What Is Poor Ovarian Reserve?

Poor Ovarian Reserve is when the ovaries contain lower quality eggs. Poor ovarian reserve and premature ovarian aging is primarily caused by age but can also affect younger women. Ovarian reserve starts to decline as we get older, starting at about age 30, and declining at a faster rate at about 40 years of age.

Studies Show Using DHEA Can Improve Egg Quality

Scientific studies have shown that taking DHEA can improve egg quality and increase the chances of pregnancy.

The patients in the studies, who took DHEA for four months, had higher pregnancy rates and achieved pregnancy faster. Studies did not find that DHEA increased the chance of multiples.

In the studies, the dosage was normally 75mg per day, taken for about four months, the point at which DHEA typically reaches full effectiveness.

DHEA Information

DHEA is a hormone that’s naturally produced by the adrenal glands. As we age, the levels of DHEA in the body decreases as the body slows production of this hormone.

Fertility related benefits of DHEA supplementation can include:

• Better ovarian function
• Pregnancy chances increased
• Lowered miscarriage risk

DHEA may benefit women who have been diagnosed with the following issues:

• Poor ovarian response
• Early ovarian aging
• Unexplained infertility
• Women over the age of 40

DHEA should only be taken under advice from a healthcare provider, especially in the following circumstances:

• Liver disease as the DHEA can affect liver function
• Depression and mood disorders
• Diabetes
• Cancers sensitive to Estrogen
• Endometriosis
• Uterine fibroids

If you have PCOS (Polycystic ovarian syndrome), DHEA is not recommended as it can make symptoms worse.

Acupressure is a traditional form of Chinese medical treatment. The basic idea behind it is that many of our body’s ailments are caused by a disturbance in the flow of chi (energy) within our body. Applying pressure to select acupressure points is believed to improve the flow of blood and chi, relieving the problems caused by the blockages. Acupressure is used to treat everything from headaches to nausea to obesity.

Many people believe that acupressure is also effective in treating infertility. It is non-invasive, non-medicinal and safe. There are no side effects. At the very least, trying acupressure won’t hurt you. You can perform most acupressure techniques on yourself.

The acupressure points associated with improving fertility include:

• Ren 3. The Ren 3 point is on your mid-line (an imaginary line that dissects your body from head to floor), 4” under your naval. When you stimulate this point, it helps your menses, kidneys and bladder. This point should be stimulated during the first two weeks of your menstrual cycle, before menstruation.
• Ren 4. Ren 4 is one inch above Ren 3. Stimulating this point increases the flow of chi to your uterus. Like Ren 3, it should be stimulated in the two weeks prior to ovulation.
• Zigong. This point is particularly effective if your infertility is related to menstrual problems. You can find these points (you have two of them) 4” below your belly button and 3” from your mid line. Stimulating them improves the flow of chi to your ovaries and your uterus.
• St 30. Your St 30 points are located one inch below your Ren 3 point and two inches from your mid-line. Stimulating them helps your fallopian tubes, uterus and ovaries.
• Ki 16. Your Ki 16 points are located level with your naval, one inch from your mid-line. Stimulating them improves the flow of energy to your lower abdomen. This is believed to aid fertility.
• Ren 12. Ren 12 is located on your mid-line, 4” above your naval. Stimulating Ren 12 helps infertility by helping your body drain harmful fluids which accumulate in your bladder, fallopian tubes, and uterus.

There acupressure points are among the best suited for self-acupressure. To stimulate an acupressure point:

1. Locate the point.
2. Apply firm but gentle pressure with your fingertips or thumb for a minute or two. Stop if you feel pain or discomfort.
3. Apply deep pressure (press down harder) and stimulate the point by moving your fingers or thumb in a circular clockwise motion for about a minute.

There are so many different factors that can affect fertility. From smoking to whether or not your partner works with heavy metals to conditions like diabetes and PCOS, many things can get in your way when trying to conceive.

With the sheer number of potential infertility causes out there, there’s bound to be some misinformation on occasion. One of the questions many women have is whether a deep cervix can affect fertility.

Let’s take a look at what a deep cervix is and whether it can be a problem when trying to conceive:

What does it mean to have a deep cervix?

The cervix is that part of your reproductive system that separates the uterus from the vagina. It’s cylindrical or conical in shape. The top half can be viewed by your doctor using medical equipment, and the rest is inside the uterus.

When your cervix is farther away than normal from your vaginal opening, you have a “deep cervix.”

Can having a deep cervix impact my fertility?

To get pregnant, your partner’s sperm need to make it through the harsh vaginal environment to the cervix. From there, your cervical mucus will shield the sperm so they can get to an egg and fertilize it.

Where the cervix is located, however, doesn’t seem to impact fertility at all. Many studies have examined this, with no connection found between infertility struggles and a deep cervix.

The role of the cervix in getting pregnant

The cervix does have a role to play. That cervical mucus helps your partner’s sperm get to where it needs to be.

You can actually chart your fertility each month by tracking changes to that cervical mucus. During ovulation, it’s likely to be clear and about the consistency of an egg white. In fact, it’s even known as “egg white cervical mucus” at that stage.

If you’re struggling with infertility, talk with your doctor. She can help identify potential fertility issues, and even refer you to a reproductive endocrinologist who can help  identify what might really be at work in keeping you from getting pregnant.

Fertility Boosters for Her

• Achieve and maintain healthy weight. This is sometimes easier said than done, but most women can achieve and maintain (or at least move towards) a healthy body weight by adopting healthy eating and exercise habits. Both obesity and being underweight can make it more difficult for a woman to conceive. For help achieving your optimum body weight, talk with your doctor, nutritionist, or fitness coach.
• Cut down on caffeine and alcohol. Fertility experts recommend keeping caffeinated beverages to a minimum. Even though small amounts of alcohol won’t make it more difficult to conceive, it’s best to forego alcohol altogether while trying to become pregnant. Alcohol can be harmful to a developing baby even before you realize you are pregnant.
• De-stress. Ironically, many women who are trying to become pregnant work against themselves by getting stressed month after month when they find they haven’t conceived yet. Many fertility experts agree that the old adage about trying too hard actually has some merit. Take it easy, relax, and get a massage if you need to.
• Choose lubricants carefully. Many vaginal lubricants contain spermicides. Even those which don’t may not be ideal for conceiving a child. Many fertility experts suggest using household lubricants like Canola or peanut oil if you must use lubrication.

Fertility Boosters for Him

• Stop smoking. Most women know to stop smoking when they are trying to become pregnant because cigarette smoking is known to be harmful to babies. Studies show, however, that smoking has a negative impact on the potency of a man’s sperm as well.
• Take a cold shower. Ironically, this advice, which is often given to quell arousal, is sound advice for men who want to father a child. Hot bath water or showers can slow down the motility of your sperm. Taking a cold (or at least cooler) shower could help you father a child sooner. You should also try to keep other heat sources away from your testicles.
• Boxers, not briefs. Some fertility experts suggest that changing to looser underwear, such as boxers, can improve your chances of fathering a child. While others disagree, no one is suggesting that it will hurt your chances.

These are just a few of many possible lifestyle changes which could help you conceive. If you are having trouble trying to conceive, especially if you have been trying for six months or more, contact your doctor for advice specific to you.

Stress (Photo credit: topgold)

For many couples, the process of trying to conceive is stressful. It gets frustrating to try month after month, only to be disappointed. If we’re not careful, we can even turn the fun part of trying to conceive into a stressful chore.

It’s not unusual for it to take time to conceive a child. Even if you time your fertility cycles perfectly, have sex regularly during your fertile period, and don’t happen to have any fertility issues, you only have about a 25% chance of becoming pregnant in any given cycle. So, you might as well relax and have fun with the process.

The Relationship between Stress and Infertility

Doctors believe that up to 30% of infertility cases are stress related. Doctors haven’t positively identified a reason why high stress inhibits conception, but they do have a few ideas, including:

• Reduced desire for sex which often accompanies stress
• Increased hormonal levels while stress, especially cortisol and epinephrine
• Stress is believed to reduce blood flow to the uterus
• Stress is believed to inhibit ovulation, reducing the number of eggs produced by as much as 20%

Stress can reduce your chances of conception whether you are using natural means only or using fertility treatments such as in vitro fertilization (IVF). Conversely, reducing your stress can improve your chances of conceiving a child.

Effective Stress Reduction Treatments for Women Trying to Conceive

When you are trying to conceive, you should be careful about the types of medications and medical treatments they take for stress reduction as some medications can be harmful to you and your baby, should you become pregnant.

It’s easy to say, “Just relax.” It’s a lot harder to do it, especially when you consider the emotions that go along with trying to become pregnant for a long time. Stress reduction methods which many women find effective and which do not pose a danger to you or a developing baby include:

• Prayer
• Meditation
• Taking short breaks throughout the day
• Napping
• Acupuncture
• Acupressure
• Massage therapy
• Reflexology
• Moderate exercise

Enjoying the Process

While reducing stress is not a guarantee that you’ll become pregnant, it does improve your chances significantly. Perhaps just as importantly, it can help you enjoy yourselves while you’re in the process of trying to have a baby.

If you’ve done what you can to conceive for six months or longer, consider seeing your health care professional to see if there are any medical reasons why you have been unable to conceive.  Most causes of infertility are medically treatable and simply knowing what’s causing infertility can go a long way towards reducing your stress.

Women who face ovarian cancer are up against a number of challenges. They have concerns about their overall health and their future. They also have questions about their fertility. Contrary to what you might think, ovarian cancer doesn’t mean a woman can’t get pregnant. Yes, it can sometimes affect fertility, but many women are still able to conceive after treatment for ovarian cancer.

Often, treatment for ovarian cancer involves the removal of one or both of your ovaries. To become pregnant, you need a healthy ovary to be able to release an egg that can then be fertilized.

If you’re going to preserve your fertility during ovarian cancer treatments, however, your best chances for success involve surgery that will help to preserve your fertility. Here are some of the kinds of reproductive options available to women who are undergoing or about to undergo treatment for ovarian cancer:

• Removal of only one ovary (uterine conservation). If you are premenopausal and you have early-stage ovarian cancer, your doctor may be able to only remove one ovary. This is generally your highest chance for success. Younger patients are usually the best candidates for this approach.

• Freezing of eggs. Your eggs can be frozen for a long time. If you’re about to receive treatment for ovarian cancer, it may be possible for your doctor to remove some eggs and preserve them for fertilization later on.

• IVF (in vitro fertilization). Using this method, eggs will be removed from your ovary. They will later be fertilized with your partner’s sperm, and implanted into your uterus. Having eggs removed before your cancer treatment is essential to preserving your options for getting pregnant down the road.

• Freezing of embryos. IVF often leaves more embryos than what are typically needed for any given cycle. These embryos can be cryopreserved (frozen). Research shows that frozen embryos don’t have any specific health concerns any different from another embryo, so the procedure is safe for your pregnancy.

An ovarian cancer diagnosis isn’t always an infertility diagnosis. Check with your doctor for more information about what options may be available for preserving your fertility.