Conscious Birth And Fertility By Lisa Cartier

The Truth About Fatigue - How to Enhance Your Fertility

2012-07-06T11:49:04Z

Looking at your energy levels is something to look at if you are experiencing difficulties getting pregnant.

Feeling stressed and tired has become the norm. We think we should get more tired as we age. We push the snooze button and still can't get ourselves up.

Fatigue is the symptom and the end result of hormonal and immune imbalances in the body and not the sign of approaching hormonal issues Imbalances are already in place once we start feeling fatigued on a regular basis.

Optimal fertility and a healthy pregnancy require hormonal balance, a healthy immune system and an abundance of energy. Adrenal exhaustion, insulin resistance and imbalance estrogen and progesterone can concoct an internal body climate that's not suitable to a new life and can even make living in your own skin unbearable.

How can you tell if you fatigue levels are impacting your fertility?

Feeling tired upon waking
Unexplainable aches and pains
Skin and hair that is lackluster
Puffy and tired eyes in the morning
Lacking spring in your step - feeling heavy and slow
Sugar and caffeine cravings
Mental confusion and scattered thoughts
Lack of sense of purpose and direction in life
Feeling frazzled with your to-do list
No energy to exercise
Frequent colds and infections
Feeling irritable and tired most of the time
Low threshold for pain
Flying off handle easily
Feeling emotionally vulnerable, teary and misunderstand
Insomnia and restless sleep
Signs of premature aging
Excess weight no diet seems to be able to remove
Sluggish digestion
Low libido and loss of interest in your partner
Feeling depressed
Lack of motivation
Menstrual irregularities
Infertility

Most cases of chronic fatigue can be addressed with simple yet effective lifestyle and dietary changes.

How can you increase your fertility by controlling your fatigue?

Eliminated all caffeine from your diet for 6 weeks. Then drinking organic green tea in moderation.
Stop consuming refined food which contains white sugar, white flour and white rice.
Avoid all artificial sweeteners.
Avoid sugar. Sugar lowers immunity.
Avoid margarine.
Avoid commercial cereal, bread and snacks made with flour and grains.
Exercise daily. A brisk walk for 40 minutes helps.
Drink purified water with fresh peppermint, lemon and lime to help with sugar cravings.
Eat nuts and seeds, seasoned organic fruit and vegetables.
Go to bed before 10 pm and get up between 6 and 7 every morning.
Take a good quality fish oil, multivitamin and probiotic daily.

Following these guidelines for six and watch your body, energy level and fertility transform. Fatigue is the result of hormonal and immune imbalances in the body caused by intake of food which is loaded with empty calories, toxins, endocrine disruptors and anti-nutrient devoid of enzymes, vitality, vitamins and minerals.

Side Effects and Costs of Fertility Treatments-Optimize Natural Fertility First!

2012-06-11T10:24:54Z

IVF should never be the first choice for fertility issues and should only be used once all has been done to address the underlying causes. Optimizing reproductive health through natural means first is the most beneficial to mom and baby.

Technology, while it has its place, cannot prevent disease nor enhance one's well-being and overall health. Infertility treatments are no different. There is a place for assisted reproductive technology and sometimes it is the only viable option. You can actually do ART and natural methods to double your chances of success with ART. Studies have shown that couples going through IVF are 47% more successful if they used pre-conceptual health care first.

Financial Costs of ART - In the US an average IVF cycle costs between $10,000 and $20,000. Additional charges apply if you choose a donor, artificial insemination and freezing. Health care usually does not cover the newer procedures. For women over 40 IVF is up to 4 times less cost effective.

Health Risks of ART - IVF drugs have been shown to be dangerous for the health of mothers as well as babies and there is no clear evidence they increase a woman's chances of conceiving. There is a high risk of birth deformity and severe health problems associated with IVF births. One study in 2005 showed 43 babies out of every thousand conceived using IVF techniques suffered from a variety of abnormalities including genetic deformities, brain disorders, developmental delays and genital malformations.

One study indicated significantly higher risks of long-term medical problems for children conceived via artificial means and advised that the children should be monitored well into adulthood - there is no long-term data available at this time about their health.

Studies show that there is:

20% - 34% higher risk of miscarriage
55% increased risk of pre-eclampsia
155% increased risk of stillbirth
170% - 200% increased risk of low birth rate

Another study conducted in 2007 showed children conceived through IVF visit hospitals more times than naturally conceived children. It was stated that infections, respiratory ad inflammatory diseases and neurological disorders were more common among those born after IVF.

High unnatural does of artificial hormones play havoc with a woman's body and mind which impacts their mental health. They have a higher rate of depressive symptoms and major depression. Couples become emotionally and physically broke after repeated IVF cycles.

After you've optimized your natural fertility which will make you healthier in the long run and increase your odds for conception, IVF may be a choice. Using preconception health care with IVF minimizes all the risks to you and your baby's health.

Trying to Conceive? Managing Stress Can Help

2012-06-08T13:13:11Z

More and more studies suggest that stress and infertility have a connection. This applies to both men and women. Learning how to deal with stress may help your chances for conception.

It's been proven that prolonged stress can cause many physical changes within the body. This emotion triggers neural and biochemical reactions; which in turn can affect the everyday functioning of our bodies.

Chronic stress can produce an abundance of the adrenal hormones which keeps you in constant "fight or fight" response.

Stress and fertility are believed to have a relationship; especially when tests have shown no obvious explanation. The rates of unexplained infertility have been rising over the years. Considering our stressful lives, this is no surprise.

When stress is chronic, the brain's signals to the hypothalamus gets confused. This is turn can send mixed messages to the pituitary gland, which is responsible for secreting certain hormones essential for sexual organs to function. The instructions that make certain biochemical reactions occur within the body are not working properly; resulting in hormonal disturbances.

Hormones travel via the bloodstream. The blood flow to the reproductive organs can also be disrupted through stress. A stressed body can temporarily shut down some of the non-essential bodily functions (including ovulation, sperm production, or conception). This is so the body can put all of its energy into action upon the presumed immediate treat to survival (fight or flight response).

In women, stress ca affect hormone imbalances which can upset ovulation by affecting the maturation and release of the egg. Stress can also cause spasms in the fallopian tubes and the uterus which can prevent the implantation of a fertilized egg.

Trying to conceive can be an extremely stressful event and a vicious cycle can occur. What can you do?

Decrease stress levels
Exercise
Eat a balanced diet
Practice meditation, visualization or guided imagery
Participate in energy/body work

Click here for affirmations for fertility and conception.

Are Your Sleep Habits Causing Fertility Issues?

2012-06-04T14:30:00Z

Did you know there is a link between fertility and sleep deprivation? Most of us know that getting enough sleep is important for overall health and well-being. It turns out that sleep is very important when it comes to fertility. So, if you are doing everything else right and still having an issue with conceiving, your sleep habits may be the missing piece of the puzzle!

How Much Sleep Should You Get? Regularly getting an inadequate amount of sleep is known as sleep deprivation. The average woman aged 30 to 60 should be getting seven to nine hours of sleep. They are averaging six hours and forty minutes.

How does sleep affect fertility? Sleep deprivation has a profound effect on hormones, memory, mood, digestion, alertness, concentration, immune function and cell repair. Sleep deprivation affects fertility by its effect on hormones in the body, primarily through the hormone Leptin. Leptin is the hormone responsible for ovulation in women and adequate sleep is needed for proper Leptin production. If this is interrupted, the menstrual cycle can be disrupted. Sleep also affects other fertility hormones including luteinizing hormone, follicle stimulating hormone, estrogen and progesterone.

Sleep deprivation also disrupts the body's circadian rhythm. This is the body's internal clock that regulates the sleep and wake cycle. Too little sleep leads to low leptin levels - the hormone responsible for appetite which can impact ovulation.

Stress can also affect our sleep cycles.

Exposure to artificial light can inhibit good sleep. To reduce the negative heath effects of artificial lights, turn off the TV and computer several hours before bed.

Be consistent in your sleep routine. Go to bed and wake up a the same time each day. Don't sleep in on the weekends. Avoid caffeine, alcohol and cigarettes. See if any of your medications interfere with your sleep. Start a relaxing bedtime routine. Take a warm bath and have a light snack an hour or two before bedtime.

Try changing some of your routines to see if your fertility issues are linked to sleep deprivation.

"Listening to Mothers" - Benefits of Midwifery and Doula Support

2012-05-14T12:43:28Z

Each year, more than four million women give birth around the world. This means, no matter what you may be going through, and no matter how alone you might feel in the process, chances are someone else has experienced the exact same thing at one time or another. Lat year, the Maternity Center Association launched a nationwide survey evaluating the experiences of 1,600 recently pregnant women. The breakthrough study, "Listening to Mothers," was designed to "provide healthcare providers, pregnant and parenting women, and the general public with a more complete understanding of the childbearing experience as it is experienced in America today."

Overall, the survey revealed a high percentage of women reporting generally positive experiences from pregnancy to postpartum. Among those reporting positive experiences, special emphasis was placed on the role that the labor support team played in their birthing experience. Doulas and midwives ranked higher than any other member of the labor support team, and were strongly associated with lower levels of pain medications during labor. Despite this, only five percent of the women surveyed reported having used the help of a doula or midwife. This research would indicate that doula and midwife care is a sorely underused resource that, when used, can bring a range of benefits to both mother and child.

Doula support has been found to be helpful for:

A very high number of positive birth outcomes
Women were less likely to have pain relief medications administered
They were less likely to have a cesarean birth
Having a doula as a member of the birth team decreases the overall cesarean rate by 50%, the length of labor by 25%, the use of oxytocin by 40% and requests for an epidural by 60%

Fertility Drugs

2012-05-07T10:45:40Z

Fertility drugs are the most common treatment for women having trouble reproducing; the drugs are given to promote hormonal release and ovulation regulation. The drugs are often times taken in conjunction with vitro fertilization as a holistic approach to reproductive issues.

One common type of fertility drug is Clomid/Serophene. This is usually the first medication given to women who are having problems reproducing and is created for those who are experiencing abnormal ovulation. Brand names include hypothalamus and clomiphene. These drugs target the brain in hopes that it will begin to release hormones that produce eggs in the ovary. Women orally take these drugs once per day for five specific days during the menstrual cycle; 60% - 80% of women will successfully ovulating after taking the drug, and about half will become pregnant.

When Clomid is unsuccessful, doctors will promote the use of injectable hormones which also promote ovulation. There are several brand names for these drugs and all aim to directly implant hormones into the body. The injections begin on the second or third day of the menstrual cycle and may be given in addition to oral drugs. Many women are then able to ovulate with an additional 50% of those women becoming pregnant.

Despite the fact that doctors approve drugs like these as a plausible solution to their infertility issues, there are also many risks involved. Multiple births are common among pregnancies induced by drugs, especially twins. Clomid leaves couples with a 10% chance of producing twins with other reproductive drugs chances increase to as high as 30%.

Women also must be warned the chances of developing Ovarian hyperstimulation Syndrome upon taking these drugs. This takes place when the ovaries become abnormally large and fill with fluid and is released into the women's body.

Here are some quick tips that you can do today to enhance your fertility:

Here are some daily affirmations for enhancing your fertility:

How Can You Increase Your Fertility Naturally?

2012-04-20T10:43:06Z

According to U.S. News Health, one in seven American couples struggle with infertility, sometimes for reasons doctors cannot iagnose or explain. Many couples resort to medicines, taken orally or intravenously, to increase the woman's ovulation. Other couples may try Assistive Reproductive Technology (ART), a medical procedure that works by removing the eggs from a woman's body, mixing the eggs with the man's sperm, and placing the resulting embryo back into the woman's body. However, fertility medicines and invasive medical procedures can be very expensive. Before you worry yourself over these costs and complications, consider one low-cost home remedy: a change to your diet.

Harvard University's Nurses' Study reports that restricting the intake of some foods, such as trans fats (fried foods, snack foods, i.e. pizza, pastries, cookies, candies) can have a beneficial effect on promoting healthy ovulation. Women trying to increase fertility should try healthier alternatives such as whole grains, fruits, and vegetables. Studies have also shown that eating small amounts of high-fat dairy products such as whole milk, ice-cream, and cheese also increase fertility.

Elective C-Sections

2012-04-09T11:32:20Z

Today, more and more healthy pregnant women are opting for Cesarean delivery over natural births, and many of them are scheduling the all-important procedure to take place before their newborns have reached full-term. Despite the widely held understanding that a healthy full term pregnancy should last about 40 weeks, recent studies have found that as many as 36 percent of elective C-sections now occur before 39 weeks.

Research published by the New York Times in August 2011 revealed that this trend has led to an alarming increase in health complications for both mother and child in elective pre-term deliveries. Complications may include respiratory distress, infection, and low blood sugar, among other things. Such problems are likely caused by insufficient development of vital organs like the brain, lungs and liver that typically occurs in the 39^th and 40^th weeks of pregnancy.

This research confirms what natural birthing experts have been saying all along: When possible, deliver naturally. Your body is the best judge of when you're ready to give birth. So listen to your body. It will ensure the best for both you and your baby.

Home Birth Advice

2012-04-02T10:48:23Z

Despite negative connotations, home births are making a dramatic comeback in the United States. While it is still not necessarily popular to give birth at home, since 2004 % more American women are choosing to abandon traditional hospital births for the comfort of their own homes.

There is not a clear reason for the increase, but some speculate that women are delivering at home in order to remove themselves from hospital procedures such as C-sections. Medical interventions have increased in hospital births the past several years, concerning some women and hospital-birth critics.

Those who birth from home begin planning for the big day well in advance. Finding a midwife or doctor who the mother feels comfortable with is the first step; it is also important to decide what spaces in the home would be most conducive to birthing needs.

Experts suggest that healthy low-risk pregnant women are the best candidates for delivering outside of the hospital. Home birth may not be for those who are diabetic, have high blood pressure or have given premature birth in the past or are at risk of doing so now. Home births are most successful when the partner is in complete support of the birthing decision.

Childbirth: Every Detail Counts

2012-03-30T12:56:51Z

Childbirth is undoubtedly one of the most challenging, yet rewarding experiences in any woman's life. But have you ever considered the different factors that can affect the ease and success of this all-so-important life event? In 2011, the Cochrane Collaboration, an international group of medical researchers, published their findings on this topic. The researchers assessed the effects on mothers and their newborn babies of providing continuous one-on-one support for women during childbirth. The study considered continuous support to be any assistance to the mother addressing physical comfort, emotional support, offering of information, helping the women communicate their wishes to caregivers, and engaging their partners. Results suggested that the women who were high in all of these factors were less likely to take anesthesia or give birth by cesarean, among many other positive results.

This research emphasizes the vast importance of addressing the mother's unique needs and desires. Where do you want to give birth? Would you prefer to be at home or in a hospital? Do you wish to give birth naturally or would you rather receive an epidural? Will your partner be in the room with you? Etcetera. When it comes to one of the most important days in yours and your baby's life, no detail is too small to consider. So, as your due date fast approaches, think about what it is that you want out of your birthing experience.

Stressed Out About Getting Pregnant?

2012-03-26T12:45:17Z

For so many women around the world, getting pregnant seems like an impossible task. Conceiving can be a long, frustrating struggle for aspiring mothers, often causing anxiety and stress. However, new research published in New York Times by the Journal of Fertility and Sterility has found that simply reducing your stress levels can improve your chances of getting pregnant. The study followed 274 healthy women who had just started trying to conceive. Researchers tracked the women's stress levels by taking weekly saliva samples, testing for the stress hormone cortisol. Results of the study indicated that women with the highest concentrations of stress hormones were 12 percent less likely to become pregnant each month.

This study supports a larger body of research examining the role of stress on the reproductive system. It shows once again that there are natural solutions to increasing your fertility and getting pregnant. IVF doesn't have to be the way. Before you go down the fertility treatment path, consider holistic options, starting with stress reduction techniques like yoga and meditation. Trying to get pregnant can be stressful, but there are many natural ways to decrease this stress, increase fertility, and enhance your chances of finally getting pregnant!