Am I Too Old?

"Do you think I am too old to have a baby?" or "do you think I stand a chance of getting pregnant & having a baby?" These are the questions I am frequently asked by women who are trying to conceive & are in their late 30's to mid 40's. Unfortunately, this is a question where there really is no definitive answer as each couples situation is very individual. Therefore, this question can really only be answered in retrospect after both prospective parents have done everything possible to support conception & a healthy pregnancy & baby.

Statistically, in women it appears that optimal fertility is before the age of 30 - 31 years & that fertility then gradually decreases with an acceleration towards the age of 40 years old. For instance, at age 40 a women's fertility is approximately a 1/4 of what it was when she was 30 years old.

Our current understanding around female reproduction is that a women is born with all her eggs [approximately 1/2 million] & then with the onset of her menstrual cycle, she will lose between 20-30 follicles with each cycle & eventually run out of eggs. However, recent studies on female rats are questioning, is it that women are running out of eggs or is it that her eggs are becoming less responsive to hormone signals? Certainly, we know that at around 10 years before a women goes through menopause her ovaries go through a process called "oopause" in which her ovaries become less responsive to hormone changes in her body & less responsive to sperm.

The Good News!

So what does all this mean for the mature women trying to conceive? Can a women who is forty plus conceive naturally? Yes absolutely, women have always had babies in their early 40's long before IVF & other artificial reproductive technologies [ART] were around. What is different today is that women are often trying to conceive their first child in their late 30's & early 40's as opposed to conceiving their 5th or 6th child.

In fact for women over 42 years they have a higher chance of conceiving naturally than they do through IVF [this does not include other ART procedures such as ICSI or egg donation].

The good news is there is a lot you can do to improve your egg quality & responsiveness. In terms of your ability to conceive & have a baby, the quality & responsiveness of your eggs & ovaries is far more important than the number of eggs you have.

Free Mini Taster Menstrual & Fertility Wellbeing Workshop

Firstly, I would like to say a big thank you to everyone that took the time to the complete the survey questionnaire I sent out in January, regarding a two day workshop on "Menstrual & Fertility Wellbeing." Kate [who will be co-facilitating this workshop with me] & I really appreciate you taking the time to do this as it has helped us immensely to plan the workshop & find out what you would most want to gain from attending the workshop.

Consequently, I am excited to announce that the overall response from the survey was very positive. Therefore, Kate & I will be running this two day workshop together over two consecutive Saturdays on May 18th & 25th.

For more details & to register for the workshop please Click Here

Free Mini Menstrual & Fertility Wellbeing 'Taster' Workshop

Saturday 2nd March

3.20pm-4.00pm

Kate & I will be presenting the above taster workshop at the New Energy Festival, Doncaster, Melbourne.
Also, Kate & I have a stand at the festival if you would like to meet us, have a chat & find out more about our work.

For more information on the New Energy Festival & to purchase your entrance ticket please
 Click Here

It would be lovely to see you at the festival if you are able to come along.

Menstrual & Fertile Blessings,

Male Factor Fertility & Creating A Healthy Baby

In this blog I am turning the spotlight on the guys & taking a look at male fertility & sperm health. For the women reading this you may need to approach your man on this subject sensitively; as culturally & emotionally being a "super stud" & having the ability to father a child goes to the core of a man's sense of masculinity & therefore his self-worth. This stems back to before the mid-fifties & prior to research on semen sample investigation; when if a couple were having difficulty conceiving the focus & medical investigation was directed at he women. The 'problem' was thought to be with her & if a man was able to have an erection & ejaculate it was assumed that he was fertile.

In my own personal experience when my husband's sperm analysis showed that he did not have any sperm in his semen, he was totally convinced that the laboratory had made an error which caused his sperm to vanish from the sample. He did not budge from this stance until six months later when he finally agreed to undergo another sperm analysis, which came back with the same result.Often the information needs to come from someone else other than you, so if your partner is willing to read the following article it could be a good starting point.

To the guys about to read this article I would like to thank you for taking the time to do so & for your willingness & openness.

Modern research has revealed that when couples are having difficulty conceiving at least 40% of the reason relates to male factors [egg & womb being the other reason] & some studies have indicated that as much as 75% of infertility may be due to the male.

The good news is that in the majority of cases natural therapies can significantly improve the quality of sperm parameters. For instance in a study of 51 infertile men  who were treated with the herb Tribulus for 3 months, their ejaculate volume, sperm count & motility [movement] improved significantly. Their sperm shape & appearance normalized. In addition 31 pregnancies were recorded amongst their partners within 12 months of commencing Tribulus. It is important to realize that at least a 100 days of specific targeted treatment is required for improvement to occur because it takes this amount of time for new sperm to generate and mature

Secondary Infertility & The Struggle For Another Child

Secondary infertility is defined as when a couple who have one or more biological children are unable to conceive another child after trying for 12 months or more. Also, that their current child or children were conceived naturally without the intervention of reproductive technology or fertility drugs.

It is estimated that approximately 10-17% of all couples experience either primary or secondary infertility or sub-fertility at some stage during their fertile years. Around 40% of primary or secondary infertility is related to male factors, 30% to ovulation dysfunction & 20% to female reproductive conditions such as blocked fallopian tubes, fibroids & endometriosis. Frequently both male & female factors are involved. Approximately 10% of cases are diagnosed as unexplained infertility.

Often the assumption is that if you have easily concieved a child you will have no problem with subsequent conception attempts. However, this is not always the case as the body can change and new health issues can arise & sperm & egg quality can decline

The Emotional Aspect Of Secondary Infertility
Firstly, if you are experiencing difficulties in having more children, I just want to acknowledge that any feelings you may have of anger, loss, grief, jealousy, resentment, isolation or despair are just as valid as they are for a women who has not been able to conceive at all. However, you may receive less support & understanding as often the message is 'be grateful for the child or children you already have."

Frequently, the women I see with secondary infertility issues say something like "don't get me wrong I am very grateful for the child I have & I know I am lucky but........" This is because they have somehow been made to feel guilty about their desire to have another child when others struggle to have one at all. It's okay to long for another child, you are not being selfish & it is natural to feel the loss & pain of being unable to conceive another child. Very often too there is a strong desire to provide a sibling for your child, especially if you experienced close relationships with your sibling[s] when growing up.

Causes Of Secondary Infertility
The causes of secondary infertility are exactly the same as those of primary infertility. Therefore, what I will focus on in this article are the factors that I commonly see change after the birth of a child that can create a state of sub-fertility:

Is your Monthly Cycle Controlling Your Life? Does Your family Move Out The Week Before You Get Your Period?

 

Many women accept premenstrual syndrome [PMS] as a normal part of life that they just have to deal with. This monthly mayhem does not have to be a part of life though! These monthly extreme changes in mood, appetite, energy  & sleep patterns are not 'normal' & are a sign that your body is out of balance. Although, it is natural for you to experience some changes in your mood & energy along with the cyclic hormonal shifts it certainly doesn't need to be to the extent that it totally disrupts your life. 

Simple & Highly Effective Ways To Use Food To Help You Get Pregnant

Dear Participant, of the 'Conscious Conception & Parenting Summit' telecast/webcast series, please post below any questions or comments you may have pertaining to my presentation 'Simple & Effective Ways To Use Food To Help You Get Pregnant' held on Wednesday 29th August 2012.

I will endeavour to answer your question within the week, so please check back in a week for your answer.

7 Ways to Boost Your Fertility & Get Pregnant

Dear participant, of the 'Conscious Conception & Parenting Summit' if you have any questions  pertaining to the presentation I gave on Wednesday 22nd August 2012 on '7 ways To Boost Your Fertility & Get Pregnant.' Please post your question[s] or comment here & I will endeavor to answer them over the next week.

I know that fertility can be a sensitive area, so you can remain anonymous if you wish to, but if you are happy to do so, please leave your name too.