Today, approximately one in six people are infertile or need some help in achieving a pregnancy, and of those, 15% have unexplained infertility.

Celiac disease is a silent, inherited autoimmune disorder that is often missed by medical professionals. The disease affects the digestive process of the small intestine and is triggered by the consumption of gluten–a protein found in wheat, barley and rye. Celiac Disease causes an abnormal response to gluten ingestion: the immune system attacks the small intestine, inhibiting the absorption of important nutrients such as Vitamin B12, folic acid, iron, calcium, magnesium, all nutrients needed to support a viable pregnancy.  When undiagnosed, gluten destroys the intestinal villi and wreaks havoc on the body’s systems.

About 97% of people with Celiac Disease have not been diagnosed and if gone untreated can lead to other health issues such as infertility.  For a child, it takes an average of eight visits to several pediatricians before getting a proper diagnosis, often because it has gone undetected in one of the parents.

What if you are trying to conceive (TTC)?  What other symptoms may you experience?  There are over 300 symptoms to Celiac disease or gluten sensitivity according to the University of Chicago Celiac Center:

• Recurring abdominal bloating and pain
• Chronic diarrhea/constipation
• Vomiting
• Liver and biliary tract disorders (“Transaminitis,” fatty liver, primary sclerosing cholangitis etc.)
• Weight loss
• Pale, foul-smelling stool
• Iron-deficiency anemia that does not respond to iron therapy
  
• Fatigue
• Failure to thrive or short stature
• Delayed puberty
• Pain in the joints
• Unexplained infertility, recurrent miscarriage, PCOS
• Osteopenia (mild) or osteoporosis (more serious bone density problem)
• Peripheral Neuropathy
• Psychiatric disorders such as anxiety, depression, schizophrenia 
• Migraines
• PCOS
• Other autoimmune disorder such as Rheumatoid Arthritis, Multiple Sclerosis 

And many studies are showing how gluten free diets help many medical issues

Who is more at risk for Celiac disease?

• If any of your family members have had Celiac disease or suffered from any of the above listed symptoms
• If you have type 1 diabetes
• If you have suffered from recurrent anemia which does not seem to resolve
• If you are Irish or Italian or have Irish or Italian descendants in your family. For reasons we aren’t sure of, up to 10% of the Irish population suffers from Celiac disease and 1 in 250 Italians are affected.

If you are dealing with infertility or have had previous miscarriages you should be tested for Celiac disease.

Troubled with low sperm count, viability, motility or morphology?

Recently, a 90 day blind study was conducted to determine if treatment with FertilAid improved sperm quality in men. Funded (only in part) by the makers of FertilAid for Men, 14 subjects who met the parameters of low sperm count, low percentage of motility or low percentage of normal morphology as well as those who had not taken any vitamins for at least one month were chosen to participate.

Initially, these subjects provided 2 baseline semen samples before being randomly selected to either receive the vitamin, FertilAid or be given a placebo for the following 90 days.

Under the World Health Organization guidelines, routine semen analysis was performed by the same lab at the on-set of the study and then again at the conclusion of the 90 day analysis.

After 90 days the randomly selected 8 recipients of the vitamin showed an improvement in sperm quality; specifically with the number of normally-shaped motile sperm produced; versus the 6 who consumed the placebo and showed no signs of improvement.

The conclusion is that in spite of the small size of the study, significant improvements were found in men taking FertilAid and that larger studies should be conducted to confirm the results seen within this study.

An expert in the field of optimizing reproductive health for couples trying to conceive, Cindy Ferda offers conception solutions to those experiencing fertility issues. She is the author of How to Get Pregnant Quickly & Naturally and CEO of GetPregnant.org

Yin Yang Huo aka Horny Goat Weed

Albeit a funny name; don’t let the name dissuade you. Horny Goat Weed has been used medicinally for thousands of years. A traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), the all natural botanical has been used to remedy kidney and liver disorders and joint issues to its use and reputation as an all-natural aphrodisiac and natural alternative to Viagra. It has garnered many accolades from users and non-traditional health care practitioners.

Known to stimulate sexual interest and activity in men, the testosterone-like effects will increase sperm production, sperm count and semen density as well as desire, thus leading to more frequent intercourse. Women benefit from the supplement with an increased libido due to the expansion of the circulatory systems blood vessels, allowing for improved blood flow to the female organs.

The legend of Horny Goat Weed’s origination is that it was discovered by a Chinese goat herder who noticed an increase in sexual activity among his herd after repeated consumption of the plant (also called Yin Yang Huo and Inyokaku), and then he used it himself with stellar results.

In studies with mice, after being fed Horny Goat Weed, they showed a marked improvement in testosterone levels, sperm count and frequency of intercourse. The herb’s main function is its physiological effect on the dilation of blood vessels which trigger hormones to enhance blood allowing it to reach responsive tissues. It stimulates the supra renal glands, and triggers increased hormonal secretions.

Still today, considered one of the most valued herbs in TCM, this plant with long and wide heart-shaped leaves thrives in China and Japan, but can be grown almost anywhere. It can be purchased in the form of a supplement at most health food and vitamin stores for about $20.

The main ingredient, icariin, is known to help with erectile dysfunction and is an all-natural alternative to Viagra which is made up of synthetic chemicals.

If you or your partner are looking to spice things up in the bedroom; or improve issues like low sperm count or mobility, low libido, erection dysfunction, menstrual pains, renal failure, high blood pressure, premature ejaculation and even asthma and bronchitis, then Horny Goat Weed supplements may be just what you are looking for.

An expert in the field of optimizing reproductive health for couples trying to conceive, Cindy Ferda offers conception solutions to those experiencing fertility issues. She is the author of How to Get Pregnant Quickly & Naturally and CEO of GetPregnant.org

The Center for Preimplantation Genetics Diagnosis offers a high-tech procedure that selects healthy embryos that are free of chromosomal abnormalities and defects; thus raising the chances of conception and delivery of a healthy baby.

This state of the art procedure is done in lab along with an IVF treatment. After medication is given to the female to stimulate egg production an ultrasound guided needle is used to retrieve eggs from the ovaries. United with sperm, they are placed in an incubator for fertilization and growth to the 4-12 cell stage. One or two cells from each embryo will be biopsied and genetic testing begins.

The center then tests for chromosomal abnormalities like Down syndrome, Turner syndrome and/or Klinefelter syndrome. Testing is also done for single gene inherited defects like cystic fibrosis and/or sickle cell disease.

At this point only embryos free of defects and/or abnormalities would be transferred to the mother’s uterus between day 4 and 5 following egg retrieval.

According to The Center for Preimplantation Genetics Diagnosis,

“PGD technology reduces the potential for adverse pregnancy outcomes for couples ‘at risk’ by testing the embryos for certain genetic abnormalities before they are chosen for transfer back to the woman. For example: 10 embryos resulted from an IVF cycle and through PGD testing, six were identified as genetically abnormal and four were normal. Armed with this knowledge, only the normal embryos would be selected for embryo transfer thereby reducing the possibility of miscarriage or birth defects”.

An expert in the field of optimizing reproductive health for women and men, Cindy Ferda has released her newest book on conception entitled ‘How to Get Pregnant Quickly & Naturally’.

Researchers at the university, lead by Dr. Yeo, followed 79 women with a history of preeclampsia from 2001 to 2006 to determine the differences between women who walked for exercise and women who stretched.

Yeo and her teams’ findings showed that stretching could in fact provide extra protection against preeclampsia because stretchers produced more transferrin than walkers did. Transferrin is a plasma protein that transports iron through the blood and protects against oxidative stress on the body.

They say these new findings are contrary to the former belief that rigorous exercise was the way to alleviate preeclampsia risk.

Preeclampsia, also called toxemia or pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH), is a condition that affects between 5% and 8% of pregnancies each year, and accounts for numerous maternal and fetal issues worldwide.

Women who may be prone to the disease are those who have a previous personal history or family history of preeclampsia, those with a history of high blood pressure, those with PCOS, those carrying multiples, those with autoimmune disorders or Lupus, those over 40, those with a body mass index of more than 30 % and those with poor nutritional habits.

Additionally, women who do not consume a healthy diet, remain sedentary, and who do not take the required prenatal supplements before and throughout their pregnancy may increase their chances of contracting preeclampsia. Although preeclampsia is often easily detected with noticeable symptoms, there are instances where it can come about from nowhere, endangering the life of both mother and child if gone untreated.

According to the Preeclampsia Foundation at www.preeclampsia.org, preeclampsia, toxemia, PIH, PET, as well as ephegesis gestosis refer to serious, closely related hypertensive conditions of pregnancy.

The foundation says toxemia is actually an older term used, which was based on a belief that the condition was the result of toxins or poisons in the bloodstream.

Preeclampsia can lead to eclampsia in the later stages of pregnancy, if not monitored. Eclampsia is one of the most serious complications of pregnancy and can lead to eclamptic convulsions or seizures that may lead to coma, brain damage, maternal or infant death.

In an effort to reduce blood pressure and preeclampsia symptoms, anti-hypertensive meds may be prescribed, and in rare instances, diuretics. A more recent clinical approach is to use magnesium sulfate.

If the mother or child’s health is at risk and blood pressure cannot be controlled, steroid treatment may be advised to help mature the baby’s lungs and ready him for an early delivery.

Those with a history of preeclampsia may have a restricted diet and exercise routine outlined for them by their health care provider in an attempt to stave off the harmful illness.

On a final note from the study at Chapel Hill; researchers found that at the end of the participants’ pregnancies, almost 15 percent of the women in the walking group had developed preeclampsia and less than 5 percent of the women from the stretching group actually developed the dangerous condition.

Signs of Preeclampsia

When a pregnant woman’s blood pressure readings reach 140/90, more than twice in six hours, it is often a sign of preeclampsia. Other signs related to the onset of preeclampsia are swelling and excess protein in the urine.

If a pregnant woman experiences any of the following symptoms, she should contact her doctor immediately to check for preeclampsia and/or determine the cause of the issue.

• High blood-pressure
• Severe headaches
•  Swelling
•  Changes in vision
• Upper abdominal pain, usually under the ribs on the right side
•  Nausea or vomiting
• Dizziness
• Decreased urine output

Generally, preeclampsia does not affect pregnant women prone to the illness until after the 20th week of pregnancy.

After a doctor closely monitors a woman’s blood pressure, tests urine for protein levels and diagnoses preeclampsia, the healthcare provider may do additional tests to check that the liver and kidneys are functioning properly.

Additional blood work may be required to see if the blood has the normal number of platelets.

And finally, monitoring the baby’s development is of the utmost importance at this time as it is vital to be certain the baby is continuing to receive sufficient oxygen and nutrients. A steroid treatment may be given in an effort to mature the baby’s lungs.