of the problems in fertility that men are experiencing in Viet Nam. The information is useful because it raises the same issues that are found globally - many lifestyle factors (nutrition, environmental toxins, heat) are contributing to male infertility....

Some medical experts believe Vietnamese men's poor sperm counts are a result of the growing popularity of less healthy modern food, such as canned food, which inhibit the production of sperm. Doctors say it is one of the main reasons for the alarming decrease in sperm quality.

VietNamNet Bridge

technorati tags:pregnant, infertility, sperm

Won't Give Up!

What a fabulous story of hope and determination.  A woman who has a disorder which has caused multiple miscarriages, does not give up trying!

BEVERLEY FOSTER holds the most heartbreaking record in the world. She has miscarried THIRTY-SEVEN times in the past ten years.

The Sun Online - Health: Still trying after 37 miscarriages

technorati tags:pregnant, miscarriage

Fertility Gene

Some recent research has discovered a genetic reason for some fertility problems.  It seems that women who have this defective gene have problems with embryos implanting in their uterus.  More.....

Discovery could aid childless The Sun, UK - 10 hours ago ... A fault in a gene called AM makes it difficult for eggs to implant in the womb. However, it IS still possible to get pregnant. But ...

technorati tags:pregnant, infertility

Younger Women Turn To Infertility Treatments

This is a fascinating news story about women in their twenties seeking infertility treatments well before the customary 1 year of trying.  It seems these younger women are afraid of wasting time and are looking to hurry things along.  Doesn't this raise an ethical question--should infertility specialists treat women who don't really need any treatment, just because they're too impatient to try to get pregnant for very long?  What do you think?

For women of childbearing age, the message in fertility advertisements is hard to miss: your biological clock is ticking. Aimed at women in their 30s and 40s — when getting pregnant gets harder — now, it's many 20-somethings who seem to be hitting the panic button.

Younger women turn to fertility specialists - Nightly News with Brian Williams - MSNBC.com

technorati tags:infertility, pregnant

On The Lighter Side

I would agree it's not breaking news, but...Marcia Cross, who plays Bree on the hit show Desperate Housewives is pregnant with her first child, at the age of 44.  I am always delighted  to see women well into their forties getting pregnant.  I think it gives hope to others that are struggling...

Bree to get pregnant, too Edmonton Sun,? Canada?- 7 hours ago By AP. LOS ANGELES -- Since Marcia Cross is pregnant, does that mean Cross's Desperate Housewives character Bree will be too? Eva Longoria says it'll happen. ...

technorati tags:pregnant

Finally Some Good News For Overweight Women

With all the media attention about overweight women having fertility problems, it's nice to read something positive for a change.  A program devised to help overweight and obese women get fit through proper exercise and nutrition.  The result:  improved pregnancy rates!

New Infertility Program for Overweight Patients Delivers Big-time ... - Yahoo! News (press release)

PR Web (press release)

New Infertility Program for Overweight Patients Delivers Big-time ... Yahoo! News (press release) - 34 minutes ago ... And, chances are, these patients may not have become pregnant without this weight loss," so says top fertility specialist Laurence A. Jacobs, MD. ...

technorati tags:pregnant, fertility, obesity

A Break From The Conventional Approach

I love the ideas in this article....trying creative approaches to increase the odds of conception, rather than just using the same old expensive, often invasive techniques to treat infertility.

Fertility specialists in New Jersey and worldwide are looking at other lower-cost, less-invasive ways to improve IVF success rates. Scientists are trying cognitive behavioral therapy, rather than drugs, to stimulate ovulation. They're determining if the chance of pregnancy after embryo transfer is greater if patients immediately are given acupuncture or entertained by clowns to make them laugh.

North Jersey Media Group providing local news, sports & classifieds for Northern New Jersey!

technorati tags:ivf, acupuncture, pregnant, infertility

The Secrets Of The Egg

The latest research has science unfolding the unique characteristics of the human egg and it's apparent magic...

Washington, Sept 07: Scientists at Michigan State University claim to have unravelled the mystery behind the human egg's ability to transform into a new life.

Zee News - Scientists identify genetic secrets of human egg

technorati tags:infertility, pregnant

More Embryo Screening

This article takes another look at PGD (preimplantation genetic diagnosis), and how it is being used to screen embryos for an inherited cancer risk gene.  Once again it raises the issue of how more and more things can be screened for at this early stage, and where should fertility clinics draw the line in embryo testing.  Especially when couples who are able to get pregnant on their own, may soon be turning to PGD to create the designer baby of their dreams.

Screening embryos to avoid deadly genes San Francisco Chronicle,  USA - 16 hours ago ... Kingsbury's that the expense and physical demands of in vitro fertilization were not worth it, given that the couple could probably get pregnant without it. ...

technorati tags:pregnant, fertility, conception, ivf

What To Eat?

Here are some helpful hints on some foods to eat when you are trying to get pregnant. While there are a lot of other fertility boosting foods, this is a good start...

6 FOODS TO EAT IF YOU'RE TRYING TO GET PREGNANT EAT RIGHT ic Scotland.co.uk,?UK?- Sep 4, 2006 ... All women hoping to get pregnant are advised to take a folic acid supplement as it reduces the risk of birth defects in the baby. ...

technorati tags:fertility, pregnant

More Technological Advances

Technology will continue to offer advances in the area of reproduction.  Women who can't get pregnant because of issues with their uterus, may have the chance to get a womb transplant in the not too distant future.  What could be next?

First womb transplant 'within two years' - China Daily

First womb transplant 'within two years' China Daily,?China?- Sep 5, 2006 ... Having Infertility Problems Solved, said: "There are so many people who have come to the end of the line with IVF and have been told there's no hope. ...

technorati tags:pregnant, infertility, transplant

Forget the Boxers

We've probably all heard that when trying to conceive, men need to keep their private regions cool.  Boxer shorts are typically recommended to replace the briefs. Now along comes some research pointing to heated car seats as a more significant influence.

Men in the hot seat may soon lack fertility - Independent Online

Men in the hot seat may soon lack fertility Independent Online,?South Africa?- Sep 5, 2006 Heated seats in cars may be more to blame for declining male fertility than tight trousers, a urologist warned Tuesday, two days before a German conference on ...

technorati tags:pregnant, fertility, sperm

Frozen Eggs Please

With new advances in egg-freezing technology, women will have the option of freezing their eggs as opposed to having to freeze their embryos (which requires a male participant).  Is this a good thing???

Gillian Lockwood, of the British Fertility Society, this week recommended that women put their fresh young eggs on ice at 30 to improve their chances of conceiving at 40-plus. A frozen egg is a golden egg.

Would madam like her eggs frozen? - Comment - Times Online

technorati tags:pregnant, fertility

Baby Doctor Turned Novelist

In this unusual twist, an obstetrician (doctor who delivers babies) finds herself unable to have a baby herself.  So after going through infertility treatments and getting a taste of what some of her patients have gone through, she wrote a fictional novel based on her experiences.  Should be a good read...

Doctor's infertility gives her insight - News & Observer

News & Observer

Doctor's infertility gives her insight News & Observer, NC - Sep 4, 2006 ... uterus. It took corrective surgery and five cycles of infertility treatments, at a cost of about $12,000, to solve her problem. ...

technorati tags:pregnant, fertility