Natural News for Women » Fertility

Ask Marilyn – Star Question: my daughter has PCOS – is there anything she can do to increase her chances of conceiving?

Marilyn — Sun, 01 Mar 2009 00:20:48 +0000

Q: My daughter is about to get married and is keen to start a family. Since the age of 17, she has suffered from Polycystic Ovaries, showing symptoms such as facial hair, hair loss and a weight problem. She has also been warned that conception may be more complicated for her. She used to have infrequent periods but now has them regularly every 5 to 6 weeks. The normal help for her condition, such as the contraceptive pill or metformin, she cannot be prescribed as the first gave her occasional blackouts and the second nausea. She keeps her weight under control by sensible eating but even so is probably a little more than she should be for her height. Is there any advice you would give her to increase her chances of conceiving?

A: In each menstrual cycle, follicles (which contain eggs) grow on the ovaries. One of these follicles will reach maturity faster than the others and be released at ovulation. The remaining follicles will degenerate. In the case of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), the ovaries are much larger than normal, and there are a series of undeveloped follicles that appear in clumps, like a bunch of grapes. This can cause…

Discovering herbs: Agnus Castus

Marilyn — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 01:50:27 +0000

The common name of this pretty herb is Chaste Tree, harking back to the Crusaders’ belief that it would crush their wives’ libidos whilst they were off crusading. Whether it actually achieved this effect is doubtful as it is now recognised as boosting female fertility and easing menstrual symptoms.

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Quick tip: Honey honey!

Marilyn — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 01:30:28 +0000

Known as the nectar of Aphrodite, the goddess of love, from whom aphrodisiacs got their name, honey is about as sensual as aphrodisiacs get. Honey is also mentioned in the Karma Sutra and the Arabian love manual The Perfumed Garden where it is recommended that a glassful of thick honey or honey mixed with spices be drunk by a man to make him more attractive and to give him the energy and endurance for sex. Nutritionally, honey is rich in energy boosting carbohydrates, which will help give you more stamina for love making and vitamins, minerals and amino acids and antioxidants which can help fight the damaging effects of free radicals. Plus, ever since Cleopatra started the trend, it’s been used as a skin softener to enhance beauty and is still used as an ingredient in moisturizers today. Steer clear of heavily sweetened and processed honey though and go for organic, instead bearing in mind that generally the darker and clearer the honey the richer it is in health and libido boosting antioxidants.

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Boosting fertility with vitamin E

Marilyn — Sun, 01 Feb 2009 01:20:16 +0000

Discovered in 1922 during experiments on rats, this powerful antioxidant contains tocopherols, a Greek word meaning to bear children. Scientists discovered that rats without vitamin E in their diet became infertile. In a preliminary human trial, infertile couples given vitamin E (200 IU per day for the female and 100 IU per day for the male) showed a significant increase in fertility. Vitamin E’s beneficial role in female reproductive health has since been backed up by more recent research and it has even been suggested that it may reduce age related ovarian decline (where the numbers of eggs are less because the woman is older).

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In the News: Ray of sunshine for couples struggling to conceive

Marilyn — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 03:40:05 +0000

Previous studies have shown that vitamin D, the sunshine vitamin which is produced from sunshine and found in oily fish and eggs is important for a healthy pregnancy, but a new study shows that a deficiency may also affect sperm.

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Boosting fertility with antioxidants: Selenium

Marilyn — Thu, 01 Jan 2009 01:00:42 +0000

Selenium, like zinc, is another important nutrient for boosting your fertility and the fertility of your partner. This mineral is used to make antioxidants called selenoproteins which help protect your body from free radical damage – very important in the process of cell division. With its protective effect selenium can prevent chromosome breakage which is known to cause birth defects and miscarriages. Deficiency in women has been linked to a higher risk of miscarriage.

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Eliminate toxins and boost your fertility

Marilyn — Sat, 01 Nov 2008 02:20:02 +0000

Every day a sea of potentially hormone-disturbing toxins surrounds us, in pesticides and herbicides in our soil; in chemicals and additives in the food we eat; in contaminants in the water we drink; in pollutants from car exhausts and cigarette smoke; in chemicals in solvents, plastics and adhesives; as well as all the toxins we absorb through our skin in make up, hair dyes and household cleaning products along with possible radiation from visual display units, mobiles or VDUs. These everyday toxins have been linked to birth defects and hormonal disruption so great that some of them are now called EDCs or endocrine (hormone) disrupting chemicals.

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In the News: Four cups of coffee a day can seriously damage a woman’s chances of having a baby

Marilyn — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 03:30:22 +0000

If a woman is struggling to conceive new research presented at the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology’s annual conference in Barcelona suggests that four cups of coffee a day can seriously damage her chances of having a baby. Dutch scientists believe that the effect of caffeine may cause as many problems in pregnancy as those caused by alcohol, smoking or being overweight.

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Everyday products that may be affecting your fertility: How to detox safely

Marilyn — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 02:20:27 +0000

Infertility has been on the increase in the last 20 years and although infertility can be caused by many things, including a poor diet, environmental toxins, stress, nutritional deficiencies, hormone imbalances and general poor health, a growing number of experts, myself included, are beginning to suspect that everyday bodycare products may also play a role.

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Ask Marilyn: can I drink coffee when trying to conceive?

Marilyn — Wed, 01 Oct 2008 01:30:51 +0000

Q: I’m planning to get pregnant in the next year and want to do all I can to boost my fertility. I’m a coffee lover and drink endless cups of coffee a day. I know that I need to cut down on the amount of coffee I drink but is it still okay to drink one or two cups?

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