I’ve been downloading and listening to some really interesting podcasts from the BBC Radio 4′s Medical Matters Series.

There’s a really interesting one on gut bacteria and their role in health and disease (from 8th March) and one investigating Pregnancy Nausea (29th Feb), with one researcher suggesting that it could be related to the immune system and the way it reacts to the foetus. Well worth a listen.

GCRM and The Natural Fertility Centre present

An All-Round Approach to Fertility & IVF

Sat 26th March 2011 – Ramada Jarvis Hotel, Ingram St, Glasgow 1.30-4.30pm
Sun 27th March 2011 – Apex Hotel, Grassmarket, Edinburgh 10am-2pm

The Natural Fertility Centre has teamed up with GCRM (Glasgow Centre for Reproductive Medicine) to offer the unique chance to meet and speak with experts in IVF and natural fertility support.

At each event, you will have the opportunity to:

• Listen to a talk by Professor Richard Fleming (Scientific Director at GCRM) about his latest research on the Anti-Mullerian Hormone (AMH), and talks by other members of his medical team on the GCRM’s approach to IVF and the IVF process.
• Find out how the natural treatment methods on offer at The Natural Fertility Centre could help you improve your fertility, and how they can be used alongside medical fertility treatments.
• Meet the staff from both centres, who will be available to answer your questions and offer advice on the next steps in your fertility journey.

Places are limited so register now for this unique event at www.thenaturalfertilitycentre.com

Sperm quality significantly deteriorated and testicular cancers increased over recent years, a Finnish study says.

Read more on the BBC website

A review by researchers from the Cochrane Library has found that in couples with male factor infertility or unexplained infertility undergoing fertility treatment, men taking antioxidant supplements were over fourfold more likely than controls to get their partner pregnant and see a successful live birth. http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/o/cochrane/clsysrev/articles/CD007411/frame.html

The researchers noted that both sperm motility and concentration increased in those men taking antioxidant supplements. The use of antioxidants is based on the theory that free radicals can cause damage to the DNA in sperm, which is vital for creating an embryo and can result in lowered sperm count, motility or ability to fertilise the egg. Nutrients such as vitamin E and C are know to ‘mop up’ free radicals and therefore protect cells against damage.

I have worked with many men with fertility issues as part of The Natural Fertility Centre, addressing dietary and lifestyle factors that can affect male fertility. For advice on using antioxidants and improving sperm count, motility or quality, please book an appointment at one of my clinics.

Wednesday 28th October 6.30-8.30pm
Apex Hotel, Waterloo Place, Edinburgh
Making Babies Made Easy – The Natural Approach

Meet the practitioners from the Edinburgh Natural Fertility Clinic and learn more about the natural approach to improving fertility.

Find out more about how acupuncture, herbal medicine, nutrition, conception coaching, counselling and hypnotherapy can improve your chances of conceiving naturally and having a healthy pregnancy and baby. Our expert practitioners will be available to advise you on which therapies might help you and to answer your fertility questions.

Tickets are £6 in advance from the Edinburgh Natural Fertility Website, and places are limited so book now!

There have been a couple of fertility-related stories in the news over the last week. Firstly, the IVF postcode lottery, and now women being urged to have a Fertility MOT at age 30 to assess their ability to conceive which starts to drop dramatically after age 35.

At the Edinburgh Natural Fertility Clinic we see a lot of couples in the 35-45 age range who are having difficulty conceiving and many believe, or have been told, that IVF if their only chance of having a baby. We believe that a combination of good nutrition, healthy lifestyle, acupuncture and fertility awareness can dramatically increase the chances of conceiving, even for couples in their mid-30′s and 40′s. We also treat male partners who have sup-optimal sperm count or quality as this can also decline with age. Our figures for 2008 show that 47% of  patients across all age ranges who attended the clinic, conceived.

For more information on how we can help, see our website:

www.edinburghfertilityclinic.co.uk

And finally, an article about my two friends and colleagues from the Edinburgh Natural Fertility Clinic, Dee and Rachael:

Me and my conception coach - Sunday Herald