10 Conceiving Tips For Getting Pregnant Naturally
Here are some conceiving tips that can help you to get pregnant naturally without fertility drugs or technologies.
1. Diet and Nutrition
Get a well-balanced nutritional diet so that your reproductive system is healthy as you prepare for pregnancy. Some naturopathic practitioners recommend alkaline foods like peas, bean sprouts and milk as alkaline foods can increase your chances of getting pregnant. Avoid acid foods such as red meat and tea as they may increase the acidity in your cervical mucus and destroy the sperm. Take more foods that contain essential fatty acids such as seeds, beans, nuts and oily fish as the acids stimulate the production of hormones in both women and men.
2. Supplements
Take a good multivitamin supplement before you become pregnant as you may not have enough nutrients in your daily diet. Make sure it contains folic acid which prevents neural tube birth defects such as spina bifida. You should continue to take the supplement when you are pregnant.
3. Exercise and keep healthy body weight
Exercise moderately and keep a healthy body weight to boost your fertility. It helps to burn excess fat to keep your hormone in proper balance. Excess body fat increases the production of estrogens and too much estrogens can result in irregular menstrual cycle or anovulation (no ovulation). On the other hand, vigorous exercise and excess weight loss can also cause hormone imbalance and infertility.
4. Reduce Stress
Reduce stress to improve your general health. Stress can cause irregular menstrual cycle and ovulation problems. There are various methods to manage stress. You can enrol in a yoga or meditation class or learn stress management techniques from trained counsellor.
5. Avoid Caffeine, Smoking, Alcohol and Illicit Drugs
Avoid food and beverages that contain caffeine like coffee, black tea and chocolate. Many studies have shown that caffeine reduces women’s chances of conceiving and decreases sperm count and motility in men. Stop smoking, drinking alcohol and taking illicit drugs for the sake of healthy pregnancy and your future baby. Studies have shown that tobacco, alcohol and illicit drugs have a negative impact on women’s and men’s fertility. Women who smoke, consume alcohol and take illicit drugs also have a higher risk of genetic abnormalities and miscarriage.
6. Avoid Toxic Chemicals And Radiation
Avoid exposing yourself to toxic chemicals and radiation. These environment hazards can adversely affect the fertility of women and men. These toxins are also harmful to the development of the fetus.
7. Avoid High Temperature
Advice your male partner to stay out of hot tubs, sauna, steam rooms and tight underwear as the high temperature can decrease a man’s sperm production and motility. High temperature can also damage the woman’s egg and cause miscarriage.
8. Get Medical Check-up
Get a medical check-up before you get pregnant to detect any medical conditions. If you need to be on any medication, discuss with your doctor to ensure that the medications do not interfere with your fertility and pregnancy.
9. Avoid Artificial Lubricants
Lubricants contain chemicals that can destroy the sperm. If you have to use lubricants, try egg whites. There may be some lubricants specifically made for women trying to conceive.
10. Monitor Ovulation
Monitor your ovulation using multiple methods such as calendar method, basal body temperature method, cervical mucus method, feeling cervix method, ovulation tester kits or fertility monitor.
One or a combination of the above conceiving tips may be preventing you from getting pregnant naturally. You may be able to conceive by making some changes to your lifestyle.
PCOS And Infertility
Polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is a common cause of infertility affecting between 5 to 10 percent of women. Women with PCOS produce excessive Insulin that causes production of high level of male hormones (androgens) resulting in hormonal imbalance and irregular ovulation or anovulation (no ovulation).
PCOS And Infertility
PCOS causes infertility. Women with PCOS produce high level of insulin, a hormone that regulates the body’s blood-sugar (glucose). Insulin interrupts the normal growth of the follicles in the ovaries. During menstrual cycle, several follicles develop within the ovaries. Each follicle contains an egg. Women with PCOS produce a high level of luteinizing hormone (LH). Due to hormonal imbalance, these follicles do not mature and no egg is released. Therefore, there is no ovulation, no regular periods and thus infertility.
Causes of PCOS
As ovulation does not occur and progesterone is not produced, the follicles in the ovaries built up and develop into cysts and the lining of the uterus becomes thicker. PCOS is considered a genetic disorder. That means you are most likely born with the condition.
PCOS Symptoms
Symptoms of PCOS are excess body and facial hair, discoloration of the skin on the armpits, neck, breasts, groin and inner thighs, acne, thinning hair or baldness, irregular menstrual periods or no periods and vagina yeast infection. This is due to hormone imbalance. Most women with PCOS are overweight due the excessive insulin.
PCOS Test
If PCOS is suspected, your doctor will perform a physical examination and blood tests to check your hormone levels. Then a pelvic ultrasound will be performed to take a closer look at your ovaries.
PCOS And Treatment
Your doctor may prescribe medications like Clomiphene Citrate and Gonadotropins to induce ovulation and Glucophage and Avandia to lower your insulin resistance. In some cases, laparoscopic surgery may be required to remove ovarian cysts. You will be advised to take a low carbohydrate and low sugar diabetic diet and regular exercise to lower your insulin level.
Herbs and Acupuncture For PCOS Treatment
Some women use herbs and acupuncture to treat PCOS. Studies have shown that acupuncture can help to stimulate ovulation. Acupuncture increases blood flow to the uterus and helps to regular the hormones. Herbs like Gleditsia and Dong Quai are often used to treat PCOS. Gleditsia promotes ovulation and is normally taken before ovulation. Dong Quai regulates the hormones and strengthen the uterus. Dong Quai has blood-thinning effect and should not be taken if you have heavy bleeding.
Effects Of PCOS
PCOS increases the risk of miscarriage and chances of developing gestational diabetes during pregnancy. Women with PCOS also have a higher risk of developing uterine cancer and diabetes. If you have PCOS, make sure you visit your doctor regularly to monitor your condition. Women with PCOS can still have babies after the infertility treatment is done.
How To Cope With Infertility Stress?
For some couples, infertility stress can have a negative effect on their life. Some women see infertility as a major life crisis.
Trying to conceive without success can be very stressful for you and your partner. Going through the various fertility tests can be very tough both emotionally and physically. Then the shocking diagnosis of infertility can be too much for you to cope. The costs of infertility tests and treatments can be a burden and add more stress on you.
You are probably experiencing an array of emotions as you deal with infertility stress. You may experience intense feelings of sadness, anger, shame, fear, resentment and loneliness. Over a period of time, these feelings can turn into anxiety and depression. You can’t stop thinking about your infertility problems. You are unable to concentrate on your usual activities and begin to lose interests in them. You are having strained relationships with your partner, family, friends and colleagues and you feel isolated. You can’t eat and sleep well.
Infertility Depression
If you are experiencing depression for a prolonged period of time, you may want to seek help from a mental health professional. Signs of depression are:
- Unable to concentrate on whatever you are doing
- Feel hopeless
- Not interested to perform your normal activities
- Don’t have energy to do anything
- Have sleeping problems
- Gain or lose significant weight suddenly
- Obsess and preoccupied with fertility
- Have strong feeling of anger and resentment
- Have increased anxiety
- Keep thinking of suicide or death
Couples
Man usually reacts differently to stress. He thinks he is emotionally and physically strong and is reluctant to express his feelings to anyone. He may feel overwhelmed by your emotions but do not know what to do. He may change his focus on other things that interests him like work and hobbies. If he is the one who has infertility problem, he may feel inadequate and ashamed. He may feel too embarrassed to go for medical treatment or emotional support. Both of you may stop enjoying sex as it reminds you of your infertility. You may have disagreement and conflicts at times.
Here are a few things you and your partner can do to cope with infertility stress.
- Discuss your emotions and fears with your partner.
- Some disagreement may arise out of your emotions but it is important to have each other’s support during this stressful time.
- See the doctor together and give emotional support to each other as you go through the tests and treatments.
- Try to enjoy sex together.
- Focus your time and energy on your relationship. You can find hobbies or activities you can do together.
- Consider seeking a professional counsellor for help. Counselling may not only alleviate your infertility stress but may also make your relationship stronger as you provide one another with emotional support.
Family and Friends
You may have to deal with family and friends who make insensitive remarks that hurt your feelings. If you explain your situation to them, your true and loving family and friends can give you tremendous support.
Infertility Support Group
You can also find support group online to get some emotional support. You can find these groups by typing in “infertility support group” on Google.com.
Remember that being infertile is not the end of the world. Even if your infertility treatment is yielding no result, you have many other options. Don’t let your infertility stress get out of control. Take care of your health.
Which Ovulation Tester Suits You Best?
Besides using ovulation calendar and your natural body signals to predict ovulation, you can find many types of ovulation testers in the drugstore. An ovulation tester can help you to cut down the time you take to conceive .
Ovulation Prediction Kits
Ovulation prediction kit is a popular ovulation tester you can use at home. You use the test stick to measure the amount of LH (luteinizing hormone) in your urine every morning. If your LH rises (known as LH surge), it means that you’re going to ovulate within the next 24 to 36 hours. This kit is easier to use than the time-consuming BBT ovulation method and is probably more accurate. However, as women with polycystic ovaries syndrome (PCOS) or premature ovarian failure (POF) tend to have high LH all the time, the kit may not work for them. Ovulation prediction kits can be expensive as you have to buy the test sticks. You can find affordable ovulation prediction kits here.
Saliva Fertility Tester
The saliva fertility tester tests your saliva for a rise in salt content, which rises when your estrogen rises. This indicates that you are about to ovulate. The saliva fertility tester can be expensive but you can wash and reuse the lens. You can use the saliva tester anywhere as it is very handy. Simply place a sample of your saliva on the lens and wait for it to dry. Then view the sample through the magnification lens. On normal days, you’ll see dots on the lens. Closer to ovulation, you will see something that looks like ferns. When the ferns cover the whole lens, it means you’re about to ovulate and that is the time you should have sex. Saliva fertility tester is said to be 98% accurate. Two good brands in the market are Fertile-Focus Saliva Fertility Microscope and Fertile Scope Saliva Fertility Test.
Ovulation Monitor
Ovulation monitor is a device that store data about your cycle and helps you to predict when you’re going to ovulate. You have to test every day around the same time. As you test both your estrogen and LH levels, you can predict your ovulation five days before you ovulate. This device is 99% accurate even if you are having irregular cycles. Ovulation monitor is quite expensive. Like other testers, the ovulation monitor does not work for those who have polycystic ovaries, menopause or are breastfeeding as their LH level is high all the time. One good brand is Clearblue Easy Fertility Monitor.
Ovulation tester kits and monitors are easier to use, more accurate and less time consuming than the calendar and body signal methods. If you are trying to get pregnant, it is worth purchasing one. It can improve your chances of conceving. Choose the ovulation tester that suits you best.
Getting Pregnant After Miscarriage
You have gone through the emotional and physical pain of your early pregnancy loss. Most women who experienced miscarriage blame themselves for the pregnancy loss and are searching the cause of miscarriage. Miscarriage is not caused by your work, stress, exercise, sex or morning sickness. Stop blaming yourself. Give yourself some time to get over the loss before you try to get pregnant again.
You may be worrying about getting pregnant after miscarriage. Will the same thing happen again? Let’s look at the causes of miscarriage.
Miscarriage Cause
For many couples, the cause of miscarriage is often unknown. However, it is not your fault. It’s not due to something you have done or not done. Majority of miscarriages are caused by chromosomal abnormalities and usually occur in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. Fortunately, the chromosomal abnormalities occur randomly and are non-recurrent.
Miscarriage does not cause infertility. Most women have no difficulty having ovulation after miscarriage and get pregnant again. Most successfully carry their pregnancy to full-term. However, there is a minority who experience recurrent miscarriages.
Cause Of Recurrent Miscarriage
Recurrent miscarriage can be caused by many factors. Some of the reasons for miscarriage may be lifestyle factors, chromosomal problems, low progesterone, uterus abnormalities or your medical condition. Your doctor can give you diagnostic tests to determine if you have any of these problems.
1. Lifestyle Factors
Stay away from tobacco, alcohol and illegal drugs which are known to increase your risk of miscarriage. Consult your doctor if you have difficulty discontinuing these activities and lead a healthy lifestyle.
2. Chromosomal Problems
Most miscarriages are caused by chromosomal abnormalities. When the egg and sperm unite, a very complex series of steps take place before a fetus is formed. Problems with the number and structure of chromosomes may occur and miscarriage happens. Most women have healthy pregnancy after one miscarriage. However, a small percentage of couples inherited the chromosomal problem from their parents. In this case, recurrent miscarriages will continue to take place. Your doctor can diagnose this rare condition through genetic tests.
3. Low Progesterone Level
Low progesterone level can cause miscarriage during early pregnancy. Your body secretes progesterone to thicken the lining of your uterus so as to support the fertilized egg. If your progesterone level is low, your pregnancy cannot be properly supported resulting in bleeding and early miscarriage. Your doctor can do a simple blood test to check your progesterone level and prescribe progesterone supplementation if necessary.
4. Abnormalities of the Uterus Or Cervix
If you have an abnormal uterus or cervix anatomy, you can still have children but the risk of having miscarriage is higher. Uterine problems such as uterine fibroids, septate uterus, Asherman’s syndrome and endometrial polyps can result in a miscarriage. Incompetent cervix is a condition where the cervix is too weak to stay closed and usually results in later pregnancy loss.
5. Medical Conditions
Some medical conditions like pelvic infection, diabetes, insulin resistance syndrome, thyroid disease, thrombophilia, lupus, antiphospholipid syndrome and polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) can increase your risk of miscarriage.
6. Ectopic Pregnancy
In an ectopic pregnancy, the embryo implants and grows outside the uterus, usually the fallopian tube. When the embryo grows to a certain point, the fallopian tube will be ruptured causing severe complications and miscarriage. Symptoms of ectopic pregnancy are vaginal bleeding and pelvic pain.
Signs of A Miscarriage
The symptoms of a miscarriage are vagina bleeding or cramping during pregnancy. If you experience signs of a miscarriage during pregnancy, see your doctor straight away.
Reduce Your Miscarriage Chances
You can take some preventive actions to reduce your risk of miscarriage and have a healthy pregnancy.
- Go for a complete medical checkup before you get pregnant again. Discuss the risk factors and causes of your past pregnancy loss with your doctor.
- Ask your doctor for prenatal vitamins and other medication if necessary.
- Have a healthy lifestyle with nutritious diet, exercise and avoid alcohol, tobacco and illegal drugs.
- Plan your pregnancy, monitor your menstrual cycle and ovulation period.
- If there is any sign of pregnancy, see your doctor immediately for early checkup and diagnosis.
- Share your concerns and questions with your doctors about your past pregnancy loss.
- Follow your doctor’s instructions and make sure you go for regular checkup so that your doctor can monitor your health and pregnancy closely.
Keep in mind that you can have a successful pregnancy even though you have experienced pregnancy loss in the past. Getting pregnant after miscarriage may also help to heal the pain of your previous pregnancy loss. Take preventive actions to reduce miscarriage chances. You will soon be able to have a baby of your own.
When Does Ovulation Occur?
Many women plan to get pregnant and often ask themselves “when does ovulation occur?”. You are probably asking the same question. Under the influence of your hormones, one egg is released from your ovary each month. The egg moves into your fallopian tube where it can be fertilized by a man’s sperm. This is when ovulation occurs.
There are many ways to figure out when you are ovulating. You can watch the calendar or observe your natural body signals.
Ovulation Calendar
In most cases, ovulation occurs 14 days before the beginning of the next menstrual cycle. Most women have an average 28-day menstrual cycle. In this case, ovulation occurs on around day 14. Some women have shorter or longer cycle. If you have a 24-day cycle, your ovulation occurs on day 10. If you have 35-day cycle, you ovulate on day 21. Some factors such as your lifestyle, stress, medication or other problems can affect your hormone production resulting in irregular menstrual cycles. This makes it difficult to determine when you are ovulating using calendar.
Signs of Ovulation
Some women experience pain when ovulation occurs. This is called mittelschmertz. Some may experience spotting during ovulation. Some women have headaches, bloating or breast pain. These are signs of ovulation.
Cervical Mucus
At the time of ovulation, your cervical mucus increases and is clear, thin and stretchy making it easier for the sperm to pass into the uterus. Your mucus also becomes more alkaline so that the sperm can live longer. At other time of the month, your cervical mucus is thick, cloudy and acidic or your cervix may be dry.
Cervix
Your cervix changes at different time of the month. You can put a clean finger into your vagina to feel your cervix. Around ovulation, your cervix becomes softer and slightly open. It also moves to a lower and more central position.
When Is A Woman Most Fertile
Timing is critical if you are trying to get pregnant. Many women miss their chances month after month as they don’t understand when they are most fertile. To become pregnant, your egg needs to be fertilized within 24 hour period by a man’s sperm. Sperm can live up to 4 days. This means you need to have sexual intercourse within a few days before ovulation or on the day of your ovulation if you want to get pregnant.
Get Pregnant
When the sperm and egg unite within the fallopian tube, fertilization occurs. The fertilized egg then moves to the uterus for implantation. For a viable pregnancy to result, the egg and sperm must be healthy. Your body hormones that help to produce estrogen and progesterone must be in proper balance. The lining of your uterus must be healthy and ready for implantation.
To get pregnant, it is best to have sex every other day nearer the ovulation date so that you don’t miss the time when you are the most fertile. If you can’t, at least try two days before ovulation and the day you ovulate.
When Does Ovulation Occur
Besides, the ovulation calendar, cervical mucus and feeling the cervix methods, you can also chart your basal body temperature (BBT) to determine when you are ovulating. You can also use ovulation prediction kits (OPK) to help you to determine when your ovulation occurs. You can read about fertility charts and ovulation tester here.
[Are you looking for ovulation calander? Find information about ovulation calender here.]
Use Fertility Charts To Determine Your Most Fertile Time Of Month
Find Out Your Most Fertile Days In Cycle
Keeping fertility charts is a good method to determine when is a woman fertile. If you are planning to conceive, you need to know when you are ovulating, your most fertile time of the month. There are several methods to help you to know when you are ovulating. The three most popular methods are rthythm or calendar method, the basal body temperature method and the cervical mucus method. You can combine the three methods and use fertility charts to organize and keep track of your body’s natural fertility signals.
Rthythm or Calendar Method
Keep a fertility calendar and record when your menstruation starts and ends for six months. From the calendar, you know when you are ovulating. Most women ovulate approximately 14 days before their next period. If you have longer cycle or shorter cycle, you should adjust accordingly. Once you determine when you are ovulating, you should have sexual intercourse on the days surrounding your most fertile period. This technique is useful but may not very reliable.
Basal Body Temperature (BBT) Method
Take your body temperature every morning before you get out of bed. You can use a BBT thermometer which you can purchase at local drugstore. Record your basal body temperature on a fertility chart or bbt ovulation chart. You can download a fertility chart here or you can easily create one yourself.
Connect the dots to form a graph. You will notice that your temperature is at the lowest when your period starts. Look for a subtle drop in temperature, followed by a rise in temperature. Your temperature should be at least 0.5 degrees higher and stays elevated. The drop in temperature occurs around ovulation and the rise in temperature indicates an increase in progesterone levels.
Try to have sex every other day. If you can’t, at least make sure you have sex on the day when your temperature drops. Studies have shown that most women ovulate after the temperature has risen. So continue to have sex until the temperature has been elevated for at least two days. If your temperature remains elevated for more than 15 days, there is a good chance that you have become pregnant.
The drawback of this technique is that your temperature readings may not be accurate as it can be influenced by factors other than your hormones.
Cervical Mucus Method
Take note of your cervical mucus changes during the month. You may notice that your vaginal area is fairly dry just after menstruation. A few days later, there appears a very thick, cloudy and stick mucus. Just before ovulation, your cervical mucus becomes clearer, more slippery and stretchy. This helps the sperm to get into the uterus. The mucus stays the same for several days until ovulation occurs.
Make sure you have sexual intercourse during this critical period when you are most fertile. After ovulation, your cervical mucus becomes thick, cloudy and sticky again or may disappear and your vaginal area becomes dry. Take note that your cervical mucus may change if you have a vaginal infection or if you are taking certain medications.
Cervix
Your cervix changes at different times of the month. Around ovulation, your cervix feels softer but firm and there is an increase in moisture. It also moves to a lower and more central position. You can locate your cervix by inserting your clean finger into your vagina until you feel a firm bump.
You can combine the above methods by keeping daily records of your body’s natural fertility signals on fertility charts. These fertility charts can help you to keep track of your fertility cycles and figure out when ovulation occurs.
Are Herbs For Fertility Effective For Infertility Treatment?
Herbs have been in used for thousands of years to treat many medical ailments. Many people use herbs as an alternative medicine to treat their medical conditions. Herbal medicine is not regulated by Food and Drug Administration. So what you are taking may not be the same as what is stated on the label. You have to be careful in selecting your herbal medicine.
If you wish to try herbs for fertility, make sure you are under the care of a qualified practitioner such as a naturopathic physician. Some herbs are known to be beneficial for infertility treatment. Some infertility herbs may have certain undesirable reaction if taken with other medicine. Make sure you let all your doctors know the kind of herbs you are taking.
The following is a list of popular herbs used to boost fertility and promote healthy reproductive organ systems. This list is just for your guidance. You should consult your naturopathic physician before taking these herbs.
Black cohosh – Relieves discomfort associated with menopause (e.g. hot flashes). Side effects are dizziness, nausea, low pulse rate and increased perspiration.
Dong quai – regulates menstrual cycle, improve hormonal balance and increases the chance of implantation. This herb is commonly used to treat Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS). Dong quai thins your blood. It should not be taken during an IVF cycle or by women who have very heavy periods.
Chasteberry (Vitex) – Promotes ovulation, regulates menstrual cycle and improves hormonal balance. Some believe that chasteberry helps to increase progesterone levels and should be used after ovulation and not before.
False unicorn root – Regulates menstrual cycle and alleviates problems associated with menopause and problems with infertility due to irregular follicular formation. False unicorn root has been recommended for those who are suffering with the symptoms of endometriosis as well as ovarian cysts.
Red clover – Boosts estrogen levels in a women’s body and improves hormonal balance.
Red raspberry leaves – Increase the thickness of the uterine lining making it more receptive to the embryo. Red raspberry causes uterine contractions and should not be used in early pregnancy.
Wild yam – Promotes progesterone production and improves hormone balance. Don’t take wild yam until ovulation occurs.
Ginseng – Relieves stress and regulates hormones.
Nettle leaves – Tones your uterus to help to prepare for implantation of the embryo.
Primrose oil – Increases cervical mucus and make it easier for the sperm to reach the egg. The side effect is it may thin the uterus lining making it difficult for implantation.
Saw palmetto – Strengthens male reproductive system and reduces enlarged male prostate.
Milk-thistle seed – Stimulates the uterus, purifies the blood and helps the liver to detoxifies.
Cyperus or Nut-grass rhizome - Treats irregular menstruation and menstrual pain.
Chinese motherwort – Stimulates the uterus and helps infertility. Should not be used during pregnancy. The seed can be used to improve uterine lining and promote ovulation.
Peach kernel – Resolves menstrual disorders and menstrual pain. Should not be used during pregnancy or after ovulation.
Oat berry and straw – Nourishes the endocrine, nervous and immune systems. Helps endocrine deficiencies, infertility, impotence, PMS and insomnia.
Valerian root – Treats cramping and spasms of the uterus and reduces stress.
Red peony – Treats early menstruation, premenstrual headaches and relieves fibroids and endometriosis.
Asian cornelian cherry fruit – Treats excessive menstruation and low sperm motility.
Gleditsia fruit – Treats Polycystic Ovaries Syndrome (PCOS). It dissolves the waxy coating found around polycystic ovaries and induces ovulation. It is slightly toxic. Take only a small amount before ovulation. Do not use during pregnancy.
You can find a combination of some of the above herbs in capsule form to optimize your fertility in FertiAid for Women. It is advisable to stop taking these infertility herbs after you get pregnant as some of these herbs may not be good for pregnancy.
Some herbs for fertility may regulate your hormonal imbalance and help you to ovulate and get pregnant. However, there are some limitations to herbal treatment. For example, if your fallopian tubes are blocked, just taking herbs for fertility will not open them. Sometimes herbs are used in combination with acupuncture for fertility treatment to be effective.
With many conventional treatments and alternative treatments available, you have more options to help you to conceive. Make sure you get proper guidance and all your doctors are aware of any fertility herbs you are taking.
Acupuncture For Fertility
Acupuncture has been practised in the East for thousands of years. In recent years, scientific studies in the west have proven that acupuncture can be used to treat and relieve pain and discomfort arising from many different diseases and conditions. Studies have shown that using acupuncture for fertility has shown some positive effects.
What Is Acupuncture?
Acupuncture is a technique whereby very fine needle are inserted into various pressure points causing an exchange of electrons within the body, similar to the flow of electricity. This helps to relieve pain and discomfort and improve blood circulation. It is a procedure to rebalance the flow of energy in your body. It regulates blood pressure by stimulating the central nervous system.
Acupuncture And Fertility Treatment
Research studies have proven that acupuncture is beneficial for female and male with fertility problems. One study has shown that it helps women to get pregnant with no side effect. It is concluded that acupuncture is a valuable alternative treatment for women with irregular menstrual cycles. It can be used to stimulate a woman’s hormonal system to secrete the right hormones at the right time in her cycle. Therefore, acupuncture is a good alternative for infertility treatment.
Acupuncture can also be used for treating fertility problems like spasmed tubes. Although it is not effective for blocked tubes, spasmed tubes are often de-spasmed with acupuncture. It is often used with herbs to treat elevated follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), repeated pregnancy loss, unexplained infertility, luteal phase defect, hyperprolactinemia (when not cause by prolactinoma), polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), and men infected with sperm-DNA-fragmentation.
Acupuncture – Male Fertility
A research study has also proven that multiple acupuncture fertility treatment over a period of time can improve the concentration, volume and motility of sperm in men. Thus it has also been used to increase male fertility.
Acupuncture And IVF
Another study shows that acupuncture can be used in conjunction with in vitro fertilization (IVF) to treat issues like homonal imbalance and improve the rate of pregnancy. Fine hair-like needles are inserted along the spleen and stomach meridians and other sites, to stimulate blood flow to the uterus. This helps to regulate the hormone levels and thicken the uterine lining making it more receptive to embryo implantation.
Many fertility clinics work in conjunction with an acupuncturist to treat fertility problems. Women can be treated with acupuncture for three to four months before an insemination, in vitro fertilization (IVF), or donor-egg transfer. Women are also encouraged to receive acupuncture treatments before and after embryo transfer. Acupuncture also helps the couple, especially the woman, to reduce stress, anxiety and depression while going through the trials and tribulations of fertility treatments.
Fertility Acupuncture Risk
The risk of using acupuncture for fertility treatments is minimal. The biggest risk is that when incorrect acupuncture points are used on pregnant woman, a miscarriage may occur. For this reason, it is advisable to choose a certified and well-trained acupuncturist who specializes in treating infertility. There are some acupuncture fertility clinics specialized in infertility treatments.
What Are The Infertility Test Procedures?
If you have been trying to conceive for more than a year without success, you may want to consider going for infertility test. Your doctor will recommend various basic tests appropriate for you and your partner to evaluate your fertility.
Female Fertility Test
1. Checking Cervix – You doctor will check your cervix for signs of viral and bacteria infection, chlamydia, gonorrhea, ureaplasm urealyticum and other pathogens.
2. Blood Test – Your blood reveals a lot of information about your fertility. It can be used to evaluate the level of your hormones such as follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), extradiol, progesterone and prolactin. The levels of these hormones at different times indicate any disorders in your eggs, ovulation, thyroid and other reproductive organs. Presence of infectious diseases such as hepatitis, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), syphilis and rubella (German Measles) antibody can also be detected using your blood sample. Immune disorders that cause infertility can also be detected.
3. Pelvic Ultrasound Examination - The ability to view your internal pelvic organs allows your doctor to identify any presence of cysts and other fertility problems. There is no pain and discomfort during ultrasound.
4. Endometrial Biospy – Through this procedure, your doctor obtains a sample of lining (endometrium) inside your uterus to determine whether you are ovulating and your progesterone level is adequate. You may experience some discomfort and cramps during the procedure. After the procedure, you may have some slight spotting for a few days.
5. Hysterosalpingogram (HSG) – This an x-ray of the uterus and fallopian tubes to detect blockage of fallopian tubes and other abnormalities such as fibroids, large polyps, unusually shaped uterus, adhesions. There may be some discomfort and cramping during the procedure, After HSG, you may have some discomfort, cramps and vagina discharge for a few days. HSG cannot detect small polyps and fibroids.
6. Hysteroscopy – This procedure allows your doctor to take a closer look at your uterus and ovaries to detect presence of fibroids, polyps adhesions and abnormally shaped uterus. Surgery can be done under local anesthesia to remove these abnormalities at the same time. You may experience discomfort and cramping during the procedure. After hysteroscopy, you may also have discomfort, cramps and slight vagina bleeding.
7. Laparoscopy – By placing a thin telescope through a small incision in your abdomen, your doctor can clearly view your reproductive organs to diagnose conditions such as endometriosis, scarring and adhesions, fibroids, ovarian cysts and blocked fallopian tubes. These conditions can be treated surgically under general anesthesia during the procedure. After laparoscopy, you may experience some pain from the surgery, mild nausea, vagina bleeding and abdomen discomfort.
8. Other Fertility Tests -The doctor may require you to keep a basal body temperature (BBT) chart or ovulation chart using ovulation predictor test kits at home to determine whether you are ovulating.
Male Infertility Test
The man is also required to go through some basic tests to check for any infertility problems.
1. Blood Tests – Your testosterone, follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone and prolactin levels can be evaluated for any disorders using your blood sample. Infectious diseases like human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), hepatitis and syphilis and certain viruses and bacteria that can lead to infertility can also be detected.
2. Urine Analysis – Your urine is checked for presence of bacteria, white blood cells and sperm. Presence of white blood cells in the urine indicates infection within the urinary tract or prostate gland. If a large number of sperms are found in your urine, it may indicate retrograde ejaculation, where sperm swim backward into the bladder.
3. Semen Analysis – Semen analysis reveals a lot of information about a man’s fertility.
Volume
Your volume of semen should be 1.5 to 6 ml per ejaculation. Higher or lower volume may indicate low testosterone level or infection. Zero sperm in the semen may be due to retrograde ejaculation, where the sperm swim backward into the bladder.
Thickness
Normal semen is a thick gel at the time of ejaculation. It normally liquefies within 30 minutes after ejaculation. If it takes longer, it may indicate infection or other problems.
Quantity
The quantity of sperm should be greater than 20 million sperm per milliliter or 40 million per ejaculation. Otherwise, your sperm count may be low.
Shape
It is normal to have some sperm that are abnormally shaped but more than 30 percent of the sperm should be normally shaped. Abnormally shaped sperm are usually not able to penetrate the egg.
Motility
More than 40 percent of the sperm should be able to move forward to the egg. If a high percentage of your sperm has low motility, you may have infertility problems.
Some other infertility tests may be required if necessary.
4. Antisperm Antibody (ASA) - This antibody reacts against a man’s own sperm. A test on the semen sample can detect antisperm antibody. This condition has a negative effect on the sperm’s motility.
5. Hamster Egg Test – If your sperm can penetrate a hamster egg, your sperm can also penetrate a human egg.
6. Testicular Sperm Extraction (TESE) And Testicular Sperm Aspiration (TESA) – This test is recommended when the man is not producing sperm although no abnormality is found. With TESE, the doctor removes a piece of testicle tissue surgically under local anesthesia and the sperm are then removed from the tissue for further evaluation. With TESA, the sperm is aspirated from the sperm duct.
7. Vasogram – This test is recommended when a blockage along your reproductive duct is suspected. Vasogram can be used to detect the exact location of the blockage so that surgery can be done.
Going through the infertility test procedures can be tough both emotionally and physically for you and your partner. Infertility tests can also be costly. However, you may still want to go through the tests if you have difficulty conceiving. The tests and treatment may solve your infertility problem and you can have your own baby in the near future.
