IVF Two Week Wait Survival Guide

For those travelling the long, difficult road of IVF, two week wait signals the end of the journey. The two week wait is the final leg of the cycle – the period of time where you do nothing but wait for news about whether you are pregnant or not. One would think that the two week wait would be a great respite to the flurry of activity during IVF, but this part of the cycle is one of the most nerve-wrecking and frustrating. Each day, you monitor your body for possible signs of pregnancy or menstruation. You are anxious for news but you cannot take an early pregnancy test because the results might be inaccurate. How can you survive this emotional rollercoaster of hope and fear? Our survival guide to the two week wait can give you some ideas.

Gather your support team together

It’s important to be picky about who you talk to about your IVF. During the two week wait, you need people who will understand what you are going through and who will provide comfort, not people who will judge you or be insensitive to your feelings. Get your support team together and ask if they can be present when you finally get your cycle results. Plan coffee dates with friends who will understand and listen to you talk about your feelings. Find ways to surround yourself with supportive friends and family so that you do not despair alone.

Have a back-up plan to in vitro fertilization

We all want this cycle to be the one that will finally get us pregnant, but it’s best to prepare the worst and create a back-up plan. A negative result will be devastating but with a back-up plan in place, it won’t take long before you recover and take charge of your fertility once more.

Appeal to a higher power

Your doctor did everything humanly possible to create a life inside you. All this time, you’ve been taking good care of yourself, eating well, and following your doctor’s instructions to the letter. Now that the IVF is over, everything is out of your hands. There has never been a better time to turn to your spiritual side and appeal to a high power. Even if you don’t go to church or believe in organized religion, try asking help from a power beyond yourself. At the very least, this will provide you with some comfort.

Meditate/visualize

Consider learning a meditation practice to help you manage your anxieties better. Just a few quiet minutes of meditation a day can improve the health of your mind-body connection, reduce stress, and helps you get away from negative thinking. Take deep, regular breaths and make positive words like “pregnancy” or “happiness” your mantra. You can also try a meditation trick called visualization, where you imagine the embryos attaching themselves onto the womb and growing into a healthy baby.

Do yoga or qigong to relieve stress

Staying active is a great way to keep your mind off the two week wait. Not only will exercise keep you in great shape, but it also stimulates the release of endorphins, which improve how your body copes with stress and pain. Consider enrolling in a yoga class or qigong – both provide a great workout without letting you overexert yourself.

Plan a non-baby related project

Another way to take your mind off your anxieties is to immerse yourself in a non-baby related project. It can be any project – a new hobby, an old hobby you never had time for, or major household chores that you never got around to doing. The most important part is that this project keeps you from dwelling on your cycle results. You’ll feel good about being so productive too!

Relax

Research shows that women who experience less stress have an easier time getting pregnant. Worrying about the outcome of your IVF certainly won’t help improve your fertility! Before the two week wait, create a relaxation kit filled with soothing music, essential oils for aromatherapy, and refreshing bubble bath bombs. You can also go shopping or fly to a weekend at a beach, if this falls under your definition of “relaxation.” Indulge yourself – you deserve good things after everything you’ve been through!

Stay away from stress

Stress is an inevitable part of life, but some sources of stress can be avoided. During the next two weeks, stay away from people who do nothing but trigger negative emotions – block his or her calls if you have to. Avoid situations that normally stress you out. If it is possible, use up your vacation leaves or sick leaves and temporarily escape the frenetic pace of work.

Stay connected and loving with your partner

Your partner will be the best source of emotional support during the two week wait. Don’t shut him out; stay connected with him and be open about your feelings, thoughts, and fears. Tell your partner what you need and make decisions about how you want to hear the news. Or ask him for help on keeping you distracted so that time flies by faster.

Take care of your health and eat well

Just because you may be pregnant now, it doesn’t mean you should stop taking care of yourself! A healthy baby needs a healthy mother, so make sure you keep up your fertility regimen well into your pregnancy. Eat well and take supplements to make up for lost nutrients. Avoid cigarette smoke and alcohol. Prepare meals filled with fertility-boosting foods. Don’t forget to take care of your emotional health too. It might help to see a counselor if you cannot cope with the feelings churning within you.

Getting Pregnant With IVF 101

For couples who need help getting pregnant, IVF is one of the most popular ways of overcoming infertility. Every year, thousands of women have become delighted mothers through the help of this procedure. While IVF can dramatically increase the odds of conceiving, it does not always work for everyone nor will pregnancy necessarily happen during your first try. IVF is also expensive and falls beyond the scope of most insurance plans. This is why you need to educate yourself and learn as much as you can about IVF before making the final decision. This article will help you gain a better understanding of the IVF procedure, including the costs involved and how IVF itself is performed.

What is IVF

IVF is the acronym for in vitro fertilization. In vitro is the Latin phrase for “within the glass”, which gives us a good picture of what the procedure involves. During IVF, the union of the sperm and egg takes place in a glass (or plastic) dish in a laboratory. The resulting embryo is cultured for a few days and transferred into the woman’s uterus, where it will hopefully implant and grow into a healthy baby. To increase the chances of pregnancy, you can choose to take fertility drugs designed to stimulate the maturation and release of more than one egg. This allows the endocrinologist to create several embryos. The more eggs produced, the higher the chances of conceiving – not all eggs become embryos, and not all embryos become babies.

While your embryos are being cultured in a controlled laboratory environment, you can opt for a number of techniques to improve the health of your embryos. One of these techniques is called assisted hatching. Assisted hatching breaks the outer layer of the egg to make it easier for the embryo to implant itself onto the uterus. You may also avail of an optional procedure called preimplantation genetic diagnosis, a genetic test that allows the endocrinologist to transfer the healthiest embryos. Not only does this greatly help to increase the chances you will have a healthy child, but it also increases the chances of conceiving; most early miscarriages after IVF are due to chromosomal abnormalities within the embryo.

Why people get IVF

There are many types of assisted reproductive technologies (ART), but IVF is the most widely-used because it surpasses a wide range of infertility problems. IVF can help:

Women with blocked or damaged fallopian tubes. Any damage to the fallopian tubes can prevent pregnancy because the egg cannot be fertilized or the embryo cannot travel to the uterus. Unlike other forms of ART, which require at least one normal fallopian tube, IVF can help women get pregnant despite tubal blockage or damage.
Women with polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), a condition where the ovarian follicles containing an egg become fluid-filled sacs (cysts) instead of releasing the egg.
Women with severe endometriosis, a condition where the tissue that lines the uterus grows in the ovaries or fallopian tubes.
Men who have problems with sperm count, motility, or function, which keeps the sperm from fertilizing the egg on its own.
Couples with unexplained infertility, especially when other forms of assisted reproductive technologies did not succeed.

Although IVF can get past these roadblocks to pregnancy, try not to think of the procedure as a magic bullet that will get you pregnant. The success rates of IVF vary according to age, infertility problems experienced, the number of embryos transferred, and the number of cycles. Your doctor should be able to tell you if you are a good candidate for IVF.

IVF step-by-step

The IVF journey begins with looking for the right IVF center. There are numerous IVF clinics across the country and around the world – contact several clinics and see if they have an orientation meeting you can attend. The orientation meeting will allow you to view the clinic’s facilities, rates, and the IVF process. You will probably be informed about the clinic’s success rates, but try to look beyond this when you make your decision. As mentioned earlier, success rates depend on a number of factors; it is not necessarily a reflection of how your IVF cycle will turn out.

Once you have made the commitment to do IVF, your cycle will begin shortly. Here is what you can expect out of a typical IVF cycle.

Ovarian stimulation

In order to increase the chances of pregnancy, most women take fertility drugs to trigger the production of several follicles and eggs. Without these fertility drugs, the ovaries will only release one mature egg for retrieval, which may not be enough to get you pregnant.

The first fertility drug you will take is called Lupron, which shuts down the pituitary gland and prevents it from releasing mature eggs too early. After about a week of Lupron, you will start taking fertility drugs with the follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and the luteinizing hormone (LH). This triggers the maturation of several follicles.

Most first-time IVF patients are unaware that fertility drugs are self-administered injections. Don’t worry, the nurse at your IVF center will demonstrate how to do the shots. If the thought of poking yourself with a needle frightens you, you can always ask your partner to deliver the shots.

Ultrasound

All in all, the ovarian stimulation phase lasts about two weeks. Once you start taking the FSH injections, you will come to the center every 1-3 days for ultrasounds and some blood work. This is done to monitor the growth of the follicles in your ovaries. You need to get at least three mature follicles in order to move on to the egg retrieval phase. If the doctor detects fewer follicles than this, the cycle may be cancelled.

As soon as the follicles have reached a certain size, you will administer the trigger shot containing the human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). The hCG shot is designed to mimic the LH surge that triggers ovulation. Your doctor will let you know when to take the hCG shot. In 36 hours, you will return to the clinic for egg retrieval.

Egg retrieval

The egg retrieval is an outpatient surgical procedure done under anesthesia. Using a transvaginal ultrasound and a special needle, the doctor will locate the mature eggs and extract them. The procedure will take less than thirty minutes, but you will have no memory of it – the anesthesia will put you to sleep. In about an hour, you will wake up at a recovery room, still groggy from the drugs. You should not feel any pain after the retrieval, but it’s normal to experience minor cramps similar to menstrual cramps. After giving you a quick examination, your doctor will give you some medications to prevent infections and to stimulate the growth of the uterine lining.

Sperm collection

While the egg retrieval is taking place, your partner will be in another room, providing a sperm sample. The sample is then taken to the lab and “washed” to isolate healthy sperm cells from dead cells, white blood cells, and other impurities. This provides your doctor with the highest concentration of quality sperm for healthy embryos.

Fertilization

The fertilization of the eggs will take place by the time you and your partner are resting at home. Like the sperm, the retrieved eggs are washed to get rid of the follicular fluid; this allows the technician to examine their maturity and determine the time of fertilization. Generally, eggs are incubated for two to six hours after the retrieval. Once they are ready, the eggs are combined with the sperm in a dish with a special culture medium. The dish is returned to the incubator so the eggs may be left undisturbed. Over the span of 2-6 days, the embryologist will confirm fertilization and monitor the growth of the embryos.

Implantation

Generally, embryos are transferred three or five days after fertilization. The implantation procedure is quick and painless – a catheter containing the embryos will be inserted through the vagina and cervix until the mouth is positioned at the center of the uterus. The catheter is squeezed, and the embryos fall into the uterus. You may take it easy for the next couple of days, but you don’t have to stay bedridden – the embryos aren’t going to fall off!

Two week wait

Many couples say that the hardest part of IVF is the two week wait. It takes about a week before an embryo implants itself and for the body to release the hCG hormone, which is what pregnancy tests measure. The uncertainty might be frustrating but try not to take an early pregnancy test; you may receive an inaccurate result. Just take it easy and engage in activities that will distract you from the wait. Make sure you continue to take the drugs that will thicken your uterine lining.

Pregnancy test

At last, the moment of truth. On the 12^th or 14^th day after the transfer, you will come to the clinic to take a pregnancy test.

IVF cost

While a baby is a priceless blessing, there’s no denying the fact that IVF is a costly procedure. The cost of IVF varies from clinic to clinic, but you can expect to pay around $12,000 per cycle. Don’t be discouraged by the high price tag – there are plenty of ways to get IVF cheaper.

Find out how to greatly improve your chances with The Full Embrace IVF Success Program now.

How To Reverse Your Biological Clock

Is it possible for a woman to reverse her biological clock, and “renew” her eggs? Promising new research suggests that it is very possible.

For many years it has been accepted as common knowledge among the medical community that a woman is born with all the eggs she will have in her lifetime. We have been told that while starting out with over 300,000 eggs at birth, the number of eggs decline rapidly until menopause, which signals the end of our reproductive years. And this long held notion has offered slim hope to women in their late 30’s or 40’s who have been told they are “running out of eggs” and worse yet, the eggs they have left are rapidly decreasing in quality.

But a new study co-led by Dr. Jonathan Tilly, associate professor of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology at Massachusetts General Hospital, published recently in the journal Nature suggests that this long held belief could be all wrong.

In their study involving mice, they discovered that ovaries are constantly replenishing their supply of tiny eggs. Constantly! So, what does a study on mice have to do with you? Does this hold any indication that a woman’s ovarian reserve is also continually renewing itself? Well, according to Dr. Tilly, in his own words, “At this point I think it is unimaginable that this does not happen in humans.”

Eastern medical philosophy has for thousands of years supported the view that in fact a woman’s fertility has the capacity to be replenished from within – naturally. Ladies, I have great news for you – many of the Western-based beliefs about the unalterable effects of age on egg quality need to be tossed out! And it is the freedom from the beliefs about what we can’t do that can help us realize our full potential to reproduce naturally and easily – even into our forties. In the words of Deepak Chopra…

“The possibility of stepping into a higher plane is quite real for everyone. It requires no force or effort or sacrifice. It involves little more than changing our ideas about what is normal.”

The Supporting Evidence Keeps Pouring In

New studies continually arrive that support the view – in agreement with Eastern wisdom – that the reproductive system has a vast capability to be renewed, holistically, from within. Here are just a few examples:

A study published at the Reproductive Medicine and Fertility Center in Colorado Springs in the journal Fertility and Sterility involving 147 patients revealed that when treatments of Traditional Chinese Medicine were applied “in patients with poor prognoses (elevated Peak FSH, longer history of infertility, poor sperm morphology) [they] can achieve similar pregnancy rates to normal prognosis patients.”

Case studies at the Zhai Fertility Treatment clinic of London have demonstrated that applying Traditional Chinese Medicine can affect the reproductive system such that abnormally high levels of FSH drop to normal levels. Patients who were scheduled for IVF treatments changed their plans after taking part in the Eastern practices – practices that allowed them to conceive naturally.

R.G. Godsen and C.E. Finch, in Definition & Character of Reproductive Aging & Senescence, state, “Dietary and endocrine manipulations can also slow the pace of ovarian aging.”

There is a study published in Biology of Reproduction, by J. F. Nelson, R. G. Gosden and L. S. Felicio in coordination with McGill University in Quebec and the Department of Physiology at the University Medical School in Edinburgh which reveals that feeding a special diet to rodents significantly reduced ovarian follicle disappearance.

A study at Harvard Medical School found that women who attended a mind/body fertility retreat doubled their conception rate, compared to a control group.

Another Harvard study found that women drastically increased their conception rates by changing to a diet optimal for fertility.

Quoting a well known Oriental Medicine expert, “Two specific areas are affected by the aging of a woman’s reproductive systems; the kidney and the spleen. Treat these… and you can often turn back the clock and restore higher levels of fertility.”

Maybe you are thinking, well, maybe some women can improve their fertility – but not me. It’s in my genes – I can’t change those. Hold on. The next bit of information is for you. Studies have revealed a five year difference in the onset of menopause in identical twins. Five years. And they found this five year difference in 20% of the twins they tested. Scientists have further determined that environmental factors – diet, activity, etc. – have a significant impact on ovarian age.

The impact of this information cannot be underestimated. What we choose to eat, what we drink, the healing treatments in which we engage, our activities, our rest, even the air we breathe all play a significant role in our reproductive age. For all of us. We have choice. There is still time…

Opportunity: The 90 Day Window of Egg Development

It takes about 90 days for a follicle (which holds your egg) to be awakened from its resting state in your ovary and go through the process of growth and development that ultimately results in an ovulated egg. And during that time the follicle relates with nutrients, oxygen, hormones, blood – an entire mini-lifetime of interaction with the rest of your body.

And this is the time of greatest opportunity. During this 90 day time period, you have a window where you can take incredible control over nurturing the quality of your eggs, and turning back the hands of time…

How to Reverse the Biological Clock?

You can learn specific techniques of Eastern and Alternative Medicine, nutrition and activity to optimize fertility and turn back the hands of time for IVF success. These techniques couldn’t possibly fit in this single article. But they are all available, with step-by-step guidance that is clear and easy to understand.

In the comfort of your own home, you can learn the secrets to getting pregnant on a single IVF cycle. There is no time to waste when preparing for IVF. Download your program and get started immediately:

How To Get IVF For Less Than Half Price

How would you like to pay only $3,200 dollars for an IVF procedure? How about saving 50% – 75% on IVF costs? That could mean up to $12,000 dollars, or more, in savings.

No, I’m not talking about IVF abroad. I’m talking about right in your top-rated, local clinics and hospitals. Yes, it is possible – sound interesting?

The innovative “Mini-IVF”

Fortunately for many potential patients who struggle to find a way to pay for IVF treatments that can easily reach $10,000-$15,000 per cycle, there is now a less expensive and less invasive way for couples to see if IVF might be the answer – without breaking the bank.

It’s called Minimal Stimulation IVF (MS IVF). There are a few reasons that the IVF rates are much lower with this type of treatment, and recent studies on the effectiveness of this procedure show that it is very promising for couples struggling with infertility.

How it Works

MS IVF uses less drugs and hormone treatments than traditional IVF. During traditional IVF, women are usually given frequent, large doses of injected hormone medications that help their bodies to release more eggs more quickly; in the view of those who primarily use traditional IVF, the more eggs a woman produces, the better. Because traditional IVF uses very expensive drugs and takes lots of monitoring from the fertility clinic – which results in costly lab tests and doctor’s office visits – the cost of a single cycle of traditional IVF can be upwards of $10,000-$15,000.

MS IVF, on the other hand, uses very few drugs at all. Unlike natural cycle IVF, which uses no drugs, MS IVF does involve some drugs, but they are usually taken orally and in much lower doses than the traditional IVF. While typically producing only one or two mature eggs for in vitro fertilization, as compared with ten or more eggs with standard IVF processes, women often pleasantly report much more mild side effects as a result of the reduced drug regimen.

MS IVF procedures begin with women taking clomiphene citrate, a common fertility drug, for a month before the eggs are harvested; women who take this drug will usually have one or two eggs that can be fertilized at a time. Another type of MS IVF uses injected drugs, mainly GnRH-A stimulators similar to those used during the traditional procedure, but it only uses a single injection of the drug right before natural ovulation.

How Well it Works

Other than the lack of drug-induced follicle stimulation, MS IVF works just like traditional IVF. The eggs are harvested, fertilized in-vitro, and then injected into a woman’s body where they will hopefully develop into healthy, full-term pregnancies. However, because women undergoing MS IVF normally produce fewer eggs, the success rates of the procedure are lower for women over the age of 35. A study published in OB/GYN News showed a success rate of about 33% with the low-dose GnRH-A approach.

How Much it Costs

A round of MS IVF costs between $3,200 and $4,700, depending on which types of drugs are used. That’s a remarkable savings as compared to the cost of a traditional IVF cycle, which averages about $12,400.

The average cost for a live birth through traditional IVF is about $35,000, but the live birth costs for MS IVF are much lower, coming in at about $18,500.

As you can see, you can save quite a bit of money if you use MS IVF instead of traditional IVF. MS IVF makes in-vitro fertilization much more accessible for most people. You can get three cycles of MS IVF for less than the cost of one cycle of traditional IVF!

Want More IVF Cost Savings Secrets?

MS IVF is just one of ten ways to get an inexpensive IVF that is completely explored in IVF Cost Saving Secrets – a bonus eBook that comes for free with The Full Embrace IVF Success Program.

IVF Cost Savings Secrets gives complete details about many other ways you can save thousands of dollars on IVF, including nine ways that a woman of any age can get IVF for 75-85% less than what it normally costs, and in some cases almost for free!

IVF is expensive but it is our philosophy at The IVF Success Program that IVF should be available to whoever wants it. That is why we are offering this valuable eBook on IVF Cost Savings Secrets completely free when you download your copy of The Full Embrace™ IVF Success Program.

Use the IVF Cost Saving Secrets to save yourself thousands $$$ of dollars on your IVF!

Get your free copy of IVF Cost Savings Secrets by downloading The Full Embrace™ IVF Success Program now:

Help With Endometriosis And IVF

There is a new alternative therapy that boosts chances of success with IVF, and is especially helpful for women who are suffering from endometriosis. The Wurn Technique (patent pending) is a new and revolutionary manual physical therapy that has helped women succeed with pregnancy through IVF by as much as 67 percent, when used before an IVF transfer.

Developed by American couple Larry and Belinda Wurn, this new technique gives you the feeling of deep massage while it helps reverse female infertility.

How the Wurn Technique Improves IVF success

The Wurns developed their unique therapy technique 20 years ago after Belinda developed cervical cancer that left her organs and pelvic tissues adhered in a condition called frozen pelvis. In this condition, adhered tissues act like a strong glue and can impair organic functions. Endometriosis can also bind adjacent tissues on or within any of your reproductive parts, often resulting in female infertility.

Most medical experts would turn to surgery to try and correct adhesions. But instead of pursuing this option, the Wurns decided to find other possible treatments.

Armed with post-graduate knowledge of advanced manual physical therapy, the couple began using the techniques they learned in class on Belinda, basing them on the tissue adhesion principle. In time, pain from her pelvic condition began to decrease and disappear.

Success Overcoming Infertility with IVF Combined with the Wurn Technique

Today, Larry and Belinda continue to help and give new hope to women suffering from infertility for different reasons. A study that came out in a 2004 issue of the Med Gen Med (now The Medscape Journal of Medicine), said 71 women who previously failed their IVF attempts twice or more succeeded in their latest IVF attempt with the help of the Wurn Technique. Of these 71 women, 50 were reported to have successfully given birth.

In terms of sexual reproduction, this revolutionary therapy helps your muscles to relax and loosen up from adhesions. The absence of blockages or adhesions thus allows the normal travel of the sperm within your reproductive region.

Other practical benefits reported in the study include decreased spasms and higher FSH levels. Women with cervicalstenosis or fibrosis (stiffness) also tried the technique and reported positive improvements. Their IVF transfer became easier and their implantation rates went up, as well.

Want to Know More Secrets to Greatly Improve Chances of IVF Success?

Then we have just what you are looking for! Proper preparation for IVF can transform a couple from being in a camp with a low chance of success to one where their likelihood of IVF success is very high. Here is just a sampling of secrets you can learn about how to have a successful IVF in The Full Embrace™ IVF Success Program eBook:

Here is just a sampling of what you can learn about ways to get into the camp whose likelihood of IVF success is very high…

(From Chapter 1) An easy treatment for a condition that often goes undetected that can make implantation nearly impossible. A study published in the professional journal Human Reproduction showed that after this treatment women:

Got pregnant at about twice the rate of those who did not.

(From Chapter 2) A lifestyle change the British Medical Association reported that when altered helps women:

Conceive twice as fast.

(From Chapter 2) Another lifestyle change that Harvard University’s Department of Epidemiology discovered:

Reduces the risk of endometriosis by 50%

(From Chapter 4) A certain very common thing many people do that was reported in a study by John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health that when stopped:

Makes chances of pregnancy 3 times more likely.

(From Chapter 5) According to a study by fertility experts at the University of California San Diego, a common condition not often associated with fertility, that when corrected

Increases a female’s chances of conceiving by 93%.

(From Chapter 5) An extremely easy practice you can do yourself at home that was reported at a conference of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology which proved to:

Increase the success rate of IVF by almost twice that of those who didn’t do the practice.

(From Chapter 6) Complete instructions to a practice from Eastern medicine you can easily do yourself at home which the scientific journal Fertility and Sterility published studies proving those who did this practice with IVF cycles had:

Increased pregnancy rate as opposed to the group who only received a placebo.

(From Chapter 7) According to a paper presented at the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, a certain practice explained that was found to:

Reduce miscarriage in IVF pregnancies.

(From Chapter 7) An easy practice you can do yourself at home that according to studies at Beth Israel Hospital has been shown to:

Increase pregnancy rates in women who have been trying to conceive for years.

(From Chapter 7) An amazing and little known natural therapy that was reported in the Medscape Journal of Medicine to:

Dramatically increases pregnancy rates of IVF in women who have never been able to conceive before.

(From Chapter 10) A study published in the Journal of Reproductive Medicine found a certain wonder herb to:

Increase sperm quality by 38% and sperm function by 19% in a short period of time.

(From Chapter 10) Studies at Harvard University have found certain supplements:

Increase ovulatory function in women by 59%.

(From Chapter 10) A certain herb that doctors have found to be especially helpful in:

Improving the chance of a fertilized egg’s successful implantation onto the uterine lining.

And a whole lot more!

As you can see, all of these studies have revealed practices that you can do that dramatically increase chances of IVF success! You can be fully empowered and understand completely how to beat the odds by learning how to do these practices yourself in The Full Embrace™ IVF Success Program!

Download your copy today and get started immediately:

For IVF Success – Super Charge Male Fertility!

In couples with infertility problems, one-third of the time the problem originates from the man, one-third of the time it comes from the woman, and the remaining one-third is a combination of the two. Yes, male fertility issues factor in nearly half of the couples seeking help! C’mon guys, give your fertility a boost!

Fortunately there are natural herbs that can help super-charge a man’s fertility. These are herbs that can increase male fertility by providing the nutrients and by positively affecting qi (life energy) in ways that are often times in need of nurturing and healing for healthy and plentiful sperm production to take place. Consider taking these herbs leading up to your IVF to improve your chance of success. And as always, remember to check with your doctor first.

Pycnogenol

This odd-named extract (pronounced pic-noj-en-all) of the French maritime pine tree has numerous benefits on health, but the latest research from the West Essex Center for Advanced Reproductive Technology shows that pycnogenol can also benefit male fertility. Pycnogenol contains bioflavonoids and natural antioxidants that enhance sperm health.

The October 2002 issue of the Journal of Reproductive Medicine documents a study where sub-fertile men had improved sperm quality by 38% and function by 19% after consuming pycnogenol. The study recommends taking 100mg – 200mg pycnogenol supplements for best results. Pycnogenol can be found in most health food stores.

Ginseng

The ginsenosides found in Asian ginseng are known to strengthen the immune system and studies done in China conclude that this herb can also counter impotence and low sperm count. Consuming 100-200mg of ginseng a day can cause a significant increase in sperm count, sperm motility, and testosterone levels within 12 weeks, or less. Asian ginseng root can be brewed into a pungent tea or consumed in capsules.

Asparagus root

Asparagus root is rich in folic acid, which regulates hormones and improves the overall health of the male reproductive system. Two other ingredients called furostanol glycocides and spirostanol improve male fertility by increasing sperm count. As an added bonus, Ayurvedic medicine also considers asparagus root as an aphrodisiac for its reported benefits to the male sex drive.

Want to Know More About Herbs and Supplements to Boost IVF Chances of Success?

You can get all those details in The Full Embrace™ IVF Success Program eBook!

Here is just a sampling of what is included:

* Studies at Harvard University have found certain supplements that increase ovulatory function in women by 59%.

* The best herbs to treat many conditions of infertility such as PCOS, endometriosis, multiple miscarriages, unexplained infertility, and hormonal problems to prepare the body to by primed for a successful outcome with IVF.

* A certain supplement studies at Harvard University have found to assist in embryo survival.

* A certain supplement studies have shown women with PCOS really need to take to help sustain a pregnancy and lower the risk of premature birth.

* A certain supplement that has been shown to significantly increase sperm quality in cases of male factor infertility from unknown causes, according to a study published in the journal Fertility and Sterility.

* Herbs and supplements that must be avoided by both men and women that could stop you from conceiving with IVF – some of these might surprise you.

* A certain supplement that studies published in the journal Human Reproduction found increased IVF pregnancy among women with problematic uterine and follicular Doppler flow.

* A certain supplement that is especially crucial for those in their late 30s or 40s going through IVF.

* Two key supplements that when combined together, significantly reduced male infertility, according to a study from The University of Rome.

* A certain herb that doctors have found to be especially helpful in improving the chance of a fertilized egg’s successful implantation onto the uterine lining.

* And much, much more!

Download your copy today and get on the road to IVF Success:

Danger – Foods That Might Threaten Your IVF Cycle Success

Eating the right foods is essential to fertility, but these won’t do any good if you keep on eating foods that damage your chances of pregnancy. Conceiving is a delicate process; even through the help of IVF, your body needs to be in an optimal state for your best chance of conception. It’s so easy for the wrong foods to disrupt the reproductive process and prevent proper follicle development or embryo implantation. By avoiding these foods, you can boost the fertility of yourself and your partner and increase your own chances of a healthy pregnancy too.

Sugar and Refined Carbohydrates

Sugar and refined carbohydrates are a big no-no for your IVF, especially if you are suffering from polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). According to the Nurses’ Health Study out of Harvard University, the largest study ever conducted on nutrition and female fertility, women who eat more refined sugar are more likely to suffer from fertility problems. Our body’s glucose levels rise whenever we eat refined carbohydrates or sugar. As the glucose levels rise, the body produces the hormone insulin so the cells can use glucose for energy. Foods with a low glycemic index allow the body to go through the glucose slowly, but refined sugar (foods with high glycemic index) causes the blood glucose levels to rise too quickly. This makes your insulin levels stretch out too thinly and adds stress to your body. If you keep a regular diet of refined sugar, your body will eventually become insulin resistant. Research shows that up to 70% of women with PCOS are insulin-resistant.

Additionally, studies have shown that a high carbohydrate diet contributes to the experience of hyperstimulation in an IVF cycle. Cut out the bad carbs and include lean protein in your meals to help avoid this problem.

Trans-Fats

Chips and fries may be crispy and satisfying snacks, but they’re also rich in an industrially created fat called trans-fat (trans-fatty acids or partially hydrogenated oils). Trans-fats are found in packaged goods, fried fast food, microwaved popcorn, or vegetable shortening in order to extend their shelf-life. Any commercial good that has “partially-hydrogenated vegetable oil” or “shortening” in the ingredients label probably has trans-fats. The Nurses’ Health Study sited earlier found out that women who ate more trans-fats were less fertile. In fact, just a 2% increase in trans-fat consumption makes a woman 73% more likely to suffer from infertility. Trans-fats affect fertility by making the body more insulin-resistant and causing inflammation. In men, high trans-fat levels make the membrane of the sperm cell less flexible, decreasing its ability to successfully penetrate an egg cell.

Soy

Reports show that too much soy protein can decrease male and female fertility. A study published in Human Reproduction looked at the sperm samples and soy intake of 99 men with unexplained infertility. Researchers discovered that over half of the men had poor sperm motility and low sperm count. The researchers also observed that the men with higher sperm count and better sperm quality had lower soy intake.

Fortunately, you can find out about ways to counteract the damage that may have been done to your fertility through eating these dangerous foods, and many other secrets to improving your chances for pregnancy with IVF in the breakthrough eBook:

The Full Embrace IVF Success Program

Not only do the methods in the eBook work well, they are also easy to implement, especially when you know you are working towards that day when you will finally hold your baby in your arms…

Here is just a taste of what’s revealed in the eBook:

* A natural technique that has been shown to reduce high FSH levels. (Chapter 7)

* A natural method that has proven to remove reproductive adhesions. (Chapter 7)

* The truth about how research has shown exercise can affect your fertility and an easy and gentle plan to exercise to be at your most fertile. (Chapter Eight)

* A complete nutrition plan, based on the most recent research for improving fertility, to significantly boost fertility for IVF success. You will enjoy and never go hungry with these scrumptious foods! (Chapter 9)

* How to communicate with friends, family and work relations about your IVF to help keep your stress levels low. (Chapter 11)

* A lifestyle change that Harvard University’s Department of Epidemiology discovered reduces the risk of endometriosis by 50%. (Chapter 2)

* A certain very common thing many people do that was reported in a study by John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health that when stopped makes chances of pregnancy 3 times more likely. (Chapter 4)

* According to a study by fertility experts at the University of California San Diego, a common condition not often associated with fertility, that when corrected increases a female’s chances of conceiving by 93%. (Chapter 5)

* An extremely easy practice you can do yourself at home that was reported at a conference of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology which proved to increase the success rate of IVF by almost twice that of those who didn’t do the practice. (Chapter 5)

* And that’s not nearly all!

Get your program today and learn all the secrets you will ever need to know about how to have a successful IVF cycle:

Three Foods To Reverse Infertility

Can eating help you get pregnant with IVF? Well, the fact is, studies from various medical traditions and cultures have proven that proper diet can make you super-fertile!

When planning a fertility diet, I look to research from both Eastern and Western practices. And as those of us who follow the latest research in fertility have long been aware of, studies from the West that link improved conception success related to diet are often very closely in line with dietary recommendations of Eastern medicine. Furthermore, Western studies are finally confirming what the wisdom of traditional Chinese healers and other alternative health practitioners have acknowledged for many, many years – the foods we eat have a profound impact on our ability to get pregnant.

And it’s about time. For example, a wide scale study at Harvard University, spanning over many years and involving thousands of female nurses, found that changing diet alone to whole foods and complex carbohydrates, without any further medical intervention, reversed infertility resulting in natural pregnancy rates increasing 6 fold!

The Eastern philosophy of healing through diet involves understanding and appreciation for each food’s energetic, nutritional and taste qualities. And here are three fine examples of foods that are prescribed by Eastern practitioners for overcoming infertility. Not only are they especially potent for their nutritional and active energy components that target fertility enhancement, but they are delicious, too!

Enjoy!

Shiitake Mushrooms

Research has shown that shiitake mushrooms are up to forty times more powerful than wheat germ in the antioxidant L-ergothionein. As a matter of fact, they have a higher quantity of this antioxidant than is found in any other food. Why is this so beneficial?

A number of studies have revealed seminal oxidative stress can have a very damaging effect, leading to male infertility. Eating shiitake mushrooms, with their amazing levels of antioxidants, is extremely useful towards neutralizing oxidation and increasing sperm quantity and quality.

Shiitake mushrooms are not only advantageous for male fertility. They are an effective medicine for females trying to conceive, as well. Shiitake mushrooms are high in selenium content. Selenium is another antioxidant that goes a very long way in protecting the body from chemical fragments known as free radicals. In this capacity, selenium is a defender against chromosome damage, which is widely known to be a primary cause for miscarriages and birth defects.

Shiitake mushrooms are often used as a substitute for meat because their flavor and firm texture lends itself well in that direction. A favorite preparation is to sauté them with other vegetables and a little garlic and then serve over brown rice.

Pineapple

Did you know that indulging in a sweet juicy fruit from the tropics could help your embryo implant in your uterus?

Pineapple has a high content of bromelain, a proteolytic enzyme, that is beneficial for reducing inflammation and breaking up certain proteins that can negatively impact implantation of your embryo. The flesh of the pineapple, rather than the core, is the best part to eat in terms of the concentration of bromelain that is most conducive to pregnancy. It is recommended to include pineapple in your diet starting on the day of embryo transfer onwards.

Molasses

The high content of calcium, iodine and iron in molasses are wonderful nutrients that are much needed to sustain a pregnancy, and lack of which may lead to miscarriage.

Molasses is also rich in a B-complex known as PABA. There was a study done which resulted in a 75% success rate of conception for women who supplemented their diet for 3-7 months with PABA. Out of the 16 women trying to conceive in that study, 12 of them conceived within those few short months!

The energetic and nutritional content of molasses also makes it an excellent remedy for Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) and other hormonal irregularities. The best variety to use is the black strap because it is extra rich in nutrients. I enjoy mixing a little with whole milk for a sweet fertility treat.

There are many other foods that are super powerful for reversing infertility and getting pregnant quickly. When you are trying to conceive with IVF, it will support you in your cycle to understand which foods will help you along the most, and which foods it would be best to avoid.

You can find out all the details you need about the best fertility diet for IVF success in The Full Embrace™ IVF Success Program. Here is just a sampling of what is included:

* A complete nutrition plan, based on the most recent research, to significantly boost fertility for IVF success. You will enjoy and never go hungry with these scrumptious foods! (Chapter 9)

* A shopping list of readymade fertility meals you can find at most grocery stores, for busy couples. (Chapter 9)

* Foods that are known to impair female fertility, according to studies at Harvard University, that you must avoid leading up to and going through IVF. (Chapter 2)

* Certain types of food that studies have shown to decrease sperm count by up to 50% that men must avoid before IVF. (Chapter 2)

Want to know more? Get all the details right here!