Abstract
Background: Effects of androgens on follicle maturation have been controversial for some time.

Here, we review the potential of their applications in improving human ovulation induction, based on human and animal data, reported in the literature.

Discussion: Selective androgens appear capable of improving early stages of folliculogenesis.

They, therefore, may represent forerunners of a completely new class of ovulation-inducing medications, which, in contrast to gonadotropins, affect follicle maturation at much earlier stages.

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TODAY'S BOOK SUGGESTION
Making Babies the Hard Way: Living with Infertility and Treatment
by Caroline Gallup

-- A frank account of one couple's discovery that they cannot have children of their own, and their ensuing struggle through four years of fertility treatment.

One in six couples worldwide seek assistance to conceive and 80 per cent of couples undergoing fertility treatment are currently unsuccessful.

Writing with humour and honesty, Caroline Gallup describes the social, emotional, spiritual and physical impact of infertility on her and her husband, Bruce, including feelings of bereavement for the absent child, the unavoidable sense of inadequacy and the day-to-day difficulties of financial pressure.

As well as telling her own moving story, she also offers information and guidance for others who are infertile, or who are considering or undergoing treatment.

Paperback: 240 pages
Click to order/for more info: Making Babies the Hard Way
Find it on Amazon: US | CDN | UK

Start reading Making Babies the Hard Way on your Kindle in under a minute!

Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here, or download a FREE Kindle Reading App.

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A new study published in European Obstetrics + Gynaecology (European Obstetrics + Gynaecology, 2011;6(2):92-4) shows that DuoFertility used for six months (a small body-worn monitor coupled with an expert consultancy service) gives the same chance of pregnancy as a cycle of in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) for many infertile couples.

This study demonstrates that there is a viable non-invasive, drug-free alternative to IVF for thousands of couples, with the potential to save them (and the NHS) millions of pounds each year.

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TODAY'S BOOK SUGGESTION:
The Fertility Diet: Groundbreaking Research Reveals Natural Ways to Boost Ovulation and Improve Your Chances of Getting Pregnant
by Jorge Chavarro, Walter Willett, Patrick Skerrett

-- Reveals startling new research from the landmark Nurses' Health Study, which shows that the food you eat can boost your fertility.

The book prescribes ten simple changes in diet and activity that can increase your chances of getting pregnant.

Groundbreaking findings into changes you can put into practice today, setting the stage for a healthy pregnancy and forming the foundation for an eating strategy that will serve you well for the rest of your life.

The Fertility Diet also offers a week's worth of meal plans and delicious recipes that will make following the guidelines easy and tasty.

Paperback: 288 pages
Click to order/for more info: The Fertility Diet

Start reading The Fertility Diet on your Kindle in under a minute!

Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here, or download a FREE Kindle Reading App.

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Under names such as low-intensity IVF, eco-IVF and even patient-friendly IVF — a technique of in vitro fertilization is increasing in use with promises to be safer, cheaper and easier on patients trying to have a baby.
It may seem mathematically impossible, but St. Louis area doctor Dr. Sherman Silber says if done right, mild stimulation results in pregnancy rates equal to those with routine IVF. In older women, Silber finds dramatically better rates because the process is easier on their more brittle eggs.


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TODAY'S BOOK SUGGESTION:
Surviving In-vitro Fertilization: IVF Stories and Inspiration from the Women who have been there
by Karen Daniels

-- True IVF stories and inspiration from the women who have been there. In-vitro fertilization is not a journey you need to take alone.

The women in this book who share their stories, thoughts, and lessons learned, have been in the IVF trenches - some for long periods of time.

We call them the IVF veterans.

They've struggled, cried, laughed, and inspired.

Let their experience guide you through the process and use their knowledge and tips as a beacon of insight for your own journey.

In-vitro fertilization is, on your best days, a journey that empowers you toward your ultimate goal of being a mom.

Paperback: 117 pages
Click to order/for more info: Surviving In-vitro Fertilization

Start reading Surviving In-vitro Fertilization on your Kindle in under a minute!

Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here, or download a FREE Kindle Reading App.

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There is no doubt that undergoing infertility treatment is stressful, with high rates of anxiety and depression reported by many patients.

Mind/body therapies designed to help women reduce stress earlier in the treatment process result in higher pregnancy rates, but little is known specifically about the impact of these therapies on women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF).

A new study published June 1 in Fertility and Sterility, a publication of the American Society of Reproductive Medicine, shows that women who participate in a mind/body program for stress reduction while undergoing IVF treatment have a significantly higher pregnancy rate than those who do not (52% versus 20%).

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New research raises the possibility a genetic test may be able to tell young women whether they can afford to delay motherhood while they get their careers on track.

In a study presented Tuesday at a European fertility conference, scientists reported some women who find it easy to conceive after age 45 have a special genetic profile.

In the study, Dr. Neri Laufer from Haddassah University Hospital in Jerusalem, selected from a group of 250 Ashkenazi Jewish women who gave birth after age 45.

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What has your doctor asked you to cut back on? Have you been able to do so? Do you think it helped?

Some IVF patients don't follow doctor's strict orders

Doctors recommend women using fertility treatments cut back on certain activities to increase their chances of having children, but a new study suggests they're not listening.

Although recommendations are based on just a handful of studies in humans, doctors typically tell women to cut back or eliminate exercise, smoking, drinking and herbal supplement use during their in vitro fertilization (IVF) cycle. Some believe cutting back on those habits will increase the chance of a successful pregnancy.

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Mary asks: I'm in my 30's and wonder can I save some eggs or when do you run out I know it's different for everyone. If you are on birth control does that save your eggs?
Thank you so much , Mary

Catherine answers: Yes, it is possible to freeze eggs, if you can afford it. You would need a fertility doctor to help you.

You are born with about 500,000 egg cells and by puberty there are about 75,000 left. Only about 400 to 500 ever mature fully to be released during the menstrual cycle. Menopause is the last stage of a gradual biological process in which your ovaries reduce their production of female sex hormones.

You never actually run out of eggs, your body just stops making enough of these necessary sex hormones as you age. When you hit menopause, you still have 1,000 eggs or more left - but they may not be of good quality, and your body may not be producing enough estrogen and progesterone to maintain a pregnancy.

No, birth control does not save your eggs - every cycle an egg is matured. If you are using the birth control pill, the mature egg will deteriorate and be re-absorbed by your body. It depends on the type of birth control you use, how much it would affect your fertility.

~*~ Catherine,
owner of www.borntolove.com
Frugal-Freebies.com and pregnancystories.blogspot.com
pregnancyover44y.blogspot.com and youcangetpregnant.blogspot.com


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Have you tried Traditional Chinese remedies or acupuncture? Do you think it helped?

Traditional Chinese remedies may boost fertility treatments

Combination of Traditional Chinese Medicine (known as TCM in West) and intrauterine insemination (IUI) enhances effectiveness of fertility treatments, a new study has revealed.

Chinese traditional remedies, which have long been used to ease pain, treat disease, boost fertility, and prevent miscarriage, include herbal preparations and acupuncture.

In the first study that measures the effectiveness of both herbs and acupuncture in combination with IUI infertility treatment...

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If you've been trying to conceive for over a year, it could be time to see a specialist.

Read on for a break down of fertility options...

The good news: according to Jason Hitkari, co-director of Genesis Fertility Centre in Vancouver and clinical associate professor at the University of British Columbia, the techniques and technology available to help you get pregnant are better than ever.

We asked him to walk us through the most common fertility treatments – including how they work, how much they cost and their success rates.

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Unlike many fertility clinics, the Complete Fertility Centre tries to give patients mild stimulation, which means softer, shorter and much less stressful hormone treatments.

Rather than numerous hormone injections over a six-week period with the aim of producing the most eggs possible, mild stimulation involves fewer injections over a fortnight. And although fewer eggs are produced, the clinic believes these will be of a better quality, boosting success rates.

Julia Paget, senior embryologist, said: “It is very stressful to go through fertility treatment but we offer a shorter, less stressful option. Evidence shows it is better to have fewer eggs of a better quality, rather than push out as many eggs as possible, including bad ones.”

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LONDON — A new study of fertility treatment found that women who get three or more embryos have no better odds of having a baby than those who get just two embryos.

They also have a greater chance of risky multiple births.

"Women who have gone through infertility treatment want the best chance of having a baby, but we need to explain that the data shows transferring more embryos doesn't actually do that," said Dr. Scott Nelson, head of reproductive and maternal medicine at the University of Glasgow, who co-authored the study published in Thursday's issue of Lancet.

For women over 40, the live birth rate was 13 percent whether they had two or three embryos transferred.

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For most fertile couples, it takes on average about 6 cycles to get pregnant. When you use the Attain Fertility® Planner and time intercourse to coincide with your fertile period, the average time to conceive is reduced by half!*

Developed by renowned fertility expert Toni Weschler, MPH, author of Taking Charge of Your Fertility, this software application has been approved by the US FDA as a fertility diagnostic device.

The Attain Fertility Planner is FREE and can help you reduce the time to conceive.

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A year and a half of infertility and two awful miscarriages later, Sharon decided to quit her stressful job in the travel industry.

It might have been a coincidence but, on Oct 18 last year, Sharon successfully delivered her healthy firstborn exactly one year to the day after she resigned from her hectic job.

"I told myself I couldn't go on like that. Something had to be sacrificed. I enjoyed my work a lot but it was also very hectic and mentally stressful," said Sharon, whose work required her to travel frequently.

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Dodge, 51, had her son when she was 42, her daughter at 46. By then, she had reaped enough professional and financial awards in the hospitality and tourism industry to call her own shots. She and her husband could afford a nanny when the kids were young.

A few years ago, she left her position in the hotel business in Toronto and Vaughan – and all the travel and long hours it entailed – and moved with her family to Brockville, where she runs a retirement home.

Though Dodge is still in a leadership role, she has the time and energy to get the kids to hockey and gymnastics and to help them with their homework. The family also has the money and freedom for vacations and other perks.

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Bonnie Pascal’s son drew his first breath on his mother’s bed, surrounded by women.

It was seven years ago, and Pascal was in her 40th year. The birth, attended by her husband and three midwives, was bloody, wrenching and joyous. And baby Aaron? The picture of health.

Nine months earlier, Pascal had never envisioned she would be delivering a baby in her home.

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Twenty years ago, the notion of starting a family in one’s fifth decade raised eyebrows. Today, as a result of changing lifestyles and fertility technology, it’s not unusual.

As Toronto midwife Jennifer Goldberg puts it, 40 is the new 35.

Over the last 17 years, Goldberg has attended home births and hospital deliveries for an increasingly older clientele. She also had her own first child at 38 and the second at 41.

The trend is not surprising, says Goldberg. Women spend more time getting careers established these days. But when they do become pregnant at a later age, Goldberg finds, they are fully committed. “There are no feelings of ambiguity.”

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A Zen thought ... A true expert is not the one with the most knowledge, but one who causes the most others to have knowledge.

Questions, subject ideas to research and suggestions welcome!

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