The Male Side Of Fertility Problems

This article gives a good overview of the current perception that most people think of fertility problems as being a "woman's issue."  Women give much more thought to their fertility and the ticking of their biological clock.  Men, on the other hand, tend to think that their fertility is somehow tied to their masculinity, and therefore assume that everything must be working right.  The truth may be a bit startling for many men....when a couple comes for treatment after trying unsuccessfully to get pregnant for over a year, the problem is just as likely to be a male one as a female one.  More...

Boy story Daily Telegraph, Australia - 3 hours ago YOU may be surprised to know that when it comes to infertility, men and women are pretty equal. So why is talk about male infertility so rare? ...

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Getting Healthy Before Getting Pregnant

This article talks about the importance of prenatal care to help improve the health of babies at birth. In the past 20 years, the focus has been on prenatal care, rather than preconception care, but that is starting to change. This is so important because a lot of early development (the first few weeks after conception) happens before a woman even knows she is pregnant. So being healthy before even attempting to get pregnant, will ensure that the baby is getting the best start right from the beginning. More...

Preconception training is just as vital as prenatal care NorthJersey.com, NJ - Mar 13, 2007 All women, regardless of whether or not they are trying to get pregnant, should exercise, eat healthy, quit smoking and manage chronic diseases, ...

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Losing a Pregnancy

Having gone through several miscarriages myself, I am always drawn to other women's stories that I can deeply relate to.  I came across this personal story written by someone "who's been there" and thought I would mention it here.  If you have ever suffered through a miscarriage or know someone who has, you might find it a worthwhile read.  I did....

Mourning a Miscarriage New West, MT - 35 minutes ago I didn’t know I was pregnant before I realized there was a problem. I had been training for a marathon and trying to get pregnant at the same time; ...

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Obese Couples Reduce Their Chance Of Conceiving

The research has already shown that being overweight can contribute to fertility problems for both men and women.  This new study is the first to look at overweight and obese couples to see the effect it has on their fertility.  The news is not good.  More...

Too Much Weight Spells Double Trouble For Couples Trying To Conceive (Science Daily)

If both partners in a couple are overweight or obese, they are more likely to have to wait longer before successfully conceiving a child, according to new research published online in Europe's leading reproductive medicine journal, Human Reproduction. The author warned this could have major implications for population levels, particularly in parts of the world where obesity and low fertility ...

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Help For Endometriosis From Tree Bark

Some very promising new research suggests a natural treatment made from pine bark for women suffering from endometriosis, a leading cause of infertility.  This new treatment can significantly reduce the symptoms but it is not a cure.  Most of the other endometriosis treatments use hormones which have unwanted side effects that can restrict women from becoming pregnant during the treatment.  Read more...

New Study: Pine Bark Significantly Reduces Endometriosis (Market Wire via Yahoo! Finance)

There's promising hope for women who suffer from endometriosis, one of the most common causes of infertility and pelvic pain. A new study to be published in an upcoming edition of the Journal of Reproductive Medicine reveals that Pycnogenol®, an antioxidant plant extract from the bark of the French maritime pine tree, significantly reduces symptoms of endometriosis by 33 percent.

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Is It Easier To Get Pregnant If You're A Celebrity?

The media often gives a lot of attention to the latest celebrity who is pregnant--often she is older and sometimes even pregnant with multiples. This may be giving the average woman a false impression that getting pregnant is easy--even at an advanced age. But the reality is that many of these celebs have access to very expensive fertility treatments and often use donor eggs (which is not generally publicized). More...

Women may be misled by older celebrity moms Waterloo Record,?Canada?- 55 minutes ago "Women have been misled by the portrayal of movie stars over 40 having children,'' said Beverly Hanck, executive director of the Infertility Awareness ...

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Fertility Factors

This article has a nice overview of some of the main factors that affect a couple's chance of conceiving a baby.  Have a read...

As one of the human body's most basic and most powerful processes, pregnancy – and the ability to conceive a child – is often thought of as a “natural” occurrence. Yet there are numerous factors involved in achieving and maintaining a healthy pregnancy, and even a minor flaw in just one area can wreak havoc on couples attempting to conceive.

Top Five Fertility Factors

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Hot Baths Can Hurt Fertility

Many men have probably heard the advice to avoid any heat in a certain 'lower body region' if they are trying to conceive a child.  Truth be told, there has never been any scientific evidence to back up the claim that too much heat can damage sperm.  So is this an old wive's tale or is there any truth to it?  Well, some new research does seem to support the notion that men who soak in hot baths or hot tubs do compromise there sperm quality.  More...

Metro

Hot baths 'do cut a man’s fertility' Metro, UK - 2 hours ago It may not endear him to his partner in terms of cleanliness but not taking a bath may improve a man's fertility. Lounging around in hot baths or Jacuzzis ...

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Nutrition For Conception

I have been coming across more and more articles lately suggesting that fertility problems can often be overcome by making adjustments in both diet and lifestyle. This especially holds true for couples who have been diagnosed with "unexplained infertility", which basically means the doctors can't find any medical reason why a woman can not get pregnant. Apparently, some studies have shown a staggering 80% success rate in couples with "unexplained infertility" when they make certain changes to their nutrition and lifestyle. With these potential results, doesn't it make sense to try this before turning to expensive, invasive and often stressful infertility treatments?

Certain foods, even nutritious ones, can have such a negative impact on your delicate reproductive system that if you are serious about conceiving, you might consider leaving them off your plate for the time being, if not for good.

Click Here to Read the Full Article

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Eating Ice Cream To Improve Fertility?

OK, this headline caught my attention for obvious reasons.  I think most women would love to learn of some research proving that eating ice cream can help them get pregnant.  In this study, women who ate low fat dairy products vs. those who ate high fat dairy products (such as ice cream) were compared to see if there was any effect on their ovulation.  While the risk for a certain type of infertility (lack of ovulation) was lower among the ice cream eaters, many experts caution that this is not necessarily due to the eating of ice cream. Read more...

Study Suggests Ice Cream May Aid Fertility (Black Voices)

(Feb. 27) - Ben & Jerry might help you get pregnant, but not in the usual way. A diet rich in ice cream and other high-fat dairy foods may lower the risk of one type of infertility, a study suggests. It sounds too good to be true and probably is, some doctors say.

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Procreation Vacation

While there is no scientific evidence to prove it, many agree that stress can play a role in a couple's ability to get pregnant.  It is no wonder then, that the idea of a relaxing vacation to help couples de-stress, and increase their chances of conceiving a baby is getting very popular.  Especially since the struggle to conceive can sometimes take a toll on the marriage.  Taking a break in a relaxing environment certainly couldn't hurt...and may just be what the doctor ordered to increase your chances of conception.

WTMJ-TV

Procreation Vacation WTMJ-TV, WI - 1 hour ago Fertility expert Dr. Jacob Glock says the anxiety and stress of trying to get pregnant, actually affect fertility. "Although there's no scientific evidence ...

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Emotional Support During The Fertility Struggle

If you've been trying to have a baby and it's been a difficult struggle, you probably know how important it is to get emotional support from those around you.  Unfortunately, many times fertility is a very private issue, not often discussed with friends and family.  There are alot of ways to get this type of support online, through forums and blogs.  Once such blog, by a woman named Tertia who's incredible journey ultimately resulted in the birth of her two beautiful children, is a very worthy read.  Check it out...

So Close - Tertia Albertyn Tonight,?South Africa?- 23 hours ago So Close - Tertia Albertyn's compelling and yet humorous account of her battle with infertility - has it genesis in her blog (www.tertia.org) which she ..

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High Risk Pregnancies On The Rise

Age is one factor which can contribute to a high risk pregnancy.  Many more women over 40 are having babies, so that contributes to the increase in high risk pregnancies.  But also, more and more women with life threatening conditions such as organ transplant recipients, breast cancer survivors, and even women with HIV are getting pregnant and having healthy babies.  More..

Bad News, Good News On Pregnancy (CBS News)

The number of high-risk pregnancies is on the rise in the U.S. ? in some cases due to older moms, and in others, women deciding to try childbirth despite health challenges that would have made pregnancy unthinkable only a few years ago.

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Support During The Infertility Struggle

For women experiencing the struggle of trying to conceive a child, it can be a very isolating experience. The subject of infertility is often kept secret, leaving women without an outlet to express their pain, and get much needed support. Enter the on-line world, where anonymity allows for mutual sharing of common experiences, which can make the journey on the way to parenthood an easier road. There are many blogs that have cropped up...journals women write to share their experience, which often includes infertility treatments. More....

Blogs help infertile couples feel less alone (Kansas City Star)

On June 9, 2005, Larisa Bourgeois of Austin, Texas, wrote in her new blog, “If Katie Holmes gets pregnant before me … well, it won’t be pretty.”

Dealing With Pregnancy Loss

Having dealt with several miscarriages myself, I know firsthand that most people do not know what to say or how to act around someone who has experienced a pregnancy loss. This article gives a great overview of dealing with miscarriage, including what to say and what ot to say. If you've suffered a loss, or know someone else who has, read on....

When someone you know loses a baby Pregnancy and Baby,?AZ?- 4 hours ago Don't remind the couple they can get pregnant again. Again, this may be true, but it doesn't diminish a couple's hurt over the lost child. ...

Stress And Fertility Link

Time and again there is the suggestion that stress can reduce the chances of becoming pregnant. There is absolutely no scientific proof of this, yet there are countless women who believe it and therefore try out stress reducing methods such as acupuncture, yoga, etc. to help reduce the stress and help them to conceive. This article gives an overview of the link that stress may have to a woman's ability to get pregnant...

On fertile ground: Stress and conception SheKnows.com, AZ - 13 hours ago ... most of which end with the cliched assertion that if you want to get pregnant all you have to do is stop trying so hard and relax. ...

Yoga For Fertility?

There are quite a few alternative approaches to improve fertility that many couples are now using, such as acupuncture, reflexology, hypnosis, and now yoga.  All of these methods offer the benefit of increased relaxation, and perhaps something else.  Unfortunately, there is not alot of scientific proof that any of these methods can help women get pregnant, but there are increasing numbers of anecdotal stories told by couples convinced that it made the difference in helping them to have a baby.  More...

Fertility Yoga Helps Wichita Women KAKE, KS - 21 hours ago 2-18-07 - More than 9.3 million women in the US are using some sort of infertility treatment, but some local families are turning to an alternative to ...

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Trying To Conceive? Don't Drink!

Most women are aware that they shouldn't drink alcohol when pregnant as it can cause damage to the developing baby.   But there is some controversy over the degree of drinking that is safe.  Some doctors say it's ok to have a drink from time to time when you are pregnant.  Some new research suggests that no amount of drinking is safe.  That's right, none!  Read more...

Want to ave a drink while pregnant? Just say no St. Louis Post-Dispatch, MO - 29 minutes ago ... to post signs that drinking while pregnant can cause birth defects. But that's about it so far. There's no state-supported campaign to get the word out. ...

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Breeding Brighter Babies?

Twenty years ago, there was an idea to match up high IQ women with similarly genius sperm donors, in an effort to create smarter babies.  These children are all grown up now so the question remains, did it work?  And if these kids did turn out to be "superior", do we in fact know if it was their genes that had a profound influence or perhaps it was the environment they were raised in.  Read on...

"Genius" Sperm Breed Brighter Babies? (KGO-TV Bay Area)

Can science breed brighter babies? That was the idea behind the Nobel Sperm Bank. The babies are all grown up now -- so how did they turn out?

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Eating Fish When Pregnant Raises IQ Of Child

If you're trying to get pregnant, chances are you've heard some of the warnings about eating fish.  Some fish have high mercury levels that can cause developmental problems in the developing baby.  On the flip side, fish has some fantastic health benefits, omega-3 fatty acids that new research says may improve the child's future IQ.  More...

Playfuls.com

Pregnant mothers should eat fish to get brainy children, says new ... Earthtimes.org - 12 hours ago The researchers said if pregnant women are not given their weekly intake to 340 grams of fish and seafood, they will not get protection for their children ...

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