Tag Archives: IVF

When is the best time to get pregnant?

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Trying to conceive or even planning when to get pregnant can be a difficult topic. But, why should it be? The Fertility Partnership (TFP), one of the UK’s largest IVF providers and fertility specialists, shares some insight into the best time to get pregnant and factors to consider when planning for a new addition to your family.

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The best time to have sex in order to get pregnant is during a woman’s fertile window. This can last up to six days of every month, when the body is leading up to ovulation, and the day of, when the body releases an egg.

The egg survives for around one day once it has been released. However, sperm can survive inside a woman for up to a week, resulting in a six-day window for the sperm to meet an egg.

Women are most likely to conceive if they have sex within a day or two of ovulation. However, it can be difficult to know when ovulation is going to occur and therefore the days before it. Many women like to be precise and use calendars to help them work out when they will ovulate, but it’s healthiest to enjoy sex every two to three days for best results.

When a woman ovulates in any given cycle, it depends on a couple of factors:

  • The length of the woman’s menstrual cycle
  • How regular the woman’s periods are

A menstrual cycle can last between 21 and 40 days, though the average cycle is around 28 days. Regardless of how short or long a woman’s cycle normally is, ovulation will often occur around two weeks before her next period begins. If a woman has a 28-day menstrual cycle, she is likely to start ovulating around the middle of her cycle. Those with a short cycle can ovulate within days of her period coming to an end.

If a woman’s menstrual cycle is different from one month to the next, her fertile window is likely to vary by about a week between each period. This explains why it’s best to have sex every two to three days throughout a cycle. It has proven to be more effective than focusing only on the days of ovulation. Regular sex also improves the quality of sperm compared to daily sex.

How will you know when you are going to ovulate?

Many women are very aware of when they are going to ovulate, however others experience little to no changes at all. For women who are thinking about getting pregnant, it’s important to get in touch with your body and start looking out for and recognising signs of an approaching ovulation. These signs may appear around three weeks before a woman can expect her next period. Some common signs to look out for are:

  • Increased vaginal discharge (fertile mucus) that’s wetter and more stretchy than usual
  • Slight discomfort on one side of the stomach
  • Increased libido

Checking cervical mucus is one of the easiest ways to work out what days you will be most fertile. Changes to mucus are one of the easiest signs for women to spot.

 

What if you have irregular periods – will it be harder for you to get pregnant?

No, not necessarily. Irregular periods do not mean that a woman is less fertile than women with regular periods. However, if you are experiencing periods that are continuously irregular or more than 36 days apart, it is advised to see your doctor. Irregular periods can be caused by conditions like polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) and thyroid disorders. Unfortunately, these conditions can affect a woman’s chances of conceiving, so it’s ideal to visit a doctor to obtain help and advice.

If you’re still experiencing issues with conceiving and think you need some extra assistance, The Fertility Partnership can help. Offering many different kinds of treatment including IVF, fertility preservation, fertility assessments and more it has over 200 fertility specialists within its nine clinics across the UK & Ireland.

To find out more about the treatments it offers, what would work best for you or simply to find your nearest clinic visit www.thefertilitypartnership.com.

 

How old is too old to have a baby? 44, according to British women

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how old is too old to have a baby? post natal depression, PND,How old do you think is too old for a woman to become a mother? Well new research conducted by the Private Pregnancy UK Show reveals that when it comes to having babies, British women believe that 44 is “too old” and should be the cut-off point. This is despite social factors such as focusing on careers and not finding the right partner, as well as advancements in medicine and science, playing crucial roles in the surge in older women having babies.

The research aims to start a debate on how far medical intervention and assisted conception can go in aiding women who wish to preserve their fertility or delay having children, as well as highlighting the need for increased fertility awareness for adult women and calls for sex education to include information on fertility options.

The five most cited reasons as to why women believe 44 should be the cut-off age are:
1.    It is unfair on the child to have old parents
2.    Increased likelihood of health complications like Down’s Syndrome for the child
3.    Women aged 50-plus should not be allowed fertility assistance via vitro fertilisation (IVF)
4.    Parents won’t live long enough to see the child grow up
5.    It is “unnatural” to have babies after that age

The research also reveals that almost three-quarters (74%) of women believe that there isn’t enough fertility education available for women about not “leaving it too late” to start a family, or the options now available to help preserve a woman’s fertility and likewise, to assist with conception. The majority of women (75%) questioned believe that the responsibility to educate women about these time-sensitive issues lies with government health officials.

Dr Amin Gorgy, fertility consultant and IVF specialist at The Fertility & Gynaecology Academy comments:

“The ideal age for women to become pregnant is in their twenties and early thirties. A woman’s fertility potential declines rapidly after the age of 35 and drops even faster after the age of 40. Indeed, successful egg freezing through vitrification has made it possible for women to postpone conception to later in life but as a society, we should be encouraging couples to have children at a younger age, in fact, I recommend that couples should aim to complete their families by the age of 35. There isn’t enough education available to women, many of whom still believe they can go on forever.

Theoretically, through egg donation and using eggs frozen at an earlier age, women can conceive at any age, in fact, the receptivity of the womb for implanting embryos declines only after the age of 54 but usually, we take 50 as the age limit for assisted conception and only under special circumstances will we consider someone beyond the age of 50. IVF must be put into perspective if used after the age of 35 as the chances of having a live birth with an IVF cycle declines dramatically with age, for example, there is a 20% success rate at the age of 40 which falls to just 1% above the age of 45.”

Dr Alex Eskander, consultant gynaecologist at The Gynae Centre comments:

“My feeling is that women in the UK enjoy much more the liberty, freedom and opportunity to further their careers over settling down to have children, the latter of which is now a thoroughly outdated concept of the traditional family.

I find the two key points of pressure for these women to have children come from their parents’ “need” to have grandchildren and a growing understanding of their biological clock. As a clinician, let’s be clear, I am not scare-mongering, it is a fact that ovarian function declines significantly from 30 years of age and even more sharply after 35 years.

I agree that 44 is too old for women to have children. From the ovaries standpoint, the number of eggs decline and the egg quality is poor. As a result, it is difficult to conceive and the conception maybe associated with a high rate of chromosome abnormalities and increased chances of miscarriage. From the mother’s standpoint, there is a high risk of hypertension, pre-eclampsia and caesarean section.

My advice for young women who may want to delay conception for any reason beyond the age of 35 is to seriously consider egg or embryo freezing (with donor sperm) as your “insurance policy””.

The two doctors will be joining a wider panel of experts who will be hosting this debate in a women’s healthcare Question Time seminar on Sunday 22 May at the Private Pregnancy UK Show.

For more information, please visit www.privatepregnancy.co.uk

 

 

How To Improve Your Chances of Getting Pregnant

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baby, fertility, getting pregnant, Some woman get pregnant easily but for others it can be a long and difficult journey. Now I want to start this article off with pointing out that I am not a doctor, but I have researched the subject and I got pregnant as soon as my husband and I started trying. I have combined what I learned with some tips from friends, some of whom did not get pregnant for a while but persevered.

Have Regular Sex.

Sperm can live inside you for seven days. The sperm travels up the fallopian tubes to “wait” for the egg to be released. If you ovulate during this time you can get pregnant at any point during those seven days. The NHS recommend having sex every few days during ovulation.

Find Out When You Are Ovulating.

There is an abundance of calendars and apps to help you figure out when you are ovulating. Having sex when you are not ovulating may be fun but it won’t get you pregnant. The NHS website can help you figure out when you are ovulating.

Take Your Vitamins.

Make sure you are taking folic acid. It is best to take this for three months before you plan to conceive and make sure you take it throughout the pregnancy too.

Stop Smoking.

This is obvious. It has been proven in medical studies that smoking brings on the menopause by at least four years. It is also very bad for your baby. You should not smoke when trying for a baby and certainly not when you are pregnant.

Exercise.

I exercised for an hour five days a week and lost two stone before getting pregnant. It helped that I was also working out for my impending wedding. I went from a size 12 to a size eight. Exercise helped but the other thing is…

Diet.

I ate as healthy as possible. I did not eat a lot of meat and if I did it was organic. I eat a lot of vegetables and drank a lot of water. I cut down on alcohol, only having a glass if at a restaurant or at a special occasion. Read this article for more diet advice. More importantly I…

Quit Sugar

This was hard but I stopped having sugar in my tea. No chocolate, no added sugar, no fizzy drinks. I am almost positive that this was one of the main things that made a difference. Sugar affects your insulin levels and your insulin levels affect your health.

Lie flat for 15 minutes.

Lie flat for 15 minutes after sex to give the sperm a helping hand. I know many people who swear by this.

IVF

Have IVF. Consider IVF if you are over 35 and have been trying for a baby for six months or if you are under 35 and have been trying for over a year. IVF is a wonderful invention, giving many couples the chance at parenthood who otherwise would never have had children. Go to a clinic with a high success rate like  Posted in Beauty & Grooming, Featured, Life & Style, Parenting | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Struggling To Get Pregnant? Losing Weight Will Help

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Dr Sally Norton – UK leading NHS weight loss surgeon & consultantOne of the many reasons that women, and occasionally men, come to see me for weight loss advice is because they want to start a family, but are struggling. Did you know that obesity is a major cause of difficulty getting pregnant – and can increase the risk of miscarriage or problems during pregnancy and childbirth? In fact, there is a significantly greater risk of diabetes during pregnancy if you are overweight – and this can affect the future health of your child as well as you.

Research evidence shows that being overweight can contribute to period problems, hormonal imbalances, lack of ovulation, resistance to fertility treatment and therefore fertility problems particularly in women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS).

There is a higher risk of miscarriage, higher risk of abnormalities of the baby as well as still birth in women who are overweight. The pregnant overweight mother is also at higher risk of diabetes, high blood pressure and difficult or complicated delivery of the baby by Caesarean or forceps.

Some women end up seeking help with IVF (in-vitro fertilization) or other forms of fertility treatment, but this isn’t usually funded unless women are below a BMI of 30 or under the age of 40 – which is why I get women coming to me for weight-loss surgery. They are desperate, the clock is ticking, and they can’t seem to lose weight on their own. It’s sad to see, and the stress of it all doesn’t help fertility in the slightest!

Interestingly it’s not all about the woman’s weight. In men, being obese can cause the following problems: reduced semen volume, a reduced sperm count and increased sperm DNA damage. Losing weight will improve these parameters.

So, if you are thinking of starting a family, it is a great incentive for both you and your partner to lose weight. But you have to make sure you do it in a way that is good for you. Fad dieting which will starve your body of essential nutrients which, for women, is just at the time when you and your unborn child need them most. In fact, some studies suggest that a mother’s diet, even BEFORE she actually gets pregnant, can affect the health of her child. So instead of crash dieting, treat your body with the care and respect it deserves – after all, you’ll be relying on your body to create a healthy new life within it. Fill it with the most nutritious food you can find, keep active to ensure you are as fit as you can be – and not only will you be rewarded with a slimmer healthier body but you will find it easier to get pregnant too.

By Dr Sally Norton – UK leading NHS weight loss surgeon & consultant

 

 

Jaime King Talks About Infertility & Enduring Five Miscarriages

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Jaime King may be a very happy mother now but she endured years of painful infertility and five miscarriages due to PCOS & Endometriosis. The Hart of Dixie star shared her struggles to become pregnant. “For all the struggling women & moms out there that think they are alone – This is the truth about conceiving my son and struggles after, 8 yrs of pain and undiagnosed PCOS & Endometriosis. 9 doctors until Dr. Randy Harris diagnosed me & saved my life from a severe ectopic, 5 miscarriages, 5 rounds of IVF, 26 IUI’s, most with no outcome, 4½ years of trying to conceive,” she revealed on Instagram.
Jaime King Talks About Infertility & Enduring Five Miscarriages

King gave birth to her son James Knight last October. She went on to reveal: “26 hours of brutal labor, early delivery b/c of sudden preeclampsia, tearing and tearing after the stitches were in once I was home, milk supply issues, painful mastitis, uncontrollable crying while breast feeding.”

She then went on to say that she overworked afterwards instead of looking after herself and her new baby.

“[I] worked until the day before I [gave] birth and went back 6 weeks after, I was afraid of letting others down.”

King wanted to share her story to help other women who are struggling and captioned her Instagram post: “#youarenotalone,#ihavetobebravetosupportothers #realtalkthatterrifiesus.”

What do you think? Have you had problems with infertility?

 

 

How To Find The Right Egg Donor

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babyChoosing to build a family using egg donation requires careful consideration.

Egg donation can be a wonderful option, but you will need to take the time to explore the many complex issues and feelings involved in selecting a donor. The characteristics you desire in a donor will be unique to you and based on your personal preferences, and while there is no right or wrong way to go about the selection process, you may wish to keep the following factors in mind.

Anonymous Vs Known donors

The first decision you will need to consider is whether you want your egg to come from an anonymous or known donor.

An anonymous egg donor is a donor found through an egg donor database. Such a donor will have chosen not to reveal their identity to you. Using an anonymous donor will enable you to clearly define your relationship with the donor and will grant you the chance to source a donated egg in confidence.

However, if you choose to tell your child that they were the product of an egg donation, they will be able to use the Human Fertilisation and Embryology Authority (HFEA) register to find out identifying information such as the donor’s name, address and date of birth once they turn 16.

A known egg donor, on the other hand, is a donor who has chosen to reveal their identity to you. For example, she may be a friend or relative, or someone you have found through an online connection service. You may prefer to use a known donor because you will provide your child with the opportunity to form a relationship your egg donor. However, you may find it difficult to define the donor’s role in your child’s life.



Physical Characteristics

One of the most important considerations to make when choosing a donor is whether your chosen donor’s physical appearance is similar to your own. If you and your partner have brown eyes and dark hair, then finding those qualities in an egg donor may be of the utmost importance to you. This is why in many cases couple’s will contact a family member so that the child will have genetic qualities of the woman.



Medical History

When reviewing your shortlisted egg donor profiles, it is essential to evaluate their past and present history of physical and mental illnesses.

You will also need to consider whether you wish to match the blood type of your donor with your own. If you chose a donor with the same blood type, you will be able to donate blood to your child should the need ever arise.

Personality



In addition to providing you with information on donors’ physical traits and medical histories, fertility clinics can also help you to gain an insight into donors’ personalities and backgrounds.

Whilst you should read this information with care and choose a donor based on the traits and characteristics that are important to you, it is essential to remember that the way in which you bring up your child may have a greater influence on their personality than the genes they have inherited from your chosen donor.

Of course, if you use a known donor you have a chance to meet them personally and get a feel for their characteristics up close.



Location



Once you have narrowed down your search for a donor, location may become an important consideration. If you intend to involve the donor in your child’s life, you may wish to choose a donor from your locality for ease of travelling to meet with the donor. This will also help throughout the process of trying to get pregnant if your donor is nearby.



Where To Look For The Right Donor

Egg donations are available on the NHS and through private clinics. The Human Fertilisation Embryology Authority (HFEA), which licenses clinics, recommends that you take into account location and success rates when choosing a suitable clinic.

It is important to realise, however, that the waiting lists for egg donation vary widely, and many opt to use online connection services to meet and get to know an egg donor before beginning the IVF process.

Choosing the right donor is a big decision that requires careful thought and consideration. Whilst it is perfectly acceptable to prioritise the characteristics that are important to you, it is important to trust your intuition, too. Your maternal instincts should play a key role in the process and they will help you to find a donor who will provide you with the child you have always wanted.

Author bio:

This post was written by Franz SOF, Founder at CoParents.co.uk – a service which aims to connect men, women and couples who are looking to have a child through co-parenting, sperm donation and surrogacy.

 

 

Young People Using Fertility MOTs

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Erica and Kenny An increasing number of young people are discovering the benefit of ‘fertility MOTs’, consultants have said, even if they have no immediate plans to start a family.

Patients can come in for fertility advice even if they aren’t yet trying for children, and have a full range of tests so they can decide when they should start thinking about a family.

Mrs Yasmin Sajjad, fertility consultant at Spire Liverpool Hospital said: “The growing popularity of our fertility MOTs reflects a rising trend of young couples and singles seeking peace of mind on their fertility status.”

As people get older some may find it increasingly difficult to conceive and fertility consultancy is valuable in providing early advice as to how long it is practical to wait.

Yasmin said: “At 25 – 27 years old a woman’s fertility is already starting to decline, and upon reaching 35, chances of conception have often halved. Women who take an early assessment of their fertility can make informed decisions about their options later down the line, including the possibility of having eggs frozen for a later date.”

Erica Wilson used the fertility MOT to help make an informed decision on when she and her husband should start trying for children, she said: “I came to Spire a few years ago for a fertility MOT at the age of 31.  I was keen to see if there were any issues, and help become better informed so myself and my husband Ken could find out when we should start trying for children.  It ended up being a very good decision because we found out early on that there were problems and it has given us time to address this.”

Erica is now going through a treatment called ICSI, Intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection.  This involves injecting a single sperm into an egg in order to fertilise it, it’s then transferred back to the woman’s womb as an embryo.

Erica said: “So far we have undergone a few treatments of ICSI through the NHS.  The treatment went smoothly but unfortunately it hasn’t worked.  It’s now been diagnosed by Mrs Sajjad that I have certain cells, which identify the embryo being put back in my womb as a foreign body and I am now on a course of steroid treatment which should prevent this.  Ken and I are now really hopeful that we can start a family and having a fertility MOT has given us the time to solve the issues, and have a good chance at trying for a family before time and the odds are against us.”

Yasmin also said that they have seen an increase in the use of the clinic by couples in the middle of trying for a family. “Many couples are leaving it later to try for children, which simply put means they can’t afford to wait around.  If they have been trying for a year with no success then they should visit a GP, but often taking this route can mean they end up on waiting lists for tests and to see a fertility expert.  This wait can mean the difference between having a child and not, as some couples have left it too close in terms of their fertility or accessing IVF on the NHS, where the cut off for funding is often around the age of 40.  This means that the women should be referred for assisted conception treatment at least six months before their 40th birthday.

“Many older couples are now choosing to pay privately to find out if there is an issue straight away, then they can decide what action to take.”

The Fertility MOT includes a range of packages, all of which require only two visits to the hospital within the space of a week. The comprehensive process will provide a full assessment of a patient’s ability to conceive and identify any underlying factors that may prevent natural conception down the line.

Packages are available for men, women, and couples. Men receive an expert semen analysis, while women will be given a pelvic ultrasound scan, urine test and tubal patency test. Both will also have a full blood test to check hormone status.

Upon the second visit the results are discussed and potential options will be laid out.  From there consultants can give expert advice on future options, and advise any appropriate treatments.

Yasmin added: “Modern hectic lifestyles mean that more couples are choosing to postpone a family until later in life, so a fertility MOT can be invaluable in checking one’s options before it’s too late.”

Spire Liverpool Hospital is holding an information event for couples planning a family on Thursday 24 October, from 6.30 – 9pm.

 

The Kitchen Baby | Book Review

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The Kitchen Baby is about the author delivering his fifth child on the kitchen floor of the family’s Kent farmhouse without medical assistance. It also tells the story of how the author became a father. Five times! Through infertility, going broke and all of the problems that holding a relationship together brings. It is a story of triumph over adversity.

The Kitchen Baby is a well written and thoughtful book. Men really do not have much of a voice when it comes to pregnancy and childbirth. True, they are not the ones that carry the baby for nine months and give birth, but they are still a large part of raising a child. That said, I do not think this book is just for men, women will enjoy it too.

More men should write books about pregnancy and fatherhood. It is an untapped market. Quite often men are just left to fend for themselves. Or course women are the ones that go through pregnancy and childbirth, but it takes both parents to raise a child. Men go through all of those sleepless nights too. No one should have to suffer on their own and fathers never get enough credit.

The Kitchen Baby is not just a book about the author delivering his fifth child in the kitchen of the family home, it is also about a man who didn’t want children becoming a father of five, even through fertility problems and the other obstacles that life throws.

The book flows very well and Kennedy is obviously a talented writer. He has a very natural and entertaining style. Angus does have a tendency to go off subject occasionally, but it does not harm the book and he is a good writer and the book works. It is entertaining and informative. I really enjoyed it and I recommend it for both sexes, whether they are parents or not.

The Kitchen Baby is available here.