Free stuff - A TTC raffle for a good cause

Do you like raffle give aways? Nearly free TTC (trying to conceive) stuff? Helping out a good cause?

Of course you do! That's why today's blog post is just going to be a little link to Busted Plumbing - a great little infertility blog that is calling out to the community for help. She's raffling off TONS of goods from www.FairhavenHealth.com, one of my favorite TTC supply sites, and the proceeds are going to help a little boy whose mother recently passed away. Donate $1 per entry, be a good person, win some stuff. Simple as that :)

Click here to learn more about the raffle.

Or go to this page to donate and enter the raffle between June 3rd and 9th.

Stress and Infertility

When you were growing up, did you mother ever tell you not to stress out about those school projects too much, or else you'll catch a cold? ...I know mine did, and it turns out she was right.  Stress has a known negative effect on overall well being.  Unfortunately, this means stress also negatively affects reproductive health, and can inhibit fertility.  Bad news for all the TTC people who can't spend a waking moment not worrying about their next ovulation or pregnancy test result!

Feeling "stress" triggers the release of "stress hormones", like adrenaline and epinephrine, which boost your heart rate and suppress reproductive, digestive, and growth systems. While essential for survival on a short term basis, long term chronic stress, which many infertile couples feel full force, interrupts ovulation and sperm production, and decreases the desire to reproduce in both men an women.  If your "baby dancing" has become a bit of a chore, stress might even be the culprit!

What's the solution to stress?  One of my favorite stress relievers is the tried and true long hot baths in scented bath salts, or maybe lighting a few soothing candles while drinking a cup of tea, but the most popular method right now is yoga.  There are many yoga routines out there, even many home yoga for fertility plans, but I'm going to talk about my favorite, Bend Breathe and Conceive with Dr. Anna Davis.

Dr. Davis is a fantastic teacher. She holds a doctorate in Biophysics and Physiology and has been practicing yoga for more than 25 years.  Her voice is soothing and the poses she guides you through are easy enough for beginners and interesting enough for seasoned yoga pros.

 This fertility yoga DVD consists of a series of poses, hand positions, and meditative breathing techniques designed to relieve stress - while simultaneously toning muscle groups that play vital roles in conception and pregnancy.

Bend, Breathe, and Conceive is a fertility yoga routine specifically designed for trying to conceive women, but I've heard of many couples happily and successfully going through the DVD together.



To view a clip from the DVD, visit Bend, Breathe and Conceive's website, http://www.bendbreatheandconceive.com/bbc_trailer/yoga-trailer-n1.html

You can buy Bend, Breathe, and Conceive from Fairhaven Health, where it has a perfect 5 star review!!

Is the Pill Masking a Common Cause of Infertility?

Premature Ovarian Failure, or POF, affects 1 in 100 women but many women may not even know they're affected. What can keep women and doctors alike from noticing this disease? The Pill!

Premature Ovarian Failure (POF), also known as Premature Menopause, occurs when the ovaries aren't making enough of certain hormones for the body to ovulate properly.  It can cause irregular menstrual cycles, bone loss, and if left untreated, infertility.  Irregular periods can be a sign of POF - and a simple hormone test can diagnose the disease.  But many times, doctors can write off missed or irregular periods as a result of poor diet or stressful life style, and put women on the pill without testing for POF. The pill then masks the symptoms - forces the body to menstruate regularly - without addressing the source of the disease.

So what happens if you've been taking the pill for years, stop taking it, and months later are still not ovulating regularly or pregnant?  While its normal to not have a period for up to a few months after stopping the pill (your body has to start making its own hormones again, after all) after about 3 months or more, you might want to speak to your Ob-Gyn.  They can easily test for hormone levels and let you know if you're affected by Premature Ovarian Failure. It is important to get treatment for POF - untreated it heightens your risk for osteoporosis.

So, if you're coming off the pill and don't start ovulating again, talk to your doctor and stay healthy!