Now on to the fertility info; two studies caught my eye this last week.
The first is on Vitamin D and its importance in dealing with fertility issues. Austrian scientists have shown that vitamin d deficiency is associated with both male and female fertility issues. So get your Vit D levels tested by your doctor and shoot for mid range to optimize your levels.
Optimising Vit D can be done with liquid drops or tablets and some experts are recommended trying to get at least 10 minutes of sun exposure per day on as much of your body area as possible (without getting arrested lol) and no sunscreen. If through either of these methods your vit D levels do not increase then also check thyroid and adrenal hormone levels; TSH, FT4, FT3, thyroid antibodies, am cortisol and dhea. These tests may give you a clue as to what may be effecting your vitamin D levels and also your fertility. I explain the importance of these organ systems and how they are often overlooked in the Fertility Bible; Your 5 Step Fertility Solution to Becoming Pregnant Naturally or with IVF. Available on Kindle from your smart phone or in hard copy from our clinic.
The second study that was interesting was done right here in Australia. But before I discuss it I want to be sure you understand that I am not against conventional fertility treatment and do refer couples to IVF doctors as needed. However whenever I write something about becoming pregnant naturally and comparing it to IVF I am accused of being anti IVF, which could not be further from the truth. I am an advocate for patients having all the information they need to make an informed decision about what they do on their fertility journey. So that being said, here is the study results:
A new study from Australia followed 7000 women since 1996 who filled in health surveys including questions about fertility and pregnancy. Approximately 1400 women aged 28-36 (20%) reported having difficulty conceiving after one year. 600 of those women had fertility treatment (IVF or other fertility hormones) and 53% of them became pregnant (approx 318 women). Of the other 800 who did not do IVF or have other fertility hormones approx 352 (or 44% of 800) became pregnant. Interestingly enough there were more pregnancies in the group who didn�t receive treatment! Unfortunately the survey didn't report what those women who became pregnant without IVF were doing, i.e. lifestyle changes, dietary changes, herbs, supplements etc. But I doubt that most of the women were doing nothing. IVF may be an option for you, and I do refer people to IVF and recommend they prepare they bodies to get the best results from the procedures, but the main thing I was hoping you gained from this
article is there is hope after 12 months of trying.
And the conclusion related to the study emphasizes that no pregnancy after 12 months does not necessarily mean you are infertile but instead they mention that this state should be described as subfertile or as some of my patients have said, "fertility challenged".
