Pregnancy, Infertility and Alternative Medicine

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The Basics – How do you get pregnant?



For you to get pregnant two things have to happen. First your egg needs to get fertilized by your partner’s sperm, and second the fertilized egg needs to implant into the wall of your uterus and start growing. Your egg is released from your ovaries during ovulation. Once your egg is released it travels down your fallopian tube, reaches your uterus, and then is expelled (this process takes a few days). Sperm has to get to your egg after it is released and before it gets expelled. Sperm can survive in you for about 3 days. This is why the best time to have sex if you want to get pregnant is two or three days before ovulation, and then daily until 2 days after ovulation (for a total of 5 days of daily sex). Once the egg is fertilized it will travel to your uterus (womb) and settle in the endometrial layer (the endometrium is the lining of the uterus, that is expelled during your period). Often, a fertilized egg may fail to implant successfully, resulting in a failed pregnancy. However, you may not even notice this, as it will look like a slightly delayed period. Appropriate hormonal levels are very important in achieving a successful implantation. There are several natural things you can do to improve your chances of becoming pregnant and having a healthy pregnancy and baby, including being healthy and fit (eating right and exercising), having low stress, and other natural methods that we will discuss below.

What is infertility

Infertility is a term applied to a couple that have been trying to get pregnant for over a year and have failed to conceive, or have repeated ectopic pregnancies or miscarriages. It may also refer to a couple that have been pregnant before but are unable to get pregnant again. Infertility can cause many painful emotions in both partners, and it is important you recognise and discuss these emotions. This discussion could be with your partner, a friend, family, support groups, or with your doctor or health care provider. Ten to 15 percent of couples in the United States are dealing with infertility, so you are not alone.
There are many physical and emotional factors that can cause infertility in both women and men. Factors such as stress, a hormonal imbalance, and poor diet can inhibit the processes necessary for fertilization. Illness such as ovarian cysts, polycystic ovary syndrome, pelvic infection, endometriosis, fibroids, polyps, diabetes, thyroid disease, autoimmune disorders, or cancer, can cause female infertility. Age can also affect fertility, with fertility declining in women over the age of 35.

Simple things you can do to maximize your chance of getting pregnant

  • Have sex regularly (at least 2-3 times per week). For healthy couples who want to conceive, there’s no such thing as too much sex. For many couples, this might be all it takes.
  • Have sex once a day near the time of ovulation (your most fertile time of the month). Sex every day during the days leading up to ovulation might increase your odds of getting pregnant. Although your partner’s sperm concentration is likely to drop slightly each time you have sex, the reduction isn’t usually an issue for healthy men.
  • Make healthy lifestyle choices. Keep a healthy weight, try to exercise daily (even if it’s just a walk for 30 minutes), eat a healthy diet (include lots of fruit and vegetables), limit caffeine (no more than one caffeinated drink a day), and manage stress. The same good habits will serve you and your baby well during pregnancy, and after your baby is born.
  • Take your vitamins. Folic acid plays an essential role in a baby’s development. When you decide to start trying to get pregnant, a daily prenatal vitamin or folic acid supplement beginning a few months before conception significantly reduces the risk of medical conditions such as spina bifida and other neural tube defects.
  • Consider preconception planning. Your health care provider (your family doctor, your obstetrician/gynecologist, or your midwife) can assess your overall health and help you to identify lifestyle changes that might improve your chances of a healthy pregnancy.
How to predict when you are most fertile
  • Keep track of when your period begins each month, and how many days it lasts. Ovulation will most likely occur in the middle of your cycle. For example, if you have a 28-day cycle, ovulation will likely begin 14 days after the first day of your last period. If your cycle is 34 days, the ovulation will likely begin 20 days after the first day of your last period. For an ovulation calendar see here.
  • Watch for changes in your cervical mucus. Just before ovulation (when you are most fertile) you might notice an increase in clear, slippery vaginal secretions, something resembling raw egg whites. After ovulation, when the odds of becoming pregnant are slim, the discharge will become cloudy and sticky or disappear entirely.
  • Keep track of your basal body temperature. During ovulation your basal body temperature (this is the temperature when you are fully at rest) may increase slightly. You will need to use a special basal body temperature thermometer (available at drug stores). Take your temperature every morning before you get out of bed. Plot the temperature readings on graph paper or in a spreadsheet. You will have to do this for a few months but eventually you should be able to see a pattern. You are most fertile 2-3 days before your temperature rises. The increase will be small (less than one degree).
  • Try an ovulation prediction kit. These are available at your drug store. They work by measuring a hormone called Luteinizing hormone (or LH) in your urine. This hormone is responsible for triggering ovulation. So right before ovulation occurs your LH levels will increase. Having sex during this time will increase your chances of getting pregnant.

How infertility is treated using conventional medicine

The American Congress of obstetricians and gynecologists provides a website describing western medicine approaches to dealing with infertility.
http://www.acog.org/publications/patient_education/bp137.cfm

How to treat infertility naturally using alternative medicine

Alternative medicine includes everything that is not considered conventional medicine, and this includes: chiropractic medicine, herbalism, traditional Chinese medicine, homeopathy, acupuncture, meditation, yoga, and nutritional-based therapies. The big difference in philosophy between conventional and alternative medicine is that conventional medicine is concerned with treating your symptoms with drugs and medical interventions like surgery, while alternative medicine takes a more holistic approach focusing on individualizing treatments, treating the whole person, promoting self-care and self-healing, and recognizing the spiritual nature of each individual. Alternative medicine focuses on good nutrition, and preventive practices (preventing you from getting sick, rather than only treating you after you have already become sick).

Nutrition

You stand the best chance of conceiving and having a healthy pregnancy if you maintain good nutrition. Things like preservatives, food additives, caffeine, artificial sweeteners, and too much sugar and salt, can affect your hormonal levels and have a dramatic impact on your fertility. And remember that many of these chemicals can cross the placenta and affect your growing baby. Here are some good nutrition tips to follow:
  • Eat foods rich in antioxidants, including fruits (such as blueberries, cherries, pomegranates, and tomatoes) and vegetables (such as squash, and bell peppers).
  • Eliminate potential food allergens, such as wheat (gluten), corn, and soy. Try to completely eliminate preservatives and food additives (this is easy to do if you prepare your meals using only fresh foods).
  • Eat calcium rich foods, including dairy, beans, almonds, and dark green leafy vegetables (such as spinach and kale).
  • Avoid refined foods such as white breads, pastas, deli meats, and sugar. (You can substitute whole grain breads and pastas for the refined white-flour versions.)
  • Eat lean meats (organic if possible), cold-water fish, eggs, and beans for protein. A concern with fish is that some have high levels of heavy metals – smaller fish have less contaminants than larger fish. You can find a list of fish to avoid (and fish to eat) here: http://www.americanpregnancy.org/pregnancyhealth/fishmercury.htm. Avoid all processed meats such as deli meats and hot dogs since they are high in nitrates and nitrites, both of which cause cancer.
  • Use a healthy cooking oil, such as olive oil.
  • Eliminate trans-fatty acids, found in commercially baked goods such as cookies, crackers, cakes, french fries, onion rings, donuts, processed foods, and margarine.
  • Drink 6 – 8 glasses of filtered water daily.
  • Avoid caffeine.
  • Eliminate all alcohol and tobacco.
  • Exercise regularly but talk to your doctor about finding the right exercise program for you. If your pregnancy is high risk, your doctor may prescribe bed rest.

Supplements

Women that are either contemplating pregnancy, or already pregnant, should also consider taking the following supplements.
  • A daily multivitamin containing the antioxidant vitamins A, C, E, the B-complex vitamins, and trace minerals such as magnesium, calcium, zinc, and selenium.
  • Women who are pregnant need additional amounts of folic acid (600 mcg per day). Folic acid is needed for the normal development of the baby’s neural tube (which becomes the brain and spine). Low levels of folic acid have been linked to miscarriages, and to an increased risk of spina bifida and other neural tube defects for the baby. Folic acid is particularly important in the first trimester when the neural tube is developing, so it is best to start taking folic acid when you begin trying to get pregnant. Prenatal multivitamins contain appropriate levels of folic acid.
  • Vitamin D deficiency is very common in women, particularly during pregnancy. 97% of African American, 81% of Hispanics and 67% of Caucasian women were found to be deficient in vitamin D. Being deficient in vitamin D has been associated with several mood disorders and with post-partum depression .
    Although the recommended dose is now 400-600U, high quality clinical trials have demonstrated that higher levels of vitamin D (4000U) are not only safe but beneficial during pregnancy. Women taking 4000U during pregnancy had fewer infections, fewer pre-term labour, and fewer pre-mature babies. Women taking 4000U also had half the rate of pregnancy related disorders including gestational diabetes, and preeclampsia compared to women taking only 400U of vitamin D .
  • Omega 3 fatty acids are compounds that are essential for a healthy diet. They are derived from certain plants like flax seeds, and from fish oils. Fatty fish like salmon and sardines are excellent sources of Omega 3s. Because omega 3 fatty acids help reduce inflammation, they can help with some inflammation related infertility issues. Omega 3 fatty acid supplementation during pregnancy can also reduce your chances of having complications such as preeclampsia or a premature baby. Most importantly omega 3 fatty acids are an essential component of the human brain and are required especially during the third trimester of pregnancy when your baby’s brain is doing the most growing. A study that gave pregnant women omega 3 supplements during pregnancy found that 4 years later, the children of the women that received omega 3 supplements had higher cognitive function compared to the children of the mothers that did not. Children of women that took omega 3 fatty acid supplementation also had lower rates of asthma and allergies during childhood .
  • Probiotic supplements (containing Lactobacillus acidophilus, 5 – 10 billion CFUs) can help you maintain gastrointestinal and immune health. It has been suggested that probiotics can help with some infertility issues .

Acupuncture

Acupuncture is one of the more common alternative medicine procedures used in combination with conventional techniques for the care of women trying to conceive .
Acupuncture is believed to improve hormonal imbalances that can go along with amenorrhea, and related conditions, such as polycystic ovary syndrome. Several studies of women with fertility problems suggest that acupuncture may help promote ovulation .
Acupuncture is also thought to have both physiological and psychological effects that help reduce stress and improve fertility.
Acupuncture can also help with male infertility, since it was found to improve sperm motility in patients with oligoasthenozoospermia (low sperm count and low sperm motility).
In combination with IVF procedures, acupuncture has also been shown to improve the rates of pregnancy and live births. In one study, IVF patients receiving acupuncture were less stressed and were 50% more likely to conceive than women who did not receive acupuncture.
Acupuncture was also shown to be effective at reducing depression during pregnancy.

Bibliography

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Vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency is common during pregnancy.
Johnson DD, Wagner CL, Hulsey TC, McNeil RB, Ebeling M, Hollis BW.
Am J Perinatol. 2011 Jan, 28(1):7-12.
The objective was to determine the incidence of vitamin D deficiency, insufficiency, and sufficiency in pregnant women. This study demonstrates that there is widespread vitamin D deficiency and insufficiency in pregnant women.
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This study examined the safety and effectiveness of vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy. Blood samples were taken from 350 pregnant women. Not a single health problem in the women was attributable to vitamin D supplementation. Further, the women taking 4000U of vitamin D had half the rate of pregnancy related disorders compared to women taking only 400U of vitamin D.
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