Boffins from the University of Nevada fed caffeine to mice, whose reproductive system resembles that of humans, and found that it produces a particular effect on the fallopian tubes making their smooth muscles more relaxed and loose.

When the egg is to get transported, explains author Sean Ward in the article published in the British Journal of Pharmacology, it’s up to the fallopian tube muscles to provide the necessary impetus – but caffeine interferes with the proper contractions, with the effect that the common run of pregnancy gets disrupted or the woman can develop ectopic pregnancy, that is the embryo is unable to find its way past the fallopian tube and begins to develop there.

It helps understand the processes that lead to ectopic pregnancy, which is “an extremely painful and potentially life-threatening situation in which embryos get stuck and start developing inside a woman’s fallopian tube.”

The experiments on mice, as Ward points out, revealed a lot about how the intake of caffeine tampers with the natural process of child-bearing in women, and go to show that a high consumption of caffeine containing drinks lowers the chance of a healthy and successful pregnancy.

Besides, the new insight into the functionality of the fallopian tubes can give doctors valuable hints towards a better treatment of pelvic inflammation and sexually transmitted diseases.

Source of the image: Photl.

But once artificial fertility measures are taken, a study in Fertility & Sterility reports, the number of male expectances comes down.

The study is looking into a particular reproduction technique scientifically labeled intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). ICSI is the method commonly employed to cope with male fertility problems and it is becoming more popular by day. It involves injecting the father’s sperm into the eggs extracted from the mother.

ICSI is considered very beneficial since it also serves to bring down the chances of giving birth to triplets or even more babies at a time.

But, as it turns out, blastocyst-stage embryos show a direct contrast to what we find in the natural state of things – less male babies are born.

Therefore scientists believe that ICSI shouldn’t be resorted to unless absolutely necessary if we wish to avoid the spread of this potential side effect.

Source of the image: sxc.hu/profile/Rotorhead.

As a man’s weight increases so his chances of becoming a father decreases. The researchers studied more than 300 couples undergoing IVF treatment. Dr. Hassan Bakos of the University of Adelaide, Australia, said that as parental body mass index increased, successful pregnancy rates plummeted.

Couples involved in the study were either undergoing IVF treatment or an alternative procedure. Almost 80 percent of male participants were either overweight or obese. The man’s weight played no role at the initial phases when embryo develops. However, by day four of embryo cell division, when genetic factors become important, signs of impaired development were found. The evidence suggests that DNA damage and oxidative stress are to blame, according to Dr. Bakos.

So before planning on pregnancy, both partners have to try to make their weight normal to increase their chance of conceiving a baby.

Source of the image: sxc.hu/profile/asifthebes.

During the study 116 men suffering from infertility issues were supposed to make sex daily for a week. As a result, 4 out of 5 men showed 12% decrease in DNA malfunctions. Additionally, the number of spermatozoons fell from 180 millions to 70 million, but the latter grew more active.

David Greening’s findings in fact contradict the current approach to male infertility treatment which suggests that men should abstain from sex for a few days to improve fertility.

Source of the image: flickr.com/photos/mazelx.

Challenges for Women Trying to Conceive after 35

A lot of studies have proved that the probability of ovulation decreases in women after they cross the age limit of 30, decreasing fertility. Women in mid-thirties and older may often have regular cycles without an egg released. Moreover, the quality of the egg decreases when women reach the age of 30 and even more when a woman crosses 40.

The following are a few reasons why conceiving after 35 becomes difficult for women:

• various uterine disorders and fibroids,
• decrease in cervical fluid.
• endometriosis
• development of scar tissue around the cervix or fallopian tubes due to a surgery or infections.
• chronic health problems, such as diabetes and hypertension.

A woman above the age of 35 or running in her mid forties should also keep in mind that she has higher chances of miscarriage which go up to 35% higher, as well as a higher risk of chromosomal abnormalities.

With a long list of health problems, how can a woman think of conceiving after 35?

How to Increase the Chances to Conceive in Older Age?

The following things can be done to increase the chances of conceiving.

• Setup a meeting with your health care provider to discuss the subject. An experienced doctor would review your recent medical requirements, your current lifestyle, as well as your medical history. After going through all these details, your doctor will be able to come up with a numbers of tips on how to conceive, such as taking folic acid, vitamin E and eating a healthy diet.
• The second most important recommendation that you should follow in order to conceive is quit smoking, avoid or completely stop drinking alcohol. Also, try to consume less caffeine.
• There are fertility tests that you and your partner should go through. You will be able to buy these tests at any drug stores.

Trying to Conceive after 35 – Tips for the Man

You should get your partner involved in this process as well – and here are some tips for the man planning to conceive. The man should also give up smoking and reduce the amount of alcohol consumed to the minimum. He is also supposed to wear something loose and comfortable rather than wearing anything tight which could hamper his sperm. Your partner must also avoid hot baths as they may make the sperm less effective. And in the end, your male partner should also be told to limit the sexual intercourse to once every two days to make his sperm counts high.

Stay Positive and Be Patient

After all that has been said, the most important factor for you is to stay positive. You have to accept the fact that for women aged 35 and more it takes a longer time to conceive. Following the tips above will boost your chances of conception.

If after trying to conceive for six months you have no signs of pregnancy, you should visit your health care specialist for some additional help in solving the problem. Your doctor would then conduct a fertility test in both of you or may recommend consulting a fertility specialist.

Source of the image: sxc.hu/profile/buzzybee.

What Causes Anovulation?

There are quite a lot of reasons to know why a woman is not ovulating regularly. If you consult a doctor, he/she would prescribe certain drugs that will cause ovulation. A woman who is not experiencing any bleeding at least once in a month will not be able to notice that she does not ovulate unless she is monitoring her basal body temperature. The chart would appear to be very irregular with either the temperature shooting up constantly or no temperature rise notification in it at all.

There are various reasons for anovulation. Some of them include:

1. Breastfeeding
2. Pre-menopause
3. Illnesses
4. Stresses
5. Coming off the pill
6. Hormones like Depo-Provera
7. Traveling
8. Vigorous Exercise
9. Extreme weight loss or weight gain
10. Other medical conditions – like pituitary gland problems and polycystic ovarian disease.

Anovulation and Getting Pregnant

Anovulation could be very discouraging when you are planning to conceive. However, you should not worry about it as there is help available. If you notice that you are not ovulating, you should consult your doctor. There will be a chain of tests undertaken to recognize your levels of hormones and a few drugs will be prescribed for fertility and ovulation.

What Medicines Are Prescribed to Treat Anovulation?

The widely prescribed drug is Clomid or Pergonal. These drugs are prescribed with small doses initially to offer a chance to your body to ovulate and then the doses increase in anticipation of the ovulation. Quite a few women will surely ovulate after taking these drugs. However, Clomid is only prescribed when the origins of infertility are unknown.

If there is no regular menstrual cycle, the drug Provera, or something similar to it is prescribed to encourage menstruation. Just the once ovulation occurs, the doctor can then better inform you if there is any additional help required.

What Natural Ways Can Encourage Ovulation?

There are a lot of natural herbs that can also bring about ovulation. That is the reason why we recommend you to meet your doctor first and take their advice. Vitex provides help to control the estrogen and progesterone hormones which helps in ovulation. You should check the bottle to know the dosages. Vitex should not be taken if you are already prescribed Clomid.

You can try to increase your chances of conception by 50% by drinking tea. To lengthen the leuteal phase and fertility, a dose of 25 mg – 100 mg of vitamin B6 can help. Consumption of evening Primrose oil before the expected ovulation can help in the production of the white cervical fluid, which is known as the most fertile fluid.

There is no need to worry about anovulation as it is not a major reason for infertility. Science and technology have moved to greater heights and things can be done to help nature. Anyway, first of all you should begin with charting your basal body temperature and seeing your doctor.

Source of the image: sxc.hu/profile/bies.

In What Cases Is IVF Used?

When IVF was invented, its role was to aid women suffering from infertility caused by infertile or diseased uterine tubes. However, with new developments, IVF can now treat cases like endometriosis, hostile cervical mucus and other infertility related cases. It has even been tested on male partners with a low sperm count problem; although it has been proved to work, the overall success rate isn’t very high.

How Is IVF Done?

In Vitro Fertilization is carried out with a laparoscope, which is basically a form of telescope that is put inside an anesthetized woman’s abdomen to extract an eggs from the ovary just before they are about to be released naturally by ovulation. Separate sperms are collected from the male partner and then washed and diluted. The extracted eggs and the diluted sperm are then mixed in a glass dish. If fertilization between the egg and the sperm is successful, then the embryo is developed in the lab. After about two or three days, the embryo is placed in the woman’s uterus with the help of a plastic tube.

Possible Side Effects of IVF

IVF does have its boundaries and side effects though. The success rate isn’t 100% and there is a risk of ectopic pregnancy, or extrauterine pregnancy – which is a special case when the embryo is inserted and developed outside the uterine cavity; this is very dangerous because in such cases the uterine tube usually erupts. Furthermore, successful implantation and development doesn’t always end up with childbirth. Miscarriages and ectopic pregnancies are more common through IVF than when you try to conceive the natural way.

How Effective Is IVF?

There is no general trend in the success rate for In Vitro Fertilization. The numbers vary from place to place, so it’s difficult to predict the efficiency. Some figures suggest that for each happy couple who went through a successful IVF procedure, there are a few more couples who didn’t have such luck. With technological advancements, the IVF procedure is becoming more and more streamlined and efficient, but the latest facts from the important IVF centers state the following: 8-10% probability of pregnancy if only one embryo is placed in the woman’s uterine tube; 20% probability for two embryos; 30% for three embryos. Considering the dangers involved, more than three or four embryos are never inserted. Again, it must be noted that pregnancy does not always result in birth, just like in natural conditions.

IVF Gives a Hope

In Vitro Fertilization is a great technological development for the infertility treatment. The whole process requires very high tech equipment along with extremely skilled medical operators. No doctors or medical scientists can make success promises with IVF yet, but we can’t deny the fact that IVF has put a smile on many couples’ faces and is a ray of hope for many others waiting for it to be perfected.

Source of the image: sxc.hu/profile/bjearwicke.

Chronic Diseases

Remember emergency instructions on the plane telling you to first put an oxygen mask on yourself before putting a mask on a child. If you breathe, you are able to help your child. The same is true about the health of your future baby. Your own health is a priority! Nobody’s going to get pregnant, bear and give birth as well as to provide care for your child for you. Future mother is more important than her future baby, if you think about it.

Don’t disregard any ailments, especially those relating to the reproductive system. Delays in menstrual cycle, painful menstruation, hair growing where it shouldn’t all direct you to a gynecologist’s office. Thinking that the problems will disappear after childbirth is misleading.

Stress and Conception Problems

If you have strained relationships with your parents and colleagues, if you cry yourself blind and can’t forget the love affair that failed like ten years ago, if there are some taboo topics among your family, etc, – give it a thought. Motherhood is a serious matter, and you should make a self-confident decision. It might be helpful to go to a psychologist, alone or with your family.

Is Pregnancy a Challenge?

It often happens that girls who were raised in families where pregnancy was always a challenge expect their own experience to be as frightening and heroic. There are often no hereditary diseases involved, but the anxiety is enough for them to make problems out of nothing. And stresses work just like the Pill. Gynecologists can do nothing to ease your stress. That’s a psychologist’s job.

Eating Healthy

“Starvation” isn’t synonymous with “vegetarianism”. Experienced dieticians create vegetarian diet plans able to provide an adult with all essential proteins, vitamins, fats and microelements. Keeping this kind of diet requires much effort.

Some women think it is ethically wrong to eat food of animal origin because they don’t want to hurt other living creatures. To each it’s own, but your baby needs some amino acids and fats that are found only in fish, meat, milk and eggs. So if you plan to have a baby, decide which of little helpless creatures is more important for you.

Don’t Smoke

Smoking affects fertility both in men and in women. According to studies, smokers are more likely to have less active sperm. The study in Britain involving 17 032 women showed the link between the number of smoked cigarettes and infertility.

Use Birth Control Pills Smartly

Choosing the right time for the baby is crucial. But contraception may put your future fertility at risk as well. So you need to talk to a health specialist about choosing the right birth control pills. For example, women with liver disorders or pancreatic gland problems should avoid oral contraceptives.

Never listen to what your friends are saying about contraception pills. Neither your friends nor a druggist are able to give you’re a professional advice. You should seek a consultation from health specialists. “Emergency contraception” is not a female trick, it is a powerful hormonal blow. Therefore, don’t jeopardize your fertility and learn about all the risks of contraception.

Think if Your “Healthy” Attitude Helps

Are you going to buy only Organic baby food? Are you going to give your baby only filtered water? Are you going to put on your baby only cloth diapers because you think paper ones are toxic? Is this what you are absolutely going to do?

If you confine yourself into the rigid limits, it indicates emotional ill-being. It goes hand in hand with the stress that prevents you from getting pregnant and may harm your future baby.

It goes without saying you don’t have to buy cheap food of suspicious origin. Just keep eating what you’ve always eaten and live your life the way you’ve lived it if you feel good and happy. Why change anything and stir up anxiety? Without anxiety, you body focuses on what it should normally do.

Preventive Care

Focus on your health and visit a hospital for examinations regularly if you are an athlete or work under “abnormal” conditions – you often fly on the plane and change time zones, you contact chemicals (in a lab or printing works), you spend a lot of time on foot, or in heat and sultriness. Don’t neglect injuries and ignore uncomfortable sensations. You may feel the consequences of injuries of the locomotor system or intoxications later when it’s time to be in great shape and bear a child.

Getting Slim

Acute weight changes and nonstop succession of slimming diets and fast-food comebacks is worse than having natural fold of fat on your waist, ample breasts and large hips. Excessive weight is what really can harm you, but not the one that makes it hard for you to fit XS size.

If you’ve ever gained weight rapidly or ever lost many pounds without any efforts and dieting, you absolutely have to tell about it to your gynecologist or endocrinologist.

Don’t be Afraid of Dentists

Neglected focuses of inflammation are a ticking bomb in your body. Most often, the focuses are in our teeth, and we are so afraid of dental treatment that we simply take painkillers to delay the visit to the dentist’s. But for your future baby’s sake, try to understand what is so dreadful about dental treatment and fight your fears.