Overcoming Issues With IVF

By David Green

Many couples who could benefit from IVF treatment fail to take advantage of it. Although roughly half of the three million infertile couples in the U.S. look to doctors for assistance in having a baby, the vast majority do not ultimately go through with IVF. This is true even when they meet all of the criteria and their chances of successfully having a baby by under-going the treatment are good.

The question is then, what are the barriers that cause so many people to not to proceed with IVF? The answer to that question is complex, because what is a stumbling block to one couple can be considered irrelevant to another couple. It is fair to say, however, that there are some general issues that tend to be causes of concern to the majority of would-be IVF candidates.

One is that it is unsafe for the mother, baby, or both. Another is that it is too expensive. A third is that it is incompatible with religious beliefs. A fourth is that the mother, or even the father, will not be able to fulfill their professional and personal responsibilities for the duration of the treatment period.

However, all of these issues can successfully be addressed, and the barriers overcome. By spending some time learning about what exactly IVF involves - there are lots of good websites from which to gather this information - and having discussions with experienced IVF professionals and couples who have previously undergone the treatment, most couples will see that their concerns are unfounded.

That does not mean that IVF is the best option for every infertile couple, in some cases it is not, but it should at least be one of the options which is seriously considered during the decision-making process. To simply dismiss it could well be one of the biggest mistakes that a couple ever makes. - 31802

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Trying To Conceive - 5 Signs That Signal Your Ovulation Period

By Beth Vardah

When you are trying to get pregnant it is very important to know when you are ovulating. You will want to take full advantage of your ovulation's time since it only happens for 24 hours every month. It becomes a problem when women do not know their ovulation cycle. There are even some women who do not know how important this is. In order to improve a couple's odds of conception this article will explain the five signs that a woman is ovulating.

Lutenizing Hormone, or LH, is at a High

This is the most accurate way to predict ovulation. A spike in luteinizing hormone means that you have a window of about 30 hours that precedes ovulation. Think of this as a dark nimbus cloud on the horizon that signifies rain in the coming hours. A peak in luteinizing hormones can be detected in the urine with the use of LH ovulation test sticks.

Your Basal Body Temperature, or BBT, will go up.

During ovulation there is an increase in progesterone levels which in turn heats up the body. This temperature rise signifies the start of you ovulation and will last until the start of your period. So, if you miss your chance to conceive this month, you will have a way to determine when your next ovulation period will take place. The best way to measure your basal temperature is during in the morning just before you get out of your bed. Although there are special thermometers specifically made for this, an ordinary thermometer will do the trick. Remember to keep a chart of your basal body temperature so that it will be easier for you to spot the increase next time.

Breast Sensitivity

During the ovulation period, there is a secretion of progesterone hormones. This results in the tenderness and sensitivity not just of the breasts but also of the nipples much like when you have your menstrual cycle.

The cervical mucus fluid will change.

As your ovulation period approaches, the body is flooded with estrogen based hormones that help change the consistency of your cervical fluid. Aside from visual and tactile changes, the amount of cervical mucus fluid increases. There will be a thinning of the cervical mucus and it will be less sticky and won't be able to hold its shape. You might see a translucency in the cervical mucus although its color still remains the same.

Changes is your cervix.

The vagina and uterus is connected by the cervix. As a woman approaches her ovulation period the cervix becomes more soft and moist. The opening to the cervix will open up and its tip will begin to lift. All these descriptive terms are relative, so it is required that you keep track of the openness, texture, and position of your cervix during your cycle.

Keeping track of when you are ovulating is not always the easiest thing but it can help you get the baby you've always wanted. You need to know when you are fertile because that is half the battle of getting pregnant. - 31802

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How To Get Pregnant Fast In The Most Natural Way Possible

By Deegan Love

Introduction: Getting pregnancy, as you think, is not as easy as 123. While some women are blessed (though others consider this a curse) to have a very active fertility system, you may not have that. And that's when you need outside help. There are numerous methods that can help you get pregnant, but the best interventions are always the natural ones.

Difficulty: 3

Things You'll Need: a man (partner), vitamins and supplements, healthy meals

Step 1. Do you have a partner? If you don't then it's time to find one now. Of course you cannot get pregnant naturally if you don't have a partner, so it is well important that you have one. Your partner can be your boyfriend or your husband. But if you plan to raise your little bundle of joy all by yourself, then he doesn't have to be.

Step 2. Then, once you have a parter already, stop using contraceptives. Most women on the pill don't get pregnant right after they stop, since the body still takes time to readjust from all the chemicals and hormones. This isn't to say that you won't become pregnant immediately as well, because some women also do.

Women on injectable contraceptives (Depo - Povera) usually don't become pregnant within a couple months of time. Remember that this speaks for a majority of women, but not all. You may or may not concieve right away. Couples who use barrier methods like the condom, however, find it quicker to concieve once they cease using their birth control method. This is because condoms don't alter the body chemistry of the woman.

Step 3. Is Your Lifestyle Healthy? Take time to reasses your lifestyle (and your partner's as well). For the body to become efficient in any manner (and that includes fertilization) , it has to be free of toxins and stress. A healthy lifestyle can be achieved by doing the following:

- Eat healthy. Foods rich in nutrients are the way to go. Organic foods are also better choices in comparison to ordinary produce because they are grown without the use of chemicals and pesticides that are linked to problems concerning fertility.

- Stop Smoking. Nicotine has an adverse effect on the cervical mucous, and can cause fertilization problems as well. This causes double problems since nicotine also lowers sperm count.

- Any form of caffeine should be avoided. Caffeine also has detrimental effects on a woman's chances of getting pregnant. Too much caffeine (more than two cups of coffee or its equivalent for tea and soda) can increase a woman's chances of having a miscarriage.

- Exercising is as crucial as all the other factors there. Proper exercise keeps the body fit and also prepares the body for pregnancy. Exercising regularly de-stresses the body and helps you have better sleep at night.

- Sleep is also a very important factor, as this increases or normalizes the levels of the hormone leptin, which plays an important role in a woman's ovulation.

Step 4. Vitamins and supplements are also essential when one wants to get pregnant. The right amount of folic acid before and during pregnancy lessens the risk of prenatal conditions such as neural tube defects.

Herbal supplements are just as important as vitamins and mineral supplements as they balance the levels of the hormones. Calcuim, magnesium, zinc, vitamin B6 are just some of the important minerals and vitamins. Some herbs that are just as essential are:

- raspberry leaf

- raspberry leaf

- licorice root

- ginkgo biloba

- licorice root.

Remember to consult your doctor first before taking in any of these supplements.

Step 5. Take note of your ovulation and menstruation time. Most women ovulate right in the middle of their menstruation cycle, and you can figure out when yours is by taking note of the first day of your menstruation, as well as how long it is each month. If your menstruation is regular and arrives on time every twenty - eight days, then you can easily assume that your ovulation time is around fourteen days after the first day of your mensturation. This cycle, however, varies among women.

Step 6. Have regular and unprotected sex a couple of days before and around the time that you ovulate. Remember that sperm cells survive for 48 to 72 hours inside the reproductive tract, so have sex on the days leading up to her ovulation time (which would be days 12 to 14 of the menstrual cycle for an average woman.)

- Mind Your Positions. While this hasn't been scientifically proven, some positions allow the sperm to be closer to the cervix. Missionary position, for example, with a pillow underneath the hips is one position that is regularly used by many. Try staying in bed at least 30 minutes after having sex in order to increase the sperm's chances of reaching the egg.

- Don't stress out while having sex. Don't kill the intimacy of the moment just because you're racing to make a baby.

Step 7. Take a pregnancy test if you miss your period.

Step 8. Repeat these steps until you get pregnant.

Tips:

- Remember to be consistent with your efforts, and that includes living a healthy lifestyle before trying to get pregnant. Take your vitamins and supplements regularly.

- Lighten up for sex. Keep the experience a sensual onr and not as a chore.

- Consult your doctor before trying to get pregnant, before taking in vitamins or supplements for your pregnancy endeavors.

Warnings:

- Be informed. There are numerous pregnancy myths that do more harm than good.

- Have yourself as well as your partner tested for any disease or illness before starting on your endeavors. - 31802

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The Clear Blue Easy Fertility Monitor - Tips For Moms And Moms-To-Be

By Amanda Redgrave

Trying to get pregnant should be a happy and exciting time for you and your partner; you shouldn't have to worry about getting pregnant. The Clearblue Easy Fertility Monitor helps reduce the time that it takes to conceive.

The neat thing about the Clearblue monitor is that is maximizes your chances of getting pregnant by alerting you when are most likely able to conceive.

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 Clearblue's unique 'M Button' is activated at the start of your monthly cycle. It sets the beginning of a 6-hour time period for testing. You should press the button at the start of your cycle but only when it's convenient to test; the first urine of the day. In order to test different times in your cycle, you're free to change the day and/or time you press the button on your next cycle.

Identifying fertile days in your cycle is the job of fertility monitors. The Clear Blue Easy Fertility Monitor accurately signals more of these days than any other monitor on the market today. Your estrogen levels (E3G) are higher and your chances of conceiving are thus higher during the time in your cycle that is about ten or twelve days after the start. Because sperm can survive up to 5 days, your chances of conceiving are better during these pre-ovulation days.

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 days afterwards are called the Luteal Phase, when the remains of the follicle forms the "corpus luteum." During this phase your chances of getting pregnant are much lower.

How To Do A Test -

Each morning simply switch on the Clearblue Easy Fertility Monitor while in your testing window and prior to your first urine of the day. Some mornings the monitor will indicate that you need to test your hormone levels. This is done by wetting a test stick: Remove a new stick from its wrapper and hold pointing downwards in your urine stream for about three seconds. While holding the stick pointing downwards, remove the cap from the handle and put on over the wet end of the stick.

You should now see a flashing red light coming from the monitor's test stick slot. This indicates it is performing some internal checks in order to ensure the slot is indeed ready to receive your test stick. Don't put the test stick into the slot until the 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. Now you should see a flashing symbol of the test stick on the display if you've inserted it correctly. It will continue flashing for around five minutes as it does the test.

At the end of the test, the display will indicate to remove and discard the test stick. The monitor fertility status symbol will show the level of fertility in one of three simple bars - low, high, or peak. - 31802

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