• Ovaries
• Fallopian tubes
• Tissues that hold the uterus in place
• Outer surface of the uterus
• Lining of the pelvic cavity

According to the Endometriosis Research Center: “It is more prevalent than breast cancer, yet continues to be treated as an insignificant, obscure ailment… The average delay in diagnosis is a startling 9 years, and a woman will go through as many as 5 physicians before she is properly diagnosed and treated.”

Symptoms:

The most common symptom is pain in the lower abdomen (pelvis) or the lower back, mainly during menstrual periods. The amount of pain is different for each woman, and does not depend on how much endometriosis she has.

Other symptoms of endometriosis can include:

• Very painful menstrual cramps, which may get worse over time
• Chronic pain in the lower back and pelvis
• Pain during or after sex
• Intestinal pain
• Painful bowel movements or urination during menstrual periods
• Spotting or bleeding between menstrual periods
• Infertility or not being able to get pregnant
• Fatigue
• Diarrhea, constipation, bloating, or nausea, especially during menstrual periods
• Click here for other related health problems

The symptoms of endometriosis diminish during pregnancy. Symptoms also tend to decrease with menopause, when menstrual periods end for good.

Associated health problems

Endometriosis growths are benign (not cancerous), but they still can cause many problems. To understand why, it helps to be familiar with a woman’s menstrual cycle. Every month, hormones cause the lining of a woman’s uterus to build up with tissue and blood vessels. If a woman does not get pregnant, the uterus sheds this tissue and blood through the vagina, IE: as her menstrual period.

Patches of endometriosis also respond to the hormones produced during the menstrual cycle. But misplaced endometriosis tissue and the cells it sheds have no way of leaving the body. Trapped between layers of tissue, they cause inflammation, scar tissue, adhesions and bowel problems. These growths expand over time, adding extra tissue and blood. This is why the symptoms of endometriosis often get worse.

As endometrial tissue grows, it can cover or grow into the ovaries and block the fallopian tubes. Trapped blood in the ovaries can form cysts, or closed sacs. It also can cause inflammation and cause the body to form scar tissue and adhesions (tissue that sometimes binds organs together). This scar tissue may cause pelvic pain and make it hard for women to get pregnant. The growths can also cause problems in the intestines and bladder.

Can I reduce my chances of getting endometriosis?

Because the hormone estrogen is involved in thickening the lining of the uterus during the menstrual cycle, you can try to lower the estrogen levels in your body.

• Exercise regularly
• Keep a low amount of body fat
• Avoid large amounts of alcohol and caffeine
• Try to keep stress levels as low as possible
• Balance estrogen levels naturally. Read more here.

Testing

Pelvic exam. Your doctor will perform a pelvic exam to feel for large cysts or scars behind your uterus. Smaller areas of endometriosis are hard to feel.

Ultrasound. Your doctor could perform an ultrasound, an imaging test to see if there are ovarian cysts from endometriosis. During a vaginal ultrasound, the doctor will insert a wand-shaped scanner into your vagina. During an ultrasound of your pelvis, a scanner is moved across your abdomen. Both tests use sound waves to make pictures of your reproductive organs. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is another common imaging test that can produce a picture of the inside of your body.

Laparoscopy. The only way for your doctor to know for sure that you have endometriosis is to look inside your abdomen to see endometriosis tissue. He or she can do this through a minor surgery called laparoscopy. You will receive general anesthesia before the surgery. Then, your abdomen is expanded with a gas to make it easy to see your organs. A tiny cut is made in your abdomen and a thin tube with a light is placed inside to see growths from endometriosis. Sometimes doctors can diagnose endometriosis just by seeing the growths. Other times, they need to take a small sample of tissue and study it under a microscope.

HSG. Women with endometriosis who are struggling to get pregnant can undergo a structural study known as an HSG (hysterosalpingogram). This diagnostic test can be performed in as little as five minutes. The procedure is associated with cramping, but ibuprofen can be used to ease the pain. During the test, radiocontrast media is injected through the cervix into the uterus. An x-ray is taken to examine the internal contour of the uterus and check whether the fallopian tubes are open.

Treatment

Conventional medicine states that there is no cure for endometriosis, but there are many treatments offered to deal with the pain and infertility.  A naturopathic/integrative medicine doctor will suggest a different course of action to clear up endometriosis based on diet, exercise, detox, addressing emotional stress, and/or natural progesterone.

Pain Medication. For women with mild symptoms, doctors may suggest taking over-the-counter medicines for pain. These include ibuprofen (Advil and Motrin) or naproxen (Aleve).

Hormone Treatment. When pain medicine is not enough, doctors often recommend hormone medicines to treat endometriosis. Only women who do not wish to become pregnant can use these drugs. Hormone treatment is best for women with small growths who do not have bad pain. Hormones come in many forms including pills, shots, and nasal sprays. Common hormones used for endometriosis include:

• Birth control pills to decrease the amount of menstrual flow and prevent overgrowth of tissue that lines the uterus. Most birth control pills contain two hormones, estrogen and progestin. Once a woman stops taking them, she can get pregnant again. Stopping these pills will cause the symptoms of endometriosis to return.
• GnRH agonists and antagonists greatly reduce the amount of estrogen in a woman’s body, which stops the menstrual cycle. These drugs should not be used alone because they can cause side effects similar to those during menopause, such as hot flashes, bone loss, and vaginal dryness. Taking a low dose of progestin or estrogen along with these drugs can protect against these side effects. When a woman stops taking this medicine, monthly periods and the ability to get pregnant return. She also might stay free of the problems of endometriosis for months or years afterward.
• Progestins. The hormone progestin can shrink spots of endometriosis by working against the effects of estrogen on the tissue. It will stop a woman’s menstrual periods, but can cause irregular vaginal bleeding. Medroxyprogesterone (muh-DROKS-ee-proh-JESS-tur-ohn) (Depo-Provera) is a common progestin taken as a shot. Side effects of progestin can include weight gain, depressed mood, and decreased bone growth.
• Danazol (DAY-nuh-zawl) is a weak male hormone that lowers the levels of estrogen and progesterone in a woman’s body. This stops a woman’s period or makes it come less often. It is not often the first choice for treatment due to its side effects, such as oily skin, weight gain, tiredness, smaller breasts, and facial hair growth. It does not prevent pregnancy and can harm a baby growing in the uterus. It also cannot be used with other hormones, such as birth control pills.

Surgery. Women with severe endometriosis — many growths, a great deal of pain, or fertility problems — may consider surgery. Your doctor might suggest one of the following:

• Laparoscopy can be used to diagnose and treat endometriosis. During this surgery, doctors remove growths and scar tissue or burn them away. The goal is to treat the endometriosis without harming the healthy tissue around it. Women recover from laparoscopy much faster than from major abdominal surgery.
• Laparotomy  or major abdominal surgery that involves a much larger cut in the abdomen than with laparoscopy. This allows the doctor to reach and remove growths of endometriosis in the pelvis or abdomen.
• Hysterectomy is a surgery in which the doctor removes the uterus. Removing the ovaries as well can help ensure that endometriosis will not return. This is done when the endometriosis has severely damaged these organs. A woman cannot get pregnant after this surgery, so it should only be considered as a last resort.

The Natural Path. Carolyn Dean, M.D., N.D. states: “While modern medicine insists the cause of endometriosis is unknown and there is no cure, it can be relatively simple to treat and control the symptoms. The standard medical treatment involves taking synthetic hormones, such as the birth control pill, that stops menstruation and therefore stops the buildup of blood and endometrial tissue outside the uterus. But there are new ways of approaching endometriosis that are much kinder to the body and address an underlying problem that certainly relates to the condition.” To learn about turning the tables on endometriosis using alternative methods, click here or here, or speak to a naturalistic doctor for more information.

Emotional Support

You may want to consider joining a support group (online or in your community) to talk with other women who have endometriosis.

You can find out more about endometriosis by contacting womenshealth.gov at 1-800-994-9662. You also can contact the following organizations:

Endometriosis Association
Phone Number(s): (414) 355-2200
Internet Address: http://www.endometriosisassn.org

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
Phone Number(s): (202) 638-5577; (202) 863-2518 (for publication requests only)
Internet Address: http://www.acog.org

Endometriosis Research Center
Phone Number(s): (561) 274-7442
Internet Address: http://www.endocenter.org

Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development
Phone Number(s): 1-800-370-2943
TTY: 1-888-320-6942
Internet Address: http://www.nichd.nih.gov

feature image credit.

The Boston Globe featured an article yesterday by Alison Lobron called “The Maybe-Baby Dilemma,” which explains the factors that go into this decision, and the various options available. The fate of an embryo is a complicated and delicate subject, a source of political controversy, religious convictions, and personal angst.

Is an embryo a life, or isn’t it? Many patients care about and respect their embryos but don’t see them as children.  This is particularly true among patients who have seen their own embryos not “take,” learning firsthand that not every embryo is capable of becoming a baby.  Many fertilized eggs simply cease cell division — and are no longer viable — before freezing or transfer. Others aren’t viable after they have been thawed. Still others fail to implant in the uterus.

But even people who don’t view their embryos as “children-in-waiting” with rights that need to be protected, experience complex attitudes toward these tiny clusters of cells, feeling an emotional attachment that defies logic. Here are the options that these couples can choose from:

1. Donate the embryo to scientific research: Scientists see incredible potential in stem-cell and other kinds of research, and some donors are spurred by a desire to further a cure for diseases that they may have personally experienced. This has been a common option for people who want to do something productive with an embryo, which is valued and respected but not regarded as a child.

…But the couple liked the idea of donating to science because the husband, Brian Zikmund-Fisher, who was diagnosed with cancer in his late 20s, had been helped by medical research. “It satisfied my need to feel like these embryos we had worked so hard to create were being used productively,” says Brian.

2.  Donate it or Give it up for adoption: An agency like Nightlight Christian Adoptions of California, offers in vitro patients the chance to choose someone else to “adopt” their embryos. In this case, the embryos “parents” are able to screen families seeking embryos, and choose the family they feel the most comfortable with.  Many doctors are seeing increased interest recently in using other people’s embryos because it’s the cheapest option for patients who cannot get pregnant using their own eggs and sperm. Implanting an existing embryo typically costs less than $5,000, whereas an in vitro cycle with a sperm and egg donation can cost more than $25,000.

For Linda… thinking about the process as “adoption,” and being able to choose the family, made it more compelling. Over the span of a year, she and her husband reviewed the stories of four couples and “fell in love” with one pair… Linda’s five frozen embryos were shipped across the country, where the other family had a daughter and then, later, a son using the embryos… The two families have never met in person, but Linda thinks they will one day. Her kids refer to the other children as “our brother and sister,” and Linda and the woman she calls “the adoptive mom” often e-mail each other, seeking similarities in their children’s personalities, likes, and dislikes. With a laugh, Linda says, “What mother doesn’t love the opportunity to gush about her kids? She loves to hear my stories, whereas anyone else would be yawning.”

3. Dispose of it: The American Society for Reproductive Medicine deems it ethically acceptable to thaw and discard embryos. Typically, they go into the clinic’s bio-hazardous-waste container. Many couples have a hard time seeing potential life treated this way, while to others this is a logical end to unused and unneeded embryos.

4. Disposal Ceremonies: Often, parents feel compelled to give the embryo a more dignified ending than simply throwing it in the trash can.  Some choose a ceremony akin to a funeral for their thawed embryos.  Others choose a “compassionate transfer,” which is an embryo transfer procedure that would not result in pregnancy.  Some will wait until near menopause before they return for the transfer, while others refuse the hormones that are typically used to help the embryo implant. Some patients have even asked that the embryo be placed in the vagina instead of the uterus, where it is impossible for them to implant and grow.  It is thought that efforts like these bring emotional comfort to some patients, but can pose difficulties to fertility doctors. (For example, the time a doctor spends on this type of procedure is time not spent helping someone get pregnant.)

5. Do nothing: When the decision is just too confusing or overwhelming, some couples choose to keep their embryos frozen indefinitely.

Murray says that as a Catholic, she considers an embryo to be a life and feels she has no choice but to implant hers. At the same time, she and her husband don’t feel they can manage more children right now, financially or logistically. Yet donating the embryos to another couple feels wrong, too. “I would never give my child up for adoption,” she says… Murray’s sense of having no good options, nothing that works both for her family situation and her ethics, is not uncommon, say doctors who treat infertility patients. Some people in Murray’s predicament simply drop out of contact with the clinic… This is thought to represent “an absolute inability to decide…”

For a more in-depth discussion of the topic, see The Boston Globe’s online article. What are your thoughts on the issue of unused embryos? If it was your decision, what would you do?

Men do continue to produce sperm throughout their lives, but the male biological clock affects the amount, motility and quality of sperm produced. Pregnancy etc calls attention to some of the following  factors:

• Erectile dysfunction: Testosterone drops after a man turns 25, which can lead to weight gain, which in turn results in more estrogen and less testosterone being produced in the man’s body. Added weight, especially around the middle, can contribute to heart disease which constricts blood flow. This can lead to erectile dysfunction.
• Sperm count: Men between the ages of 30 and 50 typically experience a 30% drop in sperm count.
• Motility (how fast sperm swim): older sperm is 37% slower.
• Sperm health: Older men produce sperm that is 5x as malformed as its younger counterparts.
• Pregnancy: Research has shown that when a man is 45 and up, it takes the woman as much as five times as long to get pregnant.
• Birth defects: Genetic conditions such as dwarfism, Down syndrome, autism, and schizophrenia increase with paternal age.

There are things a man can do, in order to help preserve his sperm. Eating healthy, exercising, avoiding smoking, steroids, and hot tubs can all help. But no matter how healthy your habits are, the clock keeps ticking. According to the NY Times, these findings should “persuade many doctors that men should not be too cavalier about postponing marriage and children.”

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The 20’s: Ideal

The younger, the better! Today, the typical American woman gives birth around 25 years old.  (Thirty years ago the average was 21!)  Your eggs are young and therefore more likely to be healthy. This means:

• It is generally easy to conceive now
• You have a lower risk of birth defects
• The chances that you’ll miscarry are minimal
• Pregnancy is tiring, but you’ll have more energy to carry you through
• After birth, you’ll bounce back relatively quickly
• You have a high chance of giving birth vaginally because your body has more muscle tone in the uterus and abs. This makes pushing easier.

The cons about having kids in your 20’s? There really are none, unless you do not feel ready to have a baby. As Dr. Goldstein at Parents.com puts it, “societal norms have outpaced evolutionary ones. Younger bodies are better able to handle the physical demands of pregnancy, but you may not feel financially or psychologically prepared to be a parent at that stage,” he says.

The 30’s: In good company

In your early 30’s, pregnancy is much the same as in your 20’s. Your health, energy, fertility, and quality of eggs are still all at optimal levels. The risks of genetic defects is low and the chances of a smooth pregnancy are good.

Unfortunately, as you get older, the risks increase.

• In your later 30’s, the odds of miscarriage are about 20%,  due to declining egg quality.
• Your pregnancy will be monitored more closely, and you may be asked if you want to be screened for chromosomal abnormalities.

But there’s no need to panic. Many women in their late 30’s have completely normal pregnancies and healthy babies. They may also have the added luxury of financial security and the maturity needed to parent wisely.

The 40’s: Never too late!

Having a baby in your 40’s may be exhausting, but chances are you’re so happy to be pregnant you could care less! And Dr. Goldstein notes that women are a lot healthier at 40 than they were even a generation ago, “so it may not be as difficult as you expect.”

What is cause for concern, however, is the risk of birth defects.

• The older your eggs are, the more likely it is that an embryo’s chromosomes will be improperly sorted.
• At 40, the chances a fetus will have Down syndrome is 1 in 100.
• This risk of chromosomal imbalance also partly explains why the risk of miscarriage stands at more than 50 percent by age 42.
• Due to these higher risks, you may be urged to get extra testing at this stage.
• Your doctor will also be vigilant about checking you for chronic health problems. First-time moms over 40 are 60 percent more likely to develop high blood pressure and four times more likely to develop diabetes during pregnancy than mothers in their 20s.
• They are also eight times as likely as women in their 20s to suffer placenta previa, a condition in which the placenta is implanted low in the uterus — sometimes over the cervix — impeding delivery.
• C-sections are also more common in older moms, since they may suffer from other health problems such as fibroids, which can complicate delivery, adds Dr. Goldstein.

Although this list of “likehoods” is overwhelming, it is never too late to try.  You too may be blessed with a healthy baby, like other 40-something women have.  And if it makes you feel better, you are less likely to experience morning sickness when you’re older. Becoming a parent when you are settled, mature, and secure means you can afford to give your baby the best life has to offer.

image from it’s about love

1. For  Her: Weight Control

If you are underweight or overweight, it may take longer for your body to conceive.  According to one study, women who are overweight (BMI of 25-39) took twice as long to get pregnant. But being underweight is even worse! Having a BMI below 19 increased the time to conception fourfold.

2. For Him: Lower the heat

Wearing tight underwear or sitting on hot car seats may not affect your sperm viability, but regular sessions in the hot tub may.  Researchers have also found raised scrotal temperatures when guys use their laptops on their laps, which may harm sperm. Another study speculates that keeping your cell phone in your pants pocket in talk mode may negatively affect spermatozoa and impair male fertility. So if you want to be a dad, you might as well put the laptop on a table, and keep your cell phone out of ur pants pocket!

3. For Her: Drink in Moderation

Drinking too much coffee (more than 5 cups a day/500 mg of caffeien- including tea and soda) or too much alcohol (2 drinks a day) can impair a woman’s fertility.  Moderate coffee drinking seems to be OK, but keep it under 200 – 250 milligrams of caffeine a day. Obviously, once you become pregnant you should cut the alcohol out of your diet.

4. His & Her: No Smoking

Research shows that smoking cigarettes can impair both a woman and a man’s fertility.  In women, it affects how receptive the uterus is to the egg. In men, smoking can reduce sperm production and damage DNA. Smoking while pregnant can result in a host of potential problems including miscarriage.

5. His & Her: Timing of Sex

The “fertile window” is defined as the six-day interval ending on the day of ovulation.” And the 3 days before ovulation are when pregnancy is most likely to occur.

Patients often wait until the day of ovulation or later to have intercourse, says Richard Paulson, MD, but his advice is, “Err on the early side.”  To track ovulation, figure that it usually occurs about 14 days before your period is due. You can also use an ovulation predictor kit or the calendar method.

6. His & Her: Frequency of Sex

The more often the better! Delaying intercourse until your body is in the “fertility window” is counter-productive. After about a week of not having sex, the sperm count goes up a bit, but the motility (swimming ability) decreases. Daily lovemaking is best, but not always practical, so ever-other-day or as-often-as-you-can is also good.

7. His & Her: Check your Lubricant

Some lubricants contain spermicides, which actually decrease fertility. Even commercially available water-based lubricants, such as Astroglide, KY Jelly, and Touch may inhibit sperm motility by 60% -100% within 60 minutes of incubation.  So what to use? Canola oil, or even peanut oil, the experts suggest!

8. His & Her: Avoid Chemical Exposure

Men and women’s fertility may be harmed by exposures to pesticides, especially agricultural pesticides.  And women’s fertility can be affected by exposure to some solvents and toxins — including those used in printing businesses and dry cleaning establishments.

For more info on any of these 8 tips, visit WebMD.

feature image from focus photography.

On the journey to parenthood, fertility issues are split pretty evenly between men and women. It’s important to visit a doctor, OB/GYN or fertility specialist, who can run tests and do blood work to diagnose any underlying obstacles that need to be addressed in order to get pregnant. But in addtion to these efforts, there are dietary choices that can help boost fertility for both men and women.

Fertility Boosters for Her

Water: Staying hydrated helps maintain optimal health and proper reproductive function.

Spinach: Leafy green vegetables like spinach contain folic acid which is important for preventing birth defects and is a vital ingredient for producing viable eggs. It is also rich in antioxidants and iron.

Yellow and Orange Vegetables: Beta carotene, an antioxidant, has been shown to maintain hormonal balance and ward off miscarriage.

Broccoli and Cabbage: Cruciferous vegetables contain a phytonutrient called DIM that helps with estrogen metabolism. They are also known to prevent fibroids and endometriosis in women.

Carrots, peas and sweet potatoes: Containing beta-carotene, these veggies help regulate the menstrual cycle, thus improving chances for conception.

Strawberries, blueberries, oranges, papaya, kiwi and cantaloupe - Full of vitamin C and antioxidants, these fruits offer healthful reproductive benefits to women trying to conceive.

Meat, chicken, fish, eggs and dairy products: Protein is made up of amino acids which are vital for viable egg production and for making LH and FSH, important fertility hormones. NOTE: Scientific research suggests women who get more of their protein from PLANTS and less from animal sources have fewer overall ovulatory issues.

Whole grains: Try to consume natural unrefined whole grain bread products, as the refining process removes more than 15 key nutrients, such as B vitamins and iron.

Oysters: With an abundant amount of zinc, oysters are known fertility enhancer, however high mercury levels from seafood have been linked to miscarriage. Think moderation.

Fertility Boosters for Him

Water – To maintain optimal health and proper reproductive functions, one must remain optimally hydrated.

Spinach* – Rich in antioxidants and full of folic acid and iron, leafy green vegetables are a vital ingredient for healthy sperm.

Red vegetables* - Containing lysopene, tomatoes are a carotenoid and are a known sperm count enhancer. 

Fruit* - Oranges contain the antioxidants glutathione and cryptoxanthin, which are associated with strong, viable, healthy sperm. Strawberries, blueberries, cantaloupe and papaya offer wonderful healthful benefits as well.

Meat, chicken, fish, eggs and dairy products (Protein) – The amino acids in protein are vital for sperm production.

Oysters – With an abundant amount of zinc, oysters are known fertility enhancer. Be certain to monitor mercury levels when consuming seafood. One Dutch study cites sperm production increase by up tp 74% by using a zinc and folic acid supplement.

Vegetarian sources of protein - Beans, lentils, brown rice, quinoa and other whole grains, nuts and seeds.

Pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds - Pumpkin seeds (¼ to ½ cup a day) are naturally high in zinc and essential fatty acids which are vital to healthy functioning of the male reproductive system. Sunflower seeds are a great source of protein, which is also vital for optimal sperm production.

Whole grains - Try to consume natural unrefined whole grain bread products, as the refining process removes more than 15 key nutrients from grains such as B vitamins and iron.

Organic foods - Switch to organic foods. Some studies suggest chemicals and pesticides used on foods can impair sperm viability.

*Studies have indicated the more fruits and produce a man consumes, the less sluggish his sperm is.

Source: Pregnancy Examiner

According to the Holistic Body & Baby website:

Homeopathy is very effective in treating women’s reproductive problems because it stimulates the body to heal itself rather than inhibit or suppress the body’s attempt to become well. If a woman is planning a pregnancy or having difficulty conceiving, homeopathic treatment can help her body reach a state of wellness. There is no grater gift for a newborn than mom and dad receiving constitutional homeopathic care before conception. Homeopaths know that physical, mental, and complex immunological patterns can be inherited. If these imbalances are addressed prior to conception, there is a much greater likelihood that the baby will be healthier on all levels.

Even women who unsuccessfully tried conventional fertility treatments, have gone on to conecieve with the help of homeopathy. This may be because in addition to medical reasons for difficulty in conceiving a baby, emotions can also play a part.

‘Did you know that it is thought that past hurt, ambivalence regarding parenthood, fear and childhood experiences of rejection and poor bonding can all exist in the subconscious mind and can contribute to conception problems and even infertility?’

- Michele Carelse, Clinical Psychologist. (Natural Eco Organics)

London Homeopathy provides the following list of underlying problems related to fertility:

Emotional blocks to fertility
All aspects of your existence are interconnected, including your mental and emotional states of mind. This can affect your body in a detrimental way, often blocking energy and leading to an illness. Such emotional blocks and negative states of mind can also prevent conception. Perhaps a miscarriage or a bad experience during a previous birth or pregnancy has led you to fear subsequent pregnancy? A stressful life style, which has affected you physically and emotionally, can also cause harm including irregular or painful periods. Homeopathy is invaluable in addressing such blocks to fertility at both the physical and emotional levels.

Balance your hormones
Rather than treating symptoms superficially, homeopathic treatment addresses the causes of symptoms and works on bringing the body back to balance.  Remedies will help to regulate your menstrual cycles, bring back ovulation or improve sperm count and motility.

Treat the underlying pathology
If PCOS, endometriosis, uterine fibroids or polyps are preventing you from conceiving, these be treated effectively and permanently.

Clear the side effects of the contraceptive pill
Homeopathy has proved to be particularly effective in addressing the side effects of the contraceptive pill which may prevent you from conceiving. These include: weight gain, lack of ovulation, irregular menses, candida, benign breast lumps or apathy.

Clear inherited tendencies
As one of the deepest reaching therapies, homeopathy can treat inherited tendencies and patterns affecting your chances of conception. Those may include sub-fertility or a tendency to miscarry.

Feature photo from nomoreallergies: Treat your allergies with homeopathy too!

So is it safe to become pregnant after weight loss surgery? If so, how long should you wait? What can you do to ensure a healthy pregnancy and delivery after gastric bypass, gastric banding or other bariatric surgery? While many questions remain, the latest reports suggest that pregnancy after bariatric surgery is actually safer than becoming pregnant while still obese!

According to Science Daily, a recent study published in International Journal of Gynecology and Obstetrics finds that women who undergo bariatric surgery will reduce the risk of medical and obstetric complications when they become pregnant. The study was conducted by researchers from Ben-Gurion University of the Negev’s (BGU) Faculty of Health Sciences.

The study indicated that the risk of gestational diabetes alone drops by 60 percent when an obese woman has bariatric surgery before getting pregnant. There were significantly lower rates of hypertensive disorders in general and severe pre-eclampsia in particular, as well as lower rates of diabetes mellitus and anemia following bariatric surgery.

Science Daily reports that the prevalence of people who are overweight or obese has increased dramatically in high-income countries over the past 20 years. In the United States, for example, some two-thirds (65.1%) of Americans aged 20 years or older are considered overweight; one-third (30.4%) are considered obese, and 4.9% are morbidly obese. Between 1999 and 2002, close to one-third of women of childbearing age in the United States were classified as obese.

In response, the incidence of bariatric surgery in the United States increased by 800 percent between 1998 and 2005. The Consumer Guide to Bariatric Surgery asserts that women of reproductive age (18 to 45) accounted for 83 percent of these weight loss surgeries (more than 50,000 women each year).

Wait Before Attempting Pregnancy After Bariatric Surgery

Women of childbearing age who wish to become pregnant after gastric bypass surgery or other malabsorptiove surgeries such as the duodenal switch procedure should wait 18 months, because this is when the rapid weight loss occurs. It can be challenging to meet nutritional needs during this time without the added concerns of pregnancy. Such rapid weight loss may deprive a developing fetus of the nutrients it needs to grow and thrive.

Gastric banding induces more gradual weight loss and does not cause any nutritional issues. Women who get banded should wait about six months before becoming pregnant so they will be at a healthy weight during pregnancy.

Women who are overweight or obese may have difficulty getting pregnant, but weight loss increases fertility. In fact, infertility issues linked to obesity are often resolved as hormones return to more natural levels.  Most surgeons advise women of childbearing age to use reliable contraception during the waiting period.

Will You Need a C-Section?

There is no medical reason that women who have become pregnant after bariatric surgery should require a C-section delivery, but they do seem to be more likely to deliver via C-section. Talk to your obstetrician about your chances of needing a C-section delivery as well as your preferences for delivering your baby. While a C-section is a relatively safe way to deliver a baby, it does carry more risks than vaginal delivery.

Make sure your Nutritional Needs are Met

The Consumer Guide to Bariatric Surgery advises you to make your obstetrician aware of the type of bariatric surgery that you had, and be in contact with your bariatric surgeon during your pregnancy to make sure you and your baby are getting proper nutrition. You may be referred to a registered dietitian to help make sure you are getting proper nutrition during pregnancy. Women who have had gastric banding have the same nutritional requirements as women who have not had gastric banding. Women who have had malabsorptive weight loss surgery such as gastric bypass or biliopancreatic diversion may need regular blood tests to check for nutrient deficiencies during pregnancy.

Prenatal vitamins are an important part of a healthy pregnancy and contain many essential nutrients. Women should start taking prenatal vitamins before they even become pregnant.

Gastric Banding: Special Pregnancy Issues

Gastric banding surgery is adjustable. Some women who are pregnant require deflation of the band due to severe nausea and vomiting, which can occur during pregnancy and as a result of gastric banding. This is typically an individual decision. If you are having severe morning sickness, your bariatric surgeon may deflate the band to help you feel better. Your surgeon can also loosen your band so you can eat more. However, many women don’t have to touch their band at all during pregnancy.

Women who have undergone gastric banding before pregnancy may have trouble tolerating over-sized prenatal vitamins. They may develop heartburn, or the prenatal vitamin may remain in their esophagus, causing ulcers. Talk to your obstetrician about chewable or liquid prenatal vitamins to avoid these complications.

Breastfeeding After Bariatric Surgery

Women who become pregnant after bariatric surgery can still breastfeed, provided there are continued nutritional monitoring and supplementation. Talk to your surgeon, obstetrician, a lactation consultant and/or a registered dietician to make sure you and your baby are getting all the nutrition you need.It’s also important to make sure you are drinking enough water so your milk does not dry up.

Please visit The Consumer Guide to Bariatric Surgery to find out more about weight-loss surgery and pregnancy-related issues.

Some women try to avoid going through their third trimester in the summer months. An accountant might try to time a birth for after the busy tax season. And a school teacher might find it preferable to give birth at the beginning of school break so she has a few months to be home with the baby before September rolls around.

“The problem is that we have bought into the idea that you can plan a pregnancy, and the fact is that many women wait to have a baby until they are ready to have a baby only to find out it’s just not that easy,” says Donnica Moore, MD, a women’s health expert based in Far Hills, N.J.

She goes on to say that very few women can actually time their pregnancy accurately, and it is unrealistic for women to think that they can – especially the older they get. But that shouldn’t stop a girl from trying, she adds. “It’s fine to say that, ‘Ideally I would like to get pregnant before X month,’ but you have to be aware that for most women that is difficult to orchestrate.”

Mark P. Leondires, MD, medical director of Reproductive Medical Associates of Connecticut in Norwalk, equates trying to time a pregnancy with setting yourself up for disappointment, as it’s very easy to miss the small window of opportunity. He suggests giving yourself 3 months to work with… for example, if you’d like to deliver in March, aim for a birth sometime between February and April, which means you are shooting to get pregnant in May to August.

Interestingly, he points out that “humans are more fertile in the spring for reasons we don’t understand, so a woman may have a better chance for getting pregnant between February to May and aiming for a winter birth anyway,” he says. Regardless of the season you are shooting for, scheduling is stressful. “If there is a relationship between stress and infertility, such planning will increase stress,” he says.

The bottom line when timing a pregnancy is, you can try your best but at the end of the day, it’s not really under your control. When you want a baby, be prepared to enjoy the ride and welcome him whenever he decides to show up!

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image from www.wyldsuccess.com

Scientists are perfecting a technique called array CGH (Comparative Genomic Hybridization) in which eggs are examined for abnormalities which would cause IVF to fail.

According to BBC, the team at the CARE Fertility clinic have found a way of extracting a “spare” set of chromosomes inside the egg and rapidly analyzing them. The main reason why two out of three women fail at each attempt at IVF is believed to be due to chromosomal abnormalities in their eggs. CGH has the potential to significantly improve couples’ chances of having successful treatment.

There should be just 23 chromosomes in the egg which contain the woman’s share of the genetic code – the other half come from the sperm after fertilization. Apparently there are “spare chromosomes” in the polar body, near the edge of the egg. A laser cuts a hole in the edge of the egg and the polar body is sucked out. By analyzing the chromosomes found there, scientists can work out what is left behind in the egg, without disturbing it.

If they find a chromosome missing from the egg, then any subsequent embryo will fail. If they find an extra chromosome, it could lead to a miscarriage or a pregnancy with an inherited genetic disorder.

“We know that at least half the eggs and embryos produced are wasted due to chromosomal abnormalities. If we could chose those with normal chromosomes logic tells us we double the chances of pregnancy and that’s what we hope.”

Dr Fishel also says that it could help reduce the number of twins and triplets associated with fertility treatment.

“In this country we have to reduce the incidence of multiple pregnancy and there’s a big drive to put a single embryo back. That could reduce all women’s chances of pregnancy but not if we choose the embryo that is most viable and has normal chromosomes. Ultimately we could reach the holy grail of one cycle of IVF, one egg, one embryo and one baby.”

The first woman in the world to be successfully treated is 41, and had thirteen previous attempts at IVF and three miscarriages. She is now six months pregnant. Dr Simon Fishel, director of the CARE fertility group, believes it could help many more women. But years of research are yet to prove whether CGH is going to transform success rates.

Although this research is seen as “exciting and promising” – Tony Rutherford, chair of the British Fertility Society also urges caution: “All too often we see ground-breaking news about techniques that seem to offer great hope, but fail to live up to expectations when applied in widespread clinical practice.”

image: The Age.com.au