From time to time I have guest bloggers on my site to share their expertise. Today Virginia Prior, a Los Angeles based fertility acupuncturist and fertile foods expert, offers her words of wisdom, sharing information on raw foods and fertility preservation.
Does carrying cell phones in pant pockets lead to male infertility?
There has been some concern that the electromagnetic fields emitted by cell phones could lead to sperm damage and male infertility. However, cell phones do not emit enough energy to mechanistically cause…
3 Parent IVF
The human egg has two main compartments; the nucleus, which contains a person’s DNA (genome – repository of hereditary information) organized into 46 chromosomes of which 23 are inherited from the mother and 23 from the father; and the cytoplasm, which surrounds the nucleus and contains all of the components needed to maintain egg viability and support reproduction. One can visualize the nucleus as the yolk of a sunny-side up egg and the cytoplasm as the egg white. To prepare for fertilization by sperm, the egg discards one member of each of its 23 chromosome pairs (23 discarded) in order to present the correct number to the sperm, which carries 23 chromosomes, the result being a fertilized egg (embryo) containing the normal human complement of 46 chromosomes, 23 from each parent. Discarding one member of each of the 23 chromosome pairs requires a lot of energy
Ovarian Reserve
Today I would like to talk to you about Ovarian Reserve. The term ovarian reserve means egg inventory, how many eggs are left in the ovary. When a woman starts menstruating as a teenager she has about 500,000 eggs in her ovaries, and over time batches of these eggs will be released every month. So by the age of 30 a woman only has 10% of her eggs left, and at age 40 she only has 3% of her eggs left. That sounds rather alarming, but the good news is fertility is still quite good when a woman is in her thirties.
Egg Quality
Egg quality decline is the most important cause of age-related infertility. Egg quality refers to the ability of the egg to create a chromosomally normal embryo. Each egg has 46 chromosomes, 23 from each parent. In order for the egg to prepare for fertilization, it must discard 23 chromosomes in order to make room for the 23 chromosomes brought by the sperm. Failure to correctly discard 23 chromosomes leads to a an embryo with the wrong number of chromosomes, medically referred to as aneuploidy.
There is no test for egg quality, but we know it to be closely correlated to age. For example women in their 20’s have a 20% chance of having a live birth with each month of timed intercourse, a rate that drops
Meet Doctor of Acupuncture, Virginia Prior
Virginia Prior offers fertility-focused acupuncture which has been fine tuned by her expert knowledge of acupuncture, western medicine, nutrition, meditation and herbal medicine. Fertility-focused acupuncture helps women achieve radiant health, both for themselves and their future children.
Sauna Health Effect: Heat Lowers Sperm Count in Men
MEDICAL DAILY.COM By Ashik Siddique, March 2013 Saunas may be great for your circulation, but not so much for your sperm count. A new study finds that heat from frequent sauna visits can…
Food & Fertility
Eating right and good nutrition are immensely important whether you are trying to conceive or not. Read a guest blog entry all about proper nutrition, written by Virginia Prior, Doctor of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine.
What is Male Infertility?
Of all infertility cases, nearly half are the result of female factor infertility, and half are the result of male factor infertility. Male infertility may include a range of issues such as: abnormal sperm, low sperm count, genetically mutated sperm, a complete absence of sperm, or sexual dysfunction.
Male fertility is evaluated with the use of the semen analysis. This test primarily evaluates the semen for sperm count, motility (how they swim) and morphology (how the sperm are shaped). Men with semen analysis abnormalities should be evaluated by a qualified practitioner as it may be the sign of other health problems.
Once evaluated, male infertility may be treatable depending on the severity of the infertility. Sperm quality may be improved by lifestyle changes such as limiting time in hot baths and. . .
Can Fake Tans cause fertility problems?
DAILY MAIL- UK By CLAIRE ELLICOTT, 22 July 2012 Women who use fake tan could put themselves at an increased risk of fertility problems and having babies with birth defects, according to experts….
Lubricants may not harm fertility
In a study that tracked couples trying to conceive, researchers found no differences in the success rates of those who used over-the-counter lubricant products and those who didn’t.
Yoga: A Tool For Stress & Fertility
Women are turning to yoga to increase their chances of conceiving — and some swear by the effects of the recent trend, saying the ancient art of yoga mixed with modern science helped them start their families.
Stress and Fertility: Understanding the Impact and Finding Support
Fertility experts are increasingly finding that emotional health is an integral part of a patient’s journey through infertility. Read how many fertility clinics like ours now offer emotional and mental health services to their clients.
Genetic Testing of Eggs Prior to Freezing Could Harm Eggs
Unfortunately, a woman’s eggs become more prone to genetic abnormalities as she ages. These abnormalities sometimes lead to increased incidences of infertility, miscarriage and birth defects especially in women over 40 years of age.
Egg freezing is a method that suspends egg aging. Since the genetic status of an egg cannot be determined solely on appearance, methods to evaluate eggs using genetic probes have been developed. The egg discards DNA at two different times during its development, ovulation and fertilization. This occurs in order to reduce the number of chromosomes to 23 in order to match the 23 chromosomes delivered by the sperm. The discarded DNA (in the form of excess chromosomes) is jettisoned outside of the egg as a small, round pocket called the polar body.
Increasing Fertility Through Acupuncture
Acupuncture and Chinese herbs have long been part of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). There is growing evidence that the combination of TCM and Western Medicine synergistically improve the chance for pregnancy. I encourage my patients to adopt or continue a program of TCM under the guidance of practitioners trained in Fertility TCM.
IVF Treatment Overview
In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) is a therapy that is designed to increase the chances of pregnancy for women who have difficulty conceiving naturally. It involves a series of steps that result in the development of viable embryos that can be reintroduced into the patient’s uterus. Currently, it is the most advanced and effective fertility treatment available. Success rates vary based on the age of the patient and the cause of infertility.
Technically, “in vitro fertilization” only refers to the process of fertilizing an egg outside the body. However, the term IVF is generally used to describe the entire treatment cycle. This involves three phases:
What Is Polycystic Ovary Syndrome
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is a common hormonal disorder that affects millions of women in the U.S. The underlying cause of this condition is not known.
Like most medical problems that are referred to as “syndromes”, PCOS is made up of a cluster of signs and symptoms. Women with polycystic ovary syndrome may have some or all of the following features:
The Effect of Alcohol on Fertility
The data regarding the effects of moderate alcohol intake on fertility is inconclusive at this time. The largest prospective studies conducted in Europe indicate that high levels of alcohol consumption are associated with greater difficulty conceiving.
One small Danish study identified a slight delay in conception even with alcohol ingestion of 5 drinks or less per week. However, this research relies on self-reporting of alcohol consumption which may be inaccurate. In many cases, the studies do not fully account for other factors that could be affecting fertility.
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