Sunday 21 August 2011

What you need to ask your Fertility Doctor

Amanda Waaldyk will be running an information afternoon on Saturday 17th September from 12 - 2pm about what you need to ask your Fertility Doctor. The talk will cover the "essential tests" you need to get from your Fertility Doctor.  This is for patients new to IVF or for those who have had failed IVF cycles.
Bookings are essential. Please call the clinic on 9510 3700 to secure your place.

Wednesday 17 August 2011

The Advantages of Acupuncture during IVF treatment and Natural Fertility

Acupuncture works in the following ways:

1. Acupuncture can increase blood flow to the reproductive organs, which dramatically improves a woman’s response to hormonal therapy.

2. Acupuncture has been shown to regulate hormone levels by moderating the release of beta endorphins levels in the brain, which improves the release of gonadotrophin releasing hormone by the hypothalamus, follicle stimulating hormone from the pituitary gland and oestrogen and progesterone levels from the ovary.

3. Acupuncture reduces stress and a hyperactive sympathetic nervous system response.

4. Acupuncture has been speculated to moderate cyclooxygenase and prostaglandin levels in the uterus, reducing uterine motility to improve implantation rates.

5. Herbs nourish the blood, whilst acupuncture moves qi, which facilitates the movement of blood. It has been claimed that some herbal formulas produce high clinical pregnancy rates as well as improve the general wellbeing of patients.

The following descriptions below will describe how acupuncture can integrate with Western Medicine. Each point is directly linked to the points above.

1. There needs to be adequate blood flow to the developing ovarian follicle. This is essential to the initiation and maintenance of normal human pregnancy. Doppler ultrasound evaluation of uterine and ovarian blood flow has demonstrated that improved blood flow in either vascular system is associated with improved fertility outcomes. Women who respond poorly to ovarian stimulation for IVF have compromised blood flow to their ovarian follicles.

2. There are 4 phases in the menstrual cycle. During each phases various hormones are released. The most common cause of infertility is hormonal imbalance.
3. From a Western Medicine perspective, people who are under stress release the hormone cortisol in the brain. Cortisol alters the brain’s neurochemical balance thus changing hormone levels and disrupting the pituitary balance, which is the key to the reproductive cycle. Because of this delicate balance between the hypothalamus, pituitary and reproductive glands, stress is capable of preventing a woman from ovulating entirely.

4. For IVF transfers and implantations the endometrium needs to be of particular
density and thickness for successful implantations and fertilization. The uterus therefore needs to be in a relaxed state.

5. The menses is based on the condition of the blood.

If you would like to know more you can read the clinic study on the "impact of acupuncture on in vitro fertilization outcome". Click the following link or paste:

http://www.eufom.com/Articles/acupuncture%20&%20IVF2.pdf

Wednesday 10 August 2011

Did you Know?

Did you know the difference between female and male fertility? The Wall Street Journal published some very interesting research recently, which suggests that although women are born with a limited reserve of eggs, the female egg contains original genetic component, as she ages, that was created at the very start of a woman's life. Male sperm, on the other hand, whilst in abundance, runs the risk of genetic error because it is continually renewed as the man ages.