I found this great article about sperm health. It covers how long sperm live… The details of their journey… The variables for survival!

Traditionally, fertility - the ability for a couple to conceive - has been conventionally (and wrongly) viewed as a “woman’s issue”. Today, we know that this is not the case, and that sperm health is just as important as regular, predictable ovulation and overall menstrual health. In other words, it does in fact take two to tango.

Read article here

Harvard study suggests ice cream aids fertility for some women.

A diet rich in ice cream and other high-fat dairy foods may lower the risk of one type of infertility, a study from the well-known Nurses Health Study at the Harvard School of Public Health was published Wednesday in the European journal Human Reproduction.

Researchers found that women who ate two or more low-fat dairy products a day were nearly twice as likely to have trouble conceiving because of lack of ovulation than women who ate less than one serving of low fat dairy foods a week.
They found that women eating whole fat ice cream two or more times a week had a 38% increase of fertility than women consuming ice cream less than once a week.
MSNBC

Reader asked:

Hi,
I’m so enjoying your video through YouTube! I found a link to you on MDC. You do a great job explaining everything. One question that I have about the products in the Cold and Flu video is if they are OK with Nursing?

Also, I would love to hear if you know of any products that are good for balance in your system when it comes to Candida. I’m a tandem nursing Mama and have had three little boys in less than 5 years, so I’ve slowly become very out of balance and now have a systemic yeast infection. I’m looking for ways to help with this.

I just received my copy of “Do you want to have a baby”, and read the entire book during my long flight to Hawaii (6hrs.). Written by an herbalist Sarah Abernathy and a naturopathic doctor, Linda Page. This is one of the first books of its kind. With so many natural books to choose from when it comes to pregnancy, there are not that many natural fertility choices, at least those coming from a natural holistic approach.

This 176 page book has easy to follow advice on things such as:

• Step by step dietary suggestions

• Fertility herb section

• How to prevent miscarriages

• Overcoming STD’s that may be affecting your fertility

• What you can do if you have endometriosis or PCOS

• It even contains a chapter for women who are 40 and older

It also takes you right into pregnancy with a recommended pregnancy diet, herbs to take and avoid, different tests that you will need to make a decision about when you are pregnant, how to deal with pregnancy symptoms naturally, how to avoid unnecessary medical interventions, birth choices, and breastfeeding guidance. It even has a bonus section about natural baby care.

One of my favorite things about this book is the way it is written, having read hundreds of pregnancy, and fertility books and text books, it is nice to read a book that is made as simple as possible for the user.

I’ll give you a super secret tip: Sarah is available on Thursdays for any questions you may have about products and which herbs to take for your personal situation. You can reach her and purchase the book here.

Cervical fluid is necessary for allowing the sperm to swim freely through the cervix. Some of us have low or no cervical fluid, so it is harder for the sperm to move and there may not be a friendly environment for the sperm to sustain themselves.

When a woman ovulates there should be an increase in cervical mucous (CM), as well as a change in the mucous texture, from “wet” to a more pliable, stretchy, egg white like mucous. This is easily helped by using one of these 5 suggestions:

Clary sage is a powerful essential oil that is essential for every woman to have available to use.

It gives women a sense of empowerment, and clarity. Helps to get rid of the monthly bloating, depression, anxiety, hot flashes, cramps, and is rejuvenating on the endocrine system (the control panel of our hormones). You can use it when you have PMS and feel like you are going crazy.

How to use Clary Sage?
Clary Sage is great in a diffuser, or diluted with lotion and put on to your skin. I love to take a hot bath with clary sage, geranium and lavender.

It is best not to use Clary Sage at the same time that you are drinking alcohol or taking your daily iron supplement.

Clear mind, happy heat bath salts

• 1c. sea salt

• 1c. Epsom salt

• 10drops clary sage

• 10 drops lavender

• 8 drops geranium

Mix together and store in a glass jar. use 1/2c. - 1c. in a hot bath.

If you listen to music while you are pregnant, your baby could end up being a dance prodigy, like this one!

This break dancing baby is only 2 years old!

Women who are underweight before they become pregnant are 72 % more likely to have a miscarriage in the first three months of pregnancy, according to a study from the London school of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.

The study involved more than 6,600 women, aged 18-55. In this same study it was found that underweight women can significantly reduce their risk of miscarriage in the first trimester by about 50% by taking supplements with folate and iron and by eating a healthy diet with fresh fruits and vegetables.
Medical News Today, Dec 2006

Comments :

This is something that is affecting a lot of women, myself included. For some it can be hard to keep weight on due to an extremely active metabolism, stress, or not eating the correct diet. There are a couple of reasons this affects women who are underweight. Women with low body fat do not have enough fat to produce the correct amounts of hormones, especially progesterone, to sustain a healthy pregnancy, amongst other functions of the body.

How do you know if you are too skinny?
You can find out if you are underweight by finding out your Body Mass Index. I am 5′4″ and my BMI was 18.4. That is just under the minimum. If I gained 1# I would be in the healthy range. My weight fluctuates 2-3 lbs. I can lose quicker than I can gain, so I have to watch that I am eating Nutrient Dense Foods to keep my body healthy.

What can you do?
There are a couple of things you can do to increase your weight in a healthy way:

• Eat a nutrient dense diet

• Eat coconut oils

• Eat grass fed butter

• Have food with you at all times to prevent from going without a meal

• Eat 6 meals a day that are complete.

If you are underweight eating the Nutrient Dense Fertility Diet is going to be of utmost importance to you and also being a wholefood multivitamin.

Viewer asked:

Hi,

First of all: thank you SO much for your wonderful site! I can’t believe I haven’t seen it earlier, but now I check in every day just to see if you have posted anything new. It’s truly wonderful.

So, to my question:

Which herbs do you recommend while going through an IVF cycle? I just started my medications today, and this is my first IVF so I really have no clue.

Keep up the good work!

My answer :

Thank you so much for your kind words.

Viewer asked:
Hello Hethir I love your shows and I have a question:

What are the symptoms of Candida … And what is the fastest way to get rid of it????

I think I may have it and I DON’T KNOW WHAT TO DO …please help…

Study: Women who eat seafood while pregnant may be boosting their children’s IQ in the process, according to new research published Friday in The Lancet.

The study relied on mothers’ observations of their children’s development and their reports of their food intake while pregnant.

The study, led by Dr. Joseph Hibbeln of the United States’ National Institutes of Health, tracked the eating habits of 11,875 pregnant women in Bristol, Britain.

I just realized as I was working on the website that I never put up Ask The Herbalist show two: Cold and Flu season. A true duh moment. Well here it is, I hope you love it!

This tea is great to use as part of a Fertility Cleanse to prepare for concieving.

1 part Dandelion
1 part Nettles
1/2 part Yellow Dock
1/2 part Burdock
1/4 part Peppermint

Parts can be a cup of each, a table spoon or pounds, it matters how much herb you have. I like to make large batches and store it in tins so my tea is ready any time that I need it.

How to make hot tea:

• Use 1 T. of the blend to one cup of water.

• Bring to a boil and quickly turn off and cover with a lid, let sit for 5-10 minutes. Enjoy!

How to make sun tea:

• Use 4T. of the tea blend with one quart of boiling water.

• Put both into a glass quart jar, put a lid on it and let sit 2-4 hours.

• Enjoy room temperature or refrigerate. Drink throughout the day.

1 part Nettles
1/2 part Red clover
1 part Raspberry lf.
1/4 part Oat straw
1/4 part Skullcap
1/8 part Mint
1/4 part Dandelion
1/4 part Rose hips

Parts can be a cup of each, a table spoon or pounds, it matters how much herb you have. I like to make large batches and store it in tins so my tea is ready any time that I need it.

How to make hot tea:

• Use 1 T. of the blend to one cup of water.

• Bring to a boil and quickly turn off and cover with a lid, let sit for 5-10 minutes. Enjoy!

• Use 4T. of the tea blend with one quart of boiling water.

• Put both into a glass quart jar, put a lid on it and let sit 2-4 hours.

• Enjoy room temperature or refrigerate. Drink throughout the day.

Using herbs to increase your fertility is an effective way to balance and nurture your body. The great thing about them is they are abundantly available in health food stores, online and in nature.

You do not need to use all of these herbs at once. Detox herbs is a great place to start, and to use in conjunction with the Fertility Cleanse. Than going to a nutritive tonic while adding some specific fertility herbs to the blend.

I have made this guide so that you would have a better understanding of herbs and there uses, but I highly recommend using the Fertility Kit as your fertility herbal program if you are experiencing fertility issues, because all of the herbs mentioned are in the program and the doses are already measured out in there effective doses. Plus they are of the highest quality. If you would like to make your own teas, I love Mountain Rose Herbs for bulk, organic herbs.

Blocked emotions or past experiences may be having an effect on your fertility through your subconscious. All emotions cause a chemical reaction in the body, like for example when you are sad chemicals go off and you cry, or when you are in love chemicals go off and your stomach feels nervous or your reproductive areas get extra circulation Even if the emotions were first experienced when you were a child.

The subconscious mind stores these emotions and may still be reacting to them, without you consciously knowing it.

Experiences that have happened in our lives can be affecting our bodily functions, like metabolism (can’t lose weight no matter how you eat) or unexplained recurrent miscarriage. The examples are infinite, because each person is so different. Even if you can’t remember what the situation was or when it happened. Mind-body therapies can help to clear those blockages that may be having an effect on your fertility.

Overcoming obstacles in our life and with our fertility is completely dependent on how we think and choose to react to each situation.

I have recently learned of a woman, Glenda Watson Hyatt, who has cerebral palsy due to lack of oxygen at birth. Her family was told she would not be able to walk, have trouble speaking and her hands would not function well. Her parents had two choices, to institutionalize her or support her and create the best life possible…

I am sending out an invitation for you to participate with me in random acts of kindness this week. I am committing to seven by Friday.

Thank you Wendy from Emomsathome.com for nominating me for the best fertility blog!.

Wendy has a great blog for moms (and now dads) who are starting, running and succeeding in there home based business. Her insightful wisdom has helped me with bettering my blogs and seeing what is possible on the internet.

I answer questions from viewers about chiropractic, and exercising being spiritual. Enjoy!