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Main Page Site Index Getting Pregnant Pregnancy Parenting Pregnancy and Parenting Journals Fertility Nutrition Pregnant Moms Morning Sickness Women's Health Child Health	Infertility and You by Andrea Baker (This is a letter that Andrea wrote to a friend about possible causes on infertility and miscarriage.) There are basically two types of infertility: Inability to conceive, and inability to carry a fetus to term. I'll go through both. Both are considered infertility problems, but many people think that the only type of infertility is conceptual. Any type of inability to produce a baby is considered infertility. Your friend might also be having problems conceiving due to the baby miscarrying before she knows that she is expecting. If so, the cause is generally VERY treatable. . . if she knows what is going on. The first step in confronting infertility is a full medical checkup. This is important because you get a good jump-start toward answers. That way, you can find out if it is a health-issue that is causing infertility. Before attempting to conceive, make sure you are taking folic acid and prenatal vitamins. This is a MAJOR cause of infertility in some women, because folic acid prevents many types of neural tube defects. If a fetus is conceived and the proper level of folate is not obtained, often, the fetus is miscarried sometime before the third month. (Which is a blessing in many cases due to the fact that a child with neural tube defects and/or spina bifida is deformed in a way that they do not often survive outside the womb.) At any rate, make sure that you keep the folic acid going. Also remember, it's not an infertility problem unless it's been ongoing for 6 months or more. Have fun and relax! The first type of infertility that I mentioned is the inability to conceive. Your basic infertility work-ups usually test this first. This is when you hear about the "blame" game. This is seriously one of the biggest mistakes a couple can make. Inability to conceive is what most people think is the biggest form of infertility, but it is only the cause of a fraction of the cases. Male physical infertility Lack of conception in the male can be due to a low sperm count, motility (movement) problems, damaged sperm, sterility, and of course, impotence. Low sperm count and motility problems can be seen even with a starter microscope at home. (You can buy one at toys r' us if your partner does not want to go through a fertility work up at a clinic, although a thorough work up is recommended.) The microscope will show you amazing things. First of all, the movement and the number of sperm will be evident. Don't let it worry you too much if there is not as many sperm as you thought there should be. There are methods of improving sperm count. Besides, as long as the motility (movement) is good, it only takes one, technically, to work. If there is a low sperm count, try eliminating tight jeans, tight underwear (bikinis made of spandex, briefs, etc. Switch to boxers.) Add vitamin C to your diet to aid the production of sperm-protecting semen. Stop smoking (if you do.) Eliminate drug use (pot smoking, etc.) Limit sexual encounters to times of peak fertile periods. (This includes self-stimulation.) Beware of solvents and chemicals that decrease sperm counts or cause sperm deformation. If you have a motility (movement) problem, new types of in-vitro fertilization and direct sperm injection have proved hopeful. If you have a low sperm count or many deformed sperm, perhaps in-vitro would be better for you as well, due to the fact that in a lab, certain sperm can be selected for fertilization, eliminating time. . . which in many cases works against many couples. The position best is that of man-on-top with the woman's hips on a pillow. After ejaculation, she should remain in this position for one hour after the sperm becomes fluid. Fluidity occurs about 20 mins. after ejaculation. Female physical in-conception Lack of conception in the female has many causes. The first cause and the most obvious is the lack of conceptual knowledge. The cause of female in-conception is lack of knowledge, hormonal, ovarian or uterine error, or past STDs that resulted in damage. First rule of thumb is to know your body. For several months, write down your temperature in the morning and before you go to bed. Keep track of your menstrual cycles and pay attention closely to your normal discharge pattern. Basically what you are doing is trying to determine your ovulation schedule. Most babies are conceived right smack dab in the middle of a 28-day menstrual cycle. A lot of women who know their bodies can actually feel the release of an egg from their ovary. This pain is called middleschmerz and often occurs on day 14 of a 28 day cycle but don't count on it. Your most fertile days are right around this particular day. Often, a temperature change is also evident. Ovulation predictors help out in this area. Hormones play a big part in our fertility. Estrogen and Progesterone must be like a balanced teeter-totter. Hints that your hormone level is "off" can be, but are not always 1. Extensive bleeding and clotting with menstruation (Estrogen high) 2. Endometriosis (Estrogen high) 3. Metabolic rate causes weight gain (Estrogen high) 4. Facial hair or dark hair growing on the body (progesterone high) 5. Cold body to the touch (progesterone high) 6. Thin body not due to dieting or herediary causes (progesterone high) 7. Short menstrual cycles (progesterone high) 8. Longer menstrual cycle (estrogen high) or several other hints. Remember this is only a guideline and should be diagnosed by a doctor. Hormone imbalances can be treated herbally. Progesterone creams like soy cream and yam cream can be purchased at GNC etc. Yarrow root tea also helps progestrone. (these are the safest varieties. There are others) Progesterone treatments should occur on days 14-28 of a 28 day cycle. Be careful of the amount you use because overdoing it works like birth control. Estrogen is found in cohosh and many other herbs, but care should be taken here. Estrogen relacement should be done days 1-14. Dong Quai is said to balance BOTH if taken days 1-14. Herbs are DRUGS. If an herbal remedy is to be attempted, let me know and I'll send tons of info on these. I just briefly explained it here. The absence of ova (eggs) in the falopian tubes can be caused by ovarian damage or deformity, tubal damage or deformity, hormone deficiencies, or sterility. Absence of eggs is often treatable, but can take a lot of time to diagnose and repair. Endometriosis is a disease of the female sex organs that causes a spider-web like tissue to grow abnormally on the tubes, uterus, and ovaries. It causes blockage and sometimes, extreme pain. Endometriosis can be burned off with laser surgery and treated with some drugs (birth control pills for a period of time.) Some women find some relief from aspirin. Others increase estrogen levels. If you have Endometriosis, your span of fertile availability is compromised. Attempts should be made to conceive before age 30. Scarring from previous ectopic pregnancies also hinders conception by blocking the tubes. Usually the only recourse here is surgical; Complete roto-rooter here. If the tubes cannot be repaired, harvest above the scarring is the only alternative if you want to use your own eggs. Uterine scarring inhibits implantation of a fertilized egg. Complete and correct implantation is vital to fetal survival. Sometimes D & Cs or scraping can remove scar tissue which is usually caused by endometriosis, previous abortion, incomplete miscarriage, or molar pregnancy. Uterine deformity can also inhibit implantation. The failure to even PRODUCE eggs can be helped along medically (usually clomid.) This drug can mean multiple fetuses. Make sure you have exhausted all possibilities before using any of these types of drugs. Another cause of infertility that is not commonly known has to due with the uterine environment. As you probably have heard from your gynecologist, DON'T Dousch unless prescribed by a doctor. Dousching results in an imbalance and can cause infections! With that said, let me explain an infertility secret. Think about when you have orgasm. Do you have one before or after your partner? Basically, do you have them without the seminal coushin? Okay, first of all, because a woman's sexual organs are inside her body cleaning can be difficult. A woman's body produces all kinds of things to help her keep her organs inside clean and infection free. Sometimes, though the woman's own cleaning substances can go haywire and work against fertilization. First of all, let's talk about the doorway that the sperm have to enter. You have the vaginal walls on all sides and the cervix with a small hole in it in the back. The cervix is relatively thick and contracts during orgasm. Because it is so close to the outside of a woman's body, the vagina's inside walls are usually covered with an acidic secretion. This acid is dangerous to foreign cells. It's main job is to kill bacteria. Sperm is a foreign cell. To make it past the door, it must rely on very few dying right in the entry way. Seminal fluid is made to protect the sperm in a gel-like substance until it makes it past the acid in the vagina. If a man ejaculates before the woman, the sperm is protected by the seminal fluid, and few are killed by the vaginal atmosphere, because they go forward through the hole in the cervix. It is not necessary for a woman to have an orgasm to conceive but it helps. When a woman has an orgasm before the man, the cervix hits the vaginal wall and covers itself with acid. Basically, the acid gets everywhere, and the sperm is most likely killed when it tries to go through the small hole in the cervix because the hole's size makes it necessary for many to directly touch the cervix. Having the male ejaculate before the female is necessary in low-sperm count or high-acidic situations. Another point to remember is to not engage in auto-erotic activities two to three days before intercourse. Also, baking soda dousches might work, but dousching must be done carefully. Another way the woman's body fights sperm is by her own cells attacking them. If the man's blood is incompatible, often, the woman sees his sperm as ordinary bacteria to be disposed of. Injections of the man's blood sometimes is the course, I believe. . . but a doctor should be consulted in this case. The failure to secrete lubricant for sperm travel can be helped by taking tussin for the first 14 days of your cycle. The lubricant that the vagina normally produces which is mucousy in consistency, crystalizes when you are ovulating and becomes much thicker. It becomes a ladder to assist the sperm to climb to the fallopian tubes. Tussin (robitussin, etc) must only be taken before conception (1-14) because it contains alcohol which can harm a developing fetus. Past STD infection also causes many problems with infertility. Since there are so many diseases and so many different methods of dealing with these types of infertility, I will not discuss these here unless you want me to later. Remember that any infertility treatment is not guaranteed. After the age of 30, chances of conception without problems are about ½. . . chances with treatement can be as low as 1/10. There is always types of invitro-fertilization to consider as well. Infertility due to miscarriage The causes of miscarriage are similar to those of lack of conception. Fetal deformity, uterine deformity or scarring, hormonal problems, blood problems, diet problems, incompetent cervix, placental deformity, and serious accident can cause miscarriage along with many other reasons not mentioned here. Most women only experience one or two obvious miscarriages in their lives. When three happen in succession it is considered an infertility problem. The first cause discussed, fetal deformity, can be caused by a number of things. Preventative measures like the use of vitamins (folic acid) might help prevent some forms of defect. Unfortunately, the use of some popular drugs in the 1960's has caused many infertility problems in people of child-bearing age today. Don't consume alcohol or use drugs. They also contribute to fetal malformation. Placental deformity or an insecure implantation also causes miscarriage. Another cause is hormonal problems (as discussed above.) People who consume a lot of soy products like tofu often have a problem with too much progesterone. Estrogen-high individuals miscarry often because the progesterone produced in early pregnancy before the placenta is formed is so low it can't help with the HCG production. Doctors can help you test hormone levels and prescribe methods that help with conception. Too much of one hormone or another breaks down the zygote and prevents the fertilized egg from implanting. Uterine deformity and scarring also causes miscarriage. A gynecologist can do some measures to repair uterine problems once they are diagnosed. Incompetent cervix usually causes second trimester miscarriages. This means basically that when the baby starts growing it puts pressure on the cervix and the weight causes it to begin to dialate. A lot of doctors practice cerclige (stitching the cervix shut.) If more than one miscarriage occurs usually toward second trimester, it is probably incompetent cervix. Finally, diet problems like bulimia, anorexia, and malnutrition can also cause miscarriage. B vitamins and proteins are essential to amino acid production and fetal growth. If a fetus can not get the nutrition it needs, it can not sustain itself. A good prenatal vitamin can help a little, but good diet habits are ESSENTIAL to prevent miscarriage. Unfortunately, miscarriage is a very little-understood form of infertility. Any questions about your fertility should be addressed to a gynecologist, but stay informed! You can do wonders to help yourself conceive just by knowing how your body works. There is more information that I can give you about infertility, but this should get you started. If you want more information, let Danette know, and I can send more info about a special area of concern or other areas as well. As you have seen, the miscarriage area is just lightly explained. If you want more information about miscarriage, let me know. Also, I have listed several website addresses that can also help. By the way, the herbalist that I went to also suggested wearing a pearl. J Didn't know if you believed in that kind of a thing. . . but it worked for me. . . Actually, I took Dong Quai days 1-14, baby aspirin each day 1-28, tussin days 14-28, Yarrow root tea 14-28, and rubbed yam cream on my underarms and breasts days 14-28. I had to stay with the yam cream for the first trimester. GOOOOOOOD LUUUUUUCK. www.inciid.org www.pleiades-net.com www.fertnet.com