Getting Pregnant,

Staying Pregnant &

Post Pregnancy

by

Siobhán Boucher

www.siobhanboucher.com

Getting Pregnant, Staying Pregnant and

After you have your baby

1. Types & Causes of infertility

2. What can we do to influence our fertility – A Mind / Body Approach

3. Assisted Reproductive Technology

4. Cost of an IVF Cycle in Ireland

5. Going abroad for treatment

6. Staying Pregnant

7. After you have your baby

Types of Infertility

1. Primary Infertility – Describe a couple that have never been able to conceive

2. Secondary Infertility – Describes a couple who after having 1 or more babies cant conceive or who have had one for more miscarriages or stillbirths

3. SubFertililty – Indicates that there are problems that make conception difficult if not high unlikely with out medical help or if you can get pregnant but keep having miscarriages

Causes of Infertility

1 in 6 Couples have difficulty trying to conceive

The main causes of infertility are:

• 32 % Female Factors

• 32% Male Factor

• 12% Combined male & female

• 24% Unexplained infertility (no identified male or female cause)

Source HFEA 2008

What can WE do to influence our

fertility – A Mind Body Approach

1. Nutrition

2. Weight

3. Work / Life Balance

4. Lifestyle, Alcohol & Smoking

5. Environmental Hazards

6. Stress

Nutrition

Nutrition

Not just our reproductive system we need to take a whole body approach. Nutritional stress can have huge impact on your overall health.

• Balancing blood sugar

• Hormonal balance

• Digestion

• Liver Function

• Nutrients for general health and wellbeing

Nutrition Tips

• Eat every 3 hrs to balance blood sugar

• Always eat breakfast

• Eat protein and carbs together

• Avoid processed foods & eat food in its natural state

• Avoid low fat foods that contain chemicals and

sweeteners

• Water at least 1.5 ltrs a day

• One size does not fit all so find a nutrition programme

that suits you and enlist the help of a professional if

necessary.

Weight /BMI

Weight /BMI

• A 10% change in body weight can have a

positive impact on your chances of

conceiving

• Being underweight is equally as unhealthy

as being overweight

Factors that influence fertility

Work

Work

2 Big Questions I get asked:

1. Should I give up work

2. Should I tell my boss I’m having

treatment.

Lifestyle

Alcohol

Here’s the science - 2 studies found alcohol

consumption can delay conception in fertile

women

Findings:

The more alcohol fertile women drank per

week the longer it took to get pregnant.

Environmental Factors

Environmental Factors

• Decrease Xenoestrogens - These are

man-made chemicals that mimic

oestrogens and are harmful to health.

• They are found in plastic, cleaning

products, cosmetics, pesticides etc.

Factors that influence fertility –

Relax

Inducing the Relaxation Response

1. Meditation

2. Yoga

3. Mindfulness

4. Deep Breathing

5. Guided Imagery

Stress

Importance of Reducing

Emotional stress

Importance of Reducing

Emotional stress

• The stress hormones and the sex hormones are made from cholesterol. When stressed, the body prioritizes making stress hormones over the sex hormones. This can cause low levels of progesterone.

• Adrenalin (the hormone released when you are stressed or when blood sugar levels drop) stops your body using progesterone in the second half of your cycle. Progesterone is essential for pregnancy.

How to reduce Emotional stress

• Induce Relaxation Response

• Cognitive restructuring

• Coping skills

Recent research shows women who do a

Mind / Body Programme more than double

IVF success rates.

Impact of TTC (Trying to

Conceive) Alice Domar - Stress associated with trying to conceive is the same as those suffer from a major illness like Cancer

Infertility is more than not having a baby its about

loneliness, social exclusion, unacknowledged grief, shame, feelings of inadequacy

• Personal Impact- monthly reminder, unsuccessful treatment, miscarriage, self esteem

• Relationships - significant other, parents, siblings, friends

• Work

• Social Life

What can you do if you are

having difficulty conceiving

• GP – Health Check, routine bloods to check iron, thyroid, vitamin D, hormones day 3 & 7 LH, Oestrogen, FSH, prolactin, inflammatory markers, smear

• Fertility Clinic / Specialist

– Female Tests, AMH, Hysterosalpingogram (HSG), Hysteroscopy, Laparoscopy

– Male Test include semen analysis, DNA fragmentation

– For both male and female Immune Testing

Assisted Reproductive

Technology

• Cycle Tracking / Monitored Cycles

• IUI

• IVF (With or without fertility drugs),

• Donor Conception

• Surrogacy – Traditional & Gestational

What is IVF

4 Stages of IVF

1. Natural Cycle or Stimulation Phase

2. Egg Retrieval

3. Embryo / Blastocyst Transfer

4. 2 Week Wait (2WW)

Risk with IVF

• OHSS (Ovarian Hyper-stimulation Syndrome)

Success Rate – 33%

Cost of IVF in Ireland

• IVF (ICSI) €5,000

– Does not include routine bloods, scans,

counselling, medication, freezing, assisted

hatching, blastocyst culture

• Donor Egg €10,000

• Fertility Workup bloods, scans done

previously.

Going Abroad for Treatment

• Technological advances

• USA - ASRM lists cost at $12,400 (€9K)

• Spain Barcelona €6,500-€9,000

• Czech Republic – Prague €4,500 and

€6,000

• Greece €4,000 - €5000

• Surrogacy Costs USA - €80K -€150K and

India €20K-€60K

Choosing a clinic

• Number of Treatment cycles

• Live Birth Rate

• Single Birth Rate

• Choose a clinic that specialise in your

particular issue e.g. low ovarian reserve

• Anonymous or known Donor

BFP

Being Pregnant

• After IVF

• Freeze embryos

• Risk of miscarriage / ectopic pregnancy

the same with IVF as natural pregnancy

• Nurturing yourself - Manage your

emotional bank account

• Challenge your thought pattern

Other Family Building Options

• Warning ART is addictive

• Donor Conception

• Adoption

• Fostering

• Surrogacy

• A life without children

Other Family Building Options

After you have your baby

After you have your baby

• Fear, anxiety, low mood, baby weight,

keeping up appearances

• Postnatal Depression

• Secondary infertility

Last Word

“To the brave and the faithful

nothing is impossible”

Questions