Tuesday, March 29, 2011

Another infertility book joins the ranks


So we have another book joining the volumes on natural ways to improve fertility. Article in the Sydney Morning Herald quoted the authors, a naturopath and the well-regarded Dr Sandra Cabot on the many dietary issues that need attention, but then the negative comments followed. Questions about validity, research, the credentials of naturopaths vs doctors and more. Where infertility is concerned, a healthy diet and lifestyle is not a panacea - it’s merely a VITAL starting point. Optimal reproductive health is only achieved with a combination of whole food diet, robust and comprehensive supplementation, healthy lifestyle, toxicity-free environment, regular exercise, reduced stress levels and a positive attitude. And that’s for both partners! In addition, existing conditions such as hormone imbalance, malabsorption, infection, compromised immunity, heavy metal or other toxic burden must be addressed.  When it’s done well - by all parties - it works and works well.  Actually, naturopaths or integrative doctors who have been trained in all that’s required, do it best, but only when they have the complete commitment of the prospective parents to their part of the program. While there may be a small percentage of couples who fail to conceive despite their very best efforts, I think the biggest stumbling block and reason for failure is the attitude – “it’s too hard, there are too many things I need to change/give up, let’s just go for the quick fix!” 

Monday, March 28, 2011

Familiar environment, less birth stress


Latest research from University of Technology, Sydney indicates a connection between the design of rooms where mothers give birth, their stress levels and the potential risk of such stress to newborns. In fact, those UTS researchers have received almost $250 million in Australian Research Council funds to explore how the features of a birthplace including design, objects, materials and colours could influence the outcome of a woman's labour.

Dohhhh, does anybody stop to review and ponder what has gone before? For 30 years I’ve been seeing studies showing that the place in which a woman feels most comfortable is the place where she is most likely to labour efficiently and effectively! Michel Odent and others have written extensively about the adverse effects of adrenaline (potential result of a move to hospital, admission and examination procedures and strange environment and attendants) on the efficiency of a woman’s contractions. Adrenaline directly counteracts the effects of oxytocin which makes the uterus contract, so my question is...  

Why oh why do we need another study? Surely to goodness the money would be better spent providing these wonderful environments - surely we need birth centres not more studies! Anyway, intuition or good old common sense should probably tell you the same thing - if you ever stopped to think about it! But here we go again, trying to prove the benefits of a natural, non-interventionist approach when the non-natural, interventionist approach gets put forward as the gold-standard that must be bettered! Flea wagging the dog I reckon! Anyway if you want a really sympathetic birthing environment, try your home turf - can’t be beaten!

Friday, March 11, 2011

Memorable memories

I’ve been off the blogging air this week. It started when I wrote a poem for my younger son’s 21st Birthday. With some great pics to accompany the rhymes, he thought it was awesome! The words had flowed so I was off and running. Thinking ahead now to elder son’s October wedding, this was my template. Maybe putting the mother of the groom on her soapbox isn’t the norm at wedding celebrations, but this mother has never done things by the book. Never even got married ... but that’s another story


Whew, what a labour of love and creativity this little enterprise turned out to be. I’ve beavered away at it all week. What started at 80 rhyming lines, now stretches to 250 and encapsulates the more significant details, the funny and classic remarks, the unique characteristics, all that was encompassed in that journey to adulthood. I’ve had old happy snaps turned into digital files (some colours now not so colourful) and visited countless Facebook pages. Any parent who wants to feel more involved with their kids’ activities and friends - you’re missing a huge resource if you’re not part of that network. Some of the images I found are pure gold! 


Most of all, revisiting those 25 years reminded me how hugely privileged to be a hands-on and always-there Mum. I reckon Dave will say the same. I’m thinking I could turn it into a kid’s book. Watch this space ...

Thursday, March 3, 2011

Musings ... on social networks!


They’re in the news this week! The Social Network, giving us the inside scoop on the Facebook saga walks away with three Oscars. Almost in the same breath, two British schoolboys have been jailed for up to five years for running a $26 million Facebook-style website for criminals dubbed "Crimebook". The Sydney Morning Herald reports “This was a criminal enterprise offering sophisticated advice on how to hack into computers, cause them to malfunction and retrieve personal information from computers - and how to do it on a massive scale.”

 

But warts and all most of us love the social networks! If love is a bit strong for some it’s rare to meet someone who hasn’t been dragged into their net (pardon the pun).


I like them for personal reasons - lots of things my kids get up to are now an open book, and I mean that in the best possible way.  


As an author they’re a medium I can’t ignore. If I do, I lose my readers to the multiple lay sites that offer forums and experience-swapping to those trying to conceive, who are pregnant, breastfeeding or raising toddlers. 


As a business entrepreneur I love the access they give me to like-minded individuals and potential business associations and discussions. 


Of course rallying thousands to a cause (viz the recent uprisings in the Middle East and North Africa) would be impossible without such channels and more power to them all!


But ... and here’s the big question ... are we all too busy getting on our soap boxes, tweeting, posting, blogging, commenting and otherwise having our say to really hear what the other guy is saying?


Sometimes it seems that we’re all just spouting off in a way that, while liberating and empowering, also ignores some fundamental rules of respectful social dialogue. For example, we might consider acknowledging a particular point of view before charging off with the bit between our teeth to develop an entirely different line of reasoning! And where’s the wisdom of inviting experts to establish a specialist online group and then limiting their referrals to other material, services or products. Of course there’s a fine line between blatant self-promotion/spamming and genuinely helpful referrals and recommendations, but expert input to these channels is what makes them so useful and so powerful ... as long as the expert voice is audible above the chatter!

Tuesday, March 1, 2011

How loudly is your biological clock ticking?


I've been banging the preconception healthcare drum for nearly thirty years, so it never ceases to amaze me when somebody turns around and says “hey, I didn’t know it was going to be hard to get pregnant in my 30s - nobody ever talks about these things!” Hello, where have you been baby? The media is awash with articles, blogs and online forums are full of the TTC (trying to conceive), IVF specialists tout their wares, their ever-more-sophisticated techniques and their dubious successes at every opportunity.

Talk about blinkers on - but then I ask, who else is wearing blinkers? Whenever we’re bombarded with the plummeting fertility statistics and the drastic decline of fertility with age (and surprise, surprise men have a biological clock that ticks too!) where is the common sense? Am I the lone voice in the wilderness that says, hang on a minute, is age the only factor here? 

So do you want to know how you can preserve your fertility and ensure the healthiest baby possible? The answer’s simple - pay very close attention to your own health before conception. The reason for the rise in reproductive problems with age can be simply summarized as longer exposure to 21st century diets and lifestyles. Nutrition, lifestyle, environment and mental and emotional factors all need very careful attention by both partners if you plan to delay your baby-making (or if after attending to all the preconception issues, you consider that IVF is the only option). The four months immediately preceding conception are the most critical!

Comprehensive preconception health care has clearly been shown to give significant protection against age-related sub-fertility, miscarriage and foetal defect. The University of New England has conducted an independent study of 67 couples on the Natural Fertility Management conception program at The Jocelyn Centre. Developed by my co-author Francesca Naish, results of the program are more than merely encouraging. 52% of previously infertile couples can conceive within the first 4 months following completion of preconception care. Over the last 30 years, working with many thousands of couples, The Jocelyn Centre, despite a high proportion of patients being in their late 30s, early to mid 40s and beyond, has achieved successful pregnancies when all else has failed and an insignificant number of age-related defects.

The studies from Foresight - Association for Promotion of Preconceptual Care (UK) and the emerging research in the fields of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease, (DOHaD), foetal origins and epigenetics also provide incontrovertible evidence...optimisation of nutritional status and complete avoidance of any potential toxicity by both partners for at least 4 months prior to conception is the only certain way to ensure the health of the next generation and to reduce the toll of compromised reproductive health (and that includes reducing the infertility rates across all age groups)!