After trying unsuccessfully for 6 months, we saw a fertility specialist who told me that I may not be destined for motherhood at all. I had some serious ovulation problems where the egg was not being released properly into the uterus.

To say that I was depressed would be an understatement; fortunately for me, my husband was very supportive and we started looking at the various fertility procedures that would work for us.

My only solace was that I was not alone. An estimated 2 million couples have their hopes of parenthood dashed by infertility each year. Unfortunately, fertility initiatives are not the shining ray of hope that they are made out to be either. Most procedures are extremely invasive and can cost several thousand dollars. Sadly, these fertility measures are not guaranteed, so there may be many misses before you get a hit, if at all.

This held true for us as well, as a year later we had already tried various fertility drugs and even IVF with no success. Here’s a bit of free advice that I learnt the hard way: If as a woman, you are yearning to conceive your bundle of joy and are mulling over the prospect of artificial fertility methods, you need to understand that one of the reasons for the low success rate of these procedures is because they only address the symptoms. So, the treatment is incredibly superficial, only trying to eliminate the immediate problem without addressing the root cause of infertility.

By now I was getting pretty desperate, but I refused to give up hope that I would conceive. I set out trying to find a ‘cure’ for my ‘ailment’. I believed that there must be a way that I can conceive naturally without all of those horrible fertility drugs pumping through my body.

In my quest to get more information about infertility and what can be done about it, I stumbled on an eBook. At first glance, it seemed promising, so I reckoned that buying just one more book would not hurt. What I discovered in this eBook was pretty astounding: That Mother Nature has already come up with several natural remedies to treat various causes of infertility.

Do natural remedies actually work?

Read my complete review here: Lisa Olson Pregnancy Miracle Review

Women around the world of all ages have found reprieve in the form of natural methods that have helped them to overcome their infertility and have healthy babies. The best part is while these holistic approaches work to target the core issue, all of this is done gently on your body. It is crucial to understand that your body is designed to be in perfect balance and any factor that tips the scales can wreak havoc. So, where modern medicine fails to deliver, holistic and natural remedies often yield better results.

My personal experience

I found that the information given in this guide was incredibly realistic. There were no ‘out of this world’ promises, but the author had taken a genuine effort to understand the fertility issues of couples and had proposed several interesting remedial measures which I started incorporating one by one into my life.

So I would certainly recommend this product to every woman who is suffering from infertility and would like to have their child without submitting to traditional fertility treatments. The review section has the link to the product, check it out, for the information will do you no harm and it may just help you to achieve that elusive dream of motherhood.

Read my complete review here: Lisa Olson Pregnancy Miracle Review

Or go to Lisa Olson’s website here: Pregnancy Miracle Website

This strain and pressure can lead to a stressful lifestyle and is evident by having cold, sweaty hands or feet (especially when you are felling worried), tension headaches or migraines, difficulty breathing and even by grinding your teeth during sleep.

By keeping a record of your basal body temperature, you can easily diagnose whether your stress is impacting your chances of conceiving. A positive indication that your body is stressed out is having a basal body temperature that is inconsistent, and all over the place on your chart. This is also a symptom of hormone dysfunction.

Since we live in a Western world, our first response to not being able to fall pregnant is to visit a doctor for a prescription or treatment plan. However, if you are experiencing fertility issues brought on by stress, there is not much that a doctor can do to help you.

In addition, fertility specialists actually underestimate how much stress a woman has, and how that stress is affecting her ability to successfully conceive. Ironically, most prescriptions and treatment plans that are offered by doctors include a myriad of daily medications, nightly hormone injections, and are coupled with correct intercourse timing — all of which adds to the stress that a couple is already experiencing.

Sadly, we encounter stressful situations every day, such as in traffic jams, the demands of our work, and the burdens that our families can sometimes place on us. Such stressful situations do eventually add up and begin to weigh down upon a person’s body and mind. In spite of this, the human body has been designed in such a way as to actually have defense mechanisms in place to help protect the body from the consequences of too much stress. However, one such defense method is the prevention of pregnancy. If the body is too stressed, it will prohibit a pregnancy because a stressful body would not provide the right environment for a baby to grow. So it is for the baby’s and the mother’s own well being that the body prevents conception from occurring.

During times of stress, the adrenal glands become over stimulated and emit cortisol in an attempt to help the brain function better through the stress. Unfortunately, this has a harmful consequence of preventing adequate amounts of blood from flowing through the body into the uterus and ovaries. At the same time the body also releases a higher concentration of prolactin and adrenaline. This release of prolactin can actually prohibit conception, while the adrenaline will inhibit the correct use of progesterone in the body.

Therefore if you wish to conceive and carry a child to full term, it is vitally important for you to gain a handle on your stress so that it does not wreak havoc on your reproductive system and prevent conception from occurring. There are many stress-reduction techniques that you can learn such as medication and self-massage. Exercise programs such as Yoga and Tai Chi can help reduce the effects of stress on your mind and body so as to improve your chances of conception.

Primary Amenorrhea

Females that have not yet began their very first menstrual cycle by the time they are 16 years of age are considered to have primary amenorrhea. This is quite common amongst girls that are extremely athletic and sporty prior to the start of their first menstrual cycle. This is due to the fact that the bodies of these young athletic girls do not contain enough body fat to set off reproductive hormones like estrogen and other sex hormones, and because these necessary reproductive hormones have not been produced, their first menstrual cycle cannot commence.

Secondary Amenorrhea

Secondary amenorrhea usually occurs in women who have already had their first menstrual cycle but then their regular monthly cycle stops and becomes absent for a prolonged period of time. This type of amenorrhea affects roughly 5% of North American women and can lead to many different health issues, one of which is conception and pregnancy.

Most often, women who are experiencing secondary amenorrhea, also have hormone levels that are out of balance. If a woman’s body cannot regulate the right amount of the necessary sex hormones, then ovulation will not take place and so menstruation cannot be prompted.

A few of the more common reasons that a woman’s hormone levels will fluctuate include over exercising, stress, poor nutrition and weight loss or weight gain. Therefore eating properly, exercising enough and practicing stress reducing techniques can all help in regulating your hormone levels to encourage ovulation and amenorrhea.

However, there are a few uncontrollable medical conditions that can cause the changes in hormone levels, such as anorexia nervosa, bulimia, and purity gland disorders. If you find yourself battling with any of these unhealthy situations, you may also find yourself experiencing amenorrhea and having trouble falling pregnant.
Signs and Symptoms

Obviously the most common sign of amenorrhea is the lack of menstruation. Other symptoms include a decrease in libido or a lowered sex drive, decreased breast size or breast secretions, deepening of the voice and an increase in facial hair.

For some women, amenorrhea is an indication that they may have another underlying medical condition such as uterine fibroids or polycystic ovarian syndrome. Such conditions can hamper a woman’s chances of conception and pregnancy.

Treatment Options

Choosing the right treatment options for amenorrhea depends upon the underlying factors that are causing the amenorrhea in the first place.

Hormone supplements such as birth control pills, hormone replacement therapy and even the fertility drug, Clomid, can all be prescribed by a doctor to treat amenorrhea.

Holistically, you can implement a change in your diet to consume more fats, practice less strenuous exercises, and apply stress reduction techniques in order to help control your hormone levels. Such a change in lifestyle can be of great benefit to you both, both before conception and during pregnancy.

Prior to commencing any hormone therapies or alternative treatment programs, you should first consult with your family doctor. This is so they can rule out any other medical condition that could be causing the amenorrhea. After which you may want to consult with a naturopathic doctor or herbalist to discuss various herbal supplements that you can take to balance your hormones and bring back your menstrual cycle.

Women, who are older and are producing less quality eggs, often have higher levels of FSH than younger, more fertile, women. This is because an older woman’s body has to work harder to encourage pregnancy by stimulating follicular development in the ovaries. Although having high levels of FSH is not a problem within itself, it can be a cause of rather uncomfortable symptoms for a woman to experience and will most certainly hinder conception and pregnancy.

A woman does need sufficient amounts of FSH in their system in order to facilitate a pregnancy, but just not too much. Once a woman matures their body will slowly stop producing as many high quality eggs as they did in their younger years, and their body will compensate for this by artificially raising the woman’s estrogen levels. This, in turn, causes the pituitary gland to produce more FSH. Once this happens, conception is much harder to achieve.

Normalizing FSH Levels

There are not that many options in today’s Western medicine that are available to women who want to normalize their FSH levels to increase their chances of becoming pregnant; although Western medicine does use a woman’s levels of FSH to signify whether or not she would be a great recipient of in vitro fertilization. If it is found that a woman’s levels of FSH are much too high, then she is usually not considered to be a good candidate.

While not being able to normalize FSH levels, there are a few medications that can help in controlling the symptoms of high FSH, such as hot flashes. Such medications include contraceptive pill prescriptions and hormone replacement therapy. Keep in mind though that these prescriptions and therapies are designed only to relieve the symptoms of high FSH and, sadly, will not increase your chances of conceiving.
Treatment Options

There are a few options that you can utilize if you want to conceive but your FSH levels are too high, although Western medicine doesn’t offer them. There are many methods in Chinese medicine that help to balance a woman’s hormones gently and effectively, whilst naturally lowering FSH levels and boosting conception probability.

It is also recommend in Chinese medicine to balance a woman’s body naturally through the use of herbal supplements, acupressure, acupuncture and massage. Say for instance that there is a lack of adequate blood flow through your body and into your ovaries. Chinese medicine provides multiple avenues for correction, such as cutting back on your caffeine intake so as to restore proper kidney function, which can create a balance of hormones throughout your body, providing you with a greater sense of overall well being.

However, Chinese medicine is not just about herbs and eating lots of fresh vegetables; it is also about maintaining a healthy mind set as well. Techniques like Yoga, Qi Gong, Tai Chi and meditation are all complimentary practices that can help balance out a woman’s hormone levels and increase her chances of conceiving.

I’m not sure when I first realized that I was almost obsessing about it, but once I did, I stepped back from the process a little to analyze what I was doing.  Until that moment over a year had gone by of making notes, recording dates, and the inevitable monthly disappointed where I felt a failure because I was unable to get pregnant.   I checked I was eating the right things, including pre-natal supplements.  I started to exercise.   I checked there wasn’t any medical reason why I wasn’t conceiving.

Once I knew that I was too focused on getting pregnant, I had to learn not to stress about it.  I already knew from the books I read about how stress can be a major factor in failure to conceive, and since this was something I knew I was doing in abundance, it was one thing I could do to try and help my body conceive.  That’s not to say that I stopped thinking about it, or stopped recording dates, but I did start to find other things to do – I started cross stitching, joined a gym, and took long walks with my husband.  I don’t know if changing my focus and lifestyle was the reason why I fell pregnant, but given how stressed I had been prior to that “AHA” moment about obsessing about it, I’m sure it helped.

There’s plenty of time for stress once you become pregnant and have to deal with all the things that come along with that.  Use the time you’re trying to conceive constructively to build not only your relationship with your partner, but also to find something that you enjoy doing yourself and can continue to do after the baby is born.  As I discovered, once your doctor says there’s no reason why you aren’t getting pregnant, simply accepting the fact that babies come on their own timetable, and moving along with your life until your baby decides it’s time, can be the most successful trying to conceive tactic you can use.

Learn more about getting pregnant here.

Trying to conceive is emotionally hard.  It’s even harder when you know your chances are getting lower because you’re getting older and can feel your biological clock ticking louder each month.  You do what you think is right, but you don’t really feel in control of the process.  So when I found out that losing weight could help me get pregnant, I felt empowered!  Here was something I could do.  I could choose what I ate.  I could choose whether to reach for the cookie jar when I felt depressed about not being pregnant, or I could walk off the depression, along with the excess pounds.

I’ll be honest and say it wasn’t easy.  There were days, especially that first day of each period, where I just cried, felt a failure and yes, sometimes caved in to the cookies.  But for the most part the knowledge that losing weight would help get me pregnant was all the motivation I needed.  I changed my lifestyle around.  I learned what foods were going to help me, and what foods I had to avoid.  I started to replace cookies with carrot sticks and ice cream with blueberries.  I cut out all unnecessary fat and learned how to read nutrition labels on food products.

Did losing weight help me get pregnant?  Well I lost weight and I did get pregnant!  I can’t say for sure it was losing the pounds that did the trick, but what I can say is that by the time I did get pregnant my body was a much healthier environment for the baby to grow in.

If you are overweight, why not give it a try?  You’ve got nothing to lose put pounds, and if nothing else, your health will be improved and when you do get pregnant your body will be in a much better condition to nurture it!

Pregnancy takes its toll on your body.  It’s not just clothes sizes that increase as the months go by.  Your entire body will be carrying around a few additional pounds of baby and fluid that will continue to grow until the birth of the baby.  By starting a fitness routine prior to pregnancy you’ll get into the habit of working out and be more inclined to continue on throughout your pregnancy.   I was so tired during my first trimester of both of my pregnancies that if I hadn’t already established a fitness habit, there is no way I would have been able to find the motivation to start one once I became pregnant.

Prior to conceiving I found that an added benefit of exercise was that I was able to focus on something other than the fact I still wasn’t pregnant.  I had to think about my breathing.  This meant that my stress levels became lower because I was taking pressure off myself emotionally.

Once you become pregnant, you have to assess your established fitness routine and perhaps modify it to take account of the fact you shouldn’t overdo things, but unless the doctor tells you it should be avoided, exercise during pregnancy is good for you.  For me, it turned out to be a constant battle with my pregnancy health team because of the complications that evolved.  My Ob/Gyn put me on a very restricted lifestyle from week 9 of the pregnancy.  No lifting, no exercise, no sex, no overdoing things.  In week 14 when gestational diabetes was confirmed, the diabetes specialist wanted me to exercise in order to help maintain good blood sugar levels.  He became quite frustrated with my refusal to put the baby’s life at risk because the Ob/Gyn said no exercise whatsoever.  I trusted her and my instincts over the diabetes consultant, and despite insulin and no exercise, the baby was delivered safely with no blood sugar problems.

There were no problems during the pregnancy with my second baby – other than extreme fatigue.  I was anxious in case the same complications occurred and we didn’t know as I wasn’t being as closely monitored, but I was able to do some light exercise.  Every day I would take my first born out in his buggy and walk for a couple of miles.  Baby 2 weighed in at 10.5lb so it’s safe to say that my exercise level, especially with regard to resistance training, increased significantly after the birth!

What you have to remember is that even though fitness training is great for preparing your body for pregnancy and delivery, everything needs to be in moderation– especially during that tricky first trimester.  As long as your Ob/Gyn is happy there’s no reason why you shouldn’t take short gentle walks, find a yoga for pregnancy class, and regularly do some low impact exercises designed to help tone up those all important tummy muscles.

There is a powerful connection between your mind and your reproductive health. The part of your brain which regulates your reactions to stress also sends signals to your pituitary gland. The pituitary gland maintains the delicate balance of estrogen, progesterone and testosterone, the three most influential hormones for conception and carrying a pregnancy to term. The long and short of it is, if you’re stressed or depressed, your reproductive hormones may very well be out of balance. In men, this affects sperm count and motility. In women, ovulation may cease, or your egg may have difficulty implanting.

The good news is that addressing and resolving any turbulence in your emotional life can have a very positive effect on your fertility. A study by Beth-Deaconess University showed that the calming, emotional-block-dissolving effects of hypnosis doubled the rate of successful conception in IVF patients. Other studies into the link between hypnosis and fertility have shown that hypnosis unlocks genetic factors which are vital to conception, specifically the IL-1 gene and the CYP17 gene. According to one hypnosis clinic, Metta One in Chicago, this effect is due to the release of subconscious emotional blocks. Now that’s powerful testimony to the power of your mind!

To nurture the health of your mind, and thus, encourage hormonal balance and fertility, examine your life for ways in which you can reduce stress. Feeling calm, loved and supported are important factors in creating a healthy emotional state as well. Explore your community to find other people who have similar experiences, so that the next time you find yourself saying,”Help me have a baby,” you’ve got someone nearby who truly understands. Your church or clinic may have a group that meets for this, or you will find hundreds of friends in online chat rooms. Discover a calming activity such as yoga or meditation to diffuse any anxiety you might be carrying. Perhaps you need the help of a professional. Many mental health workers, such as social workers, counselors, hypnotherapists and psychologists specialize in women’s health and fertility issues. Getting the support your need to maintain optimal mental and emotional wellbeing is crucial to making a baby.

Change Your Diet to Nourish Your Fertile Potential

The subject of diet is vast, but two common factors will play a role in your ability to conceive. The first is excess weight, and the second is the chemical content of your food. Fat produces estrogen. An overabundance of estrogen interrupts your cycle, preventing successful conception and implantation of a fertilized egg. If you are carrying excess fat, especially if you are more than 30 pounds overweight, making an effort to pare down to a healthier size can do much to restore hormonal balance.

Next, check your food for purity. Many processed foods and foods are contaminated with endocrine (hormone) disruptors. Specifically, avoid foods that are stored in plastic, produce that has been sprayed with pesticides, fish, and meat from animals who were given hormones to accelerate growth contain.Choose organic foods, especially meats. Store your food in glass containers, and never heat food in plastic as the heat causes chemicals to leech into your food.

Uterine Massage or Chiropractic

Sometimes, fertility challenges are a result of structural anomalies. Past injuries or genetics may have caused your uterus to shift into a position which impedes healthy implantation of fertilized eggs. In some cases, internal scars known as “adhesions” may be obstructing the passage of your eggs through fallopian tubes. For this reason, many holistic fertility centers now offer uterine massage. This is a deep form of massage that loosens the tissue in the low abdomen. Practitioners say that this helps to bring the uterus back into a favorable position for pregnancy. When the uterus is in an unfavorable position due to tilted pelvis, similar benefits can be found through a skillful chiropractor.

No matter which combination of natural measures you choose to enhance your fertility, you will feel empowered by taking action for yourself.

Which Herbs and Supplements Can Help Me Get Pregnant?

Fertility enhancing herbs should focus on encouraging healthy circulation to the reproductive organs while encouraging balance in the endocrine (hormone) system. Many of the best herbs are adaptogenic, meaning that they adapt to the user, strengthening the systems of women whose body may be weak, and subduing those of women suffering from some form of excess or overactivity. Great adaptogenic herbs used to enhance fertility include:

Fertility Booster #1: Maca
Maca is a Peruvian plant used for thousands of years to enhance libido and balance reproductive hormones. Research indicates that it exerts helpful action on the hypothalamus-pituitary axis. While it is used most commonly by women, maca has also demonstrated ability to increase sperm count in men, making it the ultimate unisex fertility aid.

Fertility Booster #2: Don Quai
Don Quai has been used in Chinese medicine for several centuries. Study into its therapeutic effects show that is is an adaptogenic herb, balancing levels of progesterone and estrogen.

Will Eating Certain Foods Enhance My Fertility?

Researchers from Harvard University have found foods to be an important determining factor in who gets pregnant and who doesn’t. In a study of nurses who were trying to get pregnant, foods that were high in folic acid (vitamin B9) and iron contributed to a higher rate of fertility. Iron had to come from fruit and vegetable sources, not meat. Also, healthy intake of fats had a positive effect on ovulation whereas transfats were shown to be exceedingly detrimental to pregnancy.

Fertility Booster #3: Leafy Green Vegetables

Leafy greens like spinach, arugula, and asparagus are all rich in folic acid and other B vitamins. Spinach is also loaded with iron

Fertility Booster #4: Legumes
It’s no coincidence that the shapes of legumes resemble little embryos. Legumes are fertility powerhouses, offering a nutritional profile that is rich in iron, folic acid, and protein.

Is There a Right Way to Exercise When I’m Trying to Conceive?

Exercising is one of the most beneficial habits you can adopt as you try to get pregnant. Fertility experts agree that maintaining a healthy weight is the single most helpful thing you can do to increase your odds of getting pregnant. Avoid exercises that require sustained impact, such as long distance runs, in favor of gentler activities.

Fertility Booster #5: Yoga

Yoga is the ideal workout for increasing fertility. Its relaxing qualities have a beneficial effect on the hypothalamus-pituitary axis, and can be extremely helpful in relieving stress from medical fertility procedures. The hip opening stretches serve to loosen the pelvic area and tone the muscles you’ll use during childbirth. One pose, called “pulling down the moon,” involves laying on your back with both legs extended straight into the air. This position, especially when done with hips supported and slightly raised on pillows, can be particularly helpful after sex, facilitating the passage of sperm into the uterus.

Adopting just three or four of these fertility boosters may make the difference between infertility and a healthy pregnancy.