Q: How should you use progesterone if you are trying to conceive?
A: The basic rule is to follow the instructions on the bottle. You want to mimic your natural cycle as much as possible.

For most uses you would begin to use progesterone by using this calculation:
Figure out the first day of your period. Subtract two weeks. That day would be the first day you start using the progesterone cream.

Dr. Lee suggests 15 to 30mg (20mg is generally the optimal) of cream during the two weeks before your period, stopping a day or two before the expected period.

Example: An average cycle length is 28 - 30 days. In this case you would begin using progesterone on day 12 of your cycle, counting the first day of your period as day 1. If your cycle is shorter or longer than the given example you would start two weeks before day one of when your period is due. If you have no period at all then you would choose a date and work from there.

Q: I have found out that my progesterone is low. What does this mean to my reproductive health?
A: When saliva hormonal tests show low progesterone levels, that could indicate that you have not ovulated or that you are not producing the proper amount of progesterone after ovulation - which is called luteal insufficiency. The correct amount of progesterone after ovulation is very important for maintaining a healthy pregnancy.

In a study published in the Lancet, a group of 18 regularly cycling women, average age 29, seven of them (39%) were found to not be ovulating and were not producing progesterone.

Q: If someone has PCOS and/or doesn’t have a regular menstrual cycle, how do they know what days to take the progesterone on?
A: In cases where your cycle is an 18 or 32 day cycle, starting on day 12 or 14 would not be good. To figure out when would be the best time for you to start and end your progesterone use get out a calendar…

Figure out what day 1 is of your cycle (this is when your next period is due). This is based on what your cycle is. What is normal for you. Then count backwards two weeks. That is when you start using the progesterone cream.

This works because despite the length of a cycle, the days between ovulation and day 1 of the period is consistently two weeks.

Q: Does progesterone cream benefit those of us with PCOS, without a regular cycle? Or are we better off just taking Vitex and/or Maca?
A: With PCOS progesterone supplementation can help to make a big difference with PCOS. It can seem confusing when you should use it since usage is based on a menstrual cycle. In this case choosing your own cycle can help to establish a pattern. Mimicking a general cycle is best. Following the same suggested usage as someone who has a cycle, just choose your own and mark it on the calendar.

Vitex works great in conjunction with progesterone cream. Vitex is working on the the underlying imbalance (which takes some time) while the progesterone helps in the current cycles.

Q: If I have an irregular cycle and don’t menstruate sometimes, how should I use progesterone cream?
A: Figure out what day 1 is of your cycle (this is when your next period is due). This is based on what your cycle is. What is normal for you. Then count backwards two weeks. That is when you start using the progesterone cream.

If you do not menstruate at all then you may want to check out our article on bringing your period back and talk with your health care provider to find out what the imbalance may be.

Q: I know that I am ovulating. Do I still need progesterone? Could my progesterone levels still be low?
A: Depending on what your fertility issues have been in the past. Many women ovulate and then have a drop in progesterone levels after ovulation (the luteal phase). This may be the cause of recurrent miscarriages or the inability to get pregnant. One way to tell if this is happening is to start fertility charting.

Fertility charting or Basil Body Temperature charting can help to determine the availability of progesterone in the luteal phase. You can learn more about BBT Charting here. There will be a slight rise in temperature after ovulation has occurred and progesterone has increased and stay increased until the period is about to begin. It will then drop. If you are pregnant the temperature will stay at its increased amount.

Q: Is it possible to conceive if I have low progesterone levels?
A: It is possible to conceive with low progesterone, but may be more difficult. It may be hard to maintain a pregnancy if you have low progesterone. Please read the answer to the question before this one.

Q: How do I know if I have low progesterone?
A: There are a couple of different ways to find out if you have low progesterone.
Hormones testing can be administered by a doctor, naturopath or through labs online. There are a couple of test options. Tests range from charting you menstrual and basal body temperature, finding out the length of your luteal phase, or taking saliva tests to find out your progesterone levels. This preogesterone questionnaire on this page can help to point out signs of progesterone deficiency while these tests help to confirm it.

BBT Charting
Basil Body Temperature charting can help to determine the availability of progesterone in the luteal phase. You can learn more about BBT Charting here. There will be a slight rise in temperature after ovulation has occurred and progesterone has increased.

Length of luteal phase
If the date of ovulation is fewer than 11 days before your period, this could suggest luteal phase defects. You can detect ovulation using BBT charting, ovulation detector strip tests.

Saliva Hormone Testing
Dr. John Lee was very adamant that testing for hormones and progesterone should be done through saliva testing, not blood testing (almost all doctors will test the blood). This is because a blood test may not show an accurate picture of available hormones. Most of the time the hormones in your body are not usable. They are tightly bound to proteins in the blood stream. Only 1-2% are bio available at a time to enter the tissues of the body. Blood tests measure only the total level of hormones in the bloodstream. Dr. Lee suggests saliva testing is more accurate because of the saliva glad being the one of the tissues that bio-available hormones enter.

You can order an “at home” saliva test that you will take at a certain time during your cycle and then send away to a lab for analysis. They will then mail back the results so you can find out if you have any hormonal imbalances.

Q: Can I have both low progesterone and low estrogen?
A: Yes. This sometimes shows up as a luteal phase defect.

Q: What is the difference between natural progesterone cream and progesterone that is prescribed by a doctor?
A: Natural progesterone cream contains “bioidentical hormones”. These are hormones that are identical to the ones in your body. Most of the progesterone prescribed by doctors has been molecularly altered to created a kind of “pseudo-hormone” or a synthetic hormone. This is done so the drug is patent protected. Natural progesterone can not be patented as they are natural. Since the structure of the progesterone has been altered in prescribed progesterone, it will not act the same in the body as natural progesterone and may cause dangerous side effects.

Q: Can I use wild yam cream instead of progesterone cream?
A: Wild yam cream is not the same as progesterone cream. There is a substance called diosgenin in soybeans and wild yams that is extracted and then modified in a the laboratory to create the progesterone found in progesterone creams. Your body is not able to turn diosgenin directly (from wild yam cream) into hormones itself.

Q: What is the difference between Fertilica Progesterone and Emerita Progesterone?
A: We sell two different kinds of Progesterone Cream, the Fertilica (our brand) contains other herbs which we find important for hormonal balance and Emerita which is just plain progesterone cream.

The progesterone in both products are formulated from a substance found in Mexican wild yams. United States Pharmacopoeia (USP) denotes a recognized standard of purity and strength. It is sometimes referred to as “human-identical” or “bio-identical” progesterone, which differentiates it from synthetic progestins. USP classifies the progesterone as the highest quality available. Both progesterone creams contain USP grade natural progesterone.

Fertilica Natural Progesterone cream contains 20mg of USP Progesterone per full pump. The bottle contains approximately 70 pumps. It also includes additional hormone balancing herbs.

Emerita Pro-Gest cream contains 450 milligrams (mg) of USP Progesterone per ounce (900 mg per two-ounce tube). Each 1/4 tsp contains approximately 20 mg of USP Progesterone.

Q: Which is the best to take if I have low progesterone… progesterone cream, maca or vitex?
A: It depends on what is happening in your body. Here are some general guidelines to how each works:

Progesterone cream is a direct way to increase progesterone levels. This is helpful in the case of luteal phase defect, preventing recurrent miscarriages and reversing conditions such as endometriosis and ovarian cysts.

Maca is a nourishing food for the endocrine system, aiding both the pituitary, adrenal, and thyroid glands (all involved in hormonal balance.) Maca has the ability to affect key hormones in both women and men without containing hormones itself. In women maca has been shown in studies to help regulate estrogen and increase progesterone (if that is what the body needs). In men It has been shown to regulate estrogen and increase libido and sperm health.

Vitex has been found to help normalize ovulation, improve a short luteal phase and reduce Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), all known fertility inhibitors. In one study, vitex helped normalize progesterone levels and increased the luteal phase from 5.4 days to 11.4 days. In addition, two double-blind studies show vitex extract increases a woman’s fertility and chances of successful conception.

Q: Can you use both progesterone cream and vitex or maca?
A: Yes, progesterone starts to have an effect the cycle that you start taking it. Vitex and maca both take time to have there effect. The previous question explains in detail the difference of the three. It is also not necessary to take all three. Every situation is unique and different.

Q: If I am using Maca to boost my progesterone should I stop taking it once I become pregnant?
A: Here is what Dr. Wong has to say on Maca and pregnancy.

Dr Wong:
“Currently Maca is being used throughout South America to prevent miscarriage and help women carry to term. It also has shown itself to provide a further benefit of increasing the birth weight of children. The average weight of babies born in Denver is lower than of babies born at sea level and Denver is only 5000 feet high. What happens at triple that in the Andes? Nothing, because the Maca increases progesterone production and this adds valuable mass to the child. The higher the birth weight the greater the chance of survival!”

Q: I am using Vitex to increase my progesterone levels should I stop taking it once I become pregnant? Is it safe to take during pregnancy?
A: Aviva Romm states in her wonderful book Botanical Medicine for Women’s Health…

In placebo controlled studies for teratogenicity and mutagenicity were conducted in rats, and even with the animals ere administered 74 times the dosage typically consumed by humans, no toxicity nor aberrations in fetal development were seen. While Vitex can be used to help a miscarriage that is acute, it is best to use at least 3 months prior to conception and continued into the first trimester to maintain stable progesterone levels. The Botanical Safety Handbook provided no contraindications to use during pregnancy.

Q: I have been taking progesterone and am now pregnant. How much progesterone should I use for pregnancy and how long should I use it for?
A: While pregnant it is best to work with your health care provider to help monitor and guide your progesterone usage. When you do become pregnant and you have been using progesterone you want to make sure you do not stop taking it. A drop in progesterone levels can cause a spontaneous abortion (miscarriage) to occur.

In the first trimester of pregnancy progesterone production is the sole responsibility of the ovaries, often fail to produce sufficient levels to maintain the pregnancy. By the second trimester, the placenta itself is responsible for producing progesterone, and it hikes the level of this hormone to 486% higher than the non-pregnant norm.

Synthetic progesterone drugs, not being natural progesterone, have side effects that if used to maintain the pregnancy may do damage to the baby.

If you are taking progesterone and get pregnant, you must continue taking progesterone until at least the 16th week. I personally would not stop if I had seriously low levels to begin with. But it is best to work with your health care practitioner if this is the case. They will continuously monitor your levels to make sure they are healthy for pregnancy.

Q: Is progesterone cream safe to take while on the Fertility Cleanse?
A: If you have been taking progesterone cream before starting the Fertility Cleanse, than continue to use the cream as you have been.

If you are starting the Fertility Cleanse and progesterone cream at the same time I would suggest that you wait and begin the cream after your cleanse. The reason for this is that the Fertility Cleanse has a lot of different herbs that are going to be working on the endocrine system. It will be hard to monitor yourself and see how the progesterone is affecting you. Starting the progesterone cream the cycle after you have completed the Fertility Cleanse makes it easier to see how you are doing with the progesterone.

Q: Does it matter whether natural progesterone cream is made out of soy or wild yam?
A: No. There is a substance called diosgenin in soybeans and wild yams that is extracted and then modified in a the laboratory to create the progesterone found in progesterone creams. Your body is not able to turn diosgenin directly into hormones itself. So taking just a soy supplement or using wild yam cream will not have the effects that progesterone cream does. It can be confusing because of soy’s phytoestrogen ability to have estrogen-like effects. But those come from a different part of the plant which is accepted by your body.

Q: What is the difference between progesterone and progestins?
A: Progestins are a synthetic form of progesterone. While progesterone found in progesterone creams is natural and identical to the progesterone in your body. Natural progesterone is much safer to use than progestins which can have serious side effects. During the third trimester of the pregnancy the placenta naturally produces 300-400mg of progesterone daily. If progestins were given to the mother in that same dosage, serious birth defects could occur.

Q: Are there any side effects from using progesterone cream?
A: It is rare but, yes, there can be. Large doses (100mg) of progesterone can cause side effects, sleepiness, loss of libido, mild depression, exacerbated symptoms of estrogen deficiency, and serious hormonal imbalances.

If you take progesterone out of phase then it may cause the timing of your period to change or spotting to occur.

The best way to avoid these side effects is to make sure to use the progesterone cream as directed, at the correct time of your cycle and not to exceed the recommend amount (10-30mg per application) or to work with a health care practitioner so your progesterone levels can be monitored.

Q: Can too much progesterone cause a light period?
A: It is hard to say, as there are many factors that can affect your cycle. The timing of when you use progesterone is very important. Taking it the wrong time can cause the cycle to be different. The best way to make sure you are using the cream at the right time is to calculate your progesterone start date by counting two weeks backwards from when your period is due.

Q: I have been using progesterone and am now spotting between periods. This never happened before? What is happening? Is it the progesterone?
A: Spotting could be from a variety of reasons… The most common is a too high dose of progesterone.

The second common is that your timing may be off. If your cycle has been 24 days for years and changes to a 28 day cycle after you’ve began using progesterone cream this could be a sign of changes happening or a confused body. The best way to make sure you are using the cream at the right time is to calculate your progesterone start date by counting two weeks backwards from when your period is due.

The third common reason for spotting is that when the body is making hormonal shifts it sometimes gets out of wack for a cycle or two as it is shifting to its new cycle.

Q: Can I use progesterone cream if I am on birth control pills?
A: We do not know for sure, but it would be best to not mix hormones or use herbal products that can have an impact on your hormones while on birth control. An educated guess is that the birth control would block the progesterone from the receptor sites, but we do not know.

Q: I am preparing for an IVF and will be taking medications. Can I use progesterone cream?
A: We would not recommend it. When you are preparing for IVF you will be prescribed a very specific hormonal protocol. It would be very dangerous to use anything with hormonal effects during that time. Speak with your doctor if you feel you have low progesterone levels.

Q: I am breastfeeding, can I use progesterone cream? What is the recommended usage?
A: Progesterone cream is not generally recommended postpartum or while breastfeeding. It has been shown to be helpful for the baby blues/postpartum depression though. Talk to your doctor about this, especially if you are breastfeeding as some evidence shows that progesterone can effect lactation from occurring.

Q: Can using progesterone cream prevent menopause from happening?
A: No.

To learn more about using progesterone for fertility visit the Fertility Progesterone Guide.

Click here to purchase natural progesterone cream

Have a question? Ask it below or in our Natural Fertility Community forums. In the forums you will get responses from both herbalists and women sharing their first hand experience.

References:
1. Lee, John, M.D. Hormone Balance Made Simple. 2006
2. Lee, John, M.D. What Your Doctor May Not Tell You About Premenopause. 1999
3. Hobbs, Christopher, L.Ac. Vitex The Women’s Herb. 2003
4. Trickey, Ruth. Women, Hormones, and the Menstrual Cycle. 2003
5. Weed, Susun. Herbal for the Childbearing Year. 1986
6. California PSR and CALPIRG. “Generations at Risk” Chemicals and Reproductive Health.PDF
7. Romm, Aviva. Botanical Medicine for Women’s Health. 2009

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Yesterday’s Natural Fertility Coaching call was all about the Mind+Body connection and fertility. The call was packed with awesome information. One of the important things Joanne talked about was the effects of stress on fertility.

Did you know that…

Believe it or not, our bodies are equipped to prevent conception from occurring during times of stress. The presence of adrenalin, the hormone that is released by our bodies during stressful times, signals to our body that conditions are not ideal for conception. Adrenalin inhibits us from utilizing the hormone progesterone, which is essential for fertility. It also causes the pituitary gland to release higher levels of prolactin, which also causes infertility to occur.

How Stress Impacts Fertility

Recent research tells us that stress boosts levels of stress hormones such as cortisol, which inhibits the body’s main sex hormones GnRH (gonadotropin releasing hormone) and subsequently suppresses ovulation, sexual activity and sperm count.

GnRH is responsible for the release of Luteinizing hormones and follicle-stimulating hormones by the pituityary, the suppression of testosterone, estrogens, and sexual behavior.

Chronic stress may cause lack of libido as well as a decrease in general fertility. This has become such a common issue that they have created a name for it Stress Induced Reproductive Dysfunction.

How to use the Mind+Body connections to boost your fertility naturally…

In you are having difficulty conceiving, stress may very well be a factor. If you have had fertility tests performed and have found that there is no medical reason for your infertility, it is time to evaluate your life and determine how much stress you have. Of course, you may not even have need for an evaluation. You may know you are stressed. In that case, it is time to start defeating that stress to help your fertility.

A Natural Mind + Body solution that can help…

Circle + Bloom is a program based on medical and scientific research proving the negative effects stress has on fertility. It also encompasses a proven method to create a mind + body connection to bring about real changes in the body. This program is over six hours of audio programming, segmented into daily tracks that follow your body’s natural fluctuations associated with the reproductive cycle.

Each daily session is approximately 15 minutes of a unique combination of music, words and guided instructions, designed to help your body manage stress and understand what it needs to do to get ready for conception. It is simple to use, each day you listen to the session that matches where you are in your cycle. You can start at any point in your cycle and repeat or delete sessions if your cycle is longer or shorter than 28 days.

Click here learn more about Circle+Bloom…

Who Can Benefit from Circle + Bloom…

The program is for any woman who is trying to get pregnant. Circle + Bloom was designed to reduce the anxiety and stress associated with trying to get pregnant. In addition, the comprehensive guided visualization method used in the program has shown in studies to cause physical changes in a person’s body. Therefore the program could help women with unexplained infertility, PCOS, or a specific physical condition.

You can use the program alone or you can use it to help improve you chances of conception if you are doing an ART, or require other medical procedures. In a nutshell, Circle + Bloom can help to optimize your body and mind to increase your chances of success with a variety of issues and a variety of fertility approaches.

Click here learn more about Circle+Bloom…

To listen the Natural Fertility Coaching call about Mind+Body connection and past Fertility Coaching calls click here.

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In this video I share some fertility tips with you about plastics, microwaves and fertility.

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In our house diet and nutrition are extremely important. Ever since I was young I have been drawn to natural healing and health, diet being the first step to prosperous health. My husband and I are vegetarians (he eats fish in addition once a week). I do eat dairy, but mostly the cultured or fermented forms (raw cheese and yogurt).

For milk I love either fresh hemp milk or almond milk. In the summer we will probably use some raw goats milk from a local lady. You can buy hemp and almond milk in aseptic containers on the shelf (not easily recyclable and not biodegradable), but they pale in comparison to fresh nut milk.

For some fertility issues staying away from milk (due to its congesting nature) may be helpful. You can get your calcium from dark greens, nuts, seeds and fresh nut milks.

Almond is my current favorite. I buy raw almonds locally at the farmers market (I am aware that I am very fortunate). We live in a Mediterranean climate and have an abundance of nuts (almonds and walnuts) that grow within 50 miles.

You can find almonds at any health food store in the bulk section (bring your own bag). Ideally raw and organic are your first choice (avoid the roasted/salted ones as they will have a ton of salt on them). Most almonds sold as raw in the US are actually pasteurized. You can order truly raw almonds online at Raw Food World.

Almond milk is very easy to make. Here is my recipe:

Almond Milk
1C. Almonds (soaked)
2T Honey, Agave, Maple Syrup or 3-4 dates (you choose)
4C water
1t vanilla extract
1 nut milk bag or hemp sprout bag or mesh strainer

1. Soak almonds for 4-8 hours in water. Strain and rinse almonds.

2. Put almonds, sweetener, 4C water and 1t vanilla in a blender. Blend for 2-3 minutes or until all almonds are pulverized.

3. Place the nut bag into a large jar or bowl. If you are using a strainer you will need a spoon to move the pulp around so it continues to strain.

My favorite is the hemp sprout bag as I can twist it and the milk comes out very easily.

4. Twist, squeeze and milk the milk out of the bag. You will know you are done once all that is left is dry almond meal (you can use this for face scrub or in muffin recipes).

5. Refrigerate in a glass jar or container for up to 4-5 days. Shake before each use.

I use this almond milk in my homemade granola, cafix drinks, smoothies, and drink it as a wonderful milk as well.

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Join us for our next Natural Fertility Coaching call with Circle+Bloom CEO, Joanne Verkuilen, on Feb. 16th at 7pm EST/4pm PST

We will be discussing the Mind/Body Fertility connection.

On this call you will learn:

*How the mind/body connection effects your fertility
*How stress can effect fertility and what you can do about it
*Learn how you can reduce the anxiety and stress associated with infertility
*How the reproductive system changes through its 28 day cycle

Sign up below and get the dial in info for this call…

If you have and Mind-Body Fertility questions for the call, ask them below and we may include them!

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By Iva Keene

Oh how we love the convenience of our little gadgety helpers. Abracadabra and in 20 min your frozen chicken is sitting on your dinner table steam vapor spiraling to the ceiling. But have you ever stopped and wondered: ‘is my convenient microwave oven safe for my fertility?’ We can whip things up in the kitchen in no time. Our great, great grandmothers would think we possessed magical powers to be able to defrost, boil and bake food within minutes. However the microwave ovens which make this magic possible are not as harmless and safe as we have been led to believe.

You may be shocked to discover just how bad and dangerous your microwave oven can in fact be for you and your family’s health and fertility.

Microwave oven facts

- Mainly used for convenience and energy efficiency.

- Soviet Union banned use of microwave ovens in 1976.

- Over 90% of American homes and restaurants have microwave ovens.

- Cooking with a microwave oven is unnatural and unhealthy.

What are microwave ovens and how do they work?

Microwave ovens produce micro wavelength radiation of 2450 Mega Hertz (MHz) or 2.45 Giga Hertz (GHz). This radiation passes though the molecules of your food.

They emit a form of EM energy similar to radio and light waves, which are used to relay TV programs, long distance phone calls, communicate with satellites and as of 1970 – cook food.

Just as a magnet has a positive and negative polarity, so do the molecules of our bodies and our food molecules. The microwaves cause the poles in the molecules to rotate millions of times over. This ‘polarity rotation’ generates heat (which makes the food hot) but, in the process it also damages the molecules and the surrounding molecules breaking and tearing them apart. Essentially deforming them and making them useless and dangerous to the body. Here’s why.

Microwave ovens turn protein into nerve and kidney toxins

Dr. Lee published an article in Lancet in 1989 warning or the dangers microwaves cause to amino acids in the milk and food, turning a harmless substance into neurotoxic and nephrotoxic (toxic to the nerves and kidneys) substances. Further, in 1991 Dr. Lee published a book on the, Health Effects of Microwave Radiation, in which she stated that every microwave oven leaks electro magnetic radiation, harms food and converts nutrients to dangerous and toxic carcinogens and concluded that microwave ovens are not safe.

Tragic mistake kills a patient

In 1991 in Oklahoma, a patient was killed with microwaved blood from a simple blood transfusion. The nurse heated up the blood in the microwave not realizing that the molecular changes would occur in the blood which eventually killed the patient.

The human body is electrochemical in nature and anything that disrupts the electrochemical balance in the body can harm it.

Microwaved food increases bad cholesterol and destroys your immunity

A study published in the Raum & Zeit in 1992, compared people who ate microwaved food with a group who ate conventionally cooked food. Those who ate microwaved food had significant changes in their blood; their hemoglobin levels decreased (carries oxygen to cells in the blood, less oxygen to the cells means greater cell death), their bad cholesterol rose (clogs arteries and leads to heart attack and or stroke as well as interferes with hormone production), their white blood cell count (immune cells which fight bacteria, viruses and other pathogens and cancers) decreased.

Swiss scientist silenced after publishing the first conclusive clinical study on the dangers of microwaved food

Swiss scientist Dr. Hans Ulrich Hertel was the first scientist to carry out a clinical study on the effects of microwaved nutrients on the blood and human body. He published a study demonstrating that microwave cooking changed the nutrients in the food which caused degenerative changes to occur in the human blood leading to deterioration of health. He was fired from his job when he started questioning the way a major Swiss food company produced some of it’s food. After Dr. Hertel published his study a Swiss trade organization (FEA) forced the Court in Bern to issue a ‘gag order’ and to stop Dr. Hertel from publishing his findings. Dr. Hertel didn’t back down and in 1993 The European Court of Human Rights found that there was a violation of Dr. Hertel’s rights of freedom of speech and ordered Switzerland to remove the ‘gag order’ and pay him compensation.

Microwaved food looses up to 90% of it’s nutritional value

Russian research shows that microwaved food had 60-90% decrease in nutritional value, and there was a decreased bio-availability of vitamins B, C, E, essential minerals and fatty acids.

Russian research has coined the term ‘Microwave sickness’ which after the initial changes to the blood parameters leads to a series of symptoms and conditions including reproductive problems and cancer.

So is your microwave oven safe for your fertility? I think you’d agree that it’s clearly not.

Is my microwave oven safe for my baby?

In 1989 Young Families, the Minnesota Extension of Service of the University of Minnesota published an article about the dangers of heating baby’s bottles in a microwave due to the risk of the bottle exploding, making the milk too hot for the baby, burning baby’s mouth and throat and causing the loss of nutrients and vitamins.

Why you should not eat microwaved food, especially when trying to conceive

1. Vitamins, minerals and nutrients become altered and useless to the human body. When trying to conceive and during pregnancy it’s crucial that your body gets all the nutrients it needs.

2. Regular ingestion of microwaved food alters and can shut down male and female hormone production. Altered hormone production can lead to poor egg and sperm health, inability to conceive and miscarriages.

3. The human body can not break down and absorb microwaved nutrients and their toxic by-products.

4. The effects of microwaved food by-products on the body are long lasting.

5. Vegetables and meat proteins are altered and turned into carcinogenic compounds.

6. Ingestion of microwaved food has been linked to stomach and intestinal cancer and tumors, loss of memory, concentration, decrease in intelligence, emotional instability and infertility.

7. So the answer to the question: is my microwave oven safe for my fertility? is a resounding No!

What to do

1. Stop using and throw out your microwave oven or pack it away while trying to conceive, and during pregnancy. Although I’m sure you’ll agree, after reading this article, microwave ovens and microwaved food should simply not be used if robust health and long life is your wish for yourself and your family.

2. Don’t eat at restaurants which use microwave ovens. If unsure ask the restaurant if they use a microwave oven or not.

3. Do your own research and read some of the studies and books on microwave cooking available online and in many bookstores.

4. Spread the word, tell your friends and family, share this article – ‘Is your microwave oven safe for your fertility’ with them.

References:

1. Wayne and L. Newell “The Hidden Hazards Of Microwave Cooking”.

© 2010 Iva Keene. Reprinted with permission.

Iva Keene is an international Fertility Naturopath and creator of the Natural Fertility Prescription Program.

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Since launching the 21 Day Fertility Diet Challenge community last Wednesday there have been 250+ new members joining the challenge. The response, blog posts and fertility recipes being posted have been inspirational.

What is the Fertility Diet Challenge?
It is a 21 day challenge where you follow 5 fertility food rules every day. The reason I think this has been so successful has been the philosophy of adding the 5 steps to your day instead of taking something away. The community and support that is building is just awesome. You really are the best group of ladies in the world!

Here is a recent post from one of the community members Jamie…

“Starting the fertility diet has been a huge wakeup call for me in the way I am living. At first it was just the foods I was eating. I was extremely unhealthy, drinking way too much soda and no water, eating nothing but frozen and packaged foods, and sugar… that was a staple in my diet! Now that I have the diet part down I have been doing lots of research on other ways to improve my health and fertility, but last nights conference call with Iva Keene opened my eyes more than I expected! After the call I googled her website and found even more wonderful information. Some things I was already aware of, others I was not!

I have been planning to switch to filtered tap water instead of buying bottled water due to the plastic… but I did not realize that you should also filter your SHOWER water! It never occurred to me that I have been bathing in chemicals. I was also thrilled to find out that a shower filter would only cost me around $50 to put in plus only $20 a year for a filter… not bad at all!

I had no idea that using the microwave was so unhealthy! We typically cook on the stove but I do use the microwave for reheating leftovers and such. I’m not sure I can convince DH to throw out the microwave… but I certainly will not be using it anymore!

I knew about parabens in our health and beauty products and have been replacing my old items with paraben free products… but she added more chemicals to be aware of and there is a handy little list on her site. I won’t be throwing out my full bottles… but I do plan on replacing those with better versions when I run out!

I know about limiting your meat and dairy intake and making it organic, but I don’t think it hit me until yesterday why. I was thinking in my head “but I eat organic… so there are no added hormones…” and this is correct but the key word was ADDED. It just didn’t register in my mind that animals and animal products already HAVE hormones in them so I am still getting the hormones. I’m not sure why I didn’t *get it* before… it just didn’t sink in. Having endo and pcos… eliminating dairy and meat from my diet is a huge step for me to take, but one I am hoping will help a lot. I had never considered becoming vegan… but today it is a serious thought I am playing around with. I plan on doing some serious research on the vegan diet (minus soy!) and see if it is a real option for me. I can live without chicken or red meat… I can replace milk with rice milk. I would miss cooking with eggs and I would REALLY miss fish. So maybe instead of becoming 100% vegan I just SERIOUSLY cut down… replace what I can replace and eat less of what I can’t. Any thoughts on that one?

So I got my smoothie and had a huge salad for dinner last night! This morning I had fresh fruit for breakfast with water. I plan on getting a huge salad for lunch soon because I am running out to the store to get items to cook dinner for my husband tonight! I will post the recipe later, but it is whole wheat pasta with turkey sausage and TONS of organic vegetables. I plan on making it with 70% vegetables, 20% pasta, and 10% meat.

Hope everyone is having a great day! “

How to Get Started on the 21 Day Fertility Diet Challenge
1. Join the community
2. Create a profile and a Blog
3. Read the guidelines for the 21 Day Fertility Challenge
4. Commit to and Start your challenge.

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Please join us for an incredible Fertility Coaching Call with Naturopathic Physician, Iva Keene on January 12th at 7pm EST/4pm PST.

We will be covering:

The Environment, How It Effects Your Fertility and What You Can Do About It

You will learn about…
*What are endocrine disruptors?
*Which food additives should you avoid to protect your fertility?
*How can plastic impact your fertility?
*What is unexplained infertility?
*What should you do if you’ve been diagnosed with unexplained infertility?

Sign up below and get the dial in info for this call…

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We recently launched a new community called the 21 Day Fertility Diet Challenge. I created this video to share with you all a very easy and healthy soup you can eat for a healthy dinner that fits into a healthy fertility diet. Enjoy!

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In this newsletter you will find…

Article: New Year…New You! - Three Tips for a Fertile 2010.
Just for You: Jump-start the New Year with Fertility Diet Challenge.
Product Giveaway: Win a Months Supply of Baby and Me Whole Food Multivitamin!
Next Fertility Coaching Call: Natural Fertility Coaching call with Iva Keene Jan. 12th.

New Year… New You! - Three Tips for a Fertile 2010

I hope your holidays have been fun and exciting. Now that the new year is here we have a chance to start the year off right. One way to do this is to create your fertility plan for the new year. To help you get going, here are the three things that I think are the most important and need to be done consistently to get the best results for boosting your fertility naturally in 2010:

1. Eat a healthy fertility diet.
2. Help the body with a Fertility Cleanse.
3. Learn when your most fertile times are.

Below is another great way to get your year started right…

Jump-start the New Year with Fertility Diet Challenge!

We have created a wonderful resource to help you jump-start your new year. It is a called the Natural Fertility Diet Challenge.

We Challenge You to…
Eat a Nutrient Rich Fertility Diet for 21 days.

How to Get Started on the 21 Day Fertility Diet Challenge

Go to http://fertilitydiet.ning.com and…

1. Join the community (it’s free)
2. Create a profile and a Blog
3. Read the guidelines for the 21 Day Fertility Challenge
4. Commit to and Start your challenge.

**The Fertility Diet Challenge can be done in combination with the Fertility Cleanse and fertility charting.**

Win a Months Supply of Baby and Me Whole Food Multivitamin!

To celebrate the launch of the Fertility Diet Challenge we have a giveaway!

Commit and complete the 21 Day Fertility Diet Challenge and you could win a 30 day supply of Baby and Me from NaturalFertilityShop.com. 3 winners will be randomly chosen from those who complete the 21 Day Fertility Diet Challenge.

Rules
To qualify you must:
1. Join and start the challenge before Jan 12th, 2010.

2. Follow the challenge guidelines every day.

3. Create a Profile and Blog at the 21 Fertility Diet Challenge site every day to keep you accountable (a blog post for each day).

The giveaway will end on Feb 2nd. We will then announce our 3 random winners and send you each a months supply of Baby and Me Whole Food Multivitamin.

To be in the running you must start your challenge and blog before Jan 12th. You must complete your challenge by Feb 2nd at the latest.

Good luck!

Natural Fertility Coaching call with Iva Keene

This month we have a natural fertility coaching call with Iva Keene, a naturopathic physician, natural fertility specialist and passionate complementary medicine advocate.

Iva is devoted to teaching couples about safe, effective, affordable ways to overcome infertility naturally and without IVF.

The coaching call will be about:
The Environment, How It Effects Your Fertility and What You Can Do About It.

Click here to register for this call

Make sure to get on early, the lines fill up quick!

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After trying to conceive for many months unsuccessfully, many couples will turn to a fertility specialist for help. For the most part, they will have to undergo various tests before a fertility treatment plan is established.

Such a plan could include the use of Clomid, or doing an IUI or IVF, or perhaps Laparoscopic surgery if the woman has endometriosis. These couples will progress from one step to another, usually starting with Clomid and ending with IVF. Some of them will be successful in bringing home a healthy baby in 9 months. For these couples, fertility treatments are a blessing.

However, there are some couples who bypass traditional fertility treatments in lieu of more aggressive options. Instead of having testing done, they jump straight into using Clomid or undertaking Laparoscopic surgery or even moving straight into IVF before understanding the risks and the other, more natural options available to them.

Clomid

Clomid is a drug that helps to induce and regulate ovulation and is usually prescribed for women with anovulation.

However, Clomid can have adverse side effects, such as mood swings, headaches, fatigue, and breast tenderness. In approximately 30% of women taking Clomid, their cervical mucus will become hostile to sperm, thereby preventing conception.

IUI

Intrauterine insemination (IUI), is a procedure in which washed sperm is inserted directly into the uterus via a catheter through the cervix.

One of the major side effects of having an IUI is the increased risk of having multiples. Because most IUI’s are done in conjunction with the woman taking ovarian stimulating drugs, such as Clomid, the number of eggs that are released during ovulation is not controlled.

Other concerns are cramping, infection, and minor injury to the cervix that causes bleeding and spotting.

IVF

In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) is the process of fertilization by uniting an egg with sperm in a Petri dish. Once fertilized the ensuing embryo is then transferred to the uterus.

Women who undergo IVF have to inject themselves daily with FSH and sometimes another fertility medication. Because of the large doses injected every women runs the risk of developing Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS).

Symptoms range from mild to severe, with severe being life threatening. In this situation, fluid collects in the abdominal cavity and chest causing swelling and a shortness of breath. A woman with OHHS will need to be hospitalized in order to drain the fluid. Other complications of OHSS are kidney damage, blood clotting disorders, and ovarian torsion.

Laparoscopic Surgery

Laparoscopy is a surgical procedure that is used to identify and remove mild to moderate endometriosis. The doctor will insert a laparoscope through a small incision on the abdomen.

If there is scar tissue or endometriosis that needs to be removed, the doctor will remove it by making another incision and inserting surgical instruments to aid in cutting and removing the tissue.

As with any surgical procedure, complications can arise during the surgery, such as uncontrolled bleeding; damage to organs such as the bowel, bladder and large blood vessels; and gas embolus.

Complications may also arise during the recovery period and include infection of the uterus, infection of the incision, urinary infection, and difficulty urinating.

Your Options

While we are grateful to have these medical procedures when they are absolutely necessary, many women do not have to go through such drastic measures to become pregnant. There are many natural alternatives shared on this site that can help you to make your body healthier so it is able to ovulate, become hormonally balanced, and carry a healthy pregnancy to term. These natural alternatives also do not have the sideffects most fertility drugs and procedures create. The herbal rule of thumb is to start with the mildest remedy and go from there. That could look like this:

Fertility Diet
Fertility/Prenatal Multivitamin
Fertility Cleanse
Fertility Massage
Fertility Specific Herbs and Supplements
Herbs + Acupuncture
Fertility Diet, Herbs, Supplements in preparation for IVF, IUI
IUI
IVF

References:
1. Clomid. (n.d.). Retrieved December 7, 2009, from Womens Health:womens-health.co.uk/clomid.asp
2. Dickey, R. P., Taylor, S. N., Lu, P. Y., Sartor, B. M., Rye, P. H., & Pyrzak, R. (January 2001). Relationship of follicle numbers and estradiol levels to multiple implantation in 3,608 intrauterine insemination cycles . Fertility and Sterility , 69-78.
3. Frequently Asked Questions about Intrauterine Insemination. (n.d.). Retrieved December 7, 2009, from Fertility Plus: fertilityplus.org/faq/iui.html
4. Laparoscopic Surgery for Endometriosis. (n.d.). Retrieved December 7, 2009, from Web MD: webmd.com/infertility-and-reproduction/guide/laparoscopic-surgery-for-endometriosis
5. Risks and Complications of IVF Treatment. (n.d.). Retrieved December 7, 2009, from IVF - Infertility: ivf-infertility.com/ivf/standard/complications/ovarian_stimulation/ohss.php

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Estrogen is one of the most important female reproductive hormones which is produced by the developing follicles in a woman’s ovaries, as well as the corpus luteum and the placenta.

Although estrogen is present in both women and men, there is usually a higher level of estrogen in women who are of reproductive age.

Estrogen helps to create a thick endometrium as well as affecting other aspects of the menstrual cycle. In a man, estrogen helps to regulate the maturation of healthy sperm.

Estrogen Deficiency

Too little estrogen can cause headaches, hot flashes, night sweats and vaginal dryness. However a lack of estrogen can also affect infertility by preventing ovulation and not allowing the lining of the uterus to thicken enough for the fertilized eggs to implant.

An estrogen deficiency can be caused by having too little of the Luteinizing Hormone, which regulates the manufacture of estrogen. It can also be a result of the pituitary gland functioning incorrectly; such as in the case of excessive exercise, being underweight or having an eating disorder.

Estrogen can be increased in a woman’s body through medication or by supporting the endocrine system with the use of herbs and supplements.

Excess Estrogen

On the flip side, having too much estrogen can wreak havoc as well. Excessive estrogen levels can cause irregular periods, headaches, anxiety, depression, digestive issues, weight gain, and heart palpitations.

Estrogen dominance may be caused by eating a poor diet, being overweight, stress, hormone replacement therapy, as well as being exposed to environmental sources of estrogen, called xenoestrogens.

Processed foods or foods that are high in fat and sugar can actually increase estrogen levels. Not having enough magnesium and Vitamin B6 can also affect estrogen levels.

A major cause of estrogen dominance is exposure to xenoestrogens, which function by imitating regular estrogen and consequently serve as endocrine disruptors, even in small amounts. Growth hormones and pesticides that are stored inside the fat cells of poultry, fish and various other food sources are the main source of xenoestrogens.

American’s consume over a pound of pesticides unknowingly each year Yikes!. Therefore you should always try to eat as organic as possible.

Having a high level of estrogen can prevent conception through the creation of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and endometriosis. Estrogen also increases the rate at which women reach reproductive maturity.

A study conducted at Vanderbilt University has shown that too much estrogen can negatively impact a woman’s fertile window and may prevent an embryo from implanting.

One of researchers, Sudhasu K. Dey, PhD, of the Division of Reproductive and Developmental Biology, explains:

“The most exciting aspect of this investigation is that a very narrow range of estrogen levels can alter embryo implantation and gene expression.”

Eating a diet that is low in fat and high in fiber is a great way to start naturally reducing estrogen. Try to limit the amount of caffeine that you drink daily and be sure to maintain regular exercise.

Another great way to naturally treat estrogen dominance is through a thorough detoxification of your body. Try to minimize your daily exposure to pollutants, pesticides and plastics.

Herbs that may help with estrogen deficiency

Maca - Supports the endocrine system to be healthy and balanced.
Pregnancy Prep - Helps to balance the hormones.
Royal Jelly - May help to slightly increase estrogen naturally in the body.
Vitex - Supports a healthy endocrine system without containing hormones.
Soy foods - Are known to have estrogen mimicking properties within them.

Herbs and supplements that may help with estrogen dominance

DIM - Helps to take excess estrogens out of the body.
Maca - Supports the endocrine system to be healthy and balanced.
Fertility Cleanse - Supports the body in cleansing excess hormones and toxins that may mimic estrogen.
Vitex - Supports a healthy endocrine system without containing hormones.
Pregnancy Prep - Helps to balance the hormones.

References:
1. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, Feb. 10, 2003, online early edition. News release, Vanderbilt University Medical Center.
2. Estrogen Affects Fertility Window. (2003, February 10). Retrieved December 7, 2009, from Web MD: webmd.com/infertility-and-reproduction/news/20030210/estrogen-affects-fertility-window
3. Infertility: Estrogen Dominance. (n.d.). Retrieved December 7, 2009, from Shared Journey: sharedjourney.com/infertility_estrogen.html
4. Low Estrogen Levels: Can this affect ovulation? (n.d.). Retrieved December 7, 2009, from BabyHopes: babyhopes.com/articles/low-estrogen-levels-can-this-affect-ovulation.html

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Once a woman becomes pregnant her outlook on life changes completely. She takes much better care of herself and avoids situations in which she may put herself or her unborn child in jeopardy.

So it stands to reason why so many women are wary of the swine flu: Between 15 April 2009 and 16 June 2009, 6 pregnant women have died in America after contracting the swine flu. This equals out to be about 13% of estimated 45 swine flu deaths that have been reported to the CDC.

Pregnant women are more susceptible to diseases because of their comprised immune systems.

The Chief of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Yale–New Haven Hospital, Charles Lockwood, MD, explains:

“Pregnant women tend to be sicker when they have the flu, partly because of changes in the immune system, partly because the physiological stress of normal pregnancy pushes their heart and lungs to work harder, and partly because their lung blood vessels tend to be a bit ‘leaky’ anyway.”

Another factor is that during the third trimester, pregnant women have a diminished lung capacity due to their growing babies. This can cause simple respiratory ailments to become more hazardous. According to a report that was published in the medical journal, The Lancet, by the CDC, the most common flu symptom amongst pregnant women is a “shortness of breath.”

However, do the pros of receiving the Swine Flu vaccine really outweigh the cons?

The package insert for the swine flu vaccine states that the safety of the vaccine has not been proven in pregnant women. There simply have not been enough studies conducted to truly determine whether or not the vaccine is safe for pregnant women and their unborn children. In fact, reports of pregnant women suffering a miscarriage after receiving the swine flu vaccine is steadily increasing.

Furthermore, no reproduction studies have been carried out to determine whether or not any of the flu vaccines actually affect a person’s future fertility or whether they affect a developing fetus in any way.

The swine flu vaccine is comprised of quite a few harmful chemicals, including: mercury, formaldehyde, polysorbate 80 (which is linked to infertility), triton X100 (a very strong detergent), phenoxyethanol (which is simply antifreeze). If your doctor insists that you have the vaccine, ask him to read the ingredients to you and have him explain how they are beneficial. Feel free to ask your doctor or other health care professional as many questions as possible regarding the swine flu vaccine.

Once you’ve had the swine flu injected and something goes wrong, you will have no recourse whatsoever, because of a bill that has been signed by Congress granting the medical companies immunity.

With the flu season upon us, make sure to wash your hands very carefully and more often as well. Limit your exposure to public places as best as you can and do your own research regarding other, more natural ways to prevent and fight flu. There are also quite a few immunity building vitamin and minerals that you can safely take as well that may aid in preventing the flu such as vitamin C, D, E, A, Zinc and probitotics.

References:
1. Kain, E. (2009, September 8). A Pregnant Woman’s Guide to Swine Flu. Retrieved December 7, 2009, from Health.com: living.health.com/2009/08/27/pregnant-womans-guide-h1n1/
2. Mercola, D. (2009, November 28). Swine Flu Alert — Shocking Vaccine Miscarriage Horror Stories . Retrieved December 7, 2009, from Mercola.com: articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2009/11/28/Shocking-Swine-Flu-Vaccine-Miscarriage-Stories.aspx
3. Shocking H1N1 Swine Flu Vaccine Miscarriage Stories From Pregnant Women – Tell Your Doctors That Vaccines And Pregnancy Do Not Mix! (2009, November 11). Retrieved December 7, 2009, from Organic Health: organichealthadviser.com/archives/shocking-h1n1-swine-flu-vaccine-miscarriage-stores-from-pregnant-women-tell-your-doctors-that-vaccines-and-pregnancy-do-not-mix
2. Warner, J. (2009, October 27). Pregnant Women Wary of Swine Flu Shot. Retrieved December 7, 2009, from Medicine Net.com: medicinenet.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=106976M

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Vitamin D is a vital vitamin that has been touted as being beneficial to improving fertility rates, as well as reducing cancer risks, creating strong teeth and bones, and treating depression naturally.

It is a fat soluble vitamin that is present in a variety of forms, although most of them are considered to be inactive inside the body and actually have limited functionality.

However, the reason it is so essential to fertility is because it is needed to help the body create sex hormones. The correct amount of sex hormones in your body is vital to your overall well-being, otherwise you may suffer PMS, PCOS, and sadly, infertility.

Regulating cell growth is another key function of Vitamin D.

Yale University School of Medicine conducted a study of 67 infertile women, where it was discovered that a mere 7% had normal Vitamin D levels. The remainder of the women either had insufficient levels of Vitamin D or they had clinical deficiency of Vitamin D in their bodies.

One of the researchers at Yale, Dr Lubna Pal, who is also the Director of the Program for Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) at the Yale Fertility Center, was quoted as saying:

“Of note, not a single patient with either ovulatory disturbance or polycystic ovary syndrome demonstrated normal Vitamin D levels; 39 per cent of those with ovulatory disturbance and 38 per cent of those with PCOS had serum 25OHD levels consistent with deficiency.”

“Given the pandemic of Vitamin D insufficiency, if indeed our observations are substantiated, aggressive repletion with Vitamin D may emerge as an alternative approach to facilitate ovulation resumption with minimal to no risk for ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome or multiple pregnancies.”

Based on this study nearly 40% of the women who had ovulatory dysfunction also had a clinical deficiency in Vitamin D. Therefore, it is easy to understand how important Vitamin D is to a woman’s fertility.

One of the easiest ways of obtaining Vitamin D is by eating eggs, fatty fish, and dairy, as well as taking cod liver oil.

Another option is to take an actual Vitamin D supplement that you can purchase over the counter. However, you should read the label very carefully to make sure that you purchasing Vitamin D3 and not Vitamin D2. Most commercial prenatals do not have enough Vitamin D in them, according to the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, so it is best to supplement with a whole food prenatal multivitamin or whole food fertility multivitamin.

Vitamin D can also be obtained for free by sitting out in the sun for 15 to 20 minutes per day. Forget using sun block though as it will actually block the ultraviolet light that is needed to produce Vitamin D. The warm sun helps your skin to create Vitamin D3 that is then transformed into the active hormone form of Vitamin D by the kidneys and the liver. In fact, by being out in the sun for just a few minutes a day, a women’s body can create between 10,000 to 25,000 IU of Vitamin D.

References:
1. Boost your Fertility with Vitamin D. (2009, May 22). Retrieved December 7, 2009, from Naturally Knocked Up: naturallyknockedup.com/2009/11/25/boost-your-fertility-with-vitamin-d/
2. Hollis, B. W., & Wagner, C. L. (2004). Assessment of Dietary Vitamin D Requirements During Pregnancy and Lactation. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 79, No. 5 , 717 - 726.
3. Kain, E. (2009, October 7). Vitamin D: The Wonder Vitamin That May Help Me Conceive. Retrieved December 7, 2009, from Health.com: living.health.com/2009/10/07/vitamin-d-conception/
4. Smith, R. (2008, November 11). Vitamin D can aid fertility . Retrieved December 7, 2009, from Telegraph: telegraph.co.uk/health/women_shealth/3434420/Vitamin-D-can-aid-fertility.html

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Hope your holiday season is feeling festive and comforting. Here in Southern California there is still green grass on the lawn and flowers on some trees, but we get into the feel of the season by going to festival of lights at the harbor. Everyone decorates there boats in amazing ways with Christmas lights. They even have an area where they make snow for all the kids to play in.

Well, I wanted to invite you to join us in an awesome interview we are having tomorrow at 4pm PST -7pm PST . I will be interviewing herbalist and author Sarah Abernathy. On this call we will talk about:

* Miscarriage Prevention and Education

* Healing from Fibroids, Endometriosis and PCOS

* Special Problems During Pregnancy

Sign up below and get the call in info for this call…

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What is an Affirmation? An affirmation is a declaration that something is true. When affirmations are used over time they can be referred to as a practice or daily prayer with intention of a positive outcome.

I was working the other day pouring over all of the woes of infertility and POP an affirmation came into my mind. It was- Thank you womb for hugging, nourishing and protecting my sons for their first months of life! All of this daily suffering made me think of what I am grateful for. This one affirmation led me to think about how much I use affirmations daily in my own life, to help transform negative views I have about myself and our world. I have a calendar from Sarah Love Creations on my bathroom wall that has small daily affirmations, I keep it by the mirror so that each new day is started off on a positive thought.

I urge all of you to take the time to create an affirmation for your fertility journey. It can be simple, just a word, thought, prayer, a line of your favorite song. The only requirements are that you not use any negative words. Words such as can’t, someday, no, won’t, not, ect.

I have put together some affirmations for fertility. Feel free to use them and to submit some of your own! You have the power to change your present circumstances!

When using an affirmation take a small amount of time, just a long moment to center yourself, take a few calm breaths and really take the affirmation into you. Become the affirmation. The Women and Men titles are just suggestions, they can be interchanged where appropriate.

For Women

My body is a fertile place worthy of conception.

I am grateful for and love my body and all it does for me.

My life is a blessing.

My womb is strong and fertile.

My eggs are healthy and developing perfectly.

I have the ability to heal myself.

I feel safe, supported and loved through my fertility journey.

My thoughts are peaceful and calm. (Great for stressful situations)

I am already healing my body, everyday it heals more.

I am grateful that I am a woman.

I support and love my husband (partner) through our fertility journey.

My menstrual cycle connects me to all women.

I am working with my body in a loving way to get my menstrual cycle back.

I am worthy of love, life and happiness.

My fibroids are dissolving with each loving thought I have for my fertility.

My womb is a healthy place that will nourish my baby.

For Men

I love and support my wife on our fertility journey.

I am worthy of happiness and abundance in all circumstances.

I believe I can change my fertility.

I am patient with myself and my support system.

I appreciate all my body is capable of.

Today I stand strong with a loving heart.

My sperm are the seeds of a healthy future.

I design my own destiny.

I have control over my thoughts.

I have the confidence to ask for help and receive help when I need it.

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Below is an inspirational movie we’ve spent the last couple of weeks creating. We also have been getting a lot of additional questions about the coaching program. I will be sending you a link to get all of the details soon, including the date it will be available (sometime this week).

“Discover The Answers to Your Most Pressing Questions About Fertility and Enzyme Therapy”

Join us for this Free interview on:
October 27th at 5pm PST/8:00pm EST!

In this interview with Dr. William Wong shares information about…

This call has already happened. Please stay tuned for the next Expert Interview…

Fertility microscopes are one of the easiest tools you can us to pinpoint your most fertile times of the month. Compared to stick testing and charting, using a fertility microscope is also a funner way to witness your hormonal transition towards ovulation.

The size of a lipstick container, this fertility tool has 97% accuracy in alerting you to ovulation up to 72 hours in advance. This allows you enough time to get you and your partners schedules coordinated .

The Fertile-Focus fertility microscope allows you to identify you most fertile days by testing and viewing the visual changes that take place in saliva throughout your monthly cycle.

How it Works

Just prior to ovulation, women experience an “estrogen surge,” and a distinct fern-like pattern becomes visible in saliva due to the hormonal changes. Fertile-Focus provides the highest quality, powerful 50x magnification lens for easily identifying these crystal “ferning” patterns.

To use Fertile Focus, simply place a drop of saliva from under your tongue on the lens. Once the sample has dried (typically within 5 minutes), press the LED light button and view resultant pattern through the lab-quality magnifying lens. If you are ovulating - or if you’re about to ovulate - a distinct “ferning” crystal-like pattern can be viewed. This is your indication that it’s time to make love for babymaking purposes!

Watch the video below on how to use this handy little gadget.

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