Is Infertility killing your motherhood??

Find 10 causes of Infertility and four easy ways to boost your fertility.

A lot has been spoken on pregnancy but very less is being told about the journey before that. For some the start of journey is a surprise with a simple double pink line on home test kit , for others its a long wait with various agonies of mental and medical traumas, for few it’s a long cherished dream of procreation which never materialises.

Thought of creating a space in this digital platform which can help and bring little solace to those women fighting silent battles of infertility. So here I am who have gone through all this but have won the battle by giving birth to two lovely and wonderful kids , yes twins. Bingo !! As a parent , we were on cloud nine as the combination was of a girl and a boy.

Babies are bits of star-dust blown from the hand of God. Lucky the woman who knows the pangs of birth for she has held a star.” – Larry Barretto

Every woman’s cherished desire is to feel life within her and experience the beautiful journey of motherhood which starts the day embryo gets implanted to your uterus , technically you are declared pregnant. Recently several woman are facing hurdles to conceive at the first place as a result infertility clinics have started mushrooming every nook and corner. Our body needs to be fertile to hold life , it’s just like sowing seed in the soil , soil should be fertile to support germination .

Before stepping into the clinic we should know what is the reason for infertility and how we can boost naturally. If we fail in this attempt then we are bound to take the help of medical science .

Infertility is broadly divided into two categories Primary and Secondary.

Primary infertility is defined as a couple that has not be able to conceive after trying for a year or more of unprotected intercourse.Secondary infertility is defined as couples who have had children previously, but are unable to achieve another pregnancy.

There are several causes of infertility out of which 10 most common ones are discussed below:

OVULATION DISORDER

There are a variety of reasons a woman may have no ovulation or irregular ovulation cycles. Hormonal balance is the number one reason women have ovulation disorder.

There are many factors which play a role in regulating the menstrual cycle. When the delicate communication between the pituitary gland, the ovaries and the follicles does not work properly, ovulation does not occur.

LOW SPERM COUNT

Doctors have found that 20 million sperm per mL or more is a healthy sperm count. Anything less than that is determined low sperm count.

Low sperm count may be due some or a combination of the following reasons:

-Poor lifestyle choices; smoking, drinking alcohol, poor diet, stress, environmental pollution, EMF’s, tight clothing.

-Antisperm Antibodies

– Genetic Predisposition

-Damage to the reproductive organs

-Illness, for example like cancer treated with chemotherapy.

POOR SPERM HEALTH

This includes sperm motility (movement of the sperm, tail whip) and morphology (shape/proper formation of the sperm and DNA).

25% of infertility cases are due to poor sperm health. The causes of poor sperm health are often the same as those for low sperm count, though not all men with low sperm count will also have poor sperm health and vice versa.

BLOCKED FALLOPIAN TUBES

The fallopian tubes are the pathways in which the ova travel from the ovaries down into the uterus, and if there is a blockage in these tubes it can prevent this from occurring.

The main cause of blocked fallopian tubes:

• Pelvic Inflammatory disease (PID) often caused due to STD’s(Sexually  transmitted disease)
• Endometriosis
• Ectopic pregnancy
• Uterine fibroids

25% of Infertility happens due to blockage of fallopian tubes.

ENDOMETRIOSIS

Endometriosis is when excess endometrium lining of the uterus that normally grows in preparation for the implanting of the egg begins, does not completely shed during menstruation. It then begins to attach to other places of the body besides the uterus. When menses comes not only does the lining in the uterus bleed the endometriosis that has grown in other places of the body also bleeds.

35-50% of infertility cases in women are due to endometriosis. This is two to three times the rate of infertility in the general population.

POOR EGG HEALTH

There are many factors that may impact the health of the ovaries and eggs including environmental factors, hormones in the diet, stress, lifestyle choices and aging.Important note: Poor ovarian reserve (low follicle count) with poor egg health before the age of 40 may be a sign of Premature Ovarian Failure (POF). This is something you will want to talk to your doctor about, including testing options to rule this out.

Poor egg health may be due some or a combination of the following reasons:

-Poor lifestyle choices; smoking, drinking alcohol, poor diet, stress, environmental pollution and sedentary lifestyle (poor circulation).

-Hormonal Balance

-Genetic Predisposition

-Damage to the reproductive organs

-Illness for example like cancer treated with chemotherapy

-Auto Immune Disorder

-Age plays a role

POLYCYSTIC OVARY SYNDROME (PCOS)

This syndrome is attributed to hormonal balance in the female body. The hormone imbalance may cause menstrual cycle irregularities, weight gain, insulin resistance, skin problems, small cysts in the ovaries, and hirsutism (excessive body hair/thinning head hair). Not all women who are diagnosed with PCOS have all of the symptoms or may only have a couple. PCOS is not very well understood and because each woman varies in her symptoms it can be difficult to properly diagnose and treat. PCOS is a very common condition, affecting 4-18% of reproductive age women.

ANTISPERM ANTIBODIES

In some people semen can cause an immune response. This can happen in both men and women. Antibodies are triggered during the immune response that work to kill off the sperm. High numbers of sperm antibodies can make it difficult for the sperm to reach the egg, and/or fertilize the egg. Antisperm antibodies also may damage sperm that survive, which increases chances of miscarriage.

A man’s body may create antisperm antibodies when the sperm come into contact with his immune system cells. This happens when the testicles are injured, after surgery (biopsy, vasectomy), or if the prostate gland has an infection. The testicles protect the sperm from immune cells, when they are damaged they may no longer be able to do that.Over 70% of all men who get a vasectomy will develop antisperm antibodies.

Some women’s bodies have an allergic reaction to her partner’s sperm. This stimulates the immune system to create antisperm antibodies that attack her partner’s sperm. This may also cause her vaginal tissues to react to the semen, which may result in rash, sores, or painful sexual intercourse. Doctors are not sure why this happens.

VAS DEFERENS BLOCKAGE

This is also known as blockage of the epididymis. The Vas Deferens is the tube in which the fertile sperm are transported. Varicocele (varicose veins) of the testicles is the number one reason for this blockage.Sexually Transmitted Disease (STD’s) such as gonorrhea or Chlamydia may also cause a blockage. Varicocele is usually treated with surgery. It is important to be treated for any STD right way to prevent damage to the reproductive organs.

COMBINATION INFERTILITY

This is when both partners have been diagnosed with one or more fertility issues. About 20-30% of infertility cases are due to combination infertility. This diagnosis can feel devastating, but there is always hope. Try treating individual fertility issues for better results .

UNEXPLAINED INFERTILITY

Of all the the couples diagnosed with infertility, 15% are diagnosed with unexplained infertility. This means the doctors cannot find a reason why pregnancy is not occurring. Both partners have done all the tests and nothing comes back as a definitive cause of infertility. While it may feel good to know you don’t have a specific problem, it can be confusing on what to do next. This is where natural therapies can be very effective. The focus with natural therapies is geared toward bringing the body back into balance.

Four Easy ways to boost your fertility

1. EAT RIGHT

Most of the disorders and diseases are because of not eating healthy and nutritious food.

One should fuel up on the following for ovulation.

• leafy greens, nuts, whole grains, eggs, legumes, meat, fish (or fish oil supplements) and water—lots and lots of water. Water plays a key role in transporting hormone and developing follicles. It also helps thin out cervical mucus, which may make it a little easier for your partner’s swimmers to get to their goal.

• steer clear of: Acidic foods like coffee, alcohol, meat and processed foods, which may make your cervical mucus hostile to sperm. Alcohol should be avoided as it effects hormonal balance and dehydrates the body .Loss of water means cervical mucous becoming thick which will be hindrance to the flow of your partner’s sperms.

Both the partners can also start taking folic acid tablets as it helps to make eggs and seems to be healthy , increasing d chances of successful fusion.

2.REGULAR EXERCISE

Regular exercise improves your metabolism slow metabolism adds up fat in the body which can be hindrance for conceiving. Brisk walk , cycling , swimming another very good form of exercise but be cautious about the hygienic maintainence of water as UTI (Urinary tract Infection) can again be trouble maker for conceiving.

3.GOOD QUALITY SLEEP

Sleep problems, sleep disorders and disrupted sleep patterns can negatively impact your well being and when it comes to fertility having enough, making sure that you’re making enough time for good quality sleep is of absolute importance.The reason is that melatonin levels increase when we’re sleeping and certainly at night and melatonin is important for good quality eggs and good ovarian reserves.

You can follow a routine regime before going to bed for one who faces difficulty in getting sleep.

• Set a particular time for sleep .Fix a time of sleep, if 11pm is good enough to go to bed then maintain that do not deviate.
• Wash your feet, face and slip into night suit.
• Use a clean and neatly spread bed sheet. The look of the bed should be inviting that relaxes your mind. Relaxed mind rewards you with good sleep.

Drink hot or warm milk before sleep helps you to have sound sleep.

4.REDUCE STRESS

Another vital thing is to be relaxed both mentally and physically.Relaxed body works wonder for conceiving .Yoga, listening to soft music , breathing exercises definitely helps you to stay positive and relaxed. It’s vital not to expect any results from the treatment you are undergoing or efforts you are making to be pregnant.

It’s rightly said “best things happen when they are least expected”.