Babies Anyone?

Just a couple of days ago, Global News discussed the legal fight in order to have IVF (in-vitro fertilization) treatments funded by the provincial government. Fertility has become more of an issue as the age of marriage and family planning has increased over the years. In 2009, it is estimated that in Canada, over 22% of couples experience difficulty in conceiving; this statistic is an increase of over 6% compared to it was in 1992. Infertility is a medical term that does not necessarily mean that either partner is absolutely, and physiologically unable to have a child. It simply means that after at least one full year of engaging in unprotected sexual intercourse, a couple has been unsuccessful with becoming pregnant.

Infertility is a highly complex issue, as it involves all aspects of health. Conventional medicine would assess hormone levels of both partners, ovulation and sperm production. Medication is given for the purpose of correcting hormone levels and increase ovulation. If this does not yield any success, then IUI (intrauterine insemination) can be used, often in conjunction of medication to induce ovulation. If IUI does not lead to successful pregnancy, then IVF (in-vitro fertilization) is often attempted. While the success rate of IVF is much greater, many couples can still be unsuccessful after more than one attempt with the procedure, leaving them financially drained, and emotionally frustrated.
While the conventional procedures mentioned above do help many couples successfully start families, one great down side is that it is highly expensive. Couples can easily spend tens of thousands of dollars and still be disappointed. The good news is lifestyle changes can be made to ensure the health of your reproductive system so that the chance of successful conception is increased.
Begin with losing any excessive weight that you may have. For women, extra pounds translate into hormonal imbalance, which has a direct impact on your reproductive system. In order to achieve that, a well-balanced diet is key. Regular exercise helps to not only achieve a healthier body weight, but also it helps to de-stress as well. Many couples put a great deal of stress on themselves when trying to conceive, which in turn influences sex hormone levels thanks to increased levels of cortisol (the stress hormone). Because of this, effective methods to aid with stress management are also important, activities such as yoga and meditation are some examples.

Although the above has been mostly focused on what the woman can do, the male reproductive health is also important when it comes to fertility. The truth is, there are more treatment options available to issues pertaining to the female reproductive system than there is for men. So, it is even more important for the man to also ensure good overall health in order to maximize the couple’s chance of conceiving.

Both partners should do a cleanse about 3 months prior to attempting to have a baby. This would give the woman’s body a chance to achieve at least a couple of good menstrual cycles, and the man’s body enough time to make a whole new batch of sperms, which happens approximately once every 72 days.
In addition to lifestyle changes, herbal medicine is highly effective for the treatment of hormonal imbalance, while acupuncture has been found to regulate a women’s menstrual cycle with great success. The combination of lifestyle changes, herbal medicine, and acupuncture has shown great success with treatment female health concerns such as endometriosis, PCOS, and uterine fibroids.
Futhermore, acupuncture treatment prior to and after IVF treatment has been found to increase success rate of the procedure. Before spending tens of thousands of dollars on IVF, complimentary treatments such as acupuncture and herbal medicine are definitely worth a try.