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Posted by
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at
6:00 AM
Labels:
coping,
Healing,
infertility,
pregnancy,
Stress
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MrinkkMother's Day is this Sunday, May 11.
For many it will be an uplifting day, but for some, it triggers dread, sorrow or bittersweet emotions.
I know because I've heard many of your stories. You lost your mother. You lost your wife, the mother to your children. Your mom has an addiction. Your mom has Alzheimer's. Your mom has cancer. You lost your child. Your child has health or learning problems. Your child is rebelling. You are battling for custody. Your child is in jail. You're waiting to adopt. You want children, but can't get pregnant.
Like many of you, I'm a daughter and step-daughter to long-distance moms. I've experienced barren, broken and blessed times in my motherhood journey. My experience through infertility, adoption, the death of an infant son, miscarriages, birthing babies in my 40's, and enduring menopause while parenting strong-willed sons who haven't always made the right choices, has enlarged my perspective. My barren and broken times have stripped away some of my finger-pointing and apathy, to see people everywhere in need of compassion, which is a blessing. I've enlarged my Mother's Day remembrance list to include a multitude of people.
Ironically, the first person on my Mother's Day list this year is a man. An only child who lost his mom, this will be his first Mother's Day without her. A "thinking of you" card and chocolate (that was his mom's favorite) are on my list. Another friend lost her young son so I'll leave a surprise on his grave for her. My out-of-state friend Carol will spend Mother's Day on a prison yard where her only son is serving a life sentence. I think I'll send a card or book to him to give to her. Another friend wonders if her son will be sober, I'll invite her to go to a support meeting with me. For the worker at my son's school. who is expecting a baby with a fatal birth defect, I'll leave an anonymous note and teddy bear to fill her empty arms.
I have plenty of people on my list who are blessed or have blessed me. A pregnant friend, a first-time mom and grandmom, a single woman who has made an impact on my life, an empty-nest mom, a mother-like friend, a teacher, a mentor, an acquaintance, a foster care mom and a woman waiting for her adoptive child and, of course, my husband, who plays Mr. Mom when I am away speaking.
I encourage you to enlarge your Mother's Day perspective this year. Who are the barren or broken people you know? Who are the women (or men) who have encouraged you in your motherhood? And if you don't know any, open your eyes, look around in our community ... trust me, they are everywhere. Remember them in a practical, personal or anonymous way. And if you are a barren or broken mom reading this, I pray you know you are not alone and others do care. Be open to seek and receive compassionate support.
May we enlarge our perspective, remember others this Mother's Day and become known as a compassionate community. Happy Mothers Day!
Kathe Wunnenberg lives in Ahwatukee Foothills with her family. She is founder of Hopelifters, www.hopelifters.com , and the author of Grieving The Loss of a Loved One, Grieving The Child I Never Knew, and Longing for a Child. Meet her on Friday, May 9 at Amazing Grace Bookstore in Tempe, where she will be the guest speaker. Contact her at kathe@hopelifters.com .
Source: http://www.ahwatukee.com/entertainment/mother_3119___article.html/mom_day.html Recent Keyword Searches: getting pregnant in your 40's, older women; shorter follicular phase, can a woman get pregnant at age 48, can a women get pregnant at 50, given up hope to conceive naturally at 40, success stories for women over 40 who conceive naturally, pregnancy late 40's, can i get pregnant over forty, can you get pregnant at 43?, can one get pregnant at the age of 38 years
Posted by
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5:58 AM
Labels:
ART,
coping,
exercise,
Healing,
infertility,
relaxation,
Stress,
support
The stress, money and marital problems were bad enough. But after months of trying and failing to get pregnant, the ultimate blow came when a good friend didn't invite Paula Dowd to a baby shower for fear it would be hurtful.
"People can't relate," Dowd said. "They don't understand what you're going through. You start to feel more and more socially isolated."
Dowd's struggle with infertility, which she eventually overcame, led to a new outlook on life - and a major career change. A few years after her ordeal began, Dowd quit her job as a marketing director, went back to school and become a counselor to help infertile women.
This month, Dowd will begin support classes at her new MindBodyWellness clinic in Redondo Beach, a practice that she hopes will complement fertility physicians in the South Bay.
"As a society, we tend to minimize the impact that infertility has on women," Dowd said. "For some women, particularly in some minority cultures, child-bearing is their sole purpose in life. It's like, if I can't do this, who am I?"
More women than ever are struggling with fertility problems. Roughly 15 percent of couples - whether the problem be with the woman, man or both - can't conceive for a variety of reasons, according to the Centers for Disease Control.
Health experts say one of the factors is that women are waiting longer to have children. The number of new mothers over 40 tripled from 1980 to 2005, according to the California Public Policy Institute. Nationally, the average age of first-time mothers rose to an all-time high of 27 in 2005. After the age of 35, it becomes much more difficult for women to conceive naturally.
Dowd was certainly in tune with today's trend. At 32, she and her husband decided they were emotionally and financially ready for a family. After a year of failed attempts, she started to get worried.
They spent thousands of dollars on various medical procedures, but nothing worked. She was also diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome, a condition in which the female body produces a high level of androgens, or male hormones, that inhibit pregnancy.
Tensions were running high, she said. Dowd had no problem adopting, but as an only child, she wanted at least one biological child.
"I had a strong desire to carry that genetic link to the future," she said.
She decided to try a 10-week mind-body class suggested by her fertility doctor. In the group meetings, participants talked about what they were going through, meditated, practiced yoga and learned how to take care of themselves.
Armed with a calming CD of music, she went to her doctor for in vitro fertilization, an expensive procedure in which the eggs and sperm are fertilized in a petri dish. A month later, at age 34, she was pregnant.
"It was totally different that time," she said. "I went into it completely relaxed, centered."
Research shows that when stressed, the body triggers the "flight or fight" response and releases toxins to ward off danger. Those toxins can lead to a number of health problems, including infertility, she said.
Dowd was resigned to adopt a second child - she and her husband had already spent about $30,000 on fertility treatments, which weren't covered by insurance. But she continued to practice her relaxation techniques, and became pregnant again at 37 without any medical assistance.
That's when Dowd became a believer. After being approached by a few women at work who struggled with similar problems, the new mother decided on a new career path.
She became a licensed counselor and began working with women individually at a MindBodyWellness clinic in Santa Monica. Dowd, who is now 40, plans to hold her first group meeting at her new offices on Palos Verdes Boulevard later this month.
In addition to helping women conceive, she said she hopes her work will create happier women, and therefore happier mothers. Even if women can't conceive, "they will become parents if they want to be," she said, referring to adoption and other options.
"We don't realize how much control we have over our bodies," she said. "For me this is about giving women possibility and hope."
FIND OUT MORE
For information about the MindBodyWellness clinic in Redondo Beach, call 310-373-9355 or go to http://www.mindbodywellnessla.com/ .
Source: http://www.dailybreeze.com/ci_8170715 Recent Keyword Searches: trying to get pregnant in your forties, chances she's pregnant 45 yr old woman, can a pre-menopause woman get pregnant?, percentage of miscarriage in woman over 40, perimenopausal or pregnant at 42, how many women get pregnant at 44, how to get pregnant late in life, how to get pregnant at 43, can you get pregnant during the menopause, getting pregnant late 40s
Posted by
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at
6:23 AM
Labels:
estrogen,
Fertility,
FSH,
Healing,
Herbs,
infertility,
suppliments,
Vitamins
Found this info posted on the Women over 40 with High FSH, by Katherine:
Information gathered from Immunologysupport group discussions
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/immunologysupport/
Updated 3/24/07
Contents:
I. Foods that help reduce inflammation
II. Foods that promote inflammation (foods to avoid)
III. Resources
I. Foods that help reduce inflammation
1. Foods high in omega-3 fatty acids. Good fats include fatty fish, extra-virgin olive oil, canola oil (expeller-pressed), walnuts and their oil, hemp oil, and flaxseed or flaxseed oil. A high ratio of omega-3 to omega-6 fatty acid in the diet can reduce the severity of inflammatory processes
2. Cold-water fish and/or take fish oil supplements. Fish oil contains the highest quality omega-3 fatty acids: docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA). Both EPA and DHA are potent anti- inflammatory reducers. Good sources of DHA and EPA are fatty fish such as mackerel (not King), salmon, trout, sardines, and tuna packed in water (avoid Tuna packed in oil as the omega-3s can leach into the surrounding oil). However, please be aware that some fish can contain mercury, dioxins and PCBs. To reduce risk of contaminant exposure, select fish on the lower end of the food chain such as: summer flounder, wild Pacific salmon, croaker, mid-Atlantic blue crab, haddock. Also remove skin and extra fat to reduce contaminant risk as well. Fish on the higher end of the food chain such as shark, swordfish, king mackerel, tilefish, some species of tuna, sea bass, marlin, halibut, pike, walleye, white croaker, and largemouth bass are to be avoided.
Also: Know that 2-4g a day of standard (over the counter) fish oil is equivalent to eating about 2 servings cold water fatty fish a week.
3. Low glycemic foods . Low gycemic foods to prevent the insulin surge that contributes to chronic inflammatory processes. Some low -glycemic index carbohydrates include green vegetables, small "new" potatoes, most fresh fruit, sweet potatoes, high fiber cereals, semolina pasta, whole grain breads, basmanti rice, nuts.
(see: http://www.jromano.com/longevity/diet.html )
4. Ginger and tumeric. Ginger and Tumeric are the most rigorously tested herbal anti-inflammatories. Both are widely used in India to treat inflammatory illnesses. Physician Andrew Weil suggests taking 400 to 600 milligrams of turmeric extract (either in tablets or capsules) three times a day or one to two tablets (500 to 1,000 milligrams) of powdered dry ginger twice a day with food to reduce inflammation. Both ginger and turmeric need to be taken consistently for two months to show results. Note: Tumeric is not recommended in early pregnancy.
5. Pineapple Pineapple contains bromelain, a proteolytic enzyme, that help inflammations by inhibiting the formation of an inflammatory prostaglandin (E-2) while stimulating the production of an anti-inflammatory prostaglandin (E-1);
It also reduces edema and inflammation by inhibiting kinin formation, and
activating the production of plasmin from plasminogen.
Some Naturopaths suggest a dose of 150-450 mg bromelain, 3 times a day on an empty stomach to reduced the symptoms of inflammation.
II. Foods that promote inflammation (foods to avoid)
1. Avoid omega-6 fatty acids. Avoid foods high levels of omega 6 fatty such as foods that contain safflower oil, sunflower oil, and corn oil. A high omega-6 to omega-3 fatty acid in the diet has been shown to increase many inflammatory processes.
2. Avoid trans fats like vegetable shortenings, hard margarines and partially hydrogenated oil. Polyunsaturated fats can increase the prostaglandin E2 which increase inflammation
3. Avoid saturated fats. Avoid foods high in saturated fat like red meat, cheese, ice cream. Food heavy in saturated fats can also increase prostaglandin E2 increasing inflammation.
4. Avoid foods high in arachidonic acid Arachidonic acid is a precursor to autoimmune "bad guys" prostaglandin E2 and cytokine
leukotriene B(4). Avoid beef, egg yolk, and too much dairy.
5. Avoid over-cooked foods like French fries, hamburgers, potato chips, fried food. These foods contain high levels of glycotoxins which can also cause an increase in inflammatory cytokines.
6. Avoid high-glycemic index carbohydrates and sugery foods. These cause excess production of insulin which can lead to high levels of arachidonic acid, a precursor to both pro-inflammatory prostaglandin E2 and the pro-inflammatory cytokine leukotriene B(4). Some high-glycemic index carbohydrates include fruit juices, white potatoes, cakes, candy, white bread, rice, pasta, cereals, oatmeal cookies, bagels, muffins, bananas, donuts, carrots
7. Be careful with dairy and wheat. Some people have poor ability to process lactose and gluten. In these people, these foods can aggravate their immune system. Please be aware of your food intolerances. If you suspect a digestive problem with a certain food, get tested!
III. Resources
1. The role of diet and sleep as remedies for inflammation
http://www.lef.org/protocols/prtcl-146b.shtml
2. Low -glycemic index carbohydrates
http://www.jromano.com/longevity/diet.html
3. Natural Non-Drug Remedies for Inflammation
http://www.stopinflammation.com/non-drug_remedies.html
4. The Scales Tilt on the Side of Nature- Safely reducing TNF-a levels
http://www.lef.org/magazine/mag2001/jan2001_report_cox2_2.html
5. Dr. Barry Sears chats about fish oil and fertility at INCIID
http://www.inciid.org/article.php?cat=complementarymed&id=227
6. Book: The Omega Rx Zone: The Miracle of the New High-Dose Fish Oil
by Barry Sears
Publisher: Regan Books; (June 17, 2003)
ISBN: 006098919X
How high dose fish oil can balance your immune system and improve your health
http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/006098919X/qid=1073342649/sr=1-1/ref=sr_1_1/103-7663199-4822260?v=glance&s=books
7. How to determine the fatty acid content of oils and foods
http://www.annecollins.com/calories/calories-oils.htm
http://www.vegansociety.com/html/food/nutrition/e_fatty_acids.php
Recent Keyword Searches:
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how can you get pregant if your fsh and lh level shows you in perimenopause,
how many women get pregnant at 50 naturally in uk,
how old can a woman conceive
Posted by
Administrator
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2:11 PM
Labels:
Cervical Mucus,
Healing,
suppliments
Evening Primrose Oil is the oil derived from a North American wildflower called Evening Primrose. Evening Primrose is not really a primrose, but it gets its name from that flower because the plant looked similar to an English Primrose. The oil is rich in Vitamin E just like olives and nuts are. In addition, evening primrose oil also has gamma linolenic acid (GLA), an essential fatty acid. People that have difficulty creating in this fatty acid in their own bodies can benefit from its use.
The Europeans were one of the first to make it popular. They brought it back to their native soil and crowned this oil a "King's cure-all" because of its many useful properties that can cure a large number of diseases. In England, the oil is approved for use with eczema and high cholesterol. In women, it can especially be helpful for relieving breast pain, menstrual pains and improving the quality and fertility of cervical mucus.
How does Evening Primrose Oil help you in getting pregnant?
Evening Primrose Oil or EPO lowers cholesterol, helps to alleviate premenstrual syndrome symptoms and aids in the production of fertile quality cervical fluid. Evening Primrose Oil or EPO does a world of good in treating aliments of all sorts. Evening Primrose Oil or EPO is an essential fatty acid that contains gamma linolenic acid (GLA). This gamma linolenic acid (GLA) is converted to a hormone-like substance called prostaglandin E1 which has anti-inflammatory properties and may also act as a blood thinner and blood vessel dilator. These anti-inflammatory properties of evening primrose oil help people suffering from pains, aches and cramps.
Evening Primrose Oil or EPO also has effects on premenstrual syndrome symptoms and cervical mucus. If you suffer from premenstrual syndrome, it could be because you are deficient in the fatty acid, gamma linolenic acid (GLA). Evening Primrose Oil or EPO can help your body to alleviate the premenstrual syndrome symptoms by replacing the gamma linolenic acid (GLA).
Evening Primrose Oil or EPO helps women to produce more fertile quality cervical fluid also known as "egg white cervical mucus". This type of cervical fluid is fertile, thin, watery, clear and "stretchy" and easily aids the sperm to swim through the uterus and into the fallopian tube, and to the egg. Also, this type of fluid helps the sperm to stay alive for up to five days inside the fallopian tube, thus enabling conception to happen even if you don't have intercourse again by the time ovulation occurs.
If your cervical fluid is thick, brown or dry, it can obstruct or prevent fertilization. Some women are very dry, and have problems in producing an adequate amount of fertile quality cervical fluid. Drinking a lot of water and taking the Evening Primrose Oil or EPO can certainly help in the production of fertile cervical fluid in these women.
What is the dosage for Evening Primrose Oil or EPO?
Evening Primrose Oil or EPO should only be taken from menstruation to ovulation. This is because Evening Primrose Oil or EPO can cause uterine contractions in pregnancy. The dosage taken should be 1500mg to 3000mg per day. Since essential fatty acids are necessary, you can take flax seed oil in place of Evening Primrose Oil or EPO after ovulation. This may be taken throughout pregnancy as well.
There are many remedies out there to help with fertility, but few are as good as Evening Primrose Oil or EPO. Evening Primrose Oil or EPO is excellent for women because of the help it gives in alleviating premenstrual syndrome symptoms, and even menopausal women can benefit from taking it. There are a large number of women who will vouch for Evening Primrose Oil or EPO as a great agent to increase the fertile type cervical fluid.
Like all herbs, the use of Evening Primrose Oil or EPO can take a month or two to build up, and produce the results you are looking for. It is essential that you chart your fertility symptoms and signs, so you can know when you have ovulated. By knowing this information, you can discontinue the Evening Primrose Oil or EPO after ovulation and start the flax seed oil. Unless you are very regular, charting your fertility signs is the best tool to determine where you are in your cycle.
Source: http://www.babyhopes.com/articles/epo.html
Posted by
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11:00 AM
Labels:
Healing,
infertility,
Male Fertility,
PCOS
From the Sharkeyshealingcentre.com site:
I just wanted to let you know that next month in August (which I can't believe is just around the corner) I will be doing the teleconference calls on various topics related to fertility issues.
We do not charge for these calls as they are a benefit of yours because you are member of our site. You can listen in from any land line anywhere in the world. Instructions will be sent to you shortly after you sign up for the call.
There are two separate calls for each topic because we have received feedback from those in the US that they were unable to join in on the calls in the past due to the time difference. So one of the calls will be labeled US/Canada call.
The times in Australia should accomodate those located in the UK, AUS, NZ, and most of Asia.
POLYCYSTIC OVARIES
Sunday Aug 5th Brisbane QLD time 7:30 PM
UK London time: 10:30 am August 5th
US/Canada call
Sunday Aug 5th 8:00PM USA Central Standard Time
UNEXPLAINED INFERTILITY
Sunday August 12th Brisbane time 7:30PM
UK London: Sunday August 12 10:30 AM
US/Canada
Sunday August 12th 8PM USA Central Standard time
MALE FERTILTIY ISSUES
Sunday Aug 26th Brisbane QLD 7:30 PM
UK London time: Sunday August 26th 10:30 am
US/Canada
Sunday August 26th 8PM USA Central Standard Time
If you are interested in any of these teleconferences that are going to be jam packed with 60-90 minutes of the newest information related to the above topics and information that has helped couples in the past create viable pregnancies, please send us an email at info@sharkeyshealingcentre.com.au. DO NOT CALL us to register, PLEASE EMAIL, info@sharkeyshealingcentre.com.au with your registration. The
calls accomodate 96 participants and will filled be on a first come
first serve basis.
Make sure when you send the email, you include
1)your name
2)what email address you would like us to send the information about the call.
3)pls be specific about which teleconference you would like to attend.
4)Send any questions you would like addressed on the call
I will announce the September Schedule in a few weeks. In September we will be discussing Recurrent MIscarriage, Endometriosis and Fertility Over 40.
Posted by
Administrator
at
8:45 AM
Labels:
Fertility,
Healing,
infertility
Unable to Get Pregnant, She Turned East in Quest of Fertility
I stand in a hotel conference room with 15 other women simultaneously bending down to scoop up imaginary piles of dirt. In unison, we bring the make-believe soil to our pelvic regions and then, as instructed, reach up as high as possible to funnel energy from the skies through our heads and down to our uteruses.
"Collect the yin energies from earth and the yang energies from heaven, then blend them in your center, where all life begins," directs Randine Lewis, creator of the five-day alternative fertility retreat in which we are taking part.
This ancient Taoist moving meditation Lewis has us doing, part of a discipline called qi gong, is an integral part of our healing process, apparently, and so we wake to scoop and reach every morning at the crack of 7:30. Most of us can't really envision yin in the dirt or yang in the sky, but we try. Oh, man, do we try.
If someone had told me a year ago that I would soon combat my infertility by tossing myself headlong into an ancient Chinese regimen including herbs, acupuncture, daily meditation and sweeping changes in my diet, I would have wondered what kind of herb she was smoking.
But she would have laughed last. Because earlier this year, at the age of 37 and after 2 1/2 years of very conventional, very Western attempts to conceive, I threw myself into such a program.
And why not? Six months on fertility drugs, two inseminations and one $13,000 attempt at vitro fertilization (IVF) had all failed me -- or I them. I felt I had to try something else. In February, minutes after I realized the IVF hadn't worked, and knowing my husband and I would have a rough time financing a second round of treatment, I hit the Internet looking for an alternative.
Full article: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/articles/A13240-2004Jun28.html
Posted by
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7:30 AM
Labels:
Healing
The New York Downtown Hospital is planning to carry out the first ever successful uterus transplant. The procedure had been attempted six years ago in Saudi Arabia, but failed. Women who do not have a uterus, such as those who underwent a hysterectomy, would possibly have the chance to conceive. The transplant might also help women who have a damaged or defective uterus.
The medical team is currently screening women who want to have children but are unable to.
Team leader, Giuseppe Del Priore M.D., M.P.H., said that the desire to have a child is a tremendous driving force for many women. He believes he and his team may be able to help many women fulfill "this very basic desire".
Even though such a transplant is not planned for the very near future, Del Priore told The Washington Post that a transplant may be attempted towards the end of this year.
Several experts have voiced concern about carrying out such a procedure before further animal tests are done. Others wonder whether the risks may be greater than the benefits for both the woman and the fetus.
Source: http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/healthnews.php?newsid=60904
Posted by
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11:51 AM
Labels:
Healing
A Reiki Distance Healing - from a Reiki Master
My heart says:
Baby, baby... where are you?
When will you come to me?
My baby's spirit responds:
I come to you on the spring flowers, the gentle rain, the passing breeze.
I feel you, sense you, know you.
But when will you become in my reality?
Solid. Here in my arms. Reaching up for your daddy?
The time has past. It may be too late.Why? WHY?
WHY did you wait so long?
You weren’t ready. He wasn’t ready.
Is there any time left? Any hope left?
Could we be ready in time?
Perhaps. I am waiting. Hoping for a final chance.What can I do? What should I do?
I have worked so hard for this.
It is not fair!Trust. Believe. Wait.I have trusted... long enough!
I have believed... long enough!
I have waited... long enough!
I want it to be over.
I want you... my baby...
safe in my arms.Your feelings are strong.
Your emotions demanding.
Have you no patience?There is no time left for patience!
No time left to wait.
Each moment brings me closer to the end.
To no more...
I have done everything I could.
I need to complete this...
for my sanity...
for my soul...
for my heart...
Will you give up something in return?WHAT!?
I feel I have already given up so much!
When will I be rewarded?
Instead of punished?
NO, I will give up nothing more!
I deserve all that I have... and more!
Take nothing from me.
Give me the child I so desire.
Because I deserve it.
He deserves it.
And it is time.
You are sure?
Your belief is strong?Yes, I deserve to have this child.
I know it is possible.
I know I am a good mother.
I deserve this.
Take nothing from me...
Nothing more!
Your strength is important.
Your belief is important.
The time approaches.
I will try again... to enter your world.Wonderful! Your daddy and I await you...
With open arms.
Open hearts.
Open minds.
Help my body to accept you.
Be ready for you.
Welcome you.
I will do everything I can...
to help you stay this time.
~*~*~ Blessed & Dismissed ~*~*~-- REPRINTED WITH PERMISSION --(What is a Reiki Distance Healing? - Reiki can help with fertility and pregnancy, helping babies and children with all physical and emotional problems. Reiki and Pregnancy )
Mrinkk
