Get a Grip on your hormonal health and fertility. The same hormone blood test that a doctor would prescribe you at a clinic, but without the year long wait.
16/05/2022
Exciting news! Grip has been acquired by the incredible š§”
When we first met Helen, Deirdre, and Natalie, the founders of Hertility, we immediately knew: this is the future of womenās health. We are extremely proud to be working with these groundbreaking healthcare researchers, and we couldnāt be leaving you or your hormones in better hands.
Big shout out to the Grip team past and present, our investors and supporters - itās been a true pleasure.
To you: thank you for being part of our community, and for believing that we deserve answers about our bodies!
Ling & Anne Marie
Cofounders Grip
19/01/2022
Need some recommendations for a good read? Here's our on books and fertility or health in general.
Anne Marie
17/01/2022
Sure, periods are a sign of our bodies being healthy but we all know they can also be the absolute worst. Next to painkillers, heating pads, endless cups of warm tea and binging Netflix, it turns out that our diet can have a huge positive (but also negative) impact too.
Ling
(BabyGaga, 2021., Insider, 2018.)
15/01/2022
Have you ever noticed you feel extra energetic and happy during your ovulation?
During your ovulation, your body is producing an increased level of estradiol which alleviates stress. Ovulation also comes with an increase in s*x drive which is once again connected to your hormone levels. Itās a no brainer to say that good mood has a positive effect on the body. It enhances performance, helps you withstand stress, and improves blood circulation.
But how to make that ovulation feeling last longer? Well, you need to provoke the happy hormones. š For endorphins, you should have s*x, do exercise and listen to music. š For serotonin, you should try and seek for sunshine and eat chocolate. š For oxytocin, you should hug, kiss and if you can breastfeed.
Feel the happy hormones!
Anne Marie
(Flo.Health., 2019)
11/01/2022
S*x and the City gave women frank relationship advice, fashion trends, permission to experiment s*xually and so much more.
But one of the most important recurring plot lines on the 90s hit show was that of Charlotteās struggle to have a baby. From an almost fairytale-like optimism and the dark reality of infertility, to building a family, and everything in between (acupuncture, your friends having babies, miscarriage, IVF, adoption, etc), we can learn a lot from Charlotteās experience with fertility struggles.
Our favourite āCharlotte on a fertility journeyā moment is when Miranda says sheās keeping her baby (she initially wanted to have an abortion) and Charlotte says: āWeāre having a baby!ā. Itās truly a beautiful moment, one in which jealousy is redundant and in which friendship becomes a family.
What is your favourite Charlotte moment?
Anne Marie
07/01/2022
Let's face it, we all have our new year resolutions: stop smoking, drink less etc. Here's some of our resolutions for self-care and changing habits. ā„ļø
05/01/2022
There are multiple reasons why period lengths vary. It can be due to your age, genes, overall health, body mass index (BMI), lifestyle (smoking, exercise, alcohol), emergency contraception methods (the morning-after pill) and hormonal birth control methods.
A typical period for someone not using hormonal birth control or an IUD lasts from 3 to 8 days.
For people using hormonal birth control, the period and cycle length will depend on the type of HBC that is being use. In general HBC methods like the pill, patch, ring, or IUD often make period lengths shorter. Sometimes, these periods are even lighter, or occasionally absent.
Many people experienceĀ heavier and longer bleedingĀ while using the copper IUD, especially in the first 6ā12 months.
Also, starting a new method of birth controlĀ can cause changes the amount of days you bleed. Finally, periods have a high chance of fluctuation in specific times of your life, such as during adolescence, just after giving birth, during breast-feeding, and during perimenopause.
(HelloClue, 2018.)
03/01/2022
January is considered a Thyroid Health Awareness Month.
1 in 8 women suffer from thyroid issues, often undiagnosed. Having an under-active thyroid makes it hard to get pregnant, and puts you at risk of having a miscarriage. Itās worth finding out if your thyroid is off, in particular given how easy it is to treat it. A normal TSH level means that your thyroid functions well.
Your thyroid produces hormones which regulate a tonne of things in your body. It can be over- or under-active, causing issues with your weight, your body temperature, your metabolism and your fertility. Once diagnosed, thyroid issues are relatively easy to treat and manage.
Symptoms that suit an under-active thyroid are: hypersensitivity to temperature (always cold), fatigue, depression, bowel problems (constipation), heart palpitations and unwanted weight gain.
Ling
01/01/2022
There is nothing we love more than hearing your Grip experiences. š§”
Weāre happy we could help you to find out more about your body, to plan your future better, to know your options and to ease this sometimes mind-boggling journey of fertility.
For more reviews visit Trip Advisor - Grip Fertility (4.6 āļøs)
Ling
29/12/2021
Hope youāre enjoying this wonderful bit in between Christmas and New Year when you donāt know what day it is, when cozy jumpers and sweatpants are the go-to outfit and when meals are consisted of Christmas leftovers. ā„ļø
24/12/2021
Dearest Grippies, we wish you the coziest Christmas! For us, Christmas means snuggling up, getting cozy, hanging out with family, eating endlessly and watching Christmas movies.
We went around the Grip office to collect some of our favourite Christmas-themed movies. Some of them are slightly non-conventional so if you're sick of all the classics Home Alone, Love Actually or Serendipity, this list is a goodie.
Enjoy! š
22/12/2021
Did you know that since November, Spain has extended its free fertility and IVF treatments to LGBTQ+ people?
Fertility treatment is free in Spain, but six years ago the conservative Popular Party government limited it to heteros*xual women who have a partner, forcing others to pay for private treatment. The new order aims to put an end to discrimination in the public health system.
Uge Sangil, the president of Spainās federation of LGBTQ+ rights groups, welcomed the change, saying the lives of thousands of people would be transformed. "Let no one doubt that expanding reproductive rights is expanding human rights," Sangil said at the ceremony.
Ling
(GayTimes.co.uk, 2021, Euronews, 2021)
20/12/2021
We know weāre preaching to the choir over here but research and anecdotal reports suggest that s*xual stimulation, including stimulation through ma********on, may help you:
* relieve built-up stress
* sleep better
* boost your mood
* relax
* feel pleasure
* relieve cramps
* release s*xual tension
* have better s*x
* better understand your wants and needs
* no risk of undesired pregnancy
* no risk of STIs
These are just some to name a few but the obvious takeaway is that ma********on is a healthy, natural, and safe way to practice self-care, explore what works best for you and to improve your health. šø
Can you think of some benefits we have not featured?
Here are some shows the Grip office has been obsessing over. Sure, some of them are imperfect, but they are well-meaning, delightful, taboo-breaking all while making us feel warm and fuzzy at the same time.
They cover so so many thought-provoking topics (mentioned above) we love to discuss during our coffee breaks.
Are you watching, what are your favourite ones and are there some we have not featured? šæ
Let us know,
AM & Ling
14/12/2021
Fun fact: weeks before Christmas are most fertile in a year.
Now, we know thatās a strange fact but most common birthdays are between September 9th and September 20th, meaning that December is definitely the period where most people are into baby-making.
Scientists think it's all in the biology, and that the colder winter air improves s***m quality. However, another explanation is that people are simply having more s*x at this time of year.
Maybe itās the s***m quality, maybe itās the need to be cozy indoors, maybe itās the festivities or maybe itās the cuffing season. Whatever it is, if youāre planning for a baby, this is your sign! š
(World Atlas, 2019)
10/12/2021
During the past month, Gripās lead designer Gal went through a journey of freezing her eggs. If youāre interested in this process, there is a highlight on our stories which follows the ins and outs of Galās egg freezing. š„
If you still have some questions let us know in the comments or our DMs - weāre here for you. Also, if youāre planning on embarking on this journey or are currently going through it, weāre sending you all the love and support!š§”
Grip Team
08/12/2021
Few weeks ago, Jessie J shared devastating news of her pregnancy loss. š
Jessie explained that she "decided to have a baby on my own," because "itās all Iāve ever wanted and life is short. To get pregnant was a miracle in itself and an experience I will never forget and I know I will have again. The sadness is overwhelming, but I know I am strong, and I know I will be ok." She continued: āIām still in shockā¦Ā Itās the loneliest feeling in the world."
Jessie acknowledged that she has joined a club that no one asked to be a part of.Ā "Millions of women all over the world have felt this pain and way worse," she wrote.Ā "I feel connected to those of you I know and those of you I donāt." ā„ļø
Wees de eerste die het weet en laat ons u een e-mail sturen wanneer Grip Fertility nieuws en promoties plaatst. Uw e-mailadres wordt niet voor andere doeleinden gebruikt en u kunt zich op elk gewenst moment afmelden.
This might sound familiar: weāre women in our early 30s. We know we might want kids someday, but ideally - not yet.
We have all seen the terrifying graphs that show how average fertility steadily declines between 30 and 35, and then goes rapidly downhill after that. This data is better than no data at all, but we donāt just want to know when the average woman becomes less fertile, we want to know where we sit on that graph.
We know that fertility specialists in hospitals/clinics often prescribe women who struggle to get pregnant a series of blood tests that help exclude the most common fertility problems. That of course doesnāt mean the test can tell you if you can have a baby, but itās a great place to start understanding where you sit. If you know you have issues with your ovulation or a less than average amount of eggs, then you can plan accordingly while you still have time.
But hereās the problem: you can only see a fertility specialist if you have either unsuccessfully been trying to get pregnant for a year, or if you are in pain. As healthy women, who are not trying for kids just yet, why can't we do the same tests as fertility specialists do in the hospital?
Thatās why we started Grip. We want you to be able to get the same hormone blood tests that a fertility doctor would prescribe you in a clinic, without needing a referral from your GP, and without needing to be sick. Your body, your data, your decision. And the best part - you can do the Grip fertility test in your pajamas from the couch. We believe every woman should have access to data about her body, so you can make better decisions.
āJust start trying, and see if youāll get pregnant" is no longer good enough. Itās time to be proactive about our fertility, rather than to wait until something is wrong.
