Bloom Health Blog

Pressure to conceive

2010-04-13T23:18:00.000-07:00

Is the pressure of trying to conceive a baby taking its toll on your relationship?

Many couples find ovulation a very stressful time of the month.

For the female she is anxiously waiting for the first signs that she is going to ovulate and is desperate to get together with her partner at this time.

While he might find his partners additional interest in sex fun for a month or two ... it can soon take its toll.

Many males find the pressure to perform at ovulation very difficult and this can put a lot of strain on a couples relationship.
Some males suffer from anticipatory anxiety and just can not perform under pressure. They have difficulty getting or maintaining an erection. Others complain that they feel that they are being used ... even though they both would desperately love to conceive.

On top of this there is the pressure from parents, in-laws, family, friends and colleagues. "It's about time you started a family!" " We want grand kids before we get too old!" and so on!
You have heard it all before.

Trying to conceive can be an emotional roller-coaster! Up one day and down the next.
Ovulation brings with it great hope ... whereas the next menstrual period brings great devastation!!

Well...what can be done?

Firstly... be up front with each other and with family & friends. People are really just interested in your lives and they do mean well. If you mention that you are trying, seeing someone about it and are doing all that you can ...they are likely to support you and not bring it up every time they see you!!

As a couple... it is important to talk about how you are feeling about conceiving.

Discuss ways that you can make things better.
Understand if your partner can't perform. There is always next month.... yes, it may not help for this months ovulation but it may save your relationship.
If the pressure is too much ... then simply take a month off and just enjoy each others company.
Try to add some spark back into your relationship... go out for a romantic dinner, light the candles, put on some romantic music, go away for a weekend, leave chocolates on her/his pillow, show each other that you care.

Also...take time to pamper yourselves.
Get your hair or nails done, have a massage, go to the gym, start a hobby, learn to relax and lastly ... just make an effort to enjoy the fertility journey together.

Best wishes for this month
Vanessa

Fertility Options

2010-03-19T00:25:00.000-07:00

Fertility; Helping you make the right choice for you!

With male & female infertility on the rise in Australia…what are the choices available to you today to overcome this serious and very distressing problem?

Basically there are many options!

If after trying for many months you go to your local GP to ask for his advice on what may be happening for you. He will most likely refer you to one of the many fertility specialist or clinics, for further testing and treatment if need be.

The question then is …. Is this really what you are looking for; is it really what is needed for you to fall pregnant?

Well firstly, there is no harm done by getting a few tests done. This will give you a bit of an idea what might be happening for you and for you to then go away and decide what you would like to do about it.

Sadly, this is not always the case… many couples feel very pressured into making decisions and beginning treatments that they are not emotionally, financially or physically prepared for. Nor is it what they really wanted… most couples would like it to fall pregnant naturally!

Falling pregnant naturally is everybody’s dream… and for most it is very possible.

IVF and other assisted reproductive techniques are great and have enabled many, many couples to know the joy that a child can bring into their lives. However, too many couples are channeled into treatments that are not necessary, basically because most GP’s don’t know where else to send their clients and what’s more, many of the older doctors don’t understand or support natural treatments.

While blocked or removed fallopian tubes, adhesions, tubal ligation and vasectomy reversals and other structural difficulties are all very valid reasons for needing to use assisted reproductive techniques, there are many that are not. For example, infertility is so often related to general hormonal imbalances or lack of ovulation, sperm abnormities or low count. All of these respond very well to many natural treatments. As do women who have been told they will have difficulty conceiving due to endometriosis, fibroids, or PCOS - which again are merely just an imbalance of hormones.

All it takes in most is a few months of natural treatments to correct these imbalances … and bingo it happens naturally!

Research and many trials have shown that using homeopathic remedies, nutritional supplements, herbal remedies, correcting diet & lifestyle and acupuncture make a huge difference to fertility.

The fertility program that I use at Bloom uses homeopathic remedies, herbs, nutritional supplements and diet & lifestyle advice. This program has been proven over 10 years to enable 87% of infertility couples to conceive.

This just goes to show that the majority of couples do not need to be channeled into IVF or other treatments.

What’s more, for those clients who do need to use IVF or other assisted reproductive techniques using natural support for 2-3 months prior to their treatments has been shown to greatly enhance the chances of a successful cycle.

Assisted fertility treatments are not cheap … in fact they can be very expensive, not just financially but also physically and emotionally and they put a huge amount of pressure on relationships.

Natural IVF Support is available to enable couples to be better prepared for conception. A few months of preparation will provide better quality eggs & sperm, improve the state of the uterine tissue to enable implantation to occur better, reduce the chances of miscarrying and also enables you to cope better emotionally throughout the process. While this may seem like extra cost it often double your chances of a successful cycle…therefore saving you a lot of time, money and suffering in the end.

I hope this helps a little with your decision.

For more information I have free consultations to chat about your situation and to help you decide what your best option is.

May be some of my current fertility clients would be happy to share some thoughts with you of their journey.

See the fertility page on the Bloom Health website http://www.bloomhealth.com.au/fertility.html

Eggs- the new "superfood"!!

2010-03-17T00:37:00.000-07:00

Well, well, well! What do you know! An article in the Sunday Times this weekend states that research has found that eggs should be considered a "superfood"! Amazing isn't it! They claim that eggs are one of the most nutrient dense foods and are recommending that we eat one per day! Is this the same egg that was banished a few years back for its 'high cholesterol'?!

It never ceases to amaze the garbage that's out there on what's healthy and what's not! Like margarine for instance, that's acceptable (yes it contain toxic oils, its chemically processed and not even a real food) however that's fine to eat - whatever you do don't eat natural butter, with all it nutrients, it may just jump up and clog your arteries!!

Well, I am just glad that eggs are back in favour! Not that it would bother me - I had them anyway! The more natural, the better for me!

Have your say!
Vanessa

The importance of Vitamin B12

2010-03-12T00:10:00.000-08:00

During my recent research into the benefits of Vitamin B12 I was amazed as to how important this vitamin really is, and how so many common health problems may be related to a deficiency of B12.

As B12 is primarily found in animal products many vegan or vegetarians may be deficient if they are not taking B12 supplements. With a growing tendency to not consume animal products - especially red meats in Australia over the past decade...it bears considering whether this corresponds with the rise in many illness and also infertility.

American research showed that 92% of vegan, 64% of lacto-vegetarians, 47% of lacto-ovovegetarians and 20% of semi-vegetarian had blood levels of B12 below normal.

B12 deficiency in the elderly is very common and is thought to be related more to reduced digestive enzymes and hydrochloric acid required to breakdown meat products and to absorb the B12 from them. There is also a reduced desire to choose heavy meat products as they tend to feel that they can no longer digest it which in many cases is very true.

As for infertility ...it appears that lack of animal products or lack of absorption of B12 (due to reduced digestive function) in the diet can severely reduce fertility. If you are trying to conceive you may need to get your B12 levels tested to see if supplementation is needed.

In males Vitamin B12 deficiency hampers fertility by reducing sperm count. In studies done to males with less than 20 million sperm count - 27% of those given 1000mcg of Vitamin B12 daily and 57% of those given 6000mcg daily managed to achieve 100 million count. This show the importance of B12 in male fertility.

For the female it is equally important. Deficiency of B12 hinders ovulation and reduces the chances of the fertilized eggs developing resulting in miscarriage. In one study a woman who had previously had 7 miscarriages before the B12 deficiency was detected went on to have 3 normal, healthy pregnancies and children once the level was corrected.

In many cases B12 deficiency may be hindering your attempts to conceive. In the last few months I have noticed that about 50% of the women who are seeking help for infertility are consuming little or no red meat in their diets. Following low or not animal product diets is fine as long as you are supplementing you diet with B12.
If you think you may be at risk please talk to your health profession.

Any thoughts or opinions you would like to add?

Vanessa

Welcome to the new website

2010-02-24T21:06:00.001-08:00

Thanks for visiting the new site.

Well, its finally up....it all took a bit longer than first hoped.

Anyway, this new site is designed to be more informative and active.

There will be access to various article relating to fertility & women's health issues as well as general health concerns, ideas etc. The articles page will also provide links to our Newsletters and various documents.

Feel free to explore and add your thoughts, ideas or comments to the blog page. Please follow online etiquette when using this page for the benefit of all.

You may wish to join our newsletter mailing list. You will find a link to this on the articles page.

Thanks again for visiting
Look forward to hearing from you.
Have a happy & healthy week.

Vanessa

Welcome to the Bloom Blog Spot

2010-02-05T04:03:00.000-08:00

Hi everyone

Welcome to the first Bloom blog.

I will endeavor to make regular posts regarding fertility, pregnancy care and general health & wellness ideas and issues. I sincerely hope you find it helpful and useful.

Please join me with your comments, thoughts and ideas.
For those of you who wish to share your 'Bloom' journey with others - whether it be for fertility, hay fever/allergies or general health - your comments are always welcome and appreciated.

Look forward to staying in touch

Regards
Vanessa