The Ticking of Your Biological Clock: Fertility Age Education or Scare Tactics?

Quite a stir has been created by a recent study out of University of St. Andrews and Edinburgh University on women's optimal fertility age.  The study, which was meant to help with research to extend women's fertility age and help young women who have undergone cancer treatments regain their fertility, ended up spawning headlines like the one on ABC's website last month: 

"For Women Who Want Kids, 'the Sooner the Better': 90 Percent of Eggs Gone By Age 30".  

Fertility age statistics have had a major update with this study, which cataloged egg count from conception to menopause. However, there are two ways to look at the numbers. As Carolyn Butler of the Washington Post says:

"...the absolute last thing that any woman of steadily advancing childbearing age wants to hear when she flips on the morning news shows is: Women lose 90 percent of their eggs by age 30."

Another way to look at is at age 30, a woman has around 30,000 eggs left (down from 300,000). 30,000? Well, that's not so bad. This less dramatic approach to the numbers also tells us that for women past thirty, conceiving may be more difficult, but they are not past their fertility age just yet.  In a far more neutral article out of the UK's The Journal the author writes:

"New evidence suggests a woman’s egg supply peaks some 20 weeks after conception, while still in the womb, and gradually declines for around 50 years..."

So clearly, "the sooner the better", as ABC says, isn't exactly accurate.  Women shouldn't be basing their family planning entirely around egg reserve numbers, or we'd all be trying to make babies the second we hit puberty! On a very level headed note, Marie-Eve writes in her blog:

"I think pressuring women even more about their biological clock is a little useless....Had I known 10 years ago that I would not be able to get pregnant easily, I still wouldn’t have changed a thing. ... I couldn’t have been a mother in my early twenties. I would have been a disaster, and most importantly, any guy I was with wouldn’t have been right..."

As a society, we have to make important decisions on how we present this information to women. Should women receive more education on when their optimal fertility age is at a young age so that they don't wait until its too late? Or would pressuring women into building families they're not ready for only create greater problems than a lower fertility rate?

Embryonic Implantation Summarized

It seems like a lot of men and women are a little in the dark as to what exactly is going on in the uterus after the egg is fertilized. This can, understandably, lead to a lot of confusion and concern, especially when a woman trying to conceive exhibits what is known as "spotting" (or slight bleeding) during early pregnancy. Is spotting a good sign? Is it bad? What's going on in there?  


Super simplified explanation of post-fertilization activity:
- Once a sperm makes contact with the egg they form a single, genetically complete cell.


- This cell begins dividing rapidly without growing in size, until it becomes sphere of about 100 cells called a blastula.


- For the embryo to continue to grow, it needs a source of nourishment.  The lining of the mother's womb is rich in tissue and blood vessels (the stuff that becomes menstruation) and the embryo will (hopefully) come in contact with the uterine wall and attach. 


- The embryo essentially "digs in".  The mother's arteries break down and the outer layer of embryonic cells establishes a connection that shares blood and nutrients with the embryo, what becomes the placenta.


- Its a few days after this stage, 10-15 days after ovulation, that as many as 30% of women experience spotting, which can be mistaken for an early, very light period. This is not a sign necessarily of a successful or unsuccessful pregnancy, since the implantation might not take.  Its just a signal that something is going on in there.


- If the implantation is successful (and nothing else goes wrong), from then on out the developing fetus shares everything the mother puts in her body. So there you have it, a simple summary :)


If you would like a more in depth look at prenatal development, check out the Wikipedia pages on Prenatal Development and Implantation.  Also, check out the American Pregnancy Association more information on spotting during early pregnancy.

Fertility Supplements - Vitamins & Minerals to Aid Conception

There are a lot of pills, diets, and vitamin supplements out there that say they help with fertility in one way or another.  It's a lot to take in, and a lot of potential research to find the right one(s) for you and your partner.  To help you out, I've made this little list of vitamins and minerals that I've heard good things about with links to more information for the curious.  I hope this helps! :)

Zinc - Found mostly in meat.  Especially good for men with low sperm count. Also has a positive effect on hormone levels in women. (But consult a doctor before taking large doses of it.)

Vitamin A and Vitamin C and Vitamin E  - Found in fruits and veggies. Antioxidants like these promote healthy cell structure and protect sperm and egg's DNA.  These vitamins can greatly increase male fertility, and are also essential for healthy fetal development.

Evening Primrose Oil - Rich in essential fatty acids, it improves the quality of cervical mucus  (and helps with menstrual pains as a bonus).

Vitamin B6 - Found in whole grains, beans, and meat. Helps to regulate the luteal phase of womens' fertility cycle.

Vitamin B12 - Found in meat. Improves sperm count and quality. Deficiency has been linked to early fetal loss.

Folic Acid - With B12, helps protect the developing baby's genetic code, increasing the chances of a successful pregnancy. 

If you're a vegetarian or vegan, or if you don't eat much meat, you may have noticed that a couple of these are only found reliably in meat (B12 and Zinc).  But fear not! B12 and zinc fortified foods like veggi-burgers and soy milk are out there, just be sure to look for it on the labels.  Or take a vitamin. :)  (Learn more about B12 here, and more about zinc here)

For a good fertility focused vitamin blend, you might look into Fertilaid. They make fertility supplements with a lot of this good stuff in it for men and for women. 

Good luck, and eat healthy!

Yoga For Fertility

Yoga - it's good exercise, it's relaxing, and it can help you get pregnant!  Who knew?

I just read a post called Strike a Pose on the Stress Free Infertility Blog and she's got some nice pictures with links to step by step instructions for each yoga position.  She even says what each pose can do for your body!  (I'm especially a fan of the bridge pose, which apparently stimulates hormones.)  The post lists six stances to help relax, rejuvenate, and stimulate important muscle groups. 


If you're new to yoga or just want a good plain stretch, you could always try a couple of my favorites that she doesn't mention- the downward facing dog or the extremely simple and effective cow pose to cat pose combo stretch. Mmm, I can feel my back muscles relaxing just thinking about it!

Skeptical about the benefits of yoga for TTC women and men?  Bend Breathe and Conceive also posted a scientific review on how chronic stress can interrupt fertility.  According to the research quoted, it seems like one of the best things you can do to boost your fertility is to stop worrying and take your mind off it!

So, today's message? Stretch, relax, and try out a few of those poses!