Women Infertility Treatment & Pregnancy Guide

Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, also called PCOS, is an endocrine or hormonal disorder and is the most common cause of infertility in women. PCOS may affect a woman’s menstrual cycle, hormones, insulin production, heart blood vessels. and finally appearance. If the quantity of male hormones is more than that of female hormones in a woman’s body then she is likely to suffer from PCOS. This growth of PCOS adversely affects the ovulation rate of a woman and can cause irregular ovulation.

PCOS restricts the growth of ovarian follicles and as a result these follicles are not able to release eggs. The follicles are left with less time to reach maturity and they continue to grow as small size cysts (fluid-filled sacs) in the ovaries. However women with cysts need not necessarily have PCOS.

Symptoms of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)

The main symptoms of PCOS that doctors look for while diagnosing the causes of infertility include:

• Irregular and/or no ovulation which means no eggs to be impregnated

• Irregular and/or no menstruation

• Increased growth of hair on the face, chest, stomach, back, thumbs, or toes

• High levels of male hormones, also called androgens

• Severe acne, oily skin, or dandruff

• Considerable pelvic pain

• Weight gain or obesity, especially extra weight around the waist

• High cholesterol level and high blood pressure

• Type 2 diabetes

• Male-pattern baldness or thinning of hair

• Skin discolorations around the genitals, chest and arm pits

• Growth of skin tags, or tiny flaps of skin in the armpits or neck area

• Sleep apnea i.e. excessive snoring and occasional stoppage of breathing while sleeping

• Insulin resistance

All of these symptoms need not be present for the diagnosis of PCO. The tests to confirm the suspected diagnosis include:

1. A reverse FSH/LH ratio performed on Day 3 of the menstrual cycle

2. Characteristic appearance of the ovaries on a pelvic ultrasound

3. Characteristic appearance of the ovaries when visualized surgically by laparoscopy or laparotomy

Treatment for Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)

As per the U.S. Department of Health & Human Services, treatment procedures for PCOS differ from one patient to another based on symptoms and whether the woman wants to conceive or needs contraception. A detailed look at the symptoms and family history is essential to start appropriate treatment. Controlling the symptoms of PCOS is the best cure to reduce the risks associated with it.

To control the side effects of PCOS a healthy diet and regular exercise are crucial. The remedies for Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) include:

• Contraceptive pills: Not exactly a cure for PCOS, these pills regulates menstrual periods, reduce male hormone levels and acne growth. But once the pills are discontinued, the menstrual cycle tends to again become abnormal.

• Diabetes Medications: Medicines for type 2 diabetes such as Metformin, also called Glucophage, regulates glucose, decreases testosterone production, slows down abnormal hair growth and normalize ovulation after a few months of use.

• Fertility treatments: The lack of ovulation is the main fertility problem for women with PCOS. However, before starting with fertility treatment it is essential that ***** count and the partner’s tubes are checked to make sure they are open.

• Ovarian Drilling Surgery: This surgery, considered the last treatment option, is used to induce ovulation. This helps in reducing male hormone levels and aids ovulation. However, the surgery carries a risk of developing scar tissue on the ovary.

• Maintaining a healthy body weight: Healthy weight lowers glucose levels, restores regular periods and uses insulin more effectively. It has been proved that losing even a small amount of weight can help balance hormones and restore fertility.

If the normal course of treatment for PCOS does not yield positive conception results, it is essential to seek out the care of a Reproductive Endocrinologist. East Bay Fertility Center (www.ebfertility.com), California, offers a wide range of infertility treatments along with expert medical counseling to couples facing difficulty in conceiving. Under the guidance of Dr. Ellen U. Snowden, Medical Director and physician, medical staff at East Bay provides dedicated treatment for infertility and reproductive endocrine issues. East Bay Fertility Center specializes in providing infertility treatments such as in-vitro fertilization, insemination, Intracytoplasmic ***** injection, egg donation and gestational surrogacy.

With the right type of treatment and intervention, East Bay Fertility Center assists couples who have been having problems conceiving to overcome those difficulties in the shortest possible time in order to realize their dreams of having a healthy baby.

Call us at 925.828.9235 for a free initial consultation or visit our website at www.ebfertility.com for more details about infertility treatments and more.

Is it normal to have fatigue in early pregnancy? Read on to discover why fatigue in early pregnancy happens and what you can do to make sure you are not nutritionally depleted.

Pregnancy is an amazing event in a woman’s life. No matter how long or how hard we study pregnancy we will never fully understand why women get so many very early pregnancy symptoms such as pregnancy fatigue.

From the moment of conception, the developing fetus needs lots of vitamins and minerals to ensure normal cell and organ growth and to prevent congenital abnormalities. As the developing fetus grows it also grows a living organ called the placenta, that allows vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, oxygen, nutrients, hormones and blood to cross from the mother’s blood supply to the developing fetus.

Mothers are givers by nature and during pregnancy they unconditionally and continuously give all their reserve nutrients to their offspring in an attempt to grow a healthy baby. Under normal pregnancy this is be a huge physical drain on the mother’s physical energy level and this is why pregnant women are given pre-natal vitamins.

Prior pregnancy many men and women are depleted in vitamins and minerals because of our lifestyles and the food we eat. Vitamins and minerals are essential in building healthy cells and organs. Many miscarriages are caused by abnormal eggs and sperms due to the lack of adequate vitamins and minerals in the cells prior to conception.

A body lacking vitamins and minerals is in a depleted state which can cause physical disease, irritability, depression and fatigue. The stress of pregnancy on top of this depletion results in a lot of pregnancy fatigue.

Pregnant women need more sleep than normal as when they sleep there is less physical stress on the mother’s body. Therefore sleep gives the mother a better chance of adjusting to all the demands of pregnancy.

It is very important as soon as you know you are pregnant to take vitamins and minerals, especially folic acid (600-micrograms) as folic acid helps prevent congenital abnormalities. If you are not already supplementing your diet with vitamins and minerals, then purchase some until you have an appointment with your health care provider.

Better still, if you are planning to get pregnant, start supplementing your diet with vitamins and minerals to make your body more nutritionally sound, reduce miscarriage risk and reduce the degree of fatigue during early pregnancy.

OK I have spoken a lot about vitamins, minerals and antioxidants and you may be wondering how could you be nutritionally depleted or even be tired if you already supplement. Well the truth is most people supplement with vitamins only and they supplement with a pill delivery system which has a very poor absorption rate. The best way to supplement is a liquid delivery system which has about a 95% absorption rate. Vitamins alone are not good enough, the body needs minerals for optimal health and minerals are necessary to absorb vitamins. For information about a high quality vitamin, mineral and antioxidant product view

http://www.PregnancySuccessCoach.com

You may also be very interested in an amazing message that was telepathically dictated to me for humanity from my son when he was seven-weeks old. Yes you read correctly! I have the ability to communicate with baby’s emotions from inside and outside the womb. Down load this AMAZING MESSAGE FREE at

http://www.PregnancySuccessCoach.com/Message_For_Humanity.html

If you wish to ask me a personal question about your pregnancy or an issue in your life then visit http://www.PregnancySuccessCoach.com/Ask_Hannah_Section.html

Hannah Bajor. C.N.M.,M.S.N.

Certified Nurse Midwife

Pregnancy Success Coach

Even though there are a few books written about fertility and nutrition, and a ton of stuff online, I appreciate that this topic can be very confusing. I will briefly describe what I determine to be the most important nutritional foundation to lay when trying to conceive. Whatever tweaking you do from there is at least being done upon a solid foundation.

 

First, let’s start off by identifying the most important goal of your fertility nutrition. It’s twofold in my opinion:

 

1.  Your nutrition should be providing you with a complete range of nutrients, meaning all the nutrients that your body needs to nourish your system and create energy and life force for you on a daily basis. Said another way, you want to begin removing the things you put in your body that steal your energy. You want your nutrition to leave you with more energy than you started with before eating, not less.

 

2. Your nutrition should be a stabilizing force to the endocrine system. The way most people eat is far from stabilizing. Rather, it is burdensome. Meal after meal, day after day, this becomes quite a strain on the endocrine system. Our endocrine system, as you may recall, is a delicately balanced system of hormones. Your hormonal balance is essential in trying to conceive.

 

The key is this: In order to stabilize hormones, your body needs the three macronutrients, in proper balance for you, at each meal. The three macronutrients are: protein, essential fat and complex carbohydrates. When the body receives these macronutrients in proper proportion for you, your nutrition is converted to fuel and balance. It is supportive to your system vs. burdensome.

 

Of course, what you choose to eat as a protein, essential fat and complex-carb is important as well. A good rule of thumb is when you eat a food that is in its most whole and natural state, you are going to get the most energy or life force from it. A food that hasn’t been processed will be converted to Qi or Energy in your body. It will be able to provide your system with life force. Your body can’t convert life force for you  when you eat foods that have been so over-processed, because there is no Qi or life force left in them.

 

You want life force or essence out of the food you eat, so you’ll need to eat foods in their whole state as much as possible. That doesn’t mean not cooking foods. It just means that you will get so much more for yourself from fresh sautéed vegetables than you will from canned vegetables. There’s very little Qi left in canned vegetables. You will provide life force to your system when you eat a meal of baked chicken, sautéed vegetables and a dollop of brown rice than you would if you threw a Lean Cuisine in the microwave. The Lean Cuisine is dead. Thus, you will not only NOT be supplying your body with Qi, you will be asking your body to break down and deal with a dead meal, meaning you’ll be spending Qi for nothing, for no nutritive Qi in exchange.

 

This is really important to understand. Eat food that is alive and has life force. You are trying to build your life force up in your body so that you can create a new life. To answer the question, “Is nutrition really important in trying to conceive?” I answer a resounding yes!

Is it a deal breaker for fertility if you eat yams or chaste berries, or avoid soy? The list goes on and on. I would say, “Deal breaker? I don’t think so. Are they healthy to the system? Yes. Therefore, eat them.”

 

Here is the best way I can guide you as to whether certain foods will work or not work for you. If you eat a meal that has a lot of wheat in it, and an hour later you don’t feel energetic, and maybe you even feel bloated, then something you ate in your last meal needs adjusting. If you begin noticing that meals that don’t contain wheat leave you feeling centered, clear headed, energetic and good an hour afterward, then you can deduce that your system and wheat aren’t the best match. That will be true for some, but not all. There are no absolutes. Remember, you have to discover what serves you and what doesn’t.

 

What about green tea? In my opinion, the benefits of green tea outweigh the small amount of caffeine in it. Thus, drinking green tea adds more to you than it takes away. That may not be true for a woman who is extremely sensitive to caffeine, but in general, it’s more true than not. Try to remember that it’s about moderation.

 

You see how individual (and not black and white) things are. We have gotten so outwardly focused in our fast-paced lives that we’ve completely stopped checking in with ourselves, noticing what works and what doesn’t. We want blanket answers and we want them now. We want to be able to quickly implement these external answers, have it work for us and rush off to the next thing to do.

 

I must tell you that meeting up with the nutrition that serves you best will require you to be inwardly focused, engaged, and willing to listen and make the necessary adjustments, and mostly, to be patient. That kind of sounds like parenting! Could that be a coincidence?

Women who were pregnant between 1938 and 1971 were commonly given diethylstilbestrol (DES) by their doctors. DES is a synthetic estrogen. Doctors used to believe that DES helped to reduce the number of miscarriages and premature births that women were experiencing. If your mother was given DES, then you may experience some infertility problems or other health complications as a result.

First, try to determine if your mother was given DES during her pregnancy with you. This may be hard to determine because it may have happened so long ago. Also, many doctors just told their patients that they were taking vitamins. The really sad part about this is that DES exposure can cause cancer and infertility in the women that took it, as well as their children. If you determine that you were exposed to DES, then you should inform your doctor or infertility specialist so that special care can be taken, especially during infertility treatment.

Being exposed to DES in utero puts women at a higher risk for pregnancy complications such as ectopic pregnancies, miscarriage or premature deliveries. This does not mean that you are incapable of becoming pregnant and carrying to term if you have been exposed to DES. Many women do become pregnant and carry to term despite their exposure. The reasons that DES has negative effects on women are not entirely clear. It is widely believed that the DES exposure affects the formation of the cervix. If this is true, then it can explain why exposed women have a higher number of miscarriages than non-exposed women.

If you suspect that you have been exposed to DES, then it is very important to work closely with your family physician or infertility specialist. Your doctor should order screenings to see if you have any of the negative health effects of DES exposure. ****** exams and mammograms should be performed regularly. Self ****** exams should be performed at least monthly so that you can catch changes early. You should receive regular pelvic exams and PAP smears. Your doctor may do an extra type of PAP smear to check for clear cell adencarcinoma, believed to be caused by DES exposure.

Clear cell adencarcinoma is the type of cancer believed to be linked to DES exposure. This is a rare type of cancer that affects the ****** and cervix. Survival rates are very high for this type of cancer. The most common treatment for clear cell adencarcinoma is surgery. The surgery usually includes the removal of the uterus, fallopian tubes, and ovaries. Occasionally the vagina, or parts of the vagina, must also be removed. The surrounding lymph glands may also be removed. Radiation may also be used to treat the cancer.

Work closely with a caring physician or infertility specialist that understands what you could be facing. If it is determined that you were exposed to DES, then you will need special health care as well as special pregnancy monitoring in your quest to conquer infertility.

On occasion, patients of Dr. Daiter, Eric have offered their testimonials for other couples seeking quality infertility treatment. This testimonial may help you with your decision when you are choosing a reproductive endocrinologist for your infertility treatment.

Dr. Daiter, Eric was always discussing with us where we were and what our next options were. He explained all the various treatments from mildly aggressive to very aggressive and worked with us to come up with a plan that we all felt comfortable with. I always felt like he kept me very well informed so that I could make intelligent choices. He always personally called me when ever I had some tests done, as soon as he got the results and discussed them. This was usually within a day of the tests being done. That really stood out in my mind because, with all my other doctors, when I have lab work done, it takes a good week before I hear anything from them. Even then, many times their policy is to have the office staff call only when there is a problem. You can only hope that nothing was overlooked.

I spoke to other people who were going to other Infertility Specialists in the area and they said their doctors would only discuss the test results after a whole series of tests were done. The patients expressed that the doctors made them feel rushed and uncomfortable asking a lot of questions. They also expressed that the office staff was rude and abrupt with them when they called with questions. I was very fortunate – I never felt this way with Dr. Daiter, Eric or his office staff.

When you’ve been trying to get pregnant for over a year and still nothing seems to be happening, there’s always that question. ‘Is there something wrong?’ A choice has to made as to whether testing is the road that you will take as a couple. It’s not just the woman who will be tested for infertility, it’s the man as well. Approximately 30% of conception problems is due to male infertility.

Male infertility causes

Male infertility can be caused by a number of reasons, and testing will be carried out for various problems.

The one that most people already know about is mumps. Mumps can cause ********* to swell, leading to a drop in ***** production. STD’s – Sexually transmitted diseases can cause problems with conception. Genetic illness can cause infertility. Hormone problems. Vasectomy reversal. Enlarged veins around the *********. Cancer treatments can stop ***** production temporarily or for good. Some treatments damage the ***** producing cells. There may also be a psychological reason behind the infertility. Blockages in tubes can lead to low quantity or no ***** at all. Poor ***** motility. Malformed *****.

There are course other male infertility causes. Recreational drugs can lower ***** quantity and quality, as can some prescribed medicines.

Smoking and drinking can also contribute towards male infertility.

Anabolic steroids can stop ***** production altogether. They may make your muscles look big, but that’s about the only plus point!

There is good news, male infertility can be treated. Sometimes you may get male infertility treatments on the NHS, or you may have to go to a specialist clinic. There are of course alternative treatments for male infertility. Some men swear by herbal treatments or acupuncture, just be sure to see a qualified practitioner.

To see more about male infertility and some treatments to help, join me Julie at:  http://www.new-baby-and-beyond.com/male-infertility-causes.html or  http://www.new-baby-and-beyond.com/male-infertility-treatments.html