What Question would you love to know the answer to?

I got a call tonight for a friend who is travelling her own journey of infertility. She has only recently found out, and is having a hard time with it.

She asked me what seemed like a billion questions, which i of course answered for her, reminding her the entire time that it might have taken me 9 years, but I am now blessed with a beautiful daughter and her case is very different to mine so chances are she will have a baby in her arms much sooner.

Then i realised, that although It is taking me a while to find the time to dedicate to this blog, that it really could be useful to people to see everything fertility related from the view of someone who has been "through the system".

I have made contact with a few lovely ladies who have contacted me via email and who receive my newsletter, but I would love to hear from anyone else who happens to stumble in here

WHAT IS IT That you would like to know? What question do you need information on? Just leave a comment here, or join the newsletter and send a reply that way, I would love to know....

Topics I have coming up to write about are:
How to chose a clinic that suits you
What is PCOS
What is Endometriosis
When things turn ectopic

There's so much to write about I just need to find the time to sit and do it.

Baby Dust and Hugs
Sandra

I am overwhelmed by this email I recieved - Must Read!

I haven't had much time to come and blog over the last 2 weeks, I honestly hadn't even checked my email, so imagine my surprise when I sit down this morning to find this in my inbox!!

Dear Sandra,

All I can say is thankyou for your blog. I know it's just begun but already reading your story and the information you have here has helped me know that anything is possible. Just so you know, I purchased the package you have advertised on your site by Dr Irena and it's really helped.

You know, there are so many choices on how to treat infertility and I have tried other products but this one is great. It is full of such great information and has LOTS of tactics we are really looking forward to buying. She had a great deal and I got 2 books for the price of one and for the first time I feel like there's light at the end of the tunnel.

So Please don't stop posting, you have some followers, and please can you put on your blog how good DR Irena's books are!! They are worth the investment and I think every couple trying to conceive should have them.

I look forward to some new posts and hopefully coming back here to tell you we are pregnant some time in the near future.

Yours truly
Elise xx"

I really don't know what to say other than, you are more than welcome.

I absolutely agree with what you said about Dr Irena's books. I used them myself, as do a few friends I made during my infertility journey. I have included the link to her site if anyone wishes to look:

Click Here! For Dr Irena's Website and Books

Elise, I wish you well on your journey and can't wait to hear some good news soon.

Warmest Regards,

Sandra.

Is your career ruining your fertility?

Women so often find themselves needing to make a choice between career and children. A woman's career path most often includes high school, college and university. By the time she finishes all that, she may well be in her mid to late twenties. Now armed with forging her way to the top of her chosen field, this could take a few years leaving her in the late twenties to early thirties age group by the time she is starting to realise success.

Now add to all of that, the need to find the perfect man, perhaps buy a house and nice car, and the task can seem impossible. If a woman does decide she would like to have children mid way through this entire process, then new problems face her, such as whether she will take time from work, whether the child will be placed into care while she returns to work, amongst other problems that can arise.

So many women don't even consider fertility issues as they are on the track to their desired career. They see others around them in their late 30's having children, and assume that it's easy for everyone.

The reality is, that once a woman reaches 30, not only does her ability to fall pregnant start to decrease, but if she does fall pregnant then the risk of complications is higher.

SO if you are yet to think about conceiving, or are trying to decide between career and baby, you really need to take a look at your life, your values, and decide what is important to you. If when you are elderly you would be happy with never having children then keep on the career path, but if somewhere in your heart you look forward to sharing your life with a family all your own, then I urge you to take a step back from the material high flying career world, and ask yourself is your fertility worth more?

Unfortunately for women, we can't reproduce at any age, so choices have to be made, and when you make them, take time to do some soul searching and make sure you have made the right decision for the long term, not just for what feels good now.

Sandra xx

Fertility Problems - That First Moment

Fertility Problems – That First Moment

Fertility problems are not always something that people consider. Children are included in the life plan of a majority of people, and it is often not until the time comes to try to conceive that the first thoughts of fertility or the possibility of being infertile are thought about.

Even during the initial stages of trying to conceive most people do not consider the fact they may be infertile, or have some kind of fertility problem.

Because of this, for many couples, the fact that they are infertile, or have fertility problems of some sort comes as an earth shattering moment. To be told there is a chance you will never naturally achieve pregnancy or a baby of your own can be dream destroying and horrifying, yet thousands of people worldwide face that news daily.

I can remember trying for our first baby for over a year. We thought this was normal, and that most couples took this long to fall pregnant. Then while talking to a girlfriend, I realized it had only taken them 2 months of trying and she had discovered she was pregnant. At that point I started to feel nervous.

We didn’t want to admit there might be problems. Back then, 10 years ago, I didn’t have internet access like I do now. These days I would just google to research what the issues might be, but all I recall about our first fears is feeling isolated and nervous, too upset to head to the library or anywhere else for that matter to research this horrible “thing” that might destroy my dreams.

We continued to try, and hoped for the best for another 3 months before going to see a doctor. We explained we had been trying to fall pregnant for 15 months with no luck and were starting to become concerned. We were sent for tests.

I remember vividly returning to the doctor and hearing the words, “at this point, it appears that there are some fertility issues we will need to address.” I just looked at my partner and tried my hardest to appear brave and not cry. I knew from that moment, if we wanted to have children that there was a fight ahead of us.

In that first moment, the first moment you realize it’s official, that having a child is not going to be easy, that IF you ever get the chance, it’s a chance you will have to fight for, 2 things happen. Your survival instinct kicks in and you become determined to prove the medical profession wrong, and your world is shattered… You really want to just give up and scream “why me?”…

How did you feel at that moment? Or are you still too nervous to go and “officially” find out? Or do you know someone who has experience that moment?

Share your experience here…..

Increase Fertility - Aromatherapy - Chose your Oil

Hopefully you read my previous post Increase Fertility - Aromatherapy which discusses why aromatherapy works well as one option for treating infertility.

Now you are probably wondering, if aromatherapy is one way of increasing fertility, then which oils should you use?

Firstly let me remind you again, that you always need to check with your doctor before using essential oils, as some oils can interfere with illness, certain conditions and medications. Once you have the OK, then enjoy. Using aromatherapy is a wonderful experience.

Base Oils: Grapeseed Oil, Wheatgerm or Almond Oil are generally used as base oils. These are oils used to add essential oils to for the purpose of diluting the essential oil.

Geranium: Is said to have a balancing affect on hormones. A personal recommendation is combining this with rose oil.

Rose: An uplifting oil, can help when feeling low. It is often used to regulate the reproductive system.

Chamomile: Used mostly for relaxation. Can be used in burners, massage, the bath, placed under pillows, and is especially popular in soaps and toiletries.

Basil: While an unexpected recommendation, basil works to increase reproductive health.

Lavender: Relaxing and Romantic, excellent qualities for any couple under the pressure of infertility.

Jasmine: Relaxing and along with Lavender is thought to increase libido.

So there you go, check with your health care professional that oils are safe for you to use, and enjoy.

The path to fertility is a complex one, and the more informed you are the better and more varied decisions you can make. Relaxation is a huge focus of aromatherapy, and is something that is often disregarded because stress and worry takes over during the path to fertility. Take time out, discover your senses, and enjoy essential oils, they really are a wonderful gift of nature.

Increase Fertility - Aromatherapy

Increase Fertility easily with Aromatherapy.

Fertility problems are something that usually take more than one tactic to resolve. There are Fertility Treatments, Fertility Drugs, Fertility Diets, you name it, there's probably a "fertility solution" attached to it!! (Ok so maybe that was a little bit of an overstatement) :)

My point is, that sometimes it's so overwhelming to try and fall pregnant that we somehow miss the old basics. In my case, I missed out altogether on trying aromatherapy as a treatment for my infertility, but have spoken to a few ladies who absolutely swear by it!

Keep in mind that when using aromatherapy to increase fertility there are several things to keep in mind. You need to be careful about what essential oils you use. It is often best to purchase your oils from a naturopath, or health food store, or even better to check with your doctor, as there are oils that are not suitable for use with some medical conditions and illnesses including pregnancy.

Once you have found some safe essential oils to use, there are 3 common methods of putting their benefits to use:

* Direct Application, normally via massage: Be sure to mix your oils with an oil base such as grapeseed or almond oil as pure essential oils are normally too strong for direct application to the skin. Use approximately 2 drops of essential oil to 10-12 drops of base oil. Massage is great for relaxation, helping your body to destress and also great for your relationship. Massage is a sensual way to connect with your partner, because as many of us know, trying to conceive can be a tense time.

* In the Bath: Adding 5 to 10 drops of essential oil into a relaxing warm tub and soaking is a wonderful way to experience the benefits of aromatherapy. If you would prefer diluting the oil in a base, use approximately 50% base and 50% essential oil.

* Oil Burners: Filling your home or room with the beautiful scents of many essential oils can have an amazing effect on mind and body. Many oils are thought to have relaxing and healing properties when dispersed through the air.

Now you know how to use them, head to my next post Increase Fertility - Aromatherapy - Which Oils to Chose, to find out what oils are best...

Fertility Diet: Supplement your way to Pregnancy!

When it comes to fertility, Diet is not always considered to be on the top list of priorities. A Fertility Diet is not as crazy as it sounds. Look around, we hear so regularly about all the great benefits of Supplements, Vitamins, Minerals, and the amazing things they can do for our bodies. This is also true when we are facing problems of fertility and the desire to fall pregnant.

All too often in our busy modern lives, we skip meals, eat processed foods or, quite simply our foods just don't have the same nutritional content as they once did due to over producing, steroid use, fertilizers,... and the list goes on....

So here are some basic supplements you can use to your advantage to increase your overall health and help your body kick start into baby mode.

FOLIC ACID
Folic Acid is a necessary supplement for all women attempting to fall pregnant. It is proven to prevent against Spina Bifida developing in an unborn baby during development.

VITAMINS B6 and B12
Vitamin B6 has been proven to help increase fertility levels in otherwise unfertile women. B vitamins play a role in our overall health and stress levels, so are important for everybody, but in this case, can play an especially important role in conceiving.
Vitamin B12 is essential for men. It has been shown to increase low sperm counts.

ESSENTIAL FATTY ACIDS
Essential Fatty Acids are vital in the body's functioning. They play an extremely important role in the production and regulation of hormones. Essential Fatty Acids, are especially vital for men due to their effect on the production of prostoglandins. Without these Essential Fatty Acids, prostoglandin production is inefficient resulting in low quality sperm.

VITAMIN C
Vitamin C can play a strong role in sperm production and is therefore vital for any man who has low sperm count, or evidence of abnormal sperm. If sperm tests have not been undertaken or even if infertility is not yet a problem, vitamin C is still a great vitamin for anyone to be taking. It is a great antioxidant, ridding our bodies of bad elements, it also increases our immune system.

VITAMIN E
Yet another wonderful antioxidant. Vitamin E is recommended for assisting to increase fertility in both men and women. The antioxidant properties of vitamin E have been thought to make the sperm more effective.

ZINC
A Zinc deficiency can lead to lower fertility for both men and women, and a higher risk of miscarriage in women. Zinc is an essential element in your bodies efforts at utilising reproductive hormones. Zinc is found in high concentrations in sperm, and if vital in sperm production, so essentially both male and woman should include zinc as part of their fertility plan.

This is of course a small list of essential vitamins and minerals that can and may assist with fertility issues. It is good to know that most "pregancy" formulas contain each mentioned here. For men, they are often less likely to implement vitamins and minerals to increase fertility as this issue is often associated more so with women, so it's good to realise that planning for and increasing fertility is equally important to both man and woman.

Fertility Problems: 3 lifestyle choices killing your infertility.

There are many infertile couples who fall into the area of "unknown" Infertility. With unknown infertility there is no obvious medical reason that pregnancy does not occur. For this group of people as well as many others who suffer known medical reasons for infertility it is important to make lifestyle choices and changes that may assist to increase fertility levels naturally.

So what lifestyle choices can affect fertility?

ALCOHOL
-- While alcohol is common in most areas of society, if you are trying to concieve it is important to remember that any consumption of alcohol by the male or female can reduce fertility by up to half.

If you would like to consume some alcohol, keeping it to 5 units or less per week (e.g- 5 glasses of wine) is recommended. Women who drink more than that have 50% less chance of falling pregnant than those women who keep within that guideline. Men who consume more than that have increased risk of less motile sperm, abnormal sperm or a lower sperm count.

CAFFEINE
-- Another accepted lifestyle choice by many people worldwide, caffeine is another fertility assassin. Just one cup of coffee per day can decrease a couples fertility rate by half. Having similar effects to alcohol on male sperm, lower sperm count and abnormal or less motile sperm can all be caused by caffeine. For men especially it is important to cease intake 3 months before trying to conceive.

SMOKING
-- Smoking, other than its other obvious harmful affects, also affects fertility. Smoking is also known to speed up menopause in women, so for the older woman trying to conceive, it is essential that smoking is ceased. For men, problems again with abnormal sperm and less motile sperm can be caused by smoking. The negative effects of smoking on fertility increase with the number of cigarettes smoked, so for heavy smokers who feel they are unable to give up, decreasing the number of smokes is a help, although in the case of fertility, going without smoking should surely be considered a small sacrifice.

While this is just the tip of the iceberg as far as lifestyle choices which have a negative impact on a couples ability to conceive, these three issues are extremely common place. Undertaking in any of these activities should ideally be ceased months before attempts at conception are made, as it takes our bodies at least 3 months to recover from the issues these practices cause.

If you are trying to conceive and can name even one of the three practices on your list as a daily or even weekly part of your life, while it may seem trivial, it is worth the small sacrifice to give up alcohol, coffee and smoking. If there is a chance that one of these things is standing in your way of having a baby, now is the time to make the healthier choice!

Fertility Problems: Reasons For Infertility

Reasons for Infertility are many. From endometriosis, to low sperm count, to other illnesses lowering fertility rates... and sometimes, the case may be there is no obvious reason for a woman not to fall pregnant.

When you are young, before you meet your perfect partner, or simply before you feel your maternal instinct kick in, infertility is probably not something most people give much thought to.

Unfortunately the reality is that many couples, once they decide to have a child, will need to combat some form of infertility. For some couples, the problems are solved quickly and easily and they are soon blessed with their own bundle of joy.

For others however, and I fall into this category.... Parenthood becomes a path of pain, financial stress and emotional hardship.

Here are some reasons for Infertility, some you may or may not have heard of, all of which I discovered and many of them was tested for on my path to parenthood. If you are having trouble concieving than researching these problems to discover if it may relate to your difficulty falling pregnant is highly recommended. Some of the books recommended on my sidebar to the right also go through these things....

CAUSES OF INFERTILITY

• Ovulatory Failure - This may include Polycystic Ovary Syndrome - Symptoms can include irregular menstruation, acne, obesity and excessive hair growth.
• Damage to the Fallopian Tubes - Could be caused by things such as illness or infection.
• Endometriosis - "Endometriosis is a common medical condition characterized by growth outside the uterus of tissue resembling endometrial tissue that normally lines the uterus. Statistics are believed to be as high as one in three women experiencing this.
• Male Problems - Including low sperm count or ineffective sperm. Can be caused by llness, genetics or diet amongst other things.
• Unexplained - Approximately 30%, Thirty percent of infertility problems have no specific cause. This means many couples face multiple tests and still have no answer as to why they are having problems conceiving. Diet, Lifestyle and genetics problems could come into play greatly in this category.

On a positive note, there are couples who fall into EVERY one of these categories who have successfully had a baby, it can take time, lifestyle changes and more time, but it is possible.

About Me

Hi,

If you have found my blog, then chances are, you yourself, or somebody close to you is having trouble concieving.

I know how heartbreaking this is, I spent 9 years of my life going through unbelievable emotional turmoil, being close to financial ruin, not to mention the stress on my relationship, all in my journey of trying to concieve.

Through this blog, I hope to share my journey, possibly give you some tips on how to survive your own fertility journey, and give advice, supply interesting articles and information that I find, or that helped me through my own journey.

There's lots of information out there, lots of things to try, and through it all THERE IS HOPE.

I now have a 1 year old little girl that has finally made all my dreams come true.

I spent over $20000 trying to conceive, trying different things, and finally I have my blessing. It took me 9 years, please don't lose hope.

Sandra xx

Thankyou for joining us!

Thankyou for Joining the My Fertility Quest Newsletter.

If you have subscribed to my newsletter and landed here then congratulations!!

If you have wandered here randomly then simply head up to the top of the blog, subscribe to the newsletter and receive special hints, tips, guides and information regularly.

If there is something you would like covered in our newsletter, please post a comment here and look forward to seeing my research and answers in an upcoming edition of our newsletter.

My hope is to provide a place for information and somewhere to share information and ideas on the battles of Fertility.

So once again, welcome, I hope you enjoy my newsletter, I have some great ideas and look forward to getting to know you all.

Sandra.