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COVID-19 Tips for TTC, Expecting and Brand New Moms

hugging couple

hugging couple

Photo by Shvets Anna from Pexels 

During the global COVID-19 crisis, pregnant, trying to conceive couples and those within weeks/months of giving birth are questioning the safety of going to the hospital, doctor’s office, labs and clinics.

Yale University Professor of Obstetrics & Gynecology Mary Jane Minkin ffers tips and tells women to stay calm but be prepared.

“As we experience unprecedented times with many unknowns, the most important thing to remember is that health care providers are prepared to handle all health-related concerns. And, they are taking all steps necessary to be available to their patients,” says Dr. Minkin, who is also the founder of MadameOvary.com . “However, women must take personal responsibility for their health and wellbeing and utilize telehealth appointments if available.”

Here are Dr. Minkin’s Facts and Tips:

  1. Get your flu shot: Pregnant women have altered immune systems; therefore, they are at an increased risk for respiratory infections.
  2. Don’t hesitate to call the doctor’s office. Even if you’re not experiencing serious symptoms, doctors and nurse practitioners are available via phone to answer all your questions and concerns. This is the safest first step, rather than going directly into the office. Doctors will do their best to evaluate symptoms, prescribe medicine or make proper arrangements based on symptoms for you to go to a lab for testing or the hospital. Your healthcare provider should make sure you do not spend time in the waiting room, and you will be escorted directly to specially designed isolation rooms for fetal monitoring, or labor.
  3. Pregnant women should revisit doctor schedules with their OB/GYN. OB/GYN offices will still be seeing their pregnant patients, but visits will be deliberately spaced apart to avoid spending time in the waiting room. It is also wise not to allow friends or family members to accompany you to your appointment, or ultrasound, at this time.
  4. Stock up onPre-Natal gummy vitamins like Vitafusion  which should be taken when trying to conceive through breastfeeding.
  5. If you suspect you might be pregnant, and showing signs and symptoms like morning sickness, food cravings, mood swings, and fatigue, etc., have First Response Early Result Pregnancy tests at home, so you don’t need to leave the house until Covid-19 settles down.  Women can take a test up to six days before a missed period. Be sure to call your doctor right away if the test is positive to put a proper plan of action in place.
  6. Mothers infected with the coronavirus should follow their pediatrician’s guidelines for breastfeeding and precautions to take (wearing a mask and gloves, hand washing, etc.) while spending time with baby.

Stay healthy moms, moms-to-be and soon-to-be new moms!!!

Best Pregnancy Tests to Take in 2021

Wondering if you’re pregnant? The best pregnancy tests will help you get your answer.

Excitement, anxiety, hope: wondering if you’re pregnant can be nerve-racking. A home pregnancy test can quickly reveal if you’re expecting—some even work before your period is late—so you can get that need-to-know answer right away.

When is the Best Time to Take a Pregnancy Test?

The best time to take a pregnancy test is when your period is late. But some at-home pregnancy tests say they can detect if you’re pregnant or not up to five days before your period is due to start. How do they do it? At-home pregnancy tests use the hormone human chorionic gonadotropin(hCG) to detect pregnancy, and some are more sensitive to hCG than others. So that’s why some tests work earlier when you have less of the hormone, while others won’t show a positive until later when you have a higher amount.

The best time of day to take a pregnancy test is first thing in the morning. Your urine is more concentrated in the a.m., so there’s more of that hCG in it. You can take a pregnancy tests at other times of the day, though there’s more of a chance of an inaccurate result. Also make sure not to drink a lot of water or other liquids, as you’ll dilute your urine.

How Do Pregnancy Tests Work?

When an egg is fertilized, your body starts producing hCG. During early pregnancy, hCG levels double every two to three days and peak by the end of your first trimester. Pregnancy tests look for how much hCG is present in your urine.

Read More

CHECK OUT THE BEST PREGNANCY TESTS BELOW

Early Result Pregnancy Test

Early Result Pregnancy Test

$8.98

If you just can’t wait, the First Response Early Result test is what you want to grab. It’s the most sensitive over-the-counter pregnancy test, and can accurately tell you if you’re pregnant up to five days before your period is due. We also like the curvy handle, which makes it easier to hold the stick as you pee on it. It also comes in a digital version, which uses words instead of lines to report your results.
ClinicalGuard HCG Pregnancy Test Strips

ClinicalGuard HCG Pregnancy Test Strips

$7.29

These take away the plastic applicator and absorbent tip of your standard pregnancy test and give you a simple strip (the same one found in regular pregnancy tests) to dip into a cup of your urine. They’re much less expensive than applicator tests, so if you’re trying to conceive and using many tests each month, these could be a more economical choice—and they come in bulk packs. Wondfo is a similar pregnancy test, at a similar price point.
Clearblue Rapid Detection Pregnancy Test

Clearblue Rapid Detection Pregnancy Test

$12.99

If you are so eager, you can’t wait three minutes, the Rapid Detection pregnancy test is ready in just one minute! This box includes three tests. However, we’ve seen a lot of reports of more false positives with this test than with others. They always said patience is a virtue.

Copy These Back to School Homeschool Workstation Set Ups

Back to steal workstation idea 1

Every year, I share a post on how to set up a homework station where work will get done.[ Read that post here].

This year, now that more and more school systems across America and the globe have decided to continue distance learning, I think it is time we all step it up a notch and start being more deliberate, intentional and strategic about setting up a home school set up that works.

I mean no more allowing your grown rug rats to study in the basement or in their rooms where there is a TV and video games there to distract them and keep them unfocused on the daily assignments.

Also, no more leaving it up to them to schedule their work and break times.

In real school, their teachers alot for scheduled breaks from instruction and you should too. So, I scoured the Internets and my Pinterest feed and came up with a few  workstations that you can copy and try to replicate this month before school officially launches next month.

Check them out with affiliate links to sources where you can buy some of the items you’ll see in these dreamy set ups!

 

If you have a small nook in your home that you can comfortably squeeze in a table and desk, do so because it’s ideal for removing distractions by having your child confined to the equivalent of a pod space so they can focus. I like the idea of a large chalkboard stationed above them that can be used to jot down drills, motivational words like in the above poster or their schedule.

The rustic cannisters affixed to the wall in this set up are great for housing supplies like pens, pencils, sharpeners, rulers, etc so your child or children have no excuse to leave this space during instructional or homework time.  The closest thing I could find similar to achieve this similar set up were bathroom storage containers on Amazon for like $29.98 otherwise make do with pieces you already have at home.  If you’re handy, hammer a storage bin or affix one to the wall  using 3M command strips.

RECREATE THIS SPACE

Buy this Rustic Framed magnetic chalk board, 18″ x 22″ ($38.18)

For people who live in small spaces and do not have a dedicated space away from distractions, you might want to set up your child’s work station in your dining room or eating area. Why is this a good idea? Because this space is usually an open area so you can keep an eye on them to make sure they are doing their work or watching their zoom or Google classroom instructions.

Ideally, you have to use a wireless router or have a wired connection if you need to set up a computer, tablet or desktop in this space. But for the most part, sacrificing a corner of your dining room could be a great option.

RECREATE THIS SPACE

AmazonBasics Kids Solid Wood Table and 2 Chair Set ($79.99)

 

It can be tempting to store items away to keep things looking neat but keeping supplies like art supplies- crayons, markers, paints, chalk, etc. in glass jars are great for making sure they are in mind and available to use as an option during instructional breaks in lieu of watching TV or gaming. That was the idea that blogger Tiffany of Raising Lemons had when she arranged her supplies on a shelf in her kitchen like this in this photo from her website. I love it!

1 Gallon Anchor Hocking Glass Storage Heritage Hill Jar ($14.99)

 

Ordinarily I would think that you need to be at a desk and in a chair to concentrate but when reading a book or scrolling a device doing research, it might just be better if your child is  in a comfortable seat and that’s where a big old bean bag chair may come in handy. We used to have a papasan and it was wonderful space for reading a good book. If you have unconventional seating somewhere in your home, drag it out into the work space or grab one online.

RECREATE THIS SPACE

Source

Memory Foam Bean Bag Chair ($72.51)

Now if you have the space and room for more furnishings, you might want to consider investing in a new multifunctional shelving unit that can accommodate baskets for holding binders, notebooks and other large items and a farm table with a bench. The larger table can allow your young scholar to spread out and situate various supplies, papers, and pens and more across a larger space. Some kids are messy and others just like to see their options sprawled out all over the place. A large farm style table will accomplish this.

source

RECREATE THIS SPACE

Farmhouse table and bench ($199.99)

TRYING TO CONCEIVE THIS YEAR? DOWNLOAD MY FREE FERTILITY 100 EBOOK

RECREATE THIS SPACE

source

Collapsible Storage Bins ($19.99)

IKEA Billy Bookshelf ($158)

 

I think everything on any homeschool or distance learning station needs proper lighting. A nice standing lamp or a good desk lamp that varies in degree of illumination will be perfect. Whether your kid prefers to work in the early morning or the wee hours of the night like my kids do, they will need to be able to read their text and good lighting is part of that.

Children’s Author’s 10 Tips For Managing Quarantine Life with Kids

 

RECREATE THIS SPACE

LED Desk Lamp ($43.99)

6 Self Care Tips While Working From Home

In addition to a comfy lounge chair for reading, I think every child should be seated in a comfy office chair if possible that is good for their back.

You don’t have to get a brand new chair either. I purchased most of our office chairs for our work spaces for five people from second hand online marketplaces like Facebook Marketplace. If it is within your budget, you should invest in a good quality chair with solid ergonomics. They’ll be occupying a lot of space at home working so they should be set up properly.

The 3 Step Guide for Setting Up Your Quarantine Homeschool

RECREATE THIS SPACE

 

Ikea Swivel Chair ($149)

No matter what you do, study your child’s habits from Spring semester and adjust the workstation to suit your child’s learning needs and habits. It can really make a difference as to whether you will have a successful fall semester or not.

OTHER CONTENT YOU MIGHT ENJOY

60 Fun Things To Do With Kids At Or Near Home

5 Things Your Study At Home Set-Up Needs to Have

Coronavirus Canceled Spring Break? Make It A Family Travel Game At Home

Make Overnight Oats Your Healthy Eats Quarantine Staple

How to Minimize Kids Sugar Snacks During Quarantine

Top 10 ways to live your best life while quarantined {An Author’s Tips)

3 ATHLEIUSURE BOTTOMS YOU CAN AND WORK OUT IN THE ENTIRE QUARANTINE

10 Tips For Getting Motivated to Work Out At Home

How to Incorporate Art in Your Homeschooling

VIRAL: ‘Stop Asking Women When are They Getting Pregnant’ Sign

An Instagram post by Toronto, Canada-based Event Planner Barbara Nkansah went viral and has been re-shared because it simply states: “Stop Asking Women When are They Getting Pregnant”.

In it, the Ghanaian-Canadian shares the hurt of being newly married and having to endure probing questions and insensitive remarks from well-meaning family and friends.

“I remember being newly married and the first thing people started doing instead of greeting me was look right at my belly,” she shared. “Then when they noticed I was not pregnant, the look of confusion following ‘oh you’re not pregnant yet?’ would be their conversation starter.

“I will never forget when just after 3 months of marriage church service ended and a member in the church who saw me yelled at the top of her lungs in front of everyone saying ‘BARBARA YOU’RE STILL NOT PREGNANT YET. WHEN WILL YOU GET PREGNANT? YOU’RE TAKING TOO LONG.'”

https://www.instagram.com/p/Bs_Fy2Jg1K5/

The statistics are jarring.

One in 8 couples have a hard time getting pregnant and at least 1 in 4 will experience a pregnancy loss.

People who are trying to conceive are fed up and would like you to stop asking them when they are going to have children or even worse, “why don’t they have children.”

In the celebrity world, Gabrielle Union and Chrissy Teigen recalled being asked this question constantly because they were with their spouses for several years without producing children and people just couldn’t stop asking a very personal, imposing and insensitive question.

Little did they know that each couple were indeed trying but failing at it.

Please stop asking women (AND MEN!) when they are having kids or, even worse, why they don’t have children. ⁣

I remember the words of Assistant Professor Rondrea Danielle from Bethune-Cookman College on Facebook last year:

“Getting pregnant is hard.

Sustaining pregnancy is hard.

Giving birth is hard.

Raising a baby is hard.

So asking folks why they don’t have kids is both inconsiderate and insensitive (it also isn’t your business), and it needs to stop now.

We have no idea how much women go through to get pregnant and then bring a baby into the world.”

Conduct a Google Search and you’ll encounter dozens of articles from women and lifestyle and advice sites about this very topic and also demanding that they not be asked the question when they gain weight.

Phew!

Here is a summary of a few:

Yes, My Sister Is Pregnant, Now Stop Asking Me When Will I Get Knocked Up

Sorry, nephew, you won’t be getting any cousins from me anytime soon (or at all). -The Odyssey Online

Can we finally stop asking women about when they’re going to have Kids?-Babble

Stop asking women when they’re going to have kids -Salon

Stop asking women when they’re having kids – Asian One

Stop Asking Couples When They’re Going to Have a Kid (or Another Kid) – Lifehacker

It’s Time to Stop Asking Women If They’re Pregnant – Medium

When will we stop asking ‘What are you, pregnant? – Austrian Adoption

Apple’s New Period Tracker Can Help You Get Pregnant

Because I am Team iPhone and I am aware of the ongoing beef/battle with Samsung Android users, I am happy to report that Apple has beat Samsung with developing a period tracker that can help women that are trying to conceive have a baby!

Apple announced that beginning September 16, the watchOS 6 update will add a functionality to allow women to track their menstrual cycle. Apple Watch app, called Cycle Tracking, will quickly log information about your cycle, including the timing, flow level, symptoms, and results from ovulation prediction kits.

It is a standalone app on the Apple Watch ($384 at Amazon)and is built into the Health app on the iPhone ($1,000 at Amazon).

Using the data produced, your Apple Watch can alert you when your period is coming, and estimate the window when you are most fertile.

Tracking your cycle is essential also when you have your next annual OB/GYN check up, you will be able to give your doctor

For starters, it can give you a sense of when your last menstrual began and ended, so you can give your Ob/Gyn healthcare provider  the precise length of your cycle and provide clues for conditions such as endometriosis or polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS).

Also, during your period, you can log your flow level and symptoms like cramps or headaches.

I see Samsung users community are waiting for it to be available on those devices. In the meantime, there are numerous apps available in the Google Play store that can do the trick, until then. (smile)

Celebs Share Breastfeeding Challenges

I really love that celebrity women who are very influential people in culture are being open and transparent about their journey to parenthood and beyond!

From trying to conceive, IVF struggles, pregnancy loss, woes and all the good and the bad.

The same can be said of Breastfeeding challenges.

This January, PEOPLE mag did a slideshow review of celeb women who have opened up about their frustration with breastfeeding in social media or mag or news features or interviews.

You should take a look at it again for this World Breastfeeding Week.

Kelly Rowland’s stood out to me:

“All that gnawing at your nipples will take its toll!” the R&B singer — mom to son Titan Jewell — wrote in her parenting guide, Whoa, Baby! “In those early days, I was fascinated (my polite way of saying ‘horrified’) by the transformation of the boobs.” When it came time to breastfeed her child, Rowland was shocked by the physical changes her body immediately underwent. “My nipples were HUGE — we are talking the size of Frisbees — and sometimes I could see these veins bulging out while I was nursing,” she shared. “My boobs themselves were so long and stretchy that I sometimes felt like I could’ve swung them over my shoulders.”

Read the rest

Yale OB/GYN Professor’s List of 7 Things To Give Up To Increase Your Chances of Getting Pregnant

by Mary Jane Minkin, MD, Clinical Professor of OB/GYN at Yale University

Every couple mired in infertility, every woman who has ever spent hours scouring the Internet for new breakthroughs and conception tips has had the same wish: For a clear-cut, easy-to-follow program that would guarantee a healthy pregnancy.

Unfortunately, a simple do-it-yourself plan doesn’t exist, but fertility specialists and women’s health experts agree that certain measures can create the best possible chances for fertilization to occur. So, without ironclad guarantees, here are 7 things to give up to help you get pregnant this year:

1. Alcohol. Studies focusing on alcohol’s effect on conception have produced mixed results, with some indicating that pregnancy is more likely if women give up drinking entirely and others suggesting that those who drink moderately might increase their chances of conception – perhaps because an occasional glass of wine makes them more relaxed. But experts agree that women who give up alcohol will increase their chances of a healthy baby once conception does happen, and that alone is reason enough for most women to quit.

2. Tobacco. Unlike alcohol, the data smoking’s correlation to pregnancy is undisputed. Both primary and secondhand smoke are detrimental to a woman’s chance of conceiving and to a developing fetus as well. Quitting is never easy, but resources and support to help you find a plan and stick to it.

3. Caffeine. As the daily substance of choice for most Americans, dependency on those morning cups of coffee is difficult to break. Try cutting back on your intake if you drink multiple cups a day- a recent study confirms ACOG guidelines that one standard 12 oz. cup of regular coffee (200 mg of caffeine) is safe for pregnancy.

4. Your Spot on the Couch. In other words, get up and move around! Couch potatoes aren’t helping any aspect of their health, but women who are trying to conceive have an extra-compelling reason to kick it into high gear. Experts agree that women who stay within their ideal weight have a better chance of becoming pregnant, and a study published in Obstetrics and Gynecology reported that women who exercise 30 minutes or more a day had a reduced risk of ovulation disorders, which often lead to infertility.

5. Junk food. Generally speaking, any change that moves you toward a healthier lifestyle will promote fertility. But when it comes to diet, advice seems to fall all over the map. Specific fertility diets advocate for eating foods like oysters, garlic and yams, but an extensive 2009 study advised women to follow simpler guidelines – healthy fats, selective proteins, whole grains and plenty of iron and other vitamins. It’s important to start taking supplemental folic acid to help prevent birth defects. The sooner you can start taking a prenatal vitamin with sufficient folic acid like vitafusion, the better! You should begin taking prenatals even before you begin trying to conceive. And, obviously, putting down the potato chips and the candy bars is an excellent first step to take to help you get pregnant this year.

6. Excessive Stress. Granted, this step is easier said than done, especially when the chief cause of the stress is the infertility itself. But if external factors are causing undue anxiety, a woman’s chance at conception can decrease, and the stress of waiting for that positive pregnancy test month after month could be the last straw for her emotional health. Give up extra responsibilities whenever possible, talk to your boss about reducing your job stress and work in regular “mental health” days to be refreshed by activities and people you enjoy.

7. Lubricants Containing Glycerin. According to the American Society of Reproductive Medicine (ASRM)’s “Guidelines for Optimizing Natural Fertility”, several leading vaginal lubricants (e.g. K-Y) may decrease fertility based on their observed effects on sperm survival. Another study showed that lubricants containing glycerin had an adverse effect on sperm motility. Fertility experts recommend using a fertility friendly lubricant like Pre-Seed that is specially formulated without glycerin that will not harm sperm and allows sperm to swim freely.

Like we said, there is no checklist you can complete that guarantees a healthy pregnancy, but giving up these 7 things can help you get pregnant. It’s all about creating the ideal environment for the pregnancy to happen; a healthy, happy and active lifestyle is a solid base and giving up the aforementioned things will get you there.

Mary Jane Minkin, MD is a clinical professor of obstetrics & gynecology at Yale University’s school of medicine. She is also the founder of MadameOvary.com, an educational resource for women’s midlife health.

April Fool’s Day: Why You Shouldn’t Do the Fake Pregnancy Test Prank

Today is April 1, also known as April Fools’ Day, a day which traditionally involved people playing pranks on one another, dating back before the 1800s.

Jokesters have gotten bolder and more brazen with their tricks and a few have taken things too far, and so far that people have actually gotten hurt, physically, emotionally and mentally from jokes.

There are tons of harmless pranks to play: switching out salt with sugar at the coffee station, putting a whoopee cushion in someone’s chair, rapping on someone’s door and disappearing before they open it. Silly stuff like that, but there are others that should be avoided because they can be triggering.

One common prank is telling other people that you’re pregnant, or that your girlfriend/wife/friend is pregnant with your child.

That is not a good one to pull because it is insensitive to thousands, if not millions, of couples out there are are trying to actually get pregnant but cannot.

Briefly, they may be happy for your news, wish it was them, think about their own struggles, and possible losses, and go through a roller coaster of thoughts and emotions at their expense….only to learn later you were joking! Ugh!

It has been done before casually and aloofly without forethought to this very large group of people in the TTC (Trying to Conceive) community!

Carry on!

What You Need to Know About Your Fertility in you 20s, 30s and 40s.

The world’s first in-vitro fertilization baby was born in 1978 in the UK. Since then, 8 million babies have been born worldwide as a result of IVF and other advanced fertility treatments, an international committee estimates.

  • More than a half a million babies are born each year from IVF and other methods, according to estimates
  • More than 2 million IVF cycles are made each year
  • Many women are under the impression that pregnancy can wait- when in fact, there is evidence to support aging plays a direct role in delaying pregnancy
  • What can a woman do at each age and stage? Thanks to advances in modern medicine, including IVF, women have more options than ever before
  • In addition to IVF, options also include freezing your eggs until you’re ready to start a family, there by preserving your eggs in your “prime”

As more and more celebrities get pregnant later in life, the average woman is left thinking that she too can wait until her late 30s or 40s to start planning a family. According to Dr. Elizabeth Barbieri of Oregon Reproductive Medicine, that’s not always the case. “Many celebrities are inadvertently setting unrealistic expectations for many women that it will be easy to get pregnant naturally in their 40s, when in fact a lot of these celebrities have struggled, and have had a little assistance along the way, including IVF.”

According to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM) a woman’s best reproductive years are in her 20s. Women in their 30s have a 20% chance of getting pregnant and by age 40, a woman’s chance of getting pregnant is less than 5%.

With many women delaying pregnancy until their 30s and 40s, fertility issues are becoming a growing topic of concern. According to Dr. Barbieri, women need to think ahead and have a game plan, as there’s many things women need to consider in their 20s, 30s and 40s. 

“Whether you’re a new college graduate that is just starting out on your career path, or if you’re in an established relationship in your 30s and trying to get pregnant without success, there’s a variety of options available to women on their journey to parenthood. Knowing more can help people take control of their fertility so they can start a family when the time is right for them.”

Things to consider in your 20s:

Women’s eggs age as we age. We are born with all the eggs we will ever have. The number of eggs actually peaks while we are a fetus, and by birth, we have about 1 million eggs left. When a girl begins her menstrual cycle during puberty, she has about 500,000 eggs left….and she hasn’t even had a chance to use one yet!

As women get older, our eggs do not function as well – meaning they are less likely to result in a pregnancy, and that if a pregnancy occurs, the risk of miscarriage increases as well.

How to Live Life

At any age, ways that a woman can optimize her ability to successfully conceive includes having a healthy lifestyle. Do not smoke. Limit alcohol intake to 4 or fewer drinks per week (for both partners). Maintain a healthy weight as women who are underweight or overweight can take longer to conceive. Take a daily prenatal vitamin (or folic acid supplement). Monitor your menstrual cycle as having regular periods (which is defined as occurring every 24-35 days) to ensure you are ovulating so that you have a chance to conceive when you are ready.

What To Do If Something Is Off

If a woman’s menstrual cycle is irregular, she may not be ovulating, and therefore, it will be harder (if not impossible) to get pregnant. Seeing your OB-Gyn to evaluate for causes of an ovulation/irregular periods can help identify and treat the reason you are not ovulating to help restore regular menstrual cycles.

Things to consider in your 30s:

The chance of getting pregnant each month declines progressively throughout a woman’s 30’s. In the early 30’s, the chance of pregnancy each cycle is approximately 20%. At 35 years old the chance of pregnancy each cycle is 15% and decreases to 5% as a woman approaches 40 year old. The age related decline in fertility is accompanied by a significant increase in the risk of miscarriage.

The risk of miscarriage for women under 35 y/o is approximately 15% and increases to 30% at 40 years old

When should women in their 30s get help if they can’t conceive?

Honestly, it is never too early for a woman to begin a conversation with her health care provider about her fertility.  Women who are under 35 years old should seek evaluation if they have failed to conceive after 12 months of regular, unprotected intercourse. Given the age related changes in fertility, women over the age of 35 years old should seek help after 6 months of trying.

What risk factors may make it more difficult to become pregnant?

There are several factors that can affect a woman’s ability to become pregnant.  Some of these are modifiable and some of them are not. It can be more difficult to conceive if a woman has irregular menstrual cycles or issues with the uterus or fallopian tubes.  The uterus can be affected by the presence of fibroids or scar tissue, whereas, having a history of pelvic infections or endometriosis can affect the fallopian tubes.

Lifestyle factors can also affect fertility. For example, women who are either overweight (BMI>35) or underweight (BMI < 19) can have difficulty conceiving.

Tobacco use and heavy caffeine use can also  affect fertility. Women trying to conceive maintain a healthy diet, avoid tobacco and use caffeine in moderation (<250 mg caffeine per day).

Twenty percent of the time the reasons for infertility are due to male factors.  It is important that the male partner be included in the evaluation!

What can be done if a women in her 30s is facing infertility?

The first step is to have a conversation with a healthcare professional. This can be a primary care provider, general OB/GYN or a Reproductive Endocrinologist.

A Reproductive Endocrinologist is an OB/GYN who has completed sub specialty training in fertility. Having this conversation will provide for the opportunity to thoroughly review the medical history and determine if there are risk factors present that may be affecting their ability to conceive.  Further evaluation can then be performed to evaluate for these factors. The basic fertility evaluation typically includes evaluation of the health of the women’s eggs, confirming that the fallopian tubes are patent and performing a semen analysis to evaluate the sperm.

Additional testing may be recommended if other risk factors are present.

Between what ages is egg freezing most successful?

Because of the age related changes in egg quality that occur during the 30’s, the earlier the process is completed the greater the chance of obtaining healthier eggs.  

What should you keep in mind about risks to mom and baby in your 30s?

The most important thing to remember is that it is absolutely possible for women to have healthy babies throughout their 30’s. Although it may become more difficult to conceive as a woman gets older there are safe and effective treatments to help women grow their families.

Because the risk of chromosomal abnormalities increase as a woman gets older, additional testing may be recommended during a pregnancy to ensure the genetic health of the baby.

This may include a simple blood test or a more invasive procedure, such as amniocentesis. There are also fertility treatments available to evaluate this risk prior to conceiving a baby.

What other kind of fertility care is available to women besides egg freezing?

Egg freezing is a great option for women who are planning to delay child-bearing.  Because of the changes that occur with the quality of the eggs as a woman gets older, freezing eggs at a younger age will help increase the chances of having healthy eggs in the future when she is ready.

There are many treatment options available for women and couples who are actively trying to conceive, but having difficulty. The specific treatment is generally determined based on the factors that are contributing to the fertility issues. There are more conservative treatment options available including the use of medications to help the ovaries release more eggs and/or intrauterine insemination (IUI).  Some find that they need to utilize more advanced forms of treatment, such as in vitro fertilization (IVF) in order to conceive. IVF is a process where the eggs in a woman’s ovaries are stimulated to mature and then removed through a simple surgical procedure. The eggs are then fertilized with the sperm and embryos are grown in the laboratory for several days.

A healthy embryo can then be returned to the women’s uterus or additional testing can be performed to evaluate the genetic health of the embryo prior to embryo transfer.

 This testing is referred to as Preimplantation Genetic Testing. Once the testing has been performed an embryo will be selected and then transferred to the woman’s uterus.

Things to consider in your 40s:

What happens to egg quality once women are older?

The total number of eggs in the ovaries decreases as a woman ages. Additionally, a lower percentage of the remaining eggs will contain the correct number of chromosomes (46 chromosomes). Females are born with all the eggs they will ever have, which is approximately 1-2 million—and at the time of puberty, there are approximately 300,000-500,000 remaining eggs.

When a woman reaches her late thirties, she has about 25,000 eggs remaining—and at menopause, this number likely reaches less than 1,000.

The decline in both the number and quality of eggs can also be influenced by environmental factors including chemotherapy, pelvic radiation, smoking, or ovarian surgery; or by genetic abnormalities such as Fragile X. Despite the multiple tests available to evaluate a woman’s ovarian reserve, the best indicator of egg quality is age.

When should women in their 40s get help if they can’t conceive?

If a woman is experiencing infertility in her 40s, the best initial step is early evaluation.  By taking the first step to make an appointment with an infertility specialist, a woman can better understand her overall fertility potential.

At this appointment, a doctor will discuss simple testing that can be used to determine overall ovarian reserve, as well as other diagnostic tests that can evaluate whether she is ovulating, the status of her fallopian tubes, and the semen quality of her sperm source.

Earlier detection can lead to earlier intervention and treatment to increase a woman’s chance of success.

What can be done if a women in her 40s is facing infertility?

After the infertility evaluation is completed, a woman’s provider will often recommend advanced reproductive technologies including standard IVF, minimal stimulation IVF, donor egg, or donor embryo.

There are multiple stimulation protocols for IVF. A woman’s provider will work closely with her to personalize the treatment based on her infertility evaluation, personal and medical history, and desired treatment option.

If a woman in her 40s is facing infertility, she will discuss all the available options with her provider—as there are many different ways to build a family.

If a woman has had her eggs frozen, can she become pregnant in her 40s?

Yes! A woman in her 40s can decide to thaw her frozen eggs when she is ready. An infertility clinic will inseminate the eggs with sperm, and follow them in a controlled environment as they grow from fertilization to a blastocyst (day 5 or 6 embryo).

Embryos can be transferred into the woman’s uterus at this point, or she might choose to have the embryos tested for genetic abnormalities prior to the transfer. It is important to realize that not all embryo transfers will result in pregnancies or live births. In fact, the literature would estimate a 2-5% live birth rate per embryo.

Most importantly, a woman should speak with her IVF clinic to become well informed about her chances for pregnancy.

If you’re interested in improving you fertility, or just improving your chances of having a child, visit a fertility clinic like Fertility Plus to explore all of your available options.



Sticking with Keto Diet While Pregnant: 9 Books To Buy

Diet trends come and go. These days the Keto diet is the hottest thing. This diet is focused on very low-carb, high fat foods and is very effective for weight loss, diabetes and epilepsy.

There’s also early evidence to show that it may be beneficial for certain cancers, Alzheimer’s disease and other diseases, too. A ketogenic diet typically limits carbs to 20–50 grams per day. While this may seem challenging, many nutritious foods can easily fit into this way of eating.

Any low carb diet it controversial especially if you’re pregnant. The baby’s needs are paramount and there is worry that a woman can go into ketosis during a keto diet and that could put the baby at risk. Ketones in the urine of pregnant women scare many good doctors into fearing the life-threatening conditions of diabetic ketoacidosis in pregnancy or starvation ketosis.

However, some doctors and practitioners have said it is safe.

“It is completely safe for women to be eating a ketogenic diet in pregnancy. Women in ancient times were certainly ketotic during pregnancy,” Dr. Michael Fox, a fertility specialist at the Jacksonville Center for Reproductive Medicine, who has not only been recommending a low-carb ketogenic diet for 17 years to his infertile patients but also to all his patients who become pregnant has said.

Fox says he has had hundreds of patients “who have been completely ketotic throughout pregnancy without any untoward effects.”

He also recommends women start the diet two to three months before trying to conceive so that the mom is fat adapted before entering pregnancy and advises that, once pregnant, the mother enjoy frequent low-carb, high-fat eating every two hours from the time she wakes up — with no fasting. Fox also states he thinks a keto diet decreases the rates of miscarriage, preeclampsia, gestational diabetes and morning sickness.

“Nausea is a reactive hypoglycemic reaction to the dramatically increased insulin resistance caused by pregnancy hormones,” he said.

In one very dramatic case, Dr. Fox had a patient referred to him who previously had such severe hyperemesis gravidarium — extreme vomiting in pregnancy — that it had led to multiple hospitalizations and six previous pregnancy terminations. On his advice she started the ketogenic diet prior to her seventh conception and “she had no nausea during pregnancy and made it all the way to term. This dramatic success demonstrates clearly that the hypoglycemia associated by insulin resistance is immediately relieved by the diet.”

If you’ve started the Keto diet and get pregnant, you may be worried whether you can continue. You will get criticized if you do so. We recommend you clear it with you doctor and dietitian.

The fact is that many women have had successful pregnancies while maintaining a vegetarian and vegan diets. Alicia Silverstone even wrote about her vegan pregnancy diet. Carrie Underwood, Natalie Portman and Allyson Hannigan  are vegans who softened up and switched to vegetarianism during pregancy.

To  give you some guidance, we’ve curated a list of 10 books you can use to help you maintain your diet during your pregnancy.

Happy Healthy Pregnancy!

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