News

Birth abnormalities due to fertility treatment

noreply@blogger.com (eCreativa Media) — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 19:18:00 +0000

I have previously answered the question if fertility treatments work.

I think that there is some more information that should make you rethink assisted reproductive techniques (ART). A study by Jennita Reefhuis shows that kids born through IUI and IVF are 2-4 times more likely to have birth defects like heart problems, cleft lip, cleft palate and abnormalities in the esophagus or rectum.

Obviously there are several caveats but the major takeaway from this is to let Nature do its magic, try not to have a baby during advanced maternal age, and there are plenty of kids waiting to be adopted.

Weight loss surgery before pregnancy

noreply@blogger.com (eCreativa Media) — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 18:38:00 +0000

As I have written previously, pregnancy for obese women is risky if they do get pregnant in the first place. It is widely believed that obesity can result in infertility.

Now a new study by Dr. Melinda Maggard says that women should undergo weight loss surgery before they try to become pregnant. Not only are they more likely to become pregnant, the pregnancy and childbirth will be less complicated, and the baby will be healthy.

Women who get pregnant after gastric bypass surgery tend to be healthier and less likely to deliver a baby with complications compared to obese women.

How did Salma Hayek lose weight after childbirth?

noreply@blogger.com (eCreativa Media) — Tue, 11 Nov 2008 21:19:00 +0000

Salma Hayek has some honest tips for mothers hoping to lose weight childbirth.

It has traditionally been believed that a mom can lose weight much more easily if she starts breastfeeding after childbirth. According to Salma Hayek, however, "...the myth that says you lose all this weight when you breast-feed? That is sooo not true."

I know it sure does help your body work harder if you nurse, but if you continue to overeat, the weight will not go away. Even worse, you might even gain some.

In the end losing weight is all about maintaining a balance between calories consumed and used. So I am back to repeating that workout and low calorie diets are keys to losing weight.

How much wait should I gain during pregnancy?

noreply@blogger.com (eCreativa Media) — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 22:30:00 +0000

It is important that a pregnant woman gain weight during pregnancy but pregnancy for obese women is different. They need to work very closely with their doctor to make sure that they don't gain too much weight.

Teresa Hillier, MD, senior investigator at the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research has found that if a woman gains 40 lbs or more, it doubles the risk of having a baby that is more than 9 pounds. That generally means risks to health of both mother and child.

The rule of thumb is that just because you are pregnant it does not mean that you can binge or eat without counting your calories. Plus, while your exercise routine should change, you must still engage in proper exercise. This will also allow you to lose weight easily after childbirth.

Pregnant without sex

noreply@blogger.com (eCreativa Media) — Mon, 06 Oct 2008 21:08:00 +0000

I try to answer every question I get and while I had heard that there is all kinds of wrong information out there, for instance, that a girl can pregnant by just kissing, I did not expect that I will get a question like that.

Nanda from India writes, "I am in a relationship for the past two years. My partner and I get physical with each other but not regularly, but there is no intercourse. My menstrual periods have always been irregular. The last one was three months ago. I was expecting my period this month but I still do not have any signs. During this time my boyfriend and I did get physical but we were fully dressed and there was no ejaculation. Is there any chance of me getting pregnant? Please help; I am very stressed out over this."

There is no way you could be pregnant.

Just for your information, pregnancy is not easy as you think. In order for a woman to get pregnant, a man has to ejaculate inside her vagina during that perfect moment in her ovulation cycle (which can sometimes be as short as 1-2 days in a month). Still then, depending on the age of the woman, the probability is just about 10%.

I am not encouraging you to have sex without protection but just sharing information that a lot of things have to go right before a woman can get pregnant. In your case, since there was no sperm released inside, there is nothing to worry.

Regarding your infrequent periods, you must immediately see a doctor. It is not a good health sign and your doctor can look into it and prescribe medication.

And in the meantime, as far as your partner is concerned, it is OK to please each other the way you have been doing. In case you want him inside you, then I strongly recommend that you use a condom or some other birth control option.

Asian Caucasian parents

noreply@blogger.com (eCreativa Media) — Thu, 02 Oct 2008 15:38:00 +0000

We have all become very accepting of interracial relationships. It is a reflection of the diversity in our society and also allows everyone to enjoy different cultures.

Now the bad news. Research published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology says that the rates of cesarean deliveries, gestational diabetes, and other pregnancy-related outcomes are higher among Asian-Caucasian couples.

Not much is known about the causes and if interracial marriages are a bad idea, but it is something good to know if you are in an Asian-Caucasian relationship and trying to become parents.

Clay Aiken gay dad

noreply@blogger.com (eCreativa Media) — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 21:56:00 +0000

After Ricky Martin became dad with the help of a surrogate mom, yet another gay celebrity Clay Aiken has also become a dad. Yes, he also used a surrogate, but unlike in typical cases like this one, when you have to pay the surrogate mother, his platonic friend Jaymes Foster decided to carry the child for him and she became pregnant through in-vitro fertilization (IVF). The two will also raise the child together and the son's name will reflect both parents and is being called Parker Foster Aiken.

By the way, he is one of those Evangelical Christians and plans on following his faith despite strong hatred for gays among Born Again Christians and strong opposition to their becoming parents or adopting children, despite overwhelming data that they are excellent parents.

How did Nicole Kidman get pregnant?

noreply@blogger.com (eCreativa Media) — Wed, 24 Sep 2008 19:53:00 +0000

It is widely speculated that one reason for the divorce of Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise was her inability to give birth to a child - she had a miscarriage. The couple had adopted children. Once she got married to Keith Urban, and without any fertility treatment, she got pregnant and gave birth to a healthy child (daughter Sunday Rose). So even though Nicole was at an advanced age for motherhood, she got pregnant naturally.

How did it happen?

According to her, while shooting the movie "Australia," she went swimming in an Australian Outback waterfall near Kununurra, a small town in far northern part of Western Australia state.

"Seven babies were conceived out of this film and only one was a boy. There is something up there in the Kununurra water because we all went swimming in the waterfalls, so we can call it the fertility waters now," she says.

Now before you start planning a trip to Australia, remember that there is no such thing as a fertility waterfall. It is just superstition and a result of coincidence. Yes, fertility diet and lifestyle changes can alter a woman's fertility and improve the sperm quality of a man.

And to improve the chances of pregnancy further, one of the things that experts now recommend is a procreation vacation. The idea is to be in a beautiful place where you are both relaxed and as you track your ovulation, you can make love at that perfect moment because both of you are available and ready. If that is the only reason you want to travel to Australia, go right ahead, but do not expect anything more.

Single moms by choice

noreply@blogger.com (eCreativa Media) — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 20:43:00 +0000

When Ricky Martin fathered twins with the help of a surrogate, we were all surprised by his decision. It turns out that very few men try to take on the role of a single dad. On the other hand, it is a growing trend among women who are rapidly adopting what is know as "single motherhood by choice."

Why single moms?

As women have become more economically independent, they have realized that they do not need men to either support themselves or to become moms. In any case, with 50% divorce rate, the faith in the institution of marriage is already at an all time low among the educated women. With so many single parents out there, women are already seeing that not only it is more likely, it is also possible.

Another major reason for the trend is that many career-minded women put dating and marriage on hold while they build their careers. As they reach their late 30s, they realize that it is increasingly harder to find a man. Since compromising who they want to marry is not on their priority list, they simply do not want to miss their biological clocks and go ahead with pregnancy while still pursuing their dream man.

Another major change is the availability of IUI and IVF to lesbians and single women. While it was somewhat difficult to do so in the past, many single women can now easily find a sperm donor and fertility clinic to help them in the process.

Mobile phone dangers for sperm

noreply@blogger.com (eCreativa Media) — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 19:53:00 +0000

I had reported earlier that men who use cell phones may experience lower sperm quality. It appears that more evidence is coming that cell phone radiation may do a lot of harm to the reproductive organs.

In another study conducted by the Cleveland Clinic, they have found that simply keeping a mobile phone turned on and kept in your pants pocket may lead to excessive damage to sperm production.

Obviously, the cell phone companies are not even discussing this because it will hurt their business, but till the debate is settled, here is a word of advice for all those couples trying to get pregnant: keep your cell phone away from your body. You can always put it in your handbag or on your desk while you are working but definitely several feet away from your body to the extent possible. It is also possible to use one of those bluetooth headsets that minimize radiation.

Naomi Campbell pregnancy

noreply@blogger.com (eCreativa Media) — Thu, 11 Sep 2008 17:52:00 +0000

One of the biggest challenges that college-educated, ambitious women face is that they have to balance work and life and have to make choices that can come to haunt them later. While the best time to get married (the right age to get married, according to several studies, is late 20s) and have children is in your late twenties to early thirties, career-minded women do not have that freedom.

And with all the commitment phobia among men, long-term relationships and marriages ending up in divorce 50% of the time, is not rare to see a woman end up close to 40 with no child.

And we all know that pregnancy after 40 is nearly impossible without IUI or IVF or some other kind of fertility treatment, and even if that happens, there are higher possibilities of genetic disorders.

Supermodel Naomi Campbell is one such woman who is now 38 and realizes that she does not have children. It turns out that while she was not actively trying to get pregnant, though, the Russian billionaire Vladislav Doronin will definitely prove to be a rich father the way Salma Hayek landed a rich father Francois-Henri Pinault for her daughter. What she learned recently that she was technically infertile until a surgery corrected it. Now she is saying that she is ready to start a family.

The message here is that if you are not getting pregnant after trying for 12 months, it is time to seek fertility treatment.

How did Sarah Palin get pregnant?

noreply@blogger.com (eCreativa Media) — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 21:15:00 +0000

While it is great news that Alaska Governor Sarah Palin got pregnant at the age of 44 (when it is nearly impossible for a woman to get pregnant) and had a child (Trig) but the bad news is that the child suffers from Down's Syndrome (it is widely known that children of parents of advanced age suffer from a variety of diseases if there is no miscarriage).

So how did she become pregnant?

It was a mistake. Many women stop their birth control around this age (Palin has some pretty extremist beliefs and it is not clear if she believes in birth control) and are often surprised that they become pregnant. Most women will lose the baby in a miscarriage.

Planned pregnancy. Many couples do not realize the risks that they are taking when they try to become pregnant in their 40s. Considering how clueless this woman is (her own daughter is a teenage mom and her speeches and statements make it obvious that she is simple an airhead; there was a widespread rumor that Trig was actually her grandchild that she adopted by faking a pregnancy so that she could shield her daughter but after her daughter was visibly pregnant that rumor died), it would not be a surprise that she genuinely believes that she could have yet another child at the ripe age of 44 (like Michelle Duggar).

Possible use of artificial reproductive therapy (ART). Palin already had four children, and though she had expressed a desire for a lot of children, there is no information available if that was the case.

Older fathers responsible for bipolar disorder in children

noreply@blogger.com (eCreativa Media) — Tue, 02 Sep 2008 20:14:00 +0000

If you recall, previously I wrote about poor sperm quality and infertility in men, in many cases due to advanced age. Many couples wrongly assume that it is difficult for a woman to get pregnant after 40 but men can continue to procreate well into their 60s and 70s without any consequences.

New research from Karolinska Institute in Stockholm says that "Children whose father was 55 years old or more (at the time of conception) run about a 37-percent greater risk of suffering from (bipolar disorder) than children whose fathers were in their 20s," according to lead researcher Emma Frans. In case you do not know what bipolar disorder is, it is enough to understand that these individuals go through severe mood changes that can make them severely depressed to the point of becoming maniacs and committing suicide. They are also more likely to suffer from schizophrenia and autism.

The reason is the same as it is for women: degradation of DNA in sperms.

So what does it mean?

A couple with any partner being of advanced age really has to think if they want to bring a child into the world. Of course, genetic testing is helpful, but if one partner is really old, it is best to consider adoption.

Ricky Martin father through surrogate mother

noreply@blogger.com (eCreativa Media) — Fri, 22 Aug 2008 14:55:00 +0000

On the heels of the development that lesbians are entitled to have IUI and IVF, comes yet another development: single men can become fathers through surrogate mothers.

One of the high profile example of surrogacy is that of Marissa Jaret Winokur who could not have her own children due to a medical condition.

Now Ricky Martin has become a father of twin boys by using a surrogate mom. He is not married and is not even dating a girl and there has been speculation for years that he is gay and would eventually come out. However, due to high rate of homophobia among Hispanics, he has chosen to remain in the closet.

It is great news for anyone who now wants to be a parent.

IUI, IVF for lesbians

noreply@blogger.com (eCreativa Media) — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 16:23:00 +0000

The sad reality is that despite all the small advances made by gays and lesbians, they are openly discriminated in all walks of life. Homophobia is actually on the rise, largely driven by Republican politics and hatred created by many Christian groups.

The case of Guadalupe "Lupita" Benítez highlights how the name of Jesus Christ can be used by so-called Christians to find an excuse to discriminate. That is exactly what these so-called doctors Christine Brody and Douglas Fenton were doing. They belong to the same category of Christians who supposedly value life but strongly support death penalty. Similarly, they want to protect the institution of marriage but are fighting strongly against gay marriage laws.

The decision by California Supreme Court means that hopefully doctors will stop telling you why you cannot be a mom and do what their job is, that is, to dispense medicine. I wouldn't be surprised if something did not go right because the pharmacists already have the right to deny you your legally prescribed medication because their so-called God tells them not to.

While the last thing on a couple's mind when they are trying to become parents (particularly after 40 when each day matters) is a lawsuit but if you have to do it, it is worth it. Lupita's fight paid off. She is now a happy mom.

Do fertility treatments work?

noreply@blogger.com (eCreativa Media) — Tue, 12 Aug 2008 14:50:00 +0000

When a woman is unable to get pregnant particularly after she is 40, it is natural for the couple to get desperate. That is when the greedy fertility treatment industry starts to exploit them. While many such couples may be able to pay for the outrageously expensive assisted reproductive therapy (ART) with the help of their insurance company (it is mandated by law in those cases), others will have to come up with tens of thousands of dollars on their own, often through financing with high interest rates.

Most people borrow this money and can get stuck in a cycle of debt for decades or even declare bankruptcy, often without becoming parents.

The so-called fertility doctors (and a whole industry that now includes acupuncturists, yoga teachers, natural medicine doctors, personal consultants, etc.) are in great position to exploit the desperate people. If the couple gets even technically pregnant, they take all the credit, and keep pushing them to try again (often more money, though, to trap them they will give some discounts not available to first-time patients).

And if you do not get pregnant, then they put all the blame on you. "You are too old, your eggs are no good, your husband has low sperm count, your husband has low sperm motility, etc.," they say.

Well, if you are one of those people that are desperate to have your own child but are unable to get pregnant, here is a piece of news that may save you tens of thousands of dollars.

According to research published in the British Medical Journal, use of drugs like Clomid and artificial insemination is no more useful than trying to get pregnant naturally. These fertility drugs also have serious side effects, chances of multiple babies is high (it may appear like great news to have more than one baby when you struggled to have just one, but these pregnancies are complicated with risk of death for both the babies and mother and higher possibility of development complications in children) and long-term effects on a woman's body, particularly menopause, are not yet known.

I can understand why it is tempting to undergo treatment. You feel that you are doing something and trying really hard, but trust me, the best way to try really hard is to hole up with your spouse in your bedroom.

So are IUI and IVF worthwhile?

No. They only make sense when natural pregnancy is impossible, for example, when using donor eggs or sperms or using a surrogate mother or when the fallopian tubes are blocked.

Lift mood with essential oils

noreply@blogger.com (eCreativa Media) — Fri, 08 Aug 2008 19:25:00 +0000

If you feel a little sad some essential oils can help you. Mind you, if sadness has become a way of life for you, then you may be suffering from depression, and need to see a professional.

I am talking more about one of those days when you don't feel on top of the world. It could be hormonal or it could be because of a bad day at work or due to a family matter.

My favorite essential oil for those days is bergamot. The best way to use it is by burning it in an oil burner.

You can also find out if it is in your body lotion (do not get in the sun if you use it). The smell is great to feel better, guaranteed.

Another great smell is lemon. You can get essential oils or just use a lemon. You can add a few drops of oil to a burner or just smell it directly. Put a lemon on your desk and smell it often.

Poor sperm quality

noreply@blogger.com (eCreativa Media) — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 19:04:00 +0000

Right now if you do not know that being fat is bad, you are either a moron or living under a stone. This is not the place to discuss all the complications associated with being overweight, but I want to highlight one major problem for men who want to make a baby but are fat. It is widely documented that pregnancy for obese women is a huge risk and fertility of overweight women is much lower than that of physically fit ladies.

New research from University of Aberdeen by Ghiyath Shayeb says that obese men have lower sperm count than normal-weight men, their sperms are also of poor quality and could have damaged DNA raising the risk of birth abnormalities. In other words their sperms do not move fast and far enough, and are therefore, incapable of fertilization, and are thus a major cause of infertility in men.

The net result is that unless the woman is very healthy and could compensate for a man's sperm problems, it is best that obese people first get on a weight loss program before considering to become parents.

Men infertility

noreply@blogger.com (eCreativa Media) — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 15:41:00 +0000

Until now it was believed that if a woman over 40 was trying to pregnant and she was not having success it was because her eggs were just too old. Unless a man had a low sperm count, the thinking was that the man had nothing to do with infertility.

Not any more. A new study suggests that if a couple is unable to conceive it is because the man is over 35. The probability of a pregnancy drops further if he is past 40.

Such advanced age couples (the medical term for couples who are too old for having healthy babies), even if they get pregnant, are more likely to suffer from miscarriages or have babies born with genetic disorders. (Related: How to get pregnant after 40)

So what are the options for these mature couples?

In the past, it was recommended that a woman choose donor eggs and a whole fertility treatment industry evolved in countries like the Czech Republic. Now it seems that unless you are a mature woman married to a younger man, donor eggs may not be the best idea for an IVF.

The best alternative would be to adopt a child or get a surrogate mother using both donated sperm and egg, if necessary. The world is already populated and unless you are an Albert Einstein or Virgin Mary or Mozart or Picasso there really is no need for you to reproduce.

Watermelon is Viagra

noreply@blogger.com (eCreativa Media) — Mon, 07 Jul 2008 15:16:00 +0000

We now know that despite Viagra being one of the most dangerous drugs on the market (Viagra can make you blind without warning and you can also suffer sudden hearing loss), it serves such an important role in our lives that most couples will continue to take the risk.

What if similar results could be achieved by natural means?

Well, it has long been known that physically fit men do not suffer from erectile dysfunction and it helps a great deal if you do not suffer from diabetes. Now, a group of scientists led by Bhimu Patel has found that watermelon has many of the same benefits as Viagra.

Obviously, the chemicals that work the same way as Viagra does are in much lower concentration and do not target that specific organ, for anyone with only mild ED or those who do not like to inject dangerous drugs into their bodies, this is a great alternative.

And if you are a healthy, physically fit man, it is a great idea to include a slice of fresh watermelon in your diet, particularly when you know you are going to be active in the bed.

Does tanning cause skin cancer?

noreply@blogger.com (eCreativa Media) — Fri, 04 Apr 2008 19:53:00 +0000

There is so much evidence showing that tanning is a leading cause of skin cancer or melanoma. Obviously, it is sad to see all those tanning salons going out of business and people losing their jobs but that does not mean that people should start going back for tanning. For a tanned look for a party or wedding now there are temporary tanners that do the trick.

It turns out that the Indoor Tanning Association (ITA) does not want to give up and is aggressively spreading false information that tanning is harmless. Since in America you can always find some idiot who will say anything for money, they have hired a group of so-called scientists that are attacking cancer experts and dermatologists. I think they are using the same strategy that has been used by supporters of creationism and those who deny global warming -- create a doubt about the science to pursue a negative agenda.

So what can you do?

Run away from a tanning salon as fast as you can. And if you want the tanned look, just spray some before a party. There are many safe options for tanning.

How to be sexy like the French women?

noreply@blogger.com (eCreativa Media) — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 20:39:00 +0000

This is a follow-up to my previous article on why gym clothes are to be used only when working out.

A lot of you ask (write to me with your questions or thoughts) me how to be a sexy woman, and it ain't an easy question since not only we all have varying opinions on what makes ME sexy, others might have even more different opinions on what makes me sexy.

Maybe we can learn something from the French. Elaine Sciolino, a New York Times journalist says that "For French women, being sexy has nothing to do with age and everything to do with attitude."

While most women in their 30s and 40s and older that I see in the supermarket are not MILFs but women so obsessed with being good soccer moms that they look like trash. On the contrary, a recent study found that 90% of French women over 50 are dating actively, often younger men and are very adventurous in bed.

So what is the secret of French women?

According to Sciolino, the sexiest French women seem naturally skilled in the art of moving, smiling and flirting. She writes, "Chic French women prefer to peel and polish rather than paint their faces. Too much makeup, they say, makes a woman seem older, or worse, “vulgaire.” (Related: Makeup to look younger)

Like Japanese women, French women too spend close to 20 percent of their clothing budgets on lingerie. Just putting on a pair of lace or satin thongs will make you feel different. The other important thing to remember is how to wear your lingerie. If you don't know do some research on the Internet, or as the French do it, hire a stripper to teach you how to wear and how to undress.

Juicy Couture tracksuits for working out

noreply@blogger.com (eCreativa Media) — Tue, 25 Mar 2008 19:19:00 +0000

I don't know if you are one of those idiots who believe that French fries should be called Freedom fries, but I do know one thing. We can learn something from the French when it comes to fashion, style, grace, and being sexy.

One style trend that I have always had problem with is women of all ages showing up in all places in their track suits. Yes, they are comfortable and apart from being great during workout, they can also be used while you are cleaning your house or working in the yard or just taking it easy during the weekend. I see no need to wear them anywhere else.

Elaine Sciolino, a New York Times journalist, tells the story of how she committed a faux-pas when she walked to her neighborhood convenience store to buy some butter and realized that she was the only person in France to be shopping wearing a gym outfit.

When she argued that "it was my neighborhood and I could dress however I wanted" she was advised by her French friends that "jogging clothes (shoes included) are to be removed as soon as one’s exercise is over." I totally agree. And this includes even those expensive Juicy Couture track suits.

Business woman in fishnet tights

noreply@blogger.com (eCreativa Media) — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 21:28:00 +0000

In my several previous writings on the subject of fishnet stockings, I have heard from several women who wonder if they can wear fishnets to work.

There is no one simple answer to this question since it all depends on who you are (are you an attorney or banker or makeup artist or fashion editor or work at home mom), what is your personal style (conservative, Bohemian, bold), and what type of office culture (the dull atmosphere of a law firm or the casual setting of a dot com) do you have.

Having said that, it is still possible to wear fishnet tights with a business suit provided you keep the overall outfit well put together. Take a look at the photo of this lady. She wears a dark suit and then puts on a pair of black fishnet and she looks as serious as a powerful attorney.

Cell phones lower sperm count

noreply@blogger.com (eCreativa Media) — Thu, 07 Feb 2008 20:04:00 +0000

For a woman trying to get pregnant and having difficulty conceiving, there are several reasons that can hurt her: age, obesity, and other complications with the reproductive system.

But the male in her life may also be contributing to not conceiving.

Latest research conducted by Cleveland Clinic has found that men who have cell phones glued to their years may have lower quality sperm -- lower sperm count and higher percentage of abnormal sperms. BTW, you can raise sperm count by avoiding soy foods.

By the way, it has long been suspected that mobile phones cause cancer but no firm evidence has been presented by either side.