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By Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen, on February 4th, 2010
 One of the major causes of infertility for women is polycystic ovarian syndrome, and it can prevent them from getting pregnant. But, the good news is it can be treated, and women with PCOS can conceive a baby! Here’s the latest information about polycystic ovarian syndrome from Northwestern University.
Polycystic ovarian syndrome is a metabolic disorder and one of the major causes of hormonally related infertility for women, yet the disorder remains largely undiagnosed and unknown. About five million women in the United States are affected by it.
“[Before being diagnosed with PCOS], women are told they are too fat and aren’t taken seriously for a long time,” says Andrea Dunaif, M.D., the Charles F. Kettering Professor of Medicine at Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine and a physician at Northwestern Memorial Hospital. “They go to an average of four doctors before they are diagnosed. They have been to physicians who say ‘there is nothing wrong with you, don’t worry’.”
If you think you may have polycystic ovarian syndrome but your doctor hasn’t diagnosed it, consider getting a second or third opinion. If you have PCOS and are wondering if you can get pregnant, you could try changing your diet. For info, click The PCOS Diet Book: How You Can Use the Nutritional Approach to Deal with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome. And, read on for the latest info from Northwestern, plus a story of one woman’s struggle with PCOS… Continue Reading…
By Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen, on February 2nd, 2010
  Not being able to get pregnant can be stressful for a marriage, and can even lead to separation or divorce. These research-based tips for supporting your husband or wife in infertility may help strengthen your marriage while you figure out what your future family will look like…
Before the tips, a quip from celebrity Cindy Margolis about infertility:
“We were diagnosed with ‘unexplained infertility,’ which sounds good in one respect, but on the other hand you almost want something wrong so there is a problem so you can fix it.”
Even if you know the possible cause of infertility, there’s no guarantee that fertility treatments, medications, or surgeries can fix it! This type of stress can harm your marriage, which is why supporting your husband or wife in infertility is so important. Click Infertility: Holding and Healing Yourself and Your Marriage for help with infertility in marriage, and read on for some interesting research-based ways to support your husband or wife… Continue Reading…
By Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen, on February 1st, 2010
  Research shows that organic fruit, vegetables, and meat haven’t yet been proven to directly improve fertility levels by increasing sperm count and healthy ovulation. But, organic foods certainly can’t harm fertility levels, so they might be worth a try if you’re hoping to conceive a baby! Here’s a summary of the possible health benefits of organic foods versus conventionally grown foods…
Dr Alyson Mitchell a professor and food chemist at the University of California in Davis, has stated that the public believes that organically grown foods are healthier, but there is little scientific evidence to support this position. However, she also says, “[In one study] I found that the higher level of antioxidants [in organic food] is enough to have a significant impact on health and nutrition, and it’s definitely changed the way I think about my food.”
The food you eat – organic or not – does affect your health, which in turn affects your fertility levels. If you’re trying to get pregnant, click Making Babies: A Proven 3-Month Program for Maximum Fertility for tips! And, read on for a summary of the health benefits of organic versus traditionally grown fruit and vegetables… Continue Reading…
By Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen, on January 28th, 2010
  These treatments for infertility are surgical procedures that can improve a woman’s chances of getting pregnant. Whether these options can help an individual woman to conceive a baby depends on the reasons for her inability to get pregnant. To determine the cause of infertility, women (and men!) must see their doctor and take a few fertility tests.
Here’s what Dr Miriam Stoppard, author of Conception, Pregnancy, & Birth: The Childbirth Bible for Today’s Parents, says about surgical procedures to help women get pregnant.
“Microsurgical techniques, involving laparoscopy, have greatly improved doctors’ ability to repair any damage to the fallopian tubes,” she writes. “If you have clomiphene-resistant PCOS your doctors may suggest you have surgery, such as ovarian drilling. In this operation, holes are drilled in the surface of your ovary with diathermy or laser to stimulate ovulation.”
For more information on improving both male and female fertility, click The Cleveland Clinic Guide to Infertility. And, read on for three operations for women who can’t get pregnant, from Dr Stoppard’s book on conception, pregnancy, and birth… Continue Reading…
By Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen, on January 26th, 2010
  If you haven’t been able to get pregnant for a year (or longer, if you’re like me!), you may be thinking about possible fertility problems. Here are four prescription drug treatments for female infertility; my next article will cover four surgical treatments for fertility problems for women.
Before the tips, here’s what Dr Miriam Stoppard says about getting pregnant:
“If a woman isn’t ovulating, her ovaries can nearly always be encouraged to produce good-quality eggs by using fertility drugs,” writes Dr Stoppard in Conception, Pregnancy, & Birth. “These drug treatments used to produce a large number of multiple pregnancies, but much more is now known about the correct dosage, and treatment is very carefully controlled and monitored.”
She wrote “the childbirth bible for today’s parents” – click Conception, Pregnancy, & Birth for more info. And, read on for four ways to get pregnant for women who are having trouble conceiving… Continue Reading…
By Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen, on January 25th, 2010
  Fertility drugs and treatments are connected to multiple births and premature births, says the March of Dimes (a charity that promotes the health of babies). Here’s a summary of their information on how assisted reproductive technologies, such as controlled ovarian hyperstimulation, affect pregnancy and birth rates.
“Many people have focused on the role of assisted reproductive technologies in multiples and have not fully appreciated that fertility drugs alone are responsible for one out of every five multiple births,” said Alan R. Fleischman, M.D., medical director of the March of Dimes. “Controlled ovarian hyperstimulation drugs are widely prescribed, and some health care professionals — and their patients — are not aware of the serious risks of fertility drugs to women and their babies. There is a very high possibility of multi-fetal pregnancy resulting from use of these drugs, and that brings a high risk of prematurity and lifelong health problems for the babies as a consequence.”
This doesn’t mean we should avoid fertility treatments or assisted reproductive technologies, but it is something to be aware of! Talk to your fertility specialist for specific info that relates to you and your chances of getting pregnant. Click Creating Life Against the Odds: The Journey from Infertility to Parenthood to learn how one obstetrician/gynecologist used assisted reproductive technologies to get pregnant. And, read on for the full press release from the March of Dimes… Continue Reading…
By Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen, on January 10th, 2010
  Some research shows that a low-fat dairy diet can decrease fertility; these tips for eating full-fat milk products will help balance female hormone levels and possibly improve fertility without causing weight gain.
Note that some doctors have responded to the “full-fat dairy diets help women get pregnant” research claims by saying that high-fat diets do not help prevent ovulation problems in women. Rather, it’s dieting that can have a negative impact on fertility. Being both underweight and overweight can have a profound affect on women’s hormones, menstrual cycles, and ability to conceive. Further research needs to be done to investigate a more scientific link between dairy and infertility.
However, it is widely accepted that the weight extremes of being overweight or underweight raises the risks of all types of infertility. For more info about how food affects your health, click The 150 Healthiest Foods on Earth: The Surprising, Unbiased Truth About What You Should Eat and Why. And, read on for a few tips for losing weight while eating a full-fat diet… Continue Reading…
By Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen, on January 7th, 2010
 Skipped or missed periods can make it more difficult to get pregnant – and beyond that, an irregular menstrual cycle is annoying and disruptive to daily life! Here are several health issues and prescription medications that cause irregular periods, based on information from a medical doctor and published author.
“Many women may not realize the degree to which health conditions can affect reproductive health,” writes Dr Rebecca Booth in The Venus Week: Discover the Powerful Secret of Your Cycle at Any Age. “For example, Juvenile (Type 1) diabetic women tend to reach menopause as many as seven years earlier than their nondiabetic sisters.”
In her book, Dr Booth describes most aspects of the menstrual cycle in clear, easy to understand language. Click The Venus Week for more info, and read on for several health issues and prescription medications that can disrupt your menstrual cycle. Continue Reading…
By Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen, on January 5th, 2010
  Are you frustrated with family and friends who keep asking about your fertility treatments, if you’re pregnant yet, or how you’re coping with infertility as a couple? I know I am…so I created a short list of ways to deal with people who keep asking how my baby-making efforts are going.
Before the tips, a quip:
“If we can laugh at it, we can live with it.” ~ Erma Bombeck.
That’s the first way to deal with people who keep bringing up your pregnancy-to-be: find ways to laugh about it! For more tips on handling difficult questions, click Boundaries: When to Say Yes, How to Say No to Take Control of Your Life – because this is a question of setting and sticking to your boundaries. And, read on for a few things to say to extremely curious (perhaps nosy) people… Continue Reading…
By Laurie Pawlik-Kienlen, on December 31st, 2009
  As a couple coping with infertility, we’re thinking about adopting children instead of proceeding with in vitro fertilization. If you’re like us – riding the infertility roller coaster – you might be interested in what I’m learning about successful adoptions. These tips will help to prepare you to be an adoptive parent!
“Because I’ve traveled the world sharing how an adopted child sees adoption and talked with many whose lives have been touched by adoption…I’ve learned that the emotional needs of those touched by adoption are similar,” writes Sherrie Eldridge in 20 Things Adoptive Parents Need to Succeed. “The adoption triad – birth parents, adoptive parents, and adopted children – have unique life stories, but there are common threads of grief, joy, and anger.”
Eldridge also wrote 20 Things Adopted Kids Wish Their Adoptive Parents Knew – click the book cover to learn more about either of her books. The following tips for couples thinking about adoption are from 20 Things Adoptive Parents Need to Succeed. I’m just sharing ten of Sherrie Eldridge’s tips for parents here; she describes all 20 tips in more detail in her book. Continue Reading…
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Resources for Periods & Pregnancy
If you're trying to get pregnant, you might find this Pregnancy Miracle E-Book helpful! It contains the top 10 foods you should never eat when you're trying to get pregnant, the top 10 fertility foods, the 17 common household products you need to avoid, and more. Are you looking for stronger, healthier sperm? A fertility supplement for men may help, such as FertilAid for Men to improve sperm count. Helpful Books About Getting Pregnant – Click for Info
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