Recently, two well known celebrities publicised their fertility issues and inability to get pregnant in the news. It is becoming increasingly more common for women to start a family in their late 30s to mid 40s. Between the ages of 35 to 45, there is a ten year period called peri-menopause, during which a woman's egg quality and egg production go into decline. This does not mean that you can't get pregnant during this time, but many women may struggle to conceive or they simply need some help.
With the help of prominent women publically sharing their fertility stories in the media, the stigma attached to fertility issues isn't as strong as it once was. These women are helping to eliminate "infertility shame" and are offering support to other women struggling to conceive.
Skating superstar Jayne Torvill, 55, confided about her struggles to conceive and lack of success with IVF on Piers Morgan's Life Stories. She put her skating career first and waited until her 40s before trying to start a family. Desperate for a baby and left devastated after an ectopic pregnancy and failed IVF, she finally decided to adopt. Whilst it happened a number of years ago, Jayne, today would have benefited from not just undergoing IVF, but also treatment to improve the health of the abdominal environment for implantation and a healthy pregnancy, which not IVF alone could succeed.
Actress and former Celebrity MasterChef winner Lisa Faulkner, 41, also revealed to the media that going through four rounds of failed IVF costing £35,000, wiped out her entire life savings and left her a "walking mess of hormones" from the daily injections. In 2008, she and her partner adopted daughter Billie when she was 15 months old. Lisa was desperate for a baby for many years and she feels very blessed to have Billie, who is now six.
Sadly Lisa's story is very common. IVF can only collect quality eggs you can produce; IVF cannot improve the quality of the eggs. Using Clexane or a medication for natural killer cells, which is thought to be able to improve the chances of implantation, is not enough. The woman needs more than just a mechanical measure or treatment in order to restore healthy blood circulation in the abdomen. Couples keep trying one cycle after another of IVF and it can be a really hard and long journey for their success to having a baby.
Although these women both had ectopic pregnancies in their 40s, that does not mean that you can't have a healthy pregnancy in your 40s or following an ectopic pregnancy. Both of these women should have been able to conceive after their ectopic pregnancies if they had the right support at the time. In many cases, ectopic pregnancies are related to blood stasis, which prevents normal blood flow to the reproductive system, especially the uterus. At The Zhai Clinic, this condition is treated through acupuncture, herbal medications and lifestyle and diet modifications. Engaging in regular exercise to promote good blood circulation and avoiding cold, raw foods and chilled/iced drinks as they constrict blood circulation will also help. The Zhai Clinic has successfully treated many women in their 40s. In fact, 33% of all the pregnancies at The Zhai Clinic are achieved by women between the ages of 40 to 43. A figure which is not much less than pregnancies for women below 35 years of age.
Today, many women start trying for a family later in their lives. Waiting until you are ready and prepared to have a baby and finding the right person in your life is more important than your age. Make sure you are living a healthy lifestyle whilst trying to get pregnant. This includes eating a balanced diet and engaging in regular, moderate exercise. Taking folic acid and other supplements (Zhai Premium Fertility Products £39.98 ) is also important to get your body in the optimal shape to conceive. Traditional Chinese Medicine can help improve the egg and sperm quality and promote a healthy uterus environment for women to improve the implantation, and has proved to be more successful than any other forms of fertility treatment. Our Pregnancy Programme at The Zhai Clinic aims to help women and men in preparation to conceive, whether naturally or combined with assisted fertility treatment; and has proved highly successful. Do not rush to start IVF if you are not ready, as it will take you longer to conceive.
.... I see you are taking progesterone too. Are you taking pessaries or cream?
