Reasons for Infertility Easily Understood

By Casey Fields

Most all infertile couples will try many different ideas in order to have a baby. What's disheartening in the whole affair is just figuring out the reason for infertility. Knowing why is the key in having any chance of a successful pregnancy.

Several things cause women to be infertile. Problems with Ovaries is one of the most common reasons particularly in women. Ovulation occurs when a woman's hormones are released to mature her eggs. Ovulatory dysfunction occurs when a woman is too stressed out, has a hormonal imbalance, or has a premature aging of the ovaries. Other factors causing ovulatory issues can be abnormal ovary development, problems with the thyroid, or challenges with prolactin production.

Other reasons for infertility in women are endometriosis, scarred or damaged fallopian tubes and presence of uterine tissue in the lower abdomen. Once a woman is diagnosed with any of these conditions, she will soon be subjected to a battery of standard diagnostic tests.

Having either limited or abnormal sperm production is the main reason for infertility in men. There have been documented cases where it was completely unknown as to the difficulty in conception. With this in mind, many different methods are available to help with these infertility issues.

Some of the methods made available to the infertile couple are artificial insemination by husband, surgery and in vitro fertilization. Hormone therapy is also another type of option that the woman can receive if she is having ovulation induction and other forms of assisted reproductive technologies.

Sometimes a women's body itself works against the reproductive process by producing anti-sperm antibodies. These antibodies seek out and kill the mans sperm.

Anti-sperm antibodies are commonly known as "sperm allergy". Some women think that they are allergic to their husband's sperm because they feel itchy after intercourse. However, women are not the only one who has this rare condition. Even men can be allergic to their own sperm. This is the reason why a treatment for such condition has been developed to increase an infertile couple's chances of pregnancy. The possible treatment for this is intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection.

Treating these many reason for infertility can vary greatly in both cost and frequency. An infertile couple's financial capacity and medical history is another dependancy. Most treatments are costly and take many repeat visits to the doctor.

If a couple can't get pregnant naturally, trying assisted reproductive means is always a viable alternative. And finally, If after all options are exhausted, and the reasons for infertility are still unknown or just financially out of reach, there is always surrogacy or adoption. - 30525

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Ever Wonder How To Conceive A Baby Boy?

By Kathy Forcey

Before analyzing tips on how to conceive a baby boy it is essential to understand the dynamics behind actual conception and the role chromosomes play. Women are X chromosome carriers while men are both Y or X chromosomes carriers. Gender is primarily determined by either the X chromosome for girls or Y chromosome for boys found in the sperm. The biggest conception secret is the creation of a suitable environment for either Y or X chromosome sperm to be the first to reach and therefore fertilize the egg.

As with everything in life there are plenty of old-wives tales and myths making the rounds on successful ways for how to conceive a baby boy. Be very cautious listening and applying these, some have the potential of being hazardous to your health while others on the other hand are a plain waste of time.

Your diet can have a direct impact on the creation of a suitable environment for gender preference sperm. The foods you consume affects the body's pH levels which in turn affect the vagina's pH level. The higher your vagina's pH levels the quicker Y chromes also known as male sperm will die thus it's highly recommended that you keep pH levels neutral by steering clear from foods known to raise the body's acid levels. There are testing strips made expressly for this purpose.

An extensive range pf medications both over-the-counter and prescribed are available to assist or help gender selection along. Dietary supplements are also often recommend however the potency and effectiveness of these supplements on their own leaves much to be desired. In general, supplements are helpful to balance any nutritional deficiencies you may have in your overall diet., but don't do much by way of gender selection.

Popular methods for how to conceive a baby boy include Whelan, Ericsson, Billing, Shettles and Chinese Pregnancy Chart methods of conception. Before you initiate any treatment, consult with your physician to ensure they are safe. You may be interested to know though that with all things being equal, the odds do favor boys with a ratio of 51 males to 49 females for every 100 births.

Shettles is the most popular and effective method employed thus far, consisting of initial ovulation calculation and then to have intercourse within the 24 hours in which ovulation occurs. In direct contrast to Shettles method is Whelan method. The method recommends intercourse 4 or more days before the actual ovulation day. Both methods are fairly close in terms of accuracy, somewhere in the 68% range for conceiving a baby boy.

Of all the gender selection methods Billings Method is probably the most complicated, not to mention old fashioned method, combining charting with constant fertility observation. The millennia-old Chinese Conception Charts is believed to be the most effective with its greater than 90% accuracy statistics using a combination of the mother-to-be's age and child's' conception month for gender selection and determination. This chart is based on the lunar calendar. - 30525

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The Clear blue Easy Fertility Monitor - Must-Know Facts For All Moms

By Allyson Peters

When a woman wants to get pregnant, she should not have to worry about her fertility or other things; it should be a happy time. A fertility monitor is great to have during this time. A good designed one, like the Clearblue Fertility Monitor, takes some of the potential stress out.

The big advantage to the Clearblue Fertility Monitor is that it is easy to use, yet is very advanced and increases your chances of conceiving.

A test stick (you can purchase more separately) is used to monitor hormone levels in your urine. After wetting a stick, you simply place it in the test stick slot and wait for the results. But an important feature of the Clearblue Easy Fertility Monitor is that you can easily program it to follow the days of your monthly cycle.

This maximizes your chances of getting pregnant. Each test shows a "fertility status" on the screen, based on the test results - low, high, and peak - displayed using 3 bars.

About the "M" Button:

The monitor comes with an exclusive "M" Button which you press at the start of your monthly cycle, and establishes the start of the six-hour window of time in which you can do a test. It's important that this "window" includes a time when it's convenient for you to test your first urine of the day on both weekdays and weekends. You are free to change the time or day that you press the "M" button on your next cycle, in order to get more tests done at different times in your cycle.

The Clearblue Fertility Monitor accurately identifies more fertile days in your cycle than any other fertility monitor. About 10 or 12 days after your cycle starts is usually the most fertile time because your estrogen levels are higher. Male sperm can survive as much as five days, so your chances of conceiving are the best during these pre-ovulation days in your cycle

Technical Reasons Behind the Clear Blue Fertility Monitor's Effectiveness:

During these "pre-ovulation" days - called the Follicular Phase - a follicle that contains an egg starts developing inside an ovary. At this point a rise in Luteinizing hormone signals peak fertility. This lasts for only a couple days and is the time frame that your chances of conceiving are the highest. But the Clearblue Easy Fertility Monitor helps you pinpoint this time with relative ease. Ovulation occurs at this point - when the follicle containing the egg bursts and releases the ovum. There is only about 24 hours from this point forward that the egg can be fertilized, so this is the point that your monitor will help you pinpoint.

The Luteal Phase is the-- days after ovulation, and a time period when you are far less likely to conceive. (The remains of the follicle form what's called the "corpus luteum.")

Performing A Routine Test

While in your testing 'window' and before your first urine of the day, turn on the Clearblue Fertility Monitor. Some mornings the monitor will indicate that you need to test your hormone levels. After removing a test stick from the wrapper, you wet it in your urine stream (pointing the stick downwards) for about three seconds. While maintaining the downward angle of the stick, remove the cap from the handle end and put it on the wet end..

At this point you should see a red flashing light in the test stick slot, which is the monitor performing an internal check to determine if the slot is ready to receive your test stick. Do not place the test stick into the slot at this time - wait until the red light has gone out. Simply hold the test stick by the cap and place the other end into the the slot, cut corner pointing down. Push it down until it clicks into place, lying flat. If you've inserted it correctly, the display will flash a small image of the test stick symbol for about five minutes as it performs the check of the urine.

So now all you do is wait five minutes until the test is over - indicated by the monitor - which point it will indicate for you to remove and discard the used test stick. The status of your fertility will then be shown on the monitor. - 30525

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Give The Gift of Maternity T Shirts

By Andrea Hanly

For the moms-to-be on your gift-giving list, consider choosing a hilarious and funky maternity t-shirt! They're not only witty and humorous, they can also be sweet and sentimental. A really neat option is to have a maternity t-shirt custom created for your favorite pregnant lady.

Picture her beaming face as she pulls off the gift wrap to reveal her new maternity t-shirt! Whether it's displaying the baby's gender, sonogram picture or a sly comment, she'll love your thoughtfulness. She'll also have a great time wearing it and will think of you every time she puts it on. Can you think of a better outcome to giving a gift?

Help her bring a stop to the endless question of "Is it a boy or a girl?" by presenting her with a maternity t-shirt that states the gender, name and due date! Give her a gift that brings humor and laughter and let's people laugh with her. She's sure to treasure such a special gift.

No matter if it's the first trimester or the third, maternity t-shirts are a pregnant woman's must-have wardrobe staple. She'll need at least three and probably more. Because she's still growing they're designed to grow with her. They'll fit her through most of her pregnancy and she'll be so grateful when she slips one on and heads out the door. They're excellent for Lamaze classes too because she'll be able to move around easily which is a necessity!

For comfort and fashion, maternity t-shirts are the way to go. They're great with jeans, shorts, capris, skirts and sweats. A maternity t-shirt will take her to any casual event from shopping to lunching with the girls. She'll look terrific while still feeling comfortable and she'll thank you for it! - 30525

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Tests For Infertility - Go With Ultrasound First

By Olivia Hooks

The first sign of infertility is the failure for a couple to 'get pregnant' for a full year of trying. The reasons for this are many, and one of them is aging.

And two reasons that aging reduces a woman's fertility are diminished health of her eggs and a reduced ability of the ovaries to release them. They also have a higher risk for miscarriage and other health problems that affect their fertility.

A woman's highest fertility is in her 20's, with her 30's being a time when she is still relatively fertile. She will start having difficulty conceiving as she gets into her mid to upper 30's. Miscarriage risks start to come into play in her late 30's. Fertility decreases appreciably in smokers and drinkers. With more women choosing careers today that put off child-rearing, aging has become the primary reason for infertility.

Failure to conceive for a whole calendar year (after trying the whole year) means a woman is in the "primary infertility" category; "secondary infertility" is when she has already been pregnant at some point, but has not been able to conceive for the previous 12 months of trying.

Both males and females have infertility problems, with the split being roughly 50-50, according to some experts on fertility. But the ratio is 60-40 - with the females having 60 percent of the infertility issues according to others. One in ten of couples trying to conceive will have difficulties, with four out of five being successful inside a year. What is a normal amount of time? Up to two years of trying, say experts.

In order to assess their fertility, many partners must both have complete medical exams done. Many of the males in relationships have the problem with fertility, therefore it's important that both partners get a complete physical.

The first tests normally done by a fertility specialist are for a woman's levels of FSH and her LH. (These abbreviations stand for Follicle Stimulating Hormone and Luteinizing Hormone.) These tests are usually done on a woman's first and her third visits to her doctor. It should be noted that the tests for these two hormones - Luteinzing Hormone and Follicle Stimulating Hormone - can be done on the male partner, as well. LH and FSH are both important for male fertility too.

Some of the other tests routinely done (female) include ultrasound tests, a cervical mucus test, and additional hormone testing. A post-intercourse test that's not done as much today, the cervical mucus test looks for active sperm from a sampling of the vaginal mucus. Two to eight hours following intercourse, the female is examined by the fertility specialist. Sometimes a bacterial test is done at the same time.

Ultrasounds are a good way to for the fertility specialist to examine the condition of the uterus, ovaries, and cervix without complicated and invasive examination techniques. Ultrasound can also be utilized to determine if ovulation has occurred.

There are many other tests for reproductive-related hormones available to the reproductive endocrinologist: They include tests for total testosterone, progesterone, estradiol, prolactin, free T3, free testosterone, androstenedione, and DHEAS.

Treatments for infertility can be expensive and not covered by insurance, and it depends on what needs to be treated, and how far a couple is willing to go with treatment. A relatively common cause of infertility in women is PCOS or (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome), which is treated with a drug called metformin in combination with clomiphene.

Failure to ovulate can be treated by clomiphene, with the next level of treatment being hormone therapy. One of the more undesirable side-effects of hormone therapy is the increased likelihood of having 3 or 4 babies all at once.

One of the most expensive and emotionally taxing (as well as physically taxing) fertility treatments is in vitro fertilization (IVF). Regular blood tests, daily hormone injections and frequent monitoring by the doctor is what this treatment requires of you. Nevertheless, it works one out of three times, but out of this 33.33%, one-third of these (33.33% also) will have twins. It should be noted that acupuncture by trained personnel is shown to raise the success rate of IVF. - 30525

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Bold And Powerful Diet Advice In Pregnancy

By Matt Sumerstone

During the nine months of pregnancy, it can be hard to stay on track and eat a healthy diet all of the time. With so many changes in our body shape, mood and just our general mood swings, eating seems to be a comfort to most of us. It helps us feel better and it is comfortable and familiar. The problem is, you need to eat so that it benefits your unborn baby. If you are not sure what to eat, you may need some diet advice in pregnancy.

To get the right amount of nutrients, you really need to watch what you eat. You need to get enough calcium, protein, vitamin D, folic acid and iron for your baby to grow correctly. You also need to take in the right amount of calories.

Pregnant women should eat at least 5 portions of vegetables and fruits each day. The growing baby needs this so they can get enough calcium and fiber. For the correct amount of calcium, women should eat low fat yogurt, cheeses and milk. Low fat is very important so that the woman does not take in too many calories.

Fish and seafood are great while pregnant. The only problem is that you need to stay away from the fish that contain too much mercury. High mercury levels are never good for an unborn baby. Some fish to stay away from are salmon and tuna.

To get enough folic acid and iron, your doctor may prescribe supplements to ensure that you are getting enough. You can help your body get enough by eating dark green vegetables and juice. Also, fortified cereal is good to eat. Iron can be found in bread, red meat and cereals.

There are many foods that you should stay away from, as well. No pregnant mom should eat eggs that are not fully cooked and unpasteurized cheeses. Meat should also be well done.

Eating nutrient dense foods that are filled with protein, calcium, iron and fiber will help you to have strong and healthy baby. It will also help you to have a healthy pregnancy and labor.

So if you are pregnant, then you need to make sure that you are eating healthy. Ask your doctor for some advice and see what they suggest that you eat. Having a healthy diet can make such a big difference in your baby's life. A pregnancy is only nine months so you can eat well for that long. It will go by very fast and once your beautiful baby is born, you will be glad that you did eat well. - 30525

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Wonderful Advice For Preventing Losing Your Hair

By Kara Deakin

When hair loss happens normally folks feel unhappy and not happy with there looks this all effective your self-esteem. Every so often hair loss merely happens suddenly just falling out and sometimes your hair starts thinning. Now hair loss often happens as you get older.

Hair loss can be a little tricky to decide the cause there are diverse reasons why hair loss can occur. Occasionally having surgery will result in hair loss this can come about after 3 or 4 months - hair will just fall out. An additional sign that you are pushing your body too far is hair loss, time and again this is brought about by stress.

Umpteen women in actual fact have hair loss 3 months after having a baby this happens typically owing to hormones. While pregnant your hormones are high causing the body to grow hair that normally wouldn't grow. Then after having your baby the hormone level will return to normal causing the hair that grow to fall back out or if you have thyroid gland issues this can cause hair loss as while.

Early signs of Cancer, Lupus or Diabetes is hair loss, people frequently persons ignore this sign thinking there could be other issues.

Now over the years a number have located approaches to help stop hair loss and produce new growth. Starting with eating more healthier foods taking iron supplements pills can help reduce hair loss. The benefits of eating the right foods can result a healthier you and create hair growth. Some have provided suggestions for instance eating vegetable skin including red and green pepper, cucumbers, potatoes. All have a material called silica that has been determined to very essential in the healthy growing of hair.

There are natural ways to start regrowth of your hair, some suggest essential oils by applying a mixture of thyme oil, lavender, cedar wood and a 1/8 cup of grape seed oil. Taking a few drops in massaging the mixture into the scalp applying directly on the balding and thinning hair area. Now if you can keep doing this night by night for a couple of months you will observe fantastic results.

Now if you don't care to really grow hair out but just want to maintain the hair you have. Keeping the hair thick and looking healthy try to include folic acid, vitamin B5, biotin and para-amino benzoic acid. You can take a daily supplement that includes these vitamins. - 30525

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