Fibroids May Be Associated With High Blood Pressure

I've heard about the many problems which may be caused by high blood pressure in both men and women. Hypertension is especially worrisome both when trying to conceive and in pregnancy. Here is another interesting association between high blood pressure and fibroids. It's especially worthy of note to me because when I worked in the corporate pressure cooker, I did frequently have high blood pressure readings and I had fibroids (which I later had removed). Also interesting is that since I quit my high stress job years ago, I've always had normal gynecological exams (even though fibroids can recur). Fibroids, in some cases can lead to fertility problems as well.

Read more:

High Blood Pressure May Predict Fibroids, Docs Claim
by John C. Martin (www.fertilityneighborhood.com)


From the article:

Fibroids are common among women of reproductive age. Estimates are that as many as 25 percent of women in the United States have symptoms that suggest they may have fibroids. These non-cancerous tumors grow within the uterine wall, and appear either as a single tumor or in clusters.

Symptoms include heavy bleeding or painful periods, bleeding between periods, a feeling of fullness in the lower abdomen, a need to urinate often, painful sex, lower back pain, and reproductive problems like infertility or recurrent miscarriages.2

Though fibroids aren't unusual, Rosalind Wright, MD, an assistant professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, and a team of researchers wrote that little is known about what factors underlie their development. But high blood pressure may be a culprit, they hypothesized. "Elevated diastolic blood pressure may increase fibroid risk though uterine smooth muscle injury, not unlike atherosclerosis," Wright and her colleagues wrote.

How did the researchers make that link? It's well known that people with high blood pressure are at increased risk of developing atherosclerosis, a disease characterized by hardening and narrowing of the arteries due to the formation of plaque.3 These lesions of plaque are made of fatty substances, cholesterol, cellular waste products and calcium, among other things.4 In high blood pressure, studies have suggested that abnormal changes occur in the smooth muscle cells that line the interior of arteries.3 Smooth muscle cells also make up the uterine wall.

Fertility Tea Recipe

There are some teas on the market which combine a number of herbs to enhance fertility. This site (fertilitymoon.com) gives a combination of herbal teas which you can put together yourself. Read more:

www.fertilitymoon.com

From the site:

Chasteberry

Chasteberry is said to
~ stimulate the hormones involved in ovulation
~ restore female hormonal balance
~ useful in normalizing pituitary gland functions
~ balances levels of progesterone and estrogen
~ Chasteberry is also known as vites
~ Vitex is used as an herbal treatment for infertility
~ said to be helpful for
Women with irregular cycles,
Women with failure to ovulate
Women with a short luteal phase
~ a luteal phase is the second half of the menstrual cycle

Red Raspberry Leaf
Red Raspberry Leaf is said to
~ Red Raspberry Leaf in Pregnancy
~ tones the uterus
~ improves contractions
~ decreases constipation.
~ be a safe, commonly used herbal tonic for pregnancy
~ be highly regarded for its ability to tone the uterus and muscles of the pelvic region.
~ to be very nutritious
~be a powerful fertility-promoting herb, especially when used in combination with Peppermint leaves

Green Tea
herbal Fertility Green tea
fertility tea recipe ingredient

Green tea
is said to
~be a powerful antioxidant that enhances reproductive health by repairing the oxidative damage that occurs naturally as the result of environmental toxins and aging.
~by drinking 1/2 cup or more of green tea daily doubled the odds of conception per cycle.


Ladies Mantle
fertility tea recipe ingredient
is said to
~be a tonic” herb that is useful in regulating a woman’s monthly cycle.
~ have a toning effect on the cervix.

Nettle Leaf
herbal fertility tea recipe ingredient
is said to
~ containlots of vitamins and minerals forgood reproductive health
~ include Vitamins A, C, D, K
~be rich in Potassium, Phosphorous, Iron, and Sulfur
~ Nettle Leaf herbal fertility tea also contains Calcium
~ positively affects a woman’s ability to conceive and maintain pregnancy.

Peppermint Leaf
herbal fertility tea ingredient
is said to
~ be useful when combined with raspberry leaf
~ have a yummy flavor
~ have sexual stimulant properties

Getting Pregnant Over 40: Why So Secret?

One thing many women over 40 who are trying to conceive have in common is they seem to be very private about their infertility. I even knew one woman who was in her mid 40's who fired her housekeeper for coming at unpredictable times before all the "fertility related" paperword etc. could be put away.

Everyone is different and some people are more comfortable sharing information than others, but for me, here are the main reasons I kept my fertility issues under wraps:

1. The age factor: Society seems to judge "older" women more harshly. Some people view getting pregnant only for the young. Older women who try to have a baby are judged harshly as if there's some kind of cut off point when getting pregnant is no longer acceptable. That's starting to change as many high profile celebrities and women in general are having babies at an older age.

2. Fertility issues revolve around the most private bodily functions. Getting pregnant is all about egg quality, sperm counts, intercourse, menstrual cycles, etc. It doesn't get more private or personal than that.

3. Failing in private is easier than failing in public: Whether it's getting pregnant or anything else, who needs the public humiliation?

4. Many people think having children later in life is "selfish" and "self-serving" -that's hard to listen to (as if it's anyone else's business). People think that just because you're over 40, you're going to die before your child reaches adulthood. Hey...all I can say is that the average life expectancy for women is almost 80 years old. Older mothers also have a great incentive to keep themselves healthy - and there's some evidence that women who become mothers later in life live longer. So there!

5. Even after my pregnancy was common knowledge, I still received comments like: "I can't imagine having a baby at your age" or "why would anyone want to have a baby over 40?" All I can say about that is most of the people making those comments had kids too young in life. They had a hard time struggling with work, finances, etc. What they don't realize is that although having kids late in life is some work, it's mostly fun - you have so much more time, patience and insight. Because you're a better parent, your child/children are better adjusted, and not constantly acting out to get your attention.

So, the moral of the story is: people who harshily judge come from their own set of beliefs and experiences which are totally different from yours. Keeping your information private is certainly a way of avoiding this negative influence into your life. That's one reason why I recommend a support group. Most of the women are a little older and it's a safe place to let it all out.

When Adoption Is Not An Option

I mean no disrespect to those who are considering adoption or to those who have already adopted. It's just that when I was trying so hard to get pregnant, if someone said "have you considered adoption?" it was absolutely devastating. First of all, I never considered adoption. It's not because I have anything against it, it's just that I had already been on such a roller coaster ride of ups and downs with infertility and miscarriage, I couldn't even imagine starting a whole new process of paperwork, social workers, home visits, and a birth mother. I just wanted to smack whoever said "have you considered adoption"?

Ok, enough ranting, it's just that when you're certain that you can succeed in getting pregnant, having someone suggest adoption is a slap in the face. It's almost like they're telling you that you need to move on and "give it up". I kept my struggle with infertility and miscarriage very private for this very reason. I didn't want unsolicited advice. One person who suggested adoption to me was a physician assistant who I saw after one of my miscarriages. She was a quite rough around the edges and bit of a loose cannon. There I was grieving my lost pregnancy and instead of saying something truly consoling, her adoption comment left me feeling like I was at the end of the road. I never went back to that clinic and I now always insist on seeing a doctor, not a PA.

Anyway, I should mention that I've known many people who have happily adopted. I know people who've adopted older children, I known people who've done foreign adoptions, and I've seen many open adoptions where the birth mother is very much a part of the child's life. It can work beautifully. It's just that considering adoption needs to be your decision. Every person/couple struggling with infertility knows that adoption is an option. I guess most people who ask if you've considered it just want to help. Let them know that you understand your options and you'll arrive at your own decision when the time is right.

Ovulation Begins Months Before The Traditional Cycle

I've posted articles before by Randine Lewis. This site gives a good explanation of all the events leading up to ovulation:

www.acuforconception.com

From the site:

Contrary to popular reproductive belief, follicular growth from the resting state until ovulation takes up to 100 days, or more than three menstrual cycles. Follicles are selected from the primordial pool of resting follicles almost a year before ovulation, and are recruited to become active. During the initial pre-gonadotropin period the follicle responds to regulatory factors within the ovary itself, which are like hormones. These growth factors are like hormonal precursors. One important ovarian growth factor, insulin-like growth factor, is the precursor to the youth hormone which is secreted by the thymus gland called growth hormone. Others have names like insulin-like growth factor binding protein, interlukin, tumor necrosis factor, inhibin, vascular endothelial growth factor, and activin. These ovarian growth factors help determine the eventual fertility potential of the oocyte (egg).

During this period which lasts for many months, the healthy, responsive follicle determines its own fate with these regulatory proteins. The (0.03mm) follicle is first chosen from the primordial pool to double in size (to about 0.06 mm) and become a primary follicle, about 150 days prior to ovulation. It reaches its secondary phase approximately 120 days before ovulation, when it again doubles in size. The follicle then cycles through the pre-antral and early antral phase and grows from about 0.12 mm to about 1.0 mm in approximately 65 days. It has quadrupled in size during this time, and has gone through many stages of proliferation.

Surviving Halloween While You're TTC

I did feel like a witch a few times while I was trying to conceive. It seems that Halloween is the beginning of the holiday season which revolves around kids. How do you survive times like Halloween?

Well, for starters, you really can't get away from it. Depending on where you live, you'll probably have kids at your door. It's easy to be bitter that everyone else seems to be out there having fun with their kids while you're marinating in thoughts of failure and feelings of being left out. My best advice is the following:

-Join in as much as possible - when I was TTC, at times like halloween, I would have fun opening my door to all the kids. I'd make a mental note of the cute little costumes imagining how my baby/child would look when I dress them up (yes, I know this is all before they're conceived, but if you really want something, you have to behave as if you already have it).

-Engage the kids in conversation when they come to your door. It really is fun to talk to them - ask them about their costumes and compliment them on how good they look. Being around kids will attract kids into your life - remember, what you put out "there" comes back to you.

-When I was TTC, it wasn't the kids that made me feel bad, it was usually the parents who were endlessly going on and on about all the fun things they were going to do. Try to have fun with the kids on Halloween - it will help you visualize you future life with one of your own.

Chiropractic Care For Fertility - Evidence It Works

I never tried chiropractic when I was trying to conceive. However, it makes sense that if your body has nerve or circulation blockages in your body, your reproductive system will be affected. Read more about how chiropractic could help fertility:

www.worldchiropracticalliance.org

From the article:

The 12 studies in the series found that chiropractic had positive results regardless of the woman’s age, number of years infertile, previous medical intervention or health history including miscarriages, blocked fallopian tubes, amenorrhea, colitis, or trauma.

The first in the series, “Insult, Interference and Infertility: An Overview of Chiropractic Research,” reviewed 14 retrospective articles on the possible effect of spinal problems on fertility. All of the women in these studies were found to have vertebral subluxations – misalignments and/or related problems of the spine that interfere with how the nerves work. These problems in the spine can be corrected by chiropractors with painless adjustments to the affected spinal area.

The stress histories of these infertile women included – but were not limited to – previous motor vehicle accidents, childhood falls, blocked fallopian tubes, scoliosis, and work stress that affected both mind and body. All of the women became pregnant after their subluxations were detected and corrected.

Among the cases cited in the first JVSR study was that of a 32-year-old infertile woman who had not menstruated for 12 years. The woman had undergone a number of medical infertility treatments, but still could not conceive. After two months of chiropractic care, with attention on adjustments in the lumbar region, her menses started and after regular cycles for four months, she became pregnant.

In explaining how chiropractic adjustments could affect fertility, Madeline Behrendt, D.C., associate editor of JVSR and lead researcher of this project noted, “Essential to all processes of life is the nervous system, which perceives the environment and coordinates the cellular community’s biological response to the impinging environmental stimuli. It is reasonable to consider that a system that is properly functioning to its potential may resist destructive forces more successfully and with less damage.”