Fertilitymindbody

28/08/2023

11/01/2022

You are not infertile because God is punishing you. You are not undeserving of being a mother.You are not infertile because ... fill in the blanks with whatever thoughts haunt you.

It’s hard to see others so easily achieving what we are longing for. It’s hard to understand why your body seems to have betrayed you.

Fertility struggles lead you down a difficult, lonely road. People are sometimes cruel about it, both unintentionally and sometimes intentionally.

I know especially in our Caribbean culture having fertility struggles can leave you feeling very isolated. It’s especially taboo to talk openly about it.

But please know that you are not alone. One in six couples go through fertility struggles. And more and more men and women unfortunately will face fertility issues due to lifestyle and environmental toxins.

Don’t give up hope. You don’t get the rainbow without the rain. There are many paths to parenthood. Keep learning, keep trying, seek professional help from a fertility expert.

10/01/2022

Many women have reached out to me expressing their hopelessness at not being able to conceive.

What I’ve noticed is that they seem to have decided that there’s nothing they can do to improve their fertility issues.

I’ve been there. And I have experienced that feeling. I felt like when I got to the front of the very long line I was in I was told “no not you. You don’t deserve this because....”

Do you feel like that today?

Many women have turned to donor eggs, donor embryos, or surrogacy to achieve their dreams of a family.

Let me know your thoughts on creating a family in this way.

30/12/2021

We’re coming to the end of another tough year. When you are struggling with fertility issues this can be particularly difficult.
Maybe you felt sure this would be your year but it hasn’t happened. Yet.

Dealing with fertility issues on top of covid lockdowns and all the stress of the ongoing pandemic can feel like simply too much.

But take a deep breath. And, start again. I know you might be thinking that I’m really asking too much of you. But trust me, persistence is the key to success on this journey.

If you know that you truly want this keep going. But don’t do it blindly. Seek answers from those who can really help you. Not your mama’s sister’s best friend, not your run of the mill GP, not even your obgyn.

Find a professional who is experienced in treating fertility issues.

I wish you peace,love and baby dust for the New Year. Excited to keep sharing fertility information and new ideas in the New Year.

13/12/2021

My apologies for being away for a while. Sometimes, despite your best efforts, life gets in the way.

The Christmas season can be a very difficult time for those of us struggling with fertility issues. It’s a reminder of all that you hoped for this year that has not yet come to pass.

I will share a little of my own story. I struggled with fertility issues for many years. I gave up, I started again with renewed hope, and this cycle went on for a long time.

I am telling you this because I think the thing that made the difference for me was persistence and information.

I wanted to give up. I wanted the roller coaster of emotional ups and downs to end. I wanted to be able to let it go.

But I just couldn’t. My longing for a family of my wouldn’t go away. And with more information and persistence I was finally able to have my longed for child.

It wasn’t easy. It was a long, hard, lonely and emotionally painful road.

I had one friend who was experiencing the same thing. We were each other’s lifeline. I honestly would not be here today without her support.

It is why I created this account, this business. Because I hope I can help even one person to achieve their dream of a family by sharing my own experience and knowledge.

I know this- if you want to be a parent somehow there is a way. Don’t give up. Keep going if this is your heart’s desire.

15/11/2021

Interesting research studies by Dr. Jeffrey Russell - Dr. Russell noticed that while his female patients appeared healthy and had BMIs within the normal range they were having poor results from ivf ( poor egg quality and poor pregnancy rates).

When the women were asked to track their food intake for 3 days he discovered that their diets consisted of approximately 60% carbohydrates and 10 % protein.

Based on results from a few animal studies Dr. Russell asked the women to switch out their diets to more protein and less carbohydrates.

The results, published on The Journal of Fertility and Sterility were astounding. When the women consumed at least 30% protein and less than 40% carbohydrates their fertility improve. That is, their egg quality, embryo quality and pregnancy rates all improved.

In fact those women who had previously had poor quality eggs and poor quality results from IVF now had two times the number of eggs and four times the pregnancy rates compared to the control group.

This study was a small one of about 120 women but when the study was repeated in a larger group of 350 women the results were the same.

The improvement in fertility peaked at 35% daily protein intake. This means that eating more than 35% protein daily didn’t show greater results than eating 30-35%.

You can use a free app like Kindara or a similar one to track your macros( protein, fats, carbs).

Remember that any dietary protocol should be consistent over at least a four month period to have an impact on egg quality.

When choosing sources of protein remember that research also shows that eating less red meat and more fish, poultry and plant-based sources of protein resulted in improved fertility ( PMC2276768).

Also going too low carb is not advisable as it may negatively impact your health. Stick to around 35% carbohydrates which is well under the 40% in the study results. While the research didn’t actively study fat intake making sure you eat healthy fats such as nuts, seeds, avocado should also be included in any fertility diet.







doi.org/10.1016/fertnstert 2012.07.167

04/11/2021

Happy Diwali to everyone!

01/11/2021

While it’s true that fertility declines as we age there is much we can do to preserve and improve our fertility.

One of the most important steps you can take is to improve your egg quality.

Your egg quality is affected by its environment. That is, what you eat, breathe in, think, put on your skin- all add up to the environment your egg is being bathed in every day.

Taking steps to make that environment as healthy as possible with science backed research on the things that improve egg quality can improve your own egg quality.

Egg quality is the single greatest determinant of pregnancy success, especially as we get older.

Eat a whole foods heavy diet, that is, lots of fruits and vegetables, monounsaturated fats (avocados, nuts and seeds)low in sugar and trans fats.

Take steps to reduce your exposure to environmental toxins ( get rid of plastics in your kitchen, drink water from steel or glass bottles, use natural cleaning products, clean up your personal care products).

Take carefully curated supplements with CoQ10, Vitamin D and a good quality pre- natal being at the top of the list.

Take steps to address your mental health. Explore meditation, mindfulness, calming breath work. Reducing stress has a major impact on your fertility(see my previous posts on this).

Make these changes consistently for four or more months before trying to conceive.

27/10/2021

Being underweight, overweight or obese can negatively impact your fertility.

Your weight alone however is not the only factor in determining whether you are underweight, overweight or obese.

Your weight compared to your height is used to determine where you fall. This is known as your Body Mass Index or BMI.

A BMI of between 19-24 is considered ideal for fertility. If your BMI is less than 19 you fall within the underweight category. If it is between 24-29 you are considered overweight. A BMI of more than 29 is defined as obese.

You can use any free online VMI calculator to determine your BMI.

Underweight, overweight or obese women take longer to conceive compared to women within the 19-24 BMI range.

Overweight or obese women are also at greater risk of miscarriage and pregnancy complications such as gestational diabetes and pre-eclampsia.

Please seek the support of a health practitioner in getting to an ideal BMI for fertility rather than resorting to crash or fad diets.

25/10/2021

Omega-3 fatty acid have been shown to improve egg quality and prolong fertility.

While oily fish,nuts and seeds and avocados are all good sources of omega-3 fatty acids, it can be difficult to get enough omega-3s from diet alone.

It is a great supplement especially if you are trying to conceive at an older age.

It has also been shown to have a positive effect on male fertility.

When taking an omega-3 supplement make sure that the one you are taking contains non-toxic ingredients and that it’s not just a label slapped on with trendy buzz words. Take a product you can trust that contains quality ingredients. See my previous posts for more on how to distinguish between quality brands and others.

A good quality brand may cost more but you are getting the correct, non-toxic nutrients.

And please check with your health care provider before taking any supplements.

20/10/2021

If you are trying to conceive one of the best supplements you can take is CoQ10.

CoQ10 acts as an antioxidant and critically helps with energy creation in the mitochondria of cells.

It is present in every cell of the body but declines with age. Research shows that supplementing with CoQ10 improves both egg and s***m quality and helps to combat age related infertility.

When supplementing with CoQ10 make sure to get a top quality supplement that contains the ingredients it says it does and in a form that is easily absorbed by the body.

And as with all supplements be sure to check with your health care provider before taking.

18/10/2021

Continuing our posts on micronutrients that impact your fertility- A major one is Vitamin D.

Vitamin D blood levels of more than 30 ng/mL have been associated with higher pregnancy rates and higher live birth rates.

Several studies of women undergoing IVF showed that those with higher vitamin D levels not only had pregnancy rates 35% higher than those who were deficient but also had higher quality embryos.

Optimal blood levels of Vitamin D are estimated at 50 ng/mL. A level of 2000IU daily is recommended. This may be more than is available in a prenatal vitamin, so separate supplementation may be necessary.

It is often called “the sunshine vitamin” because we should be able to synthesize all Vitamin D we need from exposure to sunlight.

You might think that living in the tropics you’re naturally getting all the Vitamin D you need. But there may be several reasons why you may not have optimal levels of Vitamin D.

You need exposure to the sun for a minimum of 15 minutes without protection such as SPF. Being overweight or if you have dark skin may make it more difficult for you to get enough Vitamin D from the sun.

Since few foods are naturally rich in Vitamin D, a supplement may be advisable. As always please check with your health care provider before taking any supplements as extremely high doses of Vitamin D may be toxic.

14/10/2021

Although it would be ideal to get all our nutrients from the food we eat, the reality is that often we don’t or can’t do that for a variety of reasons.

Research shows that many women of childbearing age are low in nutrients that are critical for a healthy pregnancy.

Current research studies show that getting the right amounts of nutrients that are important for fertility and a healthy pregnancy improve the likelihood of getting pregnant and shorten the time to pregnancy.

Studies show that micronutrient supplementation can improve egg and embryo quality, reduce the time to conception and increase the chances of conception.

The research shows that many infertile women are low in the micronutrients essential for fertility such as Vitamin B6, Iodine, Choline, Vitamin D, Zinc, Iron and more.

If you are trying to conceive, as part of your pre- conception plan you should be taking a good prenatal for up to a year or more before becoming pregnant. In fact all women of childbearing age hoping to start a family should take a good prenatal vitamin.

While you should also eat for fertility by following a Mediterranean style diet you should also take a good quality prenatal vitamin as part of your pre-conception plan.

13/10/2021

These are some of the steps you can take today and consistently for the next 3-4 months to improve your fertility.

All you need to do is take the first step today. Which step are you going to start with?

12/10/2021

A Harvard School of Public Health study of the fat consumption of 147 women undergoing IVF treatment showed that those women who ate the highest amount of monounsaturated fats were 3.4 times more likely to have a child after IVF compared to women who ate more saturated fats.

The research also concluded that avocados contain the best kind of monounsaturated fat for fertility.

So make sure to add more avocados to your diet where possible!

PMID:27881409

11/10/2021

It Starts With The Egg by Rebecca Fett is one of the best books on improving egg quality and fertility.

Based on Rebecca Fett’s personal experience with infertility it is full of scientific evidence on how to improve your egg quality and your fertility. It is set out in easy to understand language and has helped thousands of women improve their egg quality.

It has revolutionized the way that fertility specialists approach improving egg quality. Prior to Rebecca publishing her book the general approach was that there was not much that could be done to improve egg quality. Of course the scientific research showed that this wasn’t true.

If you only get one book in your fertility library, then choose this book!

If you are interested in purchasing through FertilityMindBody then drop me a DM for details.

11/10/2021

Today is International Day of the girl child. In a world where women have historically been undervalued and where in many places the birth of a girl child is not celebrated, it’s important for us to note and celebrate girl children.

In the area of health, women’s health issues are often dismissed and downplayed, resulting in poor or no proper health care for women.

Even in the area of research, women’s health issues receive much less funding and focus than men’s health issues.

As women we must advocate for ourselves and our sisters. We must demand better care, demand that our concerns and our selves not be dismissed or devalued.

Both women, men and society as a whole have much to gain by uplifting women and giving them equal consideration and concern.

06/10/2021

One of micronutrients that is important for your fertility and during pregnancy is Vitamin B6.

Many studies show that low levels of vitamin B6 is linked to increased risk of early pregnancy loss, pre-term birth and reduced chances of conception.

One of the largest health studies, the Nurses’ Health Study II showed that consuming a multivitamin supplement containing B vitamins was associated with a reduced risk of ovulatory infertility.

In another smaller study of 364 women the risk of pre-term birth was 50% lower among women with adequate pre-conception Vitamin B6 compared with women whose Vitamin B6 status was deficient.

In this same group the risk of miscarriage was more than twice as high among women with the lowest levels of Vitamin B6 compared to those with the highest levels.

If you get your Vitamin B6 through a pre- natal supplement make sure that you are taking the active form of Vitamin B6 in a dosage of 5-10 mg. As with any supplement please check with your health care provider before taking any supplements.

You can also get Vitamin B6 from your foo. The following foods contain Vitamin B6:

Sunflower seeds
Fish
Chicken
Dried fruits
Oatmeal
Sweet Potato
Spinach
Bananas

PMID:17624345
PMID:8224267
PMID:8735754