Your Guide to Emotional Recovery after Abortion

Losing a child, especially through abortion, is not an easy thing to deal with. Women who go through abortion, for whatever reason, often suffer from bouts of guilt, depression, and sadness with the feeling of having lost something. There are a lot of things that might go on in the mind of someone who has had an abortion, and if these things go unresolved, it may cause that person to do certain things they wouldn’t normally do. Some of these things may include turning to substance abuse, like alcohol or drugs or even hurting oneself to help release the feelings of guilt, depression, and anger that may be coursing through their mind. Recovering emotionally as well as mentally from an abortion requires more than just trying to come to terms with what happened, it also requires a little help from people around you and from deep within yourself.

Getting Started

When you are faced with the fact that you had an abortion, you may sometimes want to hide from that reality by turning to things that might make you forget about your feelings like drugs or alcohol. These are just temporary reprieves from reality and after your “fix”, you find yourself faced with the fact that it did happen and the bad feelings you have about it are still there. There are others who, instead of trying to forget, want to remember and continuously punish themselves for what happened by constantly remembering. These actions do not work towards your healing and do not help you recuperate from the bad feelings you have about the abortion.

The first thing you need to do is to face the reality that it did happen and you have to learn to move on. One of the ways for you to come to terms with the pain of the loss or the feeling of sadness and guilt you might have over it is to find someone you can trust and share these feelings with. This should be a person you feel won’t judge you for what you have done and would be open to helping you get over these emotions you have about having an abortion.

Finding Someone to Share it With

Finding the right person to share this burden with is never easy. You might think that you can share this emotional burden you have over the abortion with your partner, your sister, your mom, or someone else close to you but then you might think that they will judge you harshly for what you did. If your partner was part of the decision to have the child aborted, is he the right person to talk to about these feelings? You need to ask yourself a few questions about your partner and your relationship before you can decide that he can share the emotional burden with you. Are members of your family close to you? Did they influence you to have the abortion in any way? You may need to find a person you know who will understand why you did what you did and not judge you for it and whether it is a friend, a neighbor or a professional, talking about it and facing it are the first steps to getting yourself to heal emotionally from the abortion.

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Florida Abortion Clinic. Dr. James S. Pendergraft opened the Abortion Clinics Orlando in March 1996 to provide a full range of health care for women, including Florida abortion clinic, physical examinations, family planning, counseling, laboratory services and sexually transmitted disease screening and counseling.

Getting Help With Pregnancy By Way Of Home Insemination

When most couples get married one of the things that most of them hope to have in the future is a family. It's not always possible for this to happen entirely naturally and so a growing number of women request IVF treatment so that they can become pregnant. Not many people know that it is now possible to have IVF treatment at home in the form of home insemination.

Some couples who really want a family may not be able to afford the usual form of IVF treatment, while others spend a small fortune. Home insemination is a much cheaper form of IVF treatment, which means that more people can afford to have it.

The fact of the matter is that the number of people who are completely infertile is actually quite small, for many other couples IVF treatment may mean that they can have the child or children they so desperately want.

If a couple is not able to have a child through the normal means of sexual intercourse, for a variety of reasons, then artificial insemination is a way of dealing with this. Artificial insemination takes the semen from the man and inserts it into the wife's genital tract in order for her to become pregnant.

This method is not always successful at first and so couples may have to have the treatment a number of times before it results in a pregnancy. In some cases the sperm has to be placed either in the neck of the womb, which is known as intravaginal insemination or it is sometimes placed inside the womb, known as intrauterine insemination. The method that is used for home insemination is the intravaginal method.

Some men have a problem with their sperm and then a sperm donor might be used, this may also happen if a lesbian couple want to have a child. Home insemination, like all artificial insemination methods should be carried out at the time of the woman's ovulation, which is during the menstrual cycle when the eggs are released as this is normally a woman's most fertile time.

Ovulation usually occurs fourteen days before the onset of a period, if a woman's periods are irregular then artificial insemination is more difficult. There are tests that can be done to find out when the most fertile period is likely to be.

If a couple is successful with IVF, in 90% of cases this is in the first five or six cycles, much beyond that and IVF may not be suitable. The home insemination method of intravaginal insemination is useful for couples who have problems in getting the sperm to the correct place.

Home insemination is quite cheap and you can get a kit for around $30. There are also basic kits that you can get for around $15. When you buy a home insemination kit you will find that it comes with all the instructions that you need. Women who are using the sperm of a donor need to ensure that the donor is first tested for HIV and other diseases before going ahead with it.

If you have problems with ovulation then it's possible to get products that help with this when they are used in conjunction with a home insemination kit. If you cannot afford the cost of IVF at a fertility clinic then this kit might be just the product that you need so that you can have the child or children you want.

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Want to learn more about us and how you can get help with pregnancy, then come and check us out at www.insemination-help.com.

How to recognize common or unexpected early pregnancy signs

Recognizing and handling early pregnancy symptoms can become a daunting task unless you provide yourself with detailed information about this situation. Pregnancy can be signaled by common or unexpected signs and you will have to learn how to deal with them in order to stay healthy and welcome your new born baby. Pregnancy is not to be regarded as a source of constant worries and fears. On the contrary, you should relax and learn how to cope with its pleasant or unpleasant signs. But even the most common early pregnancy signs are likely to be related to other causes and you will have to pay a visit to your doctor in order to find out the truth. For instance, you are very likely to experience severe fatigue because the body will be overwhelmed by the constant hormonal changes.

You will have to adapt to these situations in order to stay healthy. The breast tenderness is among the most common early pregnancy symptoms because you will begin to get ready for the future motherhood. Your breasts will change their texture. They will become softer because they are preparing for the future milk production. Even so, the breast tenderness can also be related to other causes such as a sign of impending and severe menstruation. Therefore, you will have to check the real cause of your breast tenderness in order to find out whether you are pregnant or not. Vomiting and nausea are also among the most common early pregnancy signs and they should be taken seriously in order for you to find out their real cause and their effects. These symptoms will be experienced by every woman who is in her first trimester.

They are likely to be quite persistent and you may also experience strange and strong food cravings. You will have to deal with these cravings because they are likely to be quite demanding. For instance, a food that you hate eating before getting pregnant may appear as an irresistible dish right now. Regardless of the nature of these symptoms, you must pay a visit to the doctor in order to find out their real cause. Actually, it is imperative for you to pay a visit to your doctor as soon as you notice something unusual or suspect. He is the one who can provide you with the necessary help and prescriptions in order to keep your unborn baby healthy. Early prenatal care is of paramount importance and you should become aware of the fact that the early pregnancy symptoms are here in order to help you to monitor your baby’s health.

Still, these symptoms may vary from one woman to another and you will have to take proper care of your pregnancy by paying attention to these extremely useful signals. These signals will tell you the truth about your unborn baby’s condition and you can rely on them in order to find out whether she is in danger or not. Your body is designed in order to signal everything that does not go according to the natural plan. So, you need to learn how to listen to your body and pay attention to what it is saying to you. You have to trust your instincts. Your intuition is your best friend when it comes to interpreting the early pregnancy signs. The rest is up to your medical care provider because he is the one who can assist you and provide you with the natal care that you need.

But you can also experience some unusual early pregnancy signs that you must report to your doctor in order to get the necessary help. For instance, you can experience the so-called spider veins. You will have to deal with veins appearing on your upper arms and chest and you have to be prepared for them and consult the doctor in order to learn more. The spider veins are the direct result of the increased blood pressure and you should not worry about this symptom. You can also have to deal with the nose congestion because this symptom may be found among the unusual signs that can affect a pregnant woman. You may also experience metallic taste in your mouth, production of excessive saliva, severe cramping in your legs, flatulence, facial hair and increased pigmentation of your skin.

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The early pregnancy signs may be common or unexpected. Therefore, you will have to prepare yourself for a wide range of early pregnancy symptoms

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The Facts Behind IVF Treatment

The number of people undergoing In Vitro Fertilisation (IVF) looks set to increase as greater numbers of women turn to specialist fertility treatment in the hope of becoming a parent.

The most recent figures from the Human Fertilisation Embryology Authority (HFEA) show the number of patients undergoing IVF rose to nearly 35,000 in 2006, up 5 per cent on the previous year. This number is likely to rise even further following the decision by some healthcare trusts to offer up to three IVF treatment cycles on the NHS.

So what does IVF involve?
IVF involves removing eggs from a woman and fertilising them with her partner's sperm in a laboratory. Once embryos have formed, they are placed inside the womb in the hope of achieving a pregnancy. IVF is recommended for women with a number of conditions including unexplained fertility problems and blocked fallopian tubes.

In order to produce more eggs than a normal cycle and improve the chances of success the ovaries are stimulated using fertility drugs. This usually involves injections for around 12 days. During the stimulation phase, a series of ultrasound scans are used to monitor the number and growth of ovarian follicles and the development of the lining of the uterus. The eggs are then collected using a special needle guided by ultrasound. The procedure is usually carried out under heavy sedation but sometimes a general anaesthetic is required.

The next step of the IVF process moves into the laboratory where the sperm sample is assessed. Once the embryologist has selected the most active sperm, they are then placed with the eggs and put in an incubator overnight.

The fertilised eggs (embryos) are then cultured for between two and five days in the laboratory before being transferred into the uterus. The best one or two embryos are selected for transfer either two to three days after egg collection or cultured further until day 5 (Blastocyst transfer). Any other good quality embryos may be stored by freezing (cryopreservation) for possible transfer at a later date.

Sometimes, where the male partner has a low sperm count and/or poor motility or couples have experienced previous failure of fertilisation during IVF a procedure called Intracytoplasmic Sperm Injection (ICSI) is used. According to the HFEA, ICSI is used in nearly half of all IVF treatment cycles.

IVF success rates
The prospect of IVF can seem daunting for those desperate to conceive. However, according to the latest available statistics from the HFEA, nearly 35,000 women in the UK underwent IVF in 2006 with over 44,000 treatments taking place. From these treatments over 12,500 babies were born.

On average, one in four pregnancies from IVF results in a multiple birth; this can lead to health complications for both the mother and her children. As such, there is a movement towards clinics electing to implant only one embryo in order to reduce the multiple birth rate while maintaining the chances of conception.

Other treatments to combat infertility
One in seven couples trying for a baby experience delays in conceiving, often without finding out a reason why they cannot reproduce. However, there are a number of known causes of infertility (eg poor sperm count, polycystic ovaries) - and therefore a number of different treatments are on offer at IVF clinics to help combat the problem.

Other procedures include intrauterine insemination (IUI), egg donation, assisted hatching, embryo freezing and frozen embryo transfer to name a few. Since Louise Brown, the first IVF baby, was born in 1978 more than three million babies have been born from this procedure and other assisted reproductive treatments.

Thirty years on, advances in techniques, combined with additional funding from the NHS, has ensured the numbers conceiving rises year on year, with an increasingly successful outcome for many.

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Dom Donaldson is an IVF expert. Find out more about IVF at www.isisfertility.com

Best Human Embryos Selected For IVF Using Mathematical Model For infertility Treatment

From the images taken with the microscope, the scientists were able to measure and classify the zygotes and embryos, as well as the blastomeres (undifferentiated animal cells produced by the division of the zygote), their degree of fragmentation and the thickness of the ‘zona pellucida', a membrane that surrounds them. (Credit: Morales et al / SINC)

A team of researchers from the University of the Basque Country (UPV-EHU) have developed a mathematical classification which makes it possible to select human embryos for use in assisted reproduction treatments. Scientists have used the morphology of embryos to select the best candidates for implantation in the woman's uterus.

"Up to now experts working in in vitro fertilisation have selected the best embryos subjectively, based on their training and experience", so SINC was informed by Dinora A. Morales, from the Intelligent Systems Group at the UPV-EHU. However, in two studies carried out by researchers from this team the use of mathematical classifiers to help embryologists with that task was looked at.

In the first work, published in the journal Computer Methods and Programs in Biomedicine, the scientists presented an "intelligent system" of support for infertility treatments. For this they used information from 63 cases from the infertility programme at Clínica del Pilar in San Sebastian (Guipúzcoa), and analysed the evolution of trios of embryos (Spanish law allows for the transfer of up to three embryos to a woman's uterus).

To prepare the study, the researchers focused on the case history of infertile couples (age, type of infertility, quality of sperm, etc), as well as the morphological characteristics of the zygote (the resulting cell from the fusion of two gametes) and the embryos.

From the images taken with the microscope, the scientists were able to measure and classify the zygotes and embryos, as well as the blastomeres (undifferentiated animal cells produced by the division of the zygote), their degree of fragmentation and the thickness of the ‘zona pellucida', a membrane that surrounds them.

All this information was processed with Bayesian classifiers, so-called due to the application of Bayes rules, which make it possible to calculate the probability of implanting an embryo in a woman's uterus if transferred there. "What's more, these types of mathematical classifiers provide experts with evidence on what embryo characteristics enable the identification of the most ideal embryos, through the selection of variables", explained Morales.

The results of this study indicate that the size and degree of fragmentation of the blastomeres, thickness of the zona pellucida and the fact that they might have various nuclei are some of the aspects embryologists should concentrate on.

The Basque research group also carried out a second study, published in the journal Computers in Biology and Medicine to check the effectiveness of different Bayesian classifiers as a tool for choosing the best embryo.

The researchers analysed 249 photographs of embryos from the database at the Genesis Centre in Rome (Italy) and discovered that the "wrapper-TAN" classifier had a success rate of over 90%.

The team's next lines of work will concentrate on perfecting these techniques for selecting the best embryo in infertility treatments and in predicting multiple pregnancies, due to the risk they pose to women. The scientists will try to collaborate with other hospitals in this task.

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Implantation of a fertilized human EGG IN AN IVF PROCEDURE For Infertility Couple

As hopeful moms-to-be learn, there are important considerations to the successful implantation of a fertilized human egg. A calm environment, regular hormonal injections and the timing of the implantation can all affect the outcome of an in-vitro procedure.

Now a Tel Aviv University researcher is suggesting that prospective parents and their obstetricians also look at the role that gravity and other biomechanical processes play in its success. New studies by Prof. David Elad from TAU's Department of Biomedical Engineering could help desperate couples give birth to healthy single babies - and avoid the risk of multiple births at the same time.

"I am specifically studying how the uterus contracts before the embryo implants itself onto the uterine wall," he says. These contractions play a vital role in keeping the embryo in the uterus, and knowledge of its mechanics can indicate the optimal time and site for implantation. Physical positioning of the woman and the shape and size of her uterus also affect the results of IVF implantation, Prof. Elad says.

His recent publication in the journal Fertility and Sterility suggests methods to enhance the success rate of fertility treatments.

The Gravity of the Situation

"We are all subject to the Earth's gravity forces, and all biological process must also obey Newton's basic laws of physics," says Prof. Elad, who has been studying the biomechanical engineering of pregnancy for over 15 years. "Uterine contractions push the fluid inside a woman's womb in a peristaltic fashion, which helps sperm reach the ovum in the fallopian tube. And after fertilization, this same peristalsis propels the embryo to its implantation site in the uterine wall. It's a fluid mechanics issue.

"By thinking about these biomechanical processes during IVF treatments, we can help physicians, and prospective parents, see better outcomes," he says. The chance of finding an optimal uterine position could be improved through Prof. Elad's recommendations.

"There is no such thing as a standard uterus," Prof. Elad adds. "Our research offers best practices for women of all shapes and sizes."

Avoiding Multiple Birth Dangers

To increase the chances of a successful IVF implantation, women can opt for three or more viable embryos to be implanted in the womb during one cycle. Many, emotionally and financially exhausted, take this chance even if it means an embryo will need to be sacrificed to ensure the health of another. Prof. Elad's research may spare women from having to make this difficult ethical decision.

"Besides recent reports that IVF babies are slightly more prone to genetic diseases, there is a general notion that when there is more than one embryo in the uterus, all the fetuses are subjected to risks of mild and sometimes severe medical problems in the future," says Prof. Elad. "Parents naturally want to avoid this circumstance."

New Tools for IVF Specialists

Through advanced bioengineering research, Prof. Elad, who is currently a visiting professor at New York's Columbia University, is continuing to provide "stimulating evidence" to the IVF medical community. He is working on a computer simulation program on embryo transport in the uterus, in both natural conception or after IVF procedures, to model how and when artificially inseminated embryos should be implanted in the uterus.

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IVM CYCLE AND IVF CYCLE

Dominant Follicle Diameter Helps Select Optimal Day for Oocyte Retrieval in IVM Cycles
In vitro maturation (IVM), a novel assisted reproduction technique, reduces risks associated with in vitro fertilization (IVF) as the eggs are retrieved, matured and fertilized in vitro prior to implantation, thereby eliminating ovarian stimulation. However, the factors predisposing the success or failure of IVM cycles are unclear. Now, a recent study published in the December issue of the journal, Human Reproduction suggests that dominant follicle (DF) size of =14mm at oocyte retrieval following human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) priming improves pregnancy outcomes in cycles programmed for IVM treatment.
Weon-Young Son from the McGill University, Montreal, and coworkers conducted a study on 160 women with polycystic ovaries (171 cycles) to compare the DF size at oocyte retrieval after hCG priming with IVM outcome. When the endometrial thickness reached a minimal of 6 mm, the researchers subcutaneously administered 10,000 IU hCG, 35 to 38 hours prior to oocyte collection. The retrospective analysis was performed in 3 study groups based on the DF diameter: group 1, with a diameter of =10 mm; group 2, between 10 and 14 mm; and group 3 of >14mm. In the corresponding 3 groups, 6.9%, 10.6%, and 15.1% of the in vivo matured oocytes were collected, suggesting a positive correlation between the size and number of oocytes.
Results showed that among the sibling immature oocytes extracted in the 3 groups, the rates of IVM, fertilization and embryo development were similar. It was found that group 3 exhibited a lower clinical pregnancy rate (17.1%) compared to group 2 (40.3%). Furthermore, groups 1 (13.6%) and 2 (14.3%) had higher implantation rates than group 3 (4.9%). Based on the study findings, the researchers proposed DF =14mm as the optimal oocyte retrieval time for IVM cycles, as DF >14 mm may detrimentally affect the sibling immature oocytes.
Earlier, the same group of researchers conducted a retrospective study (Human Reproduction, 2008) to investigate if an extension in the time interval between hCG priming and immature oocyte retrieval enhances the oocyte maturation rate after IVM. The assisted reproduction technique was performed on 113 polycystic ovary syndrome patients (120 cycles) and the oocytes were collected at either 35 hours (group 1=76) or 38 hours (group 2 = 44) following 10,000 IU of hCG priming. The oocyte maturity was analyzed after the retrieval and the culture of the immature oocytes was performed till day 2 using IVM medium. It was found that the number of in vivo matured oocytes was considerably lower in group 1 (13.6%) compared to group 2 (7.3%). Also, group 2 exhibited a higher oocyte maturation rate after day 1 (46.3 vs. 36.0%), clinical pregnancy (40.9 vs. 25%) and implantation rates (15.6 vs. 9.6%) than group 1. Based on the findings, the scientists suggested that extending the time of hCG priming from 35 hours to 38 hours for oocyte retrieval could improve the pregnancy outcome of IVM cycles.
In vitro maturation of immature oocytes collected from unstimulated ovaries is an assisted reproduction technology that is extensively being studied. Some of the advantages of IVM over IVF are that it is less expensive, has shorter treatment regimen, and does not require the use of hormonal fertility drugs for ovarian stimulation. It may thereby eliminate the risk of developing ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome and multiple pregnancies.
Several previous studies have indicated that controlled ovarian stimulation in combination with in vitro fertilization cycles provide better results compared to in vitro maturation techniques. Now, the identification of the optimal hCG priming time and dominant follicle size for oocyte retrieval may help in enhancing the success rates of the novel IVM technique with fewer adverse effects compared to IVF.

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Your Eggs and Sperm Can't Live Without This Wonder Oil

Imagine building a house without some of the essential materials. Well it simply wouldnt work, it would be leaky, drafty, insufficiently insulated, and would probably collapse during the first storm.

Our cells are no different to a house. They all have a blueprint (DNA) and are meant to be constructed according to the plan. However when the body makes a request for a particular nutrient to complete the cell construction, it gets a message that the reserves are empty or being held only for the key organs, needed to keep you alive.

One of those essential nutrients are Essential Fatty Acids: Essential because our body cant make them, so we need to get them from food. Essential fatty acids (EFAs) are necessary for;

- Normal brain and nervous system function
- Visual acuity and cognition
- Hormone and prostaglandin regulation
- Healthy placental growth
- Brain and liver development in the foetus

The central nervous system starts to develop 21 days after conception; because of this it is essential that the mothers reserves are optimal before conception.

EFAs are also very important for;

- The health of breasts and mammary glands
- Growth of the uterus in the mother

EFAs can protect against SIDS (sudden infant death syndrome) and post natal depression and have been found to be effective in the treatment of endometriosis, heavy periods, cramping and mild depression. Deficiency has been linked to male infertility and can lead to congenital malformations and spontaneous abortions.

Omega 3 and 6 are known as EFAs. Omega 6 is readily available in food (nuts and seeds and vegetable oils) but Omega 3 is harder to come by and the need for Omega 3 increases during pregnancy and lactation.

Omega 3 fatty acids (EPA and DHA), are the building blocks of membranes of all cells in the body, and precursors of eciosanoids, hormones important in the prevention and treatment of many diseases, especially in women.

For example period cramps a.k.a. dysmenorrhea, stem from disturbed balance between anti-inflammatory and pro-inflammatory hormones. By increasing the intake of omega 3 fatty acids your period cramps can vanish.

I speak here from first hand experience. As a teenager, I couldnt leave the house without a Ponstan (a painkiller) on the first day of my period.
When I learned at college about omega 3s I started taking the supplement every day and within 2 cycles I never had to use Ponstan again, my cramps were gone.

Studies have shown that omega 3 fatty acids;

- Facilitate pregnancy in women with infertility problems by increasing uterine blood flow.

- Promote fetal growth by improving placental blood flow.

- Lower the risk of premature birth, by increasing the length of pregnancy and birth weight.

- Facilitate the childs brain development.

- Prevent preeclampsia (high blood pressure in pregnancy).

- Prevent postpartum depression.

- Prevent menopausal problems.

- Prevent postmenopausal osteoporosis.

- Prevent breast cancer.

- Lower bad cholesterol (LDL) and increase good cholesterol (HDL). This is especially
important for women receiving hormone therapy, which can increase bad cholesterol.

Buyer Beware

When buying Omega 3 Fish oils, you need to make sure the product;

1. Contains antioxidants to prevent the oil from oxidizing and going rancid
(a.k.a. lipid peroxidation).
2. Has been tested for mercury, dioxin and polychlorinated biphenyls (PBCs), and
meets the established safety limits.

Fish that live a long time (e.g. swordfish, shark and tuna) have a longer time to accumulate environmental toxins. Try to make sure your fish oil comes from wild sardines or wild salmon.

What we all need to be mindful of, is, the ever increasing demand for the ocean fish reserves. Studies have shown, worldwide, the demand for wild fish is now greater than the ocean can supply and projections suggest complete reliance on aquaculture (farmed fish) by 2050.

A solution to this problem is oil from Krill, an abundant zooplankton found in the Antarctic waters. Krill is eaten by whales and other fish. It possesses a fatty acid profile comparable with fish oils. It is a more sustainable solution comparable to fish oils.

How much do you need?

The recommended therapeutic dose of Omega 3 (RTD) is 1000mg three times per day, with food. Never have them on an empty stomach, as they wont absorb properly.

How do you store it?

In the fridge.

If you get fishy burps, you can put it in the freezer and have the capsules frozen, this way they will thaw out in your small intestines instead of your stomach.

Food Sources

Deep sea fish, wild salmon, red snapper, wild trout, herring, halibut, sardines, walnuts, almonds, nuts, seeds, flaxseed oil (only 20% gets converted into the active form), grass fed meat, hemp seed oil.

References

1. Arthur, R.Omega-3 Sources. The Journal of Complementary Medicine, May/June 2009 Vol 8 No 3.
2. Saldeen P, Saldeen T. Women and omega-3 Fatty acids. Obstet Gynecol Surv.2004 Oct;59(10):722-30; quiz 745-6.
3. Keene, I. 2008. Natural Fertility Prescription, Australian Natural Therapeutics,Switzerland.

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Leading Fertility Naturopath Iva Keene publishes the Ultimate Fertility ezine with tips to get you pregnant ASAP. Get your free Fertility advice at www.natural-fertility-prescription.com

What You Need To Know About Sperm Antibodies

20% of all cases of infertility are due to mutual infertility, and 20% due to unexplained infertility. Combined, that's nearly half of all the cases of infertility!

If the woman is ovulating, doesn't have blocked tubes, hormonal imbalances or other reproductive system conditions, and, the man has normal sperm parameters, what's the problem?

Why can't they get pregnant?

1. Presence of sperm antibodies
2. Toxic mucus
3. Food intolerances

The first test you should consider is a post-coital test. This test will show how many sperm are still alive after intercourse in the woman's reproductive system.

If the woman has sperm antibodies in her mucus, or has overly acidic mucus due to toxin overload in the body then the sperm will not fare well and their minutes (not days) will be numbered.

Channels of elimination

You see, your body will rely on all possible channels of elimination when it comes to getting rid of toxins. They are mostly mucus and discharge producing organs such as the nose, lungs, skin, kidneys, gut, vagina and penis.

This is where detoxing comes into the picture. Each couple, regardless of whether you are infertile or not should consider detoxing before conception.

Heavy metals exposure has a detrimental impact on the immune system, especially on autoantibody production which can lead to infertility in susceptible individuals. One study found that patients with mercury allergy had more antisperm antibodies than patients without the mercury allergy. (Neuro. Endicronol. Lett. 2005)

Food intolerances and sperm antibodies

If the immune system is in overdrive (due to constant exposure to food you are intolerant to) it can adversely react to your partner's sperm and /or fertilized egg and destroy it. This can lead to creation of antibodies to your partner's sperm and can predispose you to miscarriages and still births.

In the case of food intolerances you will not necessarily know you've got one until you do a proper blood test or you simply eliminate the food from your diet and wait to see if the symptoms go away. It can take up to 3 months for the immunocomplexes (antibody and antigen sticking together) to clear from your system.

Our body is one closed circuit. Everything that enters your body: through air that you breathe, food and drinks you consume or lotions and potions you rub on your skin will affect every single cell in your body! It all ends up in your blood. Your blood carries it though kilometers of blood vessels from the biggest aorta to the tiniest capillaries barely visible to the eye. Just think about that, for a second.

And the next time you want to consume something you know is not healthy just remember the closed circuit and know that it won't just come out without leaving any damage behind.

Sperm Antibodies in the mucus

If the woman's mucus contains sperm antibodies, more than just a detox is required. Studies have shown that women can develop antisperm antibodies if sperm has come into contact with the mucosal or systemic immune system. This can happen if there are minor wounds in the vagina, rectum or the oral cavity. Sperm antibodies in cervical mucus cause the heads of the sperm to stick to the cervical mucus.

To treat sperm antibodies in the mucus you'll need to use condoms for 3-6 months while the woman's immune system is addressed with diet, nutritional supplements, herbs and other complementary medicine treatments as required.

During the 3-6 month period, because the woman didn't come into contact with the sperm, the present antibodies to sperm will be broken down and no new ones will be produced.

This is also a very beneficial time to learn about timing your most fertile days!

Then you remove the condom and have intercourse at the most fertile time to conceive. This will not allow enough time for your body to produce new antibodies. Also after having your immune system treated and retrained during those 3-6 months it is likely that your immune system would not react again.

If the woman has sperm antibodies in her blood and not just the mucus, than just relying on the condom will not be enough and a longer immune system treatment may be required.

Men can have sperm auto antibodies

Autoimmunity results from the abnormal immune response against the body's own tissue. Men can develop antibodies against their own sperm. This can cause the sperm to agglutinate (or stick together) or cause the tails of the sperm to stick to the cervical mucus.

Autoimmunity of any kind often derives from childhood or even earlier development in the womb. If the mother was consuming foods she was intolerant to during her pregnancy, then her antibodies influenced what type of immune system dominance the child will have.

The immune system is fascinating in that it needs to learn the ropes. Unlike the other cells in the body it intimately interacts with our environment everyday.

If you have an inflamed gut, due to a bacterial or parasitic infection or as a result of food intolerance, large molecules from food will enter the sterile environment behind the gut, through the gaps between the cells. Once they are in the area of the body they are not meant to be in, the immune system will pick them up and treat them as invading pathogens. Now that the immune system has been exposed to this substance once, it'll produce a whole army of antibodies against this food. So now each time you eat this food, they'll attack. Overtime this will exhaust the immune reserve, making it less robust when it comes to bacteria, viruses and cancers and more hypersensitive to its own tissue and innocuous substances such as pollen and food.

This starts a viscous cycle if the food intolerance is not picked up upon and treated naturopathically.

If as a child you were not breastfed, than you may have missed out on your mother's antibodies and this may have predisposed you to an immune system that is overly reactive. If, on the other hand you mother has many allergies, then you can consider yourself lucky for not having been breastfed.

Also if you grew up in a super clean and sterile environment, your immune system didn't have any bugs to learn from. Some childhood diseases and contact with dirt as a kid are very beneficial for the immune system. They teach your immune system what sort of antibodies it should be producing, so it's less likely to attack food molecules or your own tissue.

The good news is that the immune system can be retrained in three easy steps;

1. Remove the triggers for 3-6 months or longer, depending on the severity.
2. Heal the inflammation and the mucosal surfaces, with the right nutrients and diet.
3. Treat the immune system with adequate protein intake, a clean and pure diet, nutritional supplements, probiotics and herbs. Key nutrients to consider are vitamin C, zinc, selenium, vitamins E and A (or betacarotene), omega 3, and herbs such as Panax ginseng, Echinacea, Hemidesmus, Astragalus, Withania and Saw palmetto.

In this article we looked the causes of sperm antibodies and touched on unexplained infertility as it relates to food intolerances. There are plenty of other environmental influences that can contribute to unexplained infertility. Natural fertility treatment for sperm antibodies consists of abstinence from the triggers, dietary and lifestyle adjustments and nutritional and herbal support for the immune system. Once you truly grasp the interconnectedness of all body systems you'll understand why and how what you eat, drink and breathe can make all the difference to your fertility.

Information about the Author:

Leading Fertility Naturopath Iva Keene publishes the Ultimate Fertility ezine with tips to get you pregnant ASAP. Get your free Fertility advice at www.natural-fertility-prescription.com

How to Track Your Baby’s Development

For every expectant mother, knowing your child’s step by step development starting from conception does not only give you the chance to understand the changes that is happening to you but will also give you the a reason to look for ways you can take care of yourself and the baby inside. Having a pregnancy calendar will help you keep track of your baby’s development. You can always have a baby growth guide from your physician or from any other reliable sources in which you can compare and contrast the real life changes that you are experiencing. By doing so, you will be aware if your pregnancy is having deviations or not.

Your womb is considered your baby’s haven for nine long months. Whatever you take in will be readily welcomed in the womb. As you track baby’s development, you should also be careful about the food you take in. You should now avoid those intakes that can possibly bring about danger to your baby’s health. You have been subject to changes in the immune system that makes you sensitive to food-borne diseases. Refrain from taking in eggs, sushi and unpasteurized milk as you track pregnancy week. These foods may contain salmonella and other ill-inducing parasites. The safest possible intake for you and your baby are fish that have omega-3 which aids in the baby’s brain development. However, there are some variety of fish which you should not feel eating more than two meals a week because they are known to have mercury such as salmon, canned tuna and shrimp. Though this, you are ensuring a good health for you and your baby along with your close monitoring of your baby’s development week by week.

A pregnancy calendar will be very useful for every pregnant woman especially those first-time mothers. A calendar can put everything into place while knowing what happens to you and your baby every moment of your pregnancy. This calendar will also show you ultrasound pictures which will not only update you of your baby’s growth but will also inspire you to work out for more beneficial pregnancy activities. Ultrasound pictures of your infant can detect the positioning of your placenta and can assess health condition of the special baby inside you. Through the pictures, you will realize how each week of your pregnancy is significantly marked by wonderful changes inside.

While you track pregnancy week, you will know that every moment is crucial yet the first trimester of your pregnancy need to handle with extreme care. The first twelve weeks of your pregnancy will tell to be careful in handling activities because any simple accident can distort baby’s development. Although many birth defects sources cannot be traced, the mother will always have to blame herself for any handicap her child is entailed with at birth. When this happens, the mother tends to remember all the things she did during pregnancy that might be contributory to the defects. Let a pregnancy calendar be your way to achieving the best possible health condition for you and your baby. Monitor changes so when a deviation happens, your physician can remedy the problems at once.

Knowing what happens to your baby growing inside the womb will give you a good idea of what activities to engage in and what food to take in order to support his or her growth. The first few weeks are the most crucial in your baby’s development and caution and care should be taken by the pregnant mother during this important time.

Information about the Author:

You can track you pregnancy development by using a pregnancy calendar readily available at Aha! Baby. You can also understand the changes in your body and the growth of your baby as you track pregnancy week by week information at Aha! Baby.

Eating Dairy Can Make You Infertile

There is something fundamentally odd about humans consuming dairy. Just think about it. We are the only species on the Planet that drink another mammals breast milk!

Breast milk, be it human or cows is designed for the young one of that species for a limited period of time, before they can eat sold food, period.

In this article we will examine why this beloved, popular food can be so detrimental to your fertility.

We stop producing the enzyme lactase as small children (between ages 2-5). This enzyme helps break down lactose, the major sugar found in dairy products.

Lets look at some stats on lactose intolerance:

- 75% of adults world wide are lactose intolerant
- 30-50 million Americans are lactose intolerant
- 80% of African-Americans are lactose intolerant
- 75% of Native Americans are lactose intolerant
- 90% of Asian-Americans are lactose intolerant

When you eat dairy and you are lactose intolerant your gut becomes inflamed. This increases mucus production in the digestive system. The mucus prevents other nutrients from being absorbed. Excessive mucus production can also occur in the nose, lungs and reproductive system. That is why sniffly nose and asthma like reactions are common in people who are intolerant to dairy. The mucus in the reproductive system can be excessive and can make the sperms journey through the uterus and the fallopian tubes to the egg difficult.

One study found that a major source of animal derived estrogens in the human diet are milk and dairy products, which account for 60-70% of the estrogens consumed. Humans consume milk from the cows in the second half of pregnancy when the estrogen levels are high. Due to genetic modification of the dairy cows (such as Holstein), it is quite possible that the milk consumed today is not the same as it was 100 years ago. These cows are fed a combination of grass and concentrates (grain/protein mixes and various by-products) allowing them to lactate during the second half of pregnancy.

We usually associate dairy and drinking milk with calcium, and never think about what else we may be consuming along with the calcium (and dairy, by the way is not the best source of calcium). Here is a list of hormones which have been found in cows milk:

Prolactin, somatostatin, melatonin, oxytocin, growth hormone, lutenizing releasing hormone, thyroid stimulating hormone, estrogens, progesterone, insulin, corticosteroids and many more. Do you think an excess consumption of all these hormones could disrupt your own hormonal balance? You bet!

Consumption of milk has been linked to some cases of male infertility. Studies have found more concentrated pesticides in cheese than in non organically grow fruit and vegetables. Excess estrogen and pesticide exposure have been linked to PCOS and Endometriosis. The first line of naturopathic treatment for PCOS and Endometriosis is to minimize intake of animal products. Animal products have a high content of hormones, pesticides and herbicides which are known endocrine disruptors. They play havoc with your hormones and this can lead to anovulation.

If you think you are addicted to cheese and milk. Guess what? You are! Milk contains natural morphine, codeine and other opiates. The feel good chemicals are in the milk so that the calf gets addicted to milk and bonds with the mother in order to survive. Morphine = Pleasure, so the calf associates pleasure with drinking milk and comes back for more.

The same chemicals make it into your cheese, which is why so many people love eating cheese. In Switzerland, it was reported that people in this cheese loving country consume an average of 20kg of cheese per year!

Like all addictions it will take some time to overcome it. It takes 21 days for the brain to break or acquire a habit. Go without cheese for 21 days and you will stop craving it. But beware, like all opiates it only takes one bite to become hooked again.

Look, I am not saying never eat dairy again (although, if you are intolerant to it, you would be doing yourself a world of good). It is hard to avoid it, as it is in everything from pizza and creamy pasta sauces to cheese cakes, yoghurts and ice creams. All I am saying is give it a miss while you are trying to get pregnant.

In this article we looked at the negative effects of dairy on your fertility. It can cause inflammation in the gut and lead to poor nutrient absorption. It can adversely affect your cervical mucus production and contribute to hormonal imbalances and anovulation. Therefore as a general rule avoid dairy unless it is organic and you are not intolerant to it. And avoid it altogether if you suffer from PCOS and endometriosis. The best way of finding out if you are intolerant to dairy is to have an IgG immunoglobulin test. Minimize your intake of animal products and increase the intake of organic vegetables and fibre from fruit, grains, nuts and seeds. You can get all the calcium you need from sesame seeds (Tahini), spinach, Chinese cabbage, broccoli, sea weed Kelp and Dandelion leaves.

Sources:

Bernard, N. Breaking the Food Seduction: The Hidden Reasons Behind Food Cravings and 7 Steps to End Them Naturally. NY: St. Martins, 2003.

Ganmaa D, et al. Is milk responsible for male reproductive disorders? Med Hypotheses. 2001 Oct;57(4):510-4.

Keene, I. Natural Fertility Prescription, Switzerland, 2008.

Information about the Author:

Leading Fertility Naturopath Iva Keene publishes the Ultimate Fertility ezine with tips to get you pregnant ASAP. Get your free Fertility advice at www.natural-fertility-prescription.com

A Weekly Pregnancy Guide

Every pregnancy is unique as every child carried in the womb has distinct needs and characteristics from the other. Pregnant mothers should seek the advice of people who are experienced and technically knowledgeable with the ins and outs of pregnancy. A weekly pregnancy guide of what happens to you and your baby will help you track the changes on your body, the development of your baby and exert extra effort in ensuring safety and health for you and your child. The most difficult question a mother must answer during pregnancy is this: “What am I supposed to do?” Uncertainties and doubts during pregnancy is usually brought about by the uniqueness of every individual condition although some general occurrences can be true to almost all mothers. Pregnancy symptoms for instance are almost true to anyone who have welcomed a soul inside their wombs. They may, however, vary in terms of degree or frequency or even effect to the mother and the child.

So, you are pregnant. What should you do? The first thing a pregnant woman should do is to celebrate! Getting pregnant is the best role for every woman in the world. The greatest achievement of a woman is to become a mother. No other success can compensate with the joy of having a baby and the wonder of carrying a new life inside your womb. Being pregnant is being aware that your primary responsibility is to keep your body ready for the new baby because whatever happens to you will affect the one inside you. It is then recommended that you are aware of the much pregnancy week information which can give you a detailed account of you and your baby’s progress. Every week for the mother is a week to look forward to because essential marks of growth can be visible. Sometimes you may find yourself tired of anticipating what happens next for your baby but if you are aware how important tracking your pregnancy is, you will never get tired of expecting something new.

Discovering that your baby from being an embryo to having developed distinct visible parts is more rewarding than receiving the most expensive you could ever have. Your weekly pregnancy guide is your partner in knowing what food to eat or what activities should you expect in order to ensure the best possible safety and health for your baby. Guidance on the foods you should avoid is essential. Seek advise from your parents or from those who are experienced in the field especially physicians. You can also browse through the internet websites that can provide you with pregnancy calendar that informs you of your child’s development.

Lastly, there are many pregnancy guides readily available for you. However, you should know that the success of your pregnancy can never be dictated by the doctor or the people around you. Your baby highly depends on you. The success of every pregnancy is dependent on how the mother views it and handles every delicate situation she will be into.

Every pregnancy is as different as every child developing in the womb is unique from another. However, there is nothing to be afraid of since older family members and friends and even the internet can provide you with information and guides to help you get through your pregnancy safely and comfortably.

Information about the Author:

Know the things you should do during pregnancy using a weekly pregnancy guide to aid pregnant mothers available at Aha! Baby. You can also be learn about the physical changes undergone by your baby from the pregnancy week information discussed in detail at Aha! Baby.

The First Trimester of Pregnancy: A Time of Caution

The first trimester is the most critical moment of pregnancy since the mother should take all necessary precautions to be able to ensure safe growth of the baby. During this time, developments of essential body parts happen that pregnant mothers should know what food to eat and what activities to take. Whatever changes that will take place during the first twelve weeks of pregnancy will be permanent. Whatever the beginning is will be carried throughout the end.

It may be said however that the early pregnancy stages should be treated with care, it does not mean that the next few weeks of being pregnant should not be considered essential too. The point of saying this is that the essentials of your baby’s growth like the placenta and the fingers and the vital organs happen to initiate during this term. There are a lot of good things that you could expect from the first trimester of your pregnancy. Knowing these expectations can give you track of what is going to happen and what will you to adapt to the event or change.

Here is an account of the week by week changes of your baby during the first few weeks of your pregnancy. For the week 1 of your pregnancy, the health care provider will count forty weeks from the first date of your last menstruation. This means that your pregnancy period kicked off even when you aren’t pregnant yet. The second week is the week of fertilization. This time the sperm and egg unite to create a zygote. The zygote then travels from the fallopian tube to the uterus.

Pregnancy stages include the third week as important part of the whole pregnancy when the zygote turns into a blastocyst and nourishes itself in the placenta. Moreover, the embryonic period begins at week 4. the baby’s heart and the circulatory system forms. At week five, your baby reaches the size of the tip of the pen. His can be very exciting since the mother can now hear the baby’s heart beating her. Week six marks the forming of the passageways like the mouth and the inner ear and the formation of the digestive and respiratory tracts. The pregnancy’s first trimester still continues with the appearance of the umbilical chord in the seventh week. The arms will look like a tiny paddle that indicates the baby’s movement. On week eight, The baby’s fingers and toes form. The baby is an inch long in the ninth week. Your baby’s head will be tucked down unto the chest as it looks half the size of the body.

Neurons multiply in week ten and it could be possible that baby’s sex can be apparent. Determining the gender of the baby is one of the highlights of pregnancy. Other mothers, however, will still have to wait for the next pregnancy stages because babies might not have positioned themselves to be easily seen by the practitioner. On the last part of the initial trimester, baby’s finger nails and toe nails appear.

Taking care of your baby all through out the pregnancy is a must for mothers who want to ensure the baby’s physical, mental and emotional stability.

The first trimester is the most critical moment of pregnancy since the mother should take all necessary precautions to ensure the safe growth and development of the baby. During this time your baby starts to develop critical body systems. To ensure their proper growth, pregnant mothers should know what foods to eat and what activities to avoid.

Information about the Author:

Know what happens to your baby during the first trimester of your pregnancy at Aha! Baby. You can also find articles explaining your baby’s developments for all pregnancy stages at Aha! Baby.

How To Lose 30 Pounds In 30 Days

There are many reasons that people have to lose weight from cosmetic reasons, serious health problems, and reducing the incidence of complications prior to becoming pregnant. What I am able to explain to you I have been able to achieve and I want to be able to help as many of you as I possibly can. I am a OB/Gyn Physician and see many women struggling with weight. Obesity has reached epidemic proportion in the US over the past decade, and there is no end in sight. There is no single reason that this disease process is out of control. Being overweight is associated with heart disease, strokes, hypertension, arthritis, and cancer. The steps that I am getting ready to explain are very easy and straight forward to implement and follow. The most difficult part of this plan is to maintain consistency and persistency.

1) Eat 5 to 6 small meals a day. Eating breakfast lunch and dinner along with a mid-morning, mid afternoon and evening snack. A protein snack prior to going to bed with minimal to no carbohydrate intake will allow only a minimal amount of insulin to be released and will prevent minimal to no fat uptake at night. Most people make the mistake of decreasing their intake to little or nothing. By spreading the same amount of calories out to 5 or 6 meals a day, the metabolism actually increases by 10 percent which causes fat to be utilized and removed from the body.

a. There should be protein, non starchy vegetables and a fruit at each meal

b. Never miss breakfast and eat oatmeal, grits, or cream of wheat along with eggs (3 to 5), bacon, sausage, or Canadian ham. Eating breakfast is important to elevate your metabolism

c. The protein should consist of minimal fat. Tuna, skinned chicken breast, and steak with the least amount of fat are ideal. No fried foods.

d. No processed foods (breads, cakes, chips)

e. You can eat brown rice or yams at each meal

f. The portions should be no larger than your fist

2) Drink 1/2 to 1 gallon of water a day.

a. As adults become older, they lose their thirst mechanism and stop drinking the proper amount of fluids. This leads to the body becoming acidotic which leads to chronic diseases (heart disease, hypertension, arthritis, cancer, and obesity). So the first thing to do when there is a sensation of hunger is to drink two glasses of water.

b. This helps to flush out all the toxins in the body and assures that the body is fully hydrated and prevents acid build up. It also happens to help increase the body's metabolism. Start off by drinking two glasses of water before breakfast, lunch, and dinner.

c. No carbonated drinks, diet drinks, sweet tea, fruit juices, milk, milk shakes, or alcohol as they contain unnecessary carbohydrates which leads to weight gain

3) Walk on the treadmill or ride stationary bicycle slowly every morning prior to eating breakfast and one hour before going to bed at night. If you are not able to talk while on the treadmill, or riding the bicycle in normal sentences, you are exercising too fast. You can also walk for an hour twice a day if there is no access to a treadmill or stationary bike. If you are unable to walk or ride a bicycle due to physical reasons, then I recommend you walk in the pool for an hour twice a day and move upper extremities underneath the water as you walk.

4) Lift light weights in the gym 4 times a week for 30 minutes. (squats, dead lifts, incline bench press, pull downs, pushups, and pull ups)

a. This helps to convert fat to muscle which increases the body's metabolism. Each pound of muscle that you gain in weight burns 50 k/calories more a day.

b. It reduces the amount of blood sugar as it helps the muscles take up sugar from the blood stream which reduces insulin resistance and retards or prevents the onset of Type I (non insulin dependent) diabetes

5) You may eat or drink one hour a week whatever you want. Normally the first two weeks you will do so, but after that you will not want to do this splurge. I normally do this 1 hour "happy meal" for lunch on Sunday afternoon.

By following the steps above, I assure you that you will lose 30 pounds of weight in 30 days. Please do it for the right reason and that is your health. Continue to be consistent with these steps after 30 days and do not go back to your old habits.

Information about the Author:

Ocala Women’s Clinic, was established by Dr. James Pendergraft. Our Ocala Abortion Pill Offering the latest, safest and most advanced techniques for providing non-surgical, medical and surgical abortion methods including abortion pill in Ocala. For further information including family planning, please visit our premiere website. www.womenscenter.com

Looking Into the Second Trimester of Pregnancy

During the first trimester of your pregnancy, nothing but fear, doubts and excitement fill your emotions as you let the thought of “being pregnant” sink into your senses. Your questions on what to do next, what is happening to you and your baby and what are you supposed to act are just a few that bothered you. The fear and excitement during the first trimester will be more intense for the pregnant mother during the second trimester. Although the sensitivity of the baby’s formation lay in the first ten weeks, reaching the second trimester is filled with more developments that each mother is looking forward to. These next few weeks of pregnancy bring into the mother a feeling of deep satisfaction knowing that her baby was able to make it during the first crucial semester.

The second trimester is everything about movement and development that are basically happening within the body of the baby. As the first trimester ends on the twelfth week, you will begin to feel how your pregnancy is becoming real every time your baby’s heart beat become more distinct and audible for your heart and ears. The thought of being pregnant slowly sinks into your nerves which is physically evident on the enlargement of your stomach. The latter is just one of the many physical changes you have to undergo being pregnant. However, the excitement continues knowing that two months ago, your baby is nothing but a cluster of cells yet this soon, he is nor beginning to take form with organs, nerves and muscles.

The growth of your baby and the development of his or her organs are explained by your health care provider in all pregnancy information she gets from your prenatal check up. You need to be updated of any changes, big or small about your baby inside. It pays to know how the baby is able to flex and kick on week thirteen and hormones gear up for both male and female babies during week fourteen. Marking the fifteenth week is the formation of the baby’s skin – the largest organ of the body. Highlighting this moment of your pregnancy is the fact that by reaching the sixteenth week of the second trimester, your baby is capable of making facial expressions that show his feelings about everything around him inside. Moreover, at week eighteen, your baby can hear sounds and would be very sensitive to your voice. Week twenty is your pregnancy’s half-way point where your baby grows to an overwhelming six inches log and weighs more or less 9 ounces.

Knowing what happens to the life inside you in all pregnancy information available will aid you in working out for nothing more than your baby’s good. Ask your healthcare providers about the food you can and cannot take together with an exercise program that will not harm the baby inside. The second trimester of your pregnancy is your way to the finale of the journey to having a baby. Take all the best possible actions that will secure healthy growth for your child.

The fear and excitement experienced during the first trimester will be even more intense for the pregnant mother during the second trimester. Although the most critical time in the baby’s growth occurred in the first ten weeks, reaching the second trimester is filled with more developments that each mother is looking forward to.

Information about the Author:

You can learn more about what happens to your baby during the second trimester of your pregnancy at Aha! Baby. You can also find additional pregnancy information to help you understand the changes you and your baby undergo form Aha! Baby.

The Third Trimester: Getting Closer to Your Journey’s End

The end is near and you begin counting the days to your due date. Again, fear does not go away since giving birth is another event to overcome on your way to motherhood. Like any other endings, the third trimester is a harbinger to a more exciting event in your life. With the remarkable developments in the last few weeks as pregnant mother, the last trimester is both an ending and a beginning – the end of the baby’s life inside your womb and the beginning of his journey outside as an individual. Anticipating for the birth of your child is also knowing what to expect during the last weeks of his stay inside you.

As you prepare for all baby materials for the coming of your child, your baby also gears up for getting out of the womb. Your baby needs to be equipped with a healthy and fully developed body that will help him survive the world outside. The baby continues to grow and gain weight with body systems achieving maturity. This can be the most uncomfortable moment for the mother since she begins to feel heavy and tired to move or walk longer distances. Fetal development continues while you care to complete your pregnancy planner before birth. The approaching of your due date is indicator enough that you have to practice movements or exercises that will ease up the act of giving birth especially those who are first-time mothers. For those who are planning to breastfeed, breastfeeding courses can be undergone by you to teach you of proper breast feeding techniques.

What to expect during the third trimester is that everything seems to achieve full growth potential. On week 28th, the fifteen-inch long baby is now capable to open and close the eyes and is able to sleep within 20-30 minutes. On week 29, the baby’s movement is more forceful than ever. This is because the bones are now fully developed which contribute to vigorous and frequent movements. On week 33 following the maturity of the eyes, the baby can now detect the presence of light. The 36th week is a moment to look forward to as baby learn to suck his thumb. The whole duration of the third trimester is your baby’s chance to make movements to prepare for the head down position. On the last week before your much-awaited due date, the placenta will provide your baby with antibodies to act as protection for the elements outside the womb.

The counting is nearly coming to end and you have already completed your pregnancy planner to guide you before, during and after giving birth. The end of the third trimester is now within your reach. Your baby is now a few a few moments away from your arms. Let a loving heart and a nurturing hand welcome him in his travel with you through life. What to expect with his birth can be more than the words you have at hand. Seeing him, touching him and loving him is all you can do to express your joy as the mother.

Like any other ending, the third trimester is the final stage to a more exciting event in your life. With the remarkable developments in the last few weeks as pregnant mother, the third trimester is both an ending and a beginning – the end of the baby’s life inside your womb and the beginning of his journey outside as an individual.

Information about the Author:

You can prepare for the end of your pregnancy and learn what to expect during the last trimester of pregnancy at Aha! Baby. You can also find a pregnancy planner at Aha! Baby that matches your needs to serve as your guide in welcoming your baby.

Is It A Selfish Obsession Or A Cultural Problem With Modern Women?

Pregnancy has always been a time when a woman can put on 30 -35 pounds and still feel good and proud of herself, after all she is bringing a new life into the world.

But now it is not like this for every woman. A new study shows that 20% of all pregnant women in the Western world do not gain enough weight during pregnancy.

These women don't eat enough during pregnancy or induce vomiting, overexercise, take laxatives and diuretics. They do these dangerous things for the sake of having a slim figure during and immediately after pregnancy.

Many of these women get inspired by the super-slim celebrities whose pregnant images we often see on TV and magazine covers. These celebrities manage to go through their whole pregnancy without putting on much weight and continue to look slim. They keep their belly bump small so they become skinny again immediately after their baby is born. This unnatural "skinny" image becomes a role model of many other "non-celebrity" women to follow.

So, how much weight should a woman gain during a normal pregnancy? The normal range to gain during pregnancy is 25-35 pounds but the amount of weight to gain is different during 1st, 2nd and the 3rd semester.

In the 1st trimester it is normal to put on 5 pounds. During 2nd and 3rd trimester it is normal to put on 1-2 pounds per week. So all up it should be about 30 pounds by the end of the pregnancy.

When a woman tries to be skinny during pregnancy she is starving the foetus. Starving the foetus is a high risk action and can result in foetal mortality plus a high risk of getting conditions such as:

- Spine bifida
- cerebral palsy
- increased incidents of asthma
- increased incidents of allergy
- ear infections
- low birth weight
- prematurity
- metabolic abnormalities
- growth retardation
- birth defects

The list of serious problems that a baby can get is much longer that this.

Don't you think that pregorexia is the most selfish thing you can ever do? Ask yourself what is this for? - It is all for the sake of attaining this glamorous unnatural look you see on celebrities like Nicole Kidman, Nicole Ritchie who never even had a normal baby bump when they were pregnant, not to even mention their general low body weight.

Also, the big challenge for anorexic women (for those who had anorexia before pregnancy) is that they are expected to gain even more weight during pregnancy then non-anorexic women do - to support the baby.

How much more do you need to gain if you are anorexic? You should check this with your doctor because weight gain can be an individual thing and depends on your initial body weight and body mass index to start with.

As a general guideline, pregnant women are supposed to put on about 30 pounds during pregnancy. This means that you should consume an extra 50 calories in the first trimester of pregnancy, an extra 300 calories in the second trimester and extra 400-500 calories in the third trimester.

Now, how do you know if you are getting pregorexia?

If you think too much about being skinny during pregnancy, think about what clothes to wear so you look like you are not pregnant, about how to fool people in to thinking that you are not pregnant.

If you constantly think about food and eating or non-eating - these are all signs that you may have pregorexia.

If this is the case go to your doctor immediately and fix the problem as soon as possible. Otherwise your baby could be in big danger of dying in the womb. You will regret it your whole life, and even if the baby is born do you want it to suffer all its life from birth defects: just because you wanted to be thin to look good for the sake of vanity?

Anorexia and pregnancy are totally incompatible and against nature.

Information about the Author:

Dr Irina Webster MD is the Director of Eating Disorder Institute. She is an author of many books and a public speaker. www.eatingdisorder-institute.com

Disclosing the Perfect Stranger: A Guide for Egg and Sperm Recipients

One decision that is often overlooked in donor facilitated arrangements is the determination to disclose to future offspring their genetic origins. In the past this was always done anonymously and the secrecy continued over the course of a lifetime. However, recent studies on sharing genetic origins with offspring have proved that disclosure of genetic origin at a young age is healthy in maintaining a strong relationship and bond for all involved parties.

The three main factors that play into disclosure are does the child have an inherent right or need to know biological origins, and what is in their best interests? How disclosure impacts the recipient parents? And finally, when to disclose the information to offspring?

The best interests of child can be argued from both sides, a growing number of mental health professionals agree that a child has a fundamental right to know his biological origins. No one can predict if this medical information may be necessary in the event of a medical emergency or how access to this information may help an individual when he/she is ready to start their own family. It can be argued that this information is fundamental to an individual’s sense of self and personal identity. These values need to be analyzed on an individual basis consistent with thoughts and beliefs of that particular family unit. Maintaining secrecy can be difficult, especially family secrets. If discovered, by accident, the risks of impacting the relationships and family bonds could be jeopardized.

In a study performed by Lycett et al., (2004) the impact of disclosure was analyzed on families willing to share this information with their offspring. Out of 46 donor created offspring, 60% of the families had elected not to disclose genetic origins and the remaining 40% planned to disclose the child’s origins once the child reached adolescence. What was most interesting about this study is that between the two groups there were no differences between the disclosing and non-disclosing fathers. It was the non-disclosing mothers who reported a strain with keeping the secret. Thus, indicating that non disclosure impacts mothers more intensely than it impacts fathers. Many mothers fear the reaction from the child, and are concerned about placing a strain on the parent child bond. The study highlighted that these parental attitudes may in fact impact the parent-child bond as the children get older.

In contrast, a study performed by Van Berkel et al., (2007) in the Netherlands, where non-anonymous donation is standard and the only option available, investigated secrecy in open donation arrangements. Of the participants, the vast majority felt that origins of conception had no influence on their relationship with the child. The mothers did, however, show a greater level of concern about the disclosure plans and how the children would react to the information. Thus emphasizing the fear factor expressed by mothers is in the previous study. However when comparing being required to use open donation vs. anonymous donation, all mothers agreed that the genetic origin did not impact their familial relationships and or bonds with their children. The vast majority of the cases studied in the Netherlands, showed the children regarded the donor as an aunt or special family friend.

Disclosure is not something that occurs one time. Disclosure is a story that evolves over time and through a series of opportunities for parents to come to terms with their decision and to share with offspring the need to use donor gametes as well as the emotional decision that led them to this path. Disclosure involves the need to share that the importance of family and the need to become a family unit. The decision to disclose genetic origin greatly varies from family to family and is often impacted by the specific family unit, their structure and makeup, their religious, social and cultural values.

Finding the perfect stranger is hard work physically, emotionally and often spiritually. But in addition to identifying the perfect candidate, making the decision to disclose the biological connection involves a host of various feelings, emotions and considerations that may influence the type of donor you choose. When considering using a donor, it is important to consider how and if you plan to disclose to your offspring. The type of donor you choose may affect if, but also how and when you choose to disclose to your child their origin of conception since the donor you choose may play into the roles and relationships among parents, children and extended family.

Finally, it is essential to know when to make the decision to disclose genetic origins to offspring. Although there is no one right answer, recent data shows that sharing genetic origins with children at a young age is much preferred to divulging the information in adolescence. A recent study performed by Cambridge University researchers has found that disclosure of donor paternity at an early age lowers the likelihood of negative reactions from the offspring. The study findings published in the recent issue of Human Reproduction provides different perspectives regarding the response of the offspring depending on the age at which their biological origin is disclosed. Traditionally, donor conception has been treated with secrecy. A recent increasing trend towards openness of genetic origin has showed positive impact on children of all ages. In fact, most mental health professionals specializing in collaborative reproduction, encourage parental openness to reveal genetic origins to children as young as three years old. This trend can further be evidenced by the growing number of children books written about donor conception and geared for children between the ages of three and eight years of age.

Vasanti Jadva, from the Faculty of Social and Political Sciences, Centre for Family Research, University of Cambridge, UK, and colleagues, conducted a study which evaluated the difference in responses of children and adults, when informed about their genetic origin. The scientists analyzed the data obtained from anonymously completed online questionnaires by 165 members aged between 13 and 61 years, of the Donor Sibling Registry (a worldwide registry for donors).

The study results showed that, compared to offspring of heterosexual couples, children born to lesbian couples and single mothers received information about their donor conception at an earlier age. It was also noted that the mean age of disclosure was 14 years, with 19% of the offspring knowing about their paternity after the age of 18 years and 30% before three years of age. The study also showed that 38% of the offspring did not recall the exact age of disclosure since they were too young to remember.

Yet another study on donor conception conducted by Golombok et al. (1995), showed no adverse effects on child development or on familial relationships were evidenced when children were made aware of genetic origins at a young age. Yet, a higher incidence of negative feelings was reported among individuals who received information about their origin in adulthood compared to those who were informed about their genetic origin during childhood or adolescence.

In my years of experience working with hundreds of intended parent(s) who have conceived through donor gamete, I have found that many want to share openly with their children, but just don’t know where to begin. Disclosure can be uncomfortable primarily because it was not the pathway to parenthood of choice. I encourage my clients to focus on how fortunate they are to have access to advanced technologies and fertility treatments as well as a special donor who so generously and willingly gave of his/herself to share the essential piece necessary to conceive. This small shift in conjunction with a decisive disclosure plan and the knowledge that the psychological well being of the child and the family bond will not be severed, has enabled so many of my clients to come to the realization, “I am so fortunate today, to have my most wanted child, and so fortunate back then, to have the perfect stranger.”

Information about the Author:

Mindy Berkson’s, advocacy work affords clients an insider’s approach to navigating through the infertility process. Mindy utilizes nationwide resources to develop individualized and comprehensive plans, including relevant insurance and financing information, to help clients make informed decisions. For more information about Lotus Blossom Consulting, LLC, call toll free (877) 881-2685, email consultant@lotusblossomconsulting.com or visit them on the web at