Saturday 21 March 2015

Eat Right to Improve Your Chances of Getting Pregnant


Your body is preparing itself to create a life within. It is obvious that you will have to take great care for your body. A balanced diet is essential. Ensure that your body gets a steady supply of rich nutrients to build a healthy life.

Here are some ways you can ensure essential nutrition while you’re trying to conceive:

Eat Plenty of Greens

Fertility experts have established an inverse relationship between animal protein and fertility. According to a leading health magazine, eating one portion of red meat, turkey, or chicken everyday can increases ovulatory infertility by 33%. One portion of fish or eggs however do not impact ovulation. One portion of green and leafy vegetables and nuts on the other hand protect you from ovulatory infertility. Therefore, ensure that majority of your protein intake comes from vegetables, whole grains, pulses, and little measures of nuts and seeds.

Maintain a Strategic Distance from Bad Fat

Keep a close eye on your intake of trans fats. Eating trans fats normally prompts higher glucose and insulin levels and hurt your capacity to clear sugar from your circulatory system. Higher glucose and insulin levels lead to infertility. Eating trans fats can prompt inflammation in your body, which can delay ovulation and thereby conception. The most widely consumed trans fats in the North American are margarine, shortening, French fries, deep fried chicken, doughnuts, biscuits/cookies, and cakes/pastries. Some foods that are rich in good fats, and can be eaten to build your possibilities of getting pregnant are:

  • ·         Olives and olive oil
  • ·         Organic eggs
  • ·         Avocados
  • ·         Crisp, unroasted nuts and seeds
  • ·         Coconut and coconut oil.
  • ·         Fish


Eat simple Carbs and Avoid Processed Carbs

Polycystic ovary disorder (PCOS) is one of the most common causes of infertility in women. Foods that are rich in processed carbohydrate increase blood sugar and insulin levels which interfere in chances of getting pregnant. Types of processed carbohydrates that you should avoid while trying to get pregnant include:

  • ·         French fries and potato chips
  • ·         Soda pops, aerated drinks, and bottles juices
  • ·         Foods made with white flour
  • ·         Beer and wine


Carbohydrates that you can safely consume are vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes, and whole grains.

Take Adequate Folic Acid and Iron

Folate (folic acid) is an essential element for building and replicating DNA. Folate also keeps your homocysteine level healthy; an increase in homocysteine level can increase chances of hypertension and miscarriage. Some foods that contain folate are:

  • ·         Lima beans
  • ·         Asparagus
  • ·         Chickpeas
  • ·         Romaine lettuce
  • ·         Lentils
  • ·         Broccoli
  • ·         Spinach
  • ·         Oranges
  • ·         Beet roots


Nonheme iron, a component of vegetables, legumes, fruits etc, can increase your chances of getting pregnant. Some food you can include in your diet to increase nonheme iron are:
  • ·         Spinach
  • ·         Lima beans
  • ·         Lentils
  • ·         Goji berries
  • ·         Navy beans
  • ·         Avocado
  • ·         Potatoes

      Eat healthy, stay happy, and create life :)





Sunday 15 March 2015

Delay in Pregnancy: The Possible Reasons and What You Can Do


There comes this time in life when you feel content and satisfied with your achievements in life. Gratified with your performances as a daughter, sister, friend, colleague, lover, and partner, you decide to take a step towards motherhood. When you finally start trying to get pregnant, more often than not, you turn to ladies who have recently or in the past gotten pregnant. Most of who might end up telling you how it was a big mistake to have waited this long. Form their personal experience and that of others, they convince you that your body (and that of your partner’s) is no longer ideal for pregnancy.

The fact is, your body is ideal for pregnancy for as long as you ovulate. Of course it is harder to conceive as you age. You can still get pregnant when you are in your late 30s and early 40s. Listed
here are five conditions, (some age related, some not) which might delay pregnancy. Read on to find out what you can do to get pregnant.

Polycystic Ovarian Disease (aka FIBROIDS)
The main thing you need to think about fibroids is that they not cancerous. Almost 80% of all ladies have fibroids. There is no specific cause for developing fibroids.  But it happens to run in families. Can you still get pregnant? Women who have fibroids can still get pregnant naturally. However, some women with fibroids may find it difficult to conceive and may need medical help. If you have a history of irregular periods, you may consider a gynaecologist consultation.

How active the sperms are
Your chances of getting pregnant is directly proportional to the quality and quantity of your partner’s sperm.  Age, smoking, drinking, drugs, untreated sexually transmitted diseases, viral/bacterial infections, unnecessary exposure to heat, active infection etc. can have negative influence on sperms.

Gum Diseases
This one may come as a surprise to many. Gum disease in either of the partners is known to delay pregnancy by two months or more. Infection or inflammation of gums is usually a result of poor oral hygiene.  Brush twice daily using a soft-tufted brush and floss after each meal. Change your toothbrush every 3 months to maintain oral health.

Scarring In the Fallopian Tubes
Scarring or blockage in the tubes prevent the egg from reaching the uterus. Blockage could be a result of a previous surgery, ectopic pregnancy, or an inflammatory condition. A few smart lifestyle changes should help you improve your chances of pregnancy. Exercise regularly, maintain a healthy weight, avoid alcohol and too much caffeine, and take a balanced diet.

Endometriosis
Endometriosis is a condition when the tissue from inside the uterus covers the outer surface of the uterus. Women with mild to moderate endometriosis do not require any invention. Though if the condition affects your ability to conceive, your doctor may suggest a drug therapy or a laparoscopic surgery to remove the abnormal tissue. Most gynaecologists prefer drug therapy as compared to surgery because the latter carries the risk of adhesion or scaring.


If you are trying to conceive for a year or more, consult a fertility expert to begin an evaluation. If you are 35 or older, you can consider speaking to your physician after 4-6 months of unsuccessful trial. The chances of getting pregnant vastly depend on the cause of infertility. But the good news is that more than half the couples who undergo fertility treatment in one way or the other eventually get pregnant.