Helping men become Fathers

Helping Men Become Fathers 

Often when we think of fertility problems the focus is on the woman.  Female fertility seems so complex compared to men, with ovulation, periods etc. Men, well often they can feel that they just need to ‘come to the party’.

Unfortunately it is not always that simple.    

So what is bad for sperm?  Smoking, both tobacco and cannabis, heat (so maybe get your partners some nice loose cotton boxers), obesity, alcohol excess, previous testicular surgery or injury, and interestingly long distance cycling. 

So what to do? The good news is that the factory where sperm are made (the testes) is sending out new models every 72 days. 

Add some colour:  Think of colourful fruits and vegetables – greens, reds, yellows – they all contain a good amount of Vitamin C.  Peanuts, brazil nuts and almonds contain both zinc and Vitamin E and cooked tomatoes contain the powerful anti-oxidant lycopene which also helps.

Foods to avoid: Higher levels of saturated fat, trans-fats, dairy products and sweetened drinks are associated with lower sperm quality.

Add some movement: Sperm fitness can also be improved by addressing excess weight.  If he can’t see his manhood when he looks down – there is a problem. 

If you’re having problems conceiving, don’t assume it’s you – get your man checked out too.    To find out more or to book an appointment with one of our top NZ fertility specialists or visit www.fertilityassociates.co.nz  or call 0800 255 522

Best Wishes,

Mary Birdsall

I’m nearly 40 and I want to have a baby. What are my options?

I’m nearly 40 and I want to have a baby. What are my options?

Everyone knows that a woman’s fertility reduces with age but it is still possible to have a baby approaching 40 and beyond.  The first thing to do is to improve your lifestyle; stop smoking and drinking, make sure your body mass index is in the healthy range (19 to 25) and start folic acid to reduce the risk of Spina Bifida.  Check with your doctor about any medication you are on. It’s also important to know the best times for sex, so find an app to help or focus on having lots of sex from days 11 to 14 if your periods are monthly. And then just get started as soon as you can.

The chances of having a baby each month you try at age 40 are 6% and if it hasn’t happened after 6 months you should be visiting a fertility specialist. IVF at age 40 still has a reasonable chance of working with a 25% chance of a baby with each cycle.

For some women aged 40 and beyond, their egg supply has run out. There is still the option of egg donation to have a baby. This is when a younger woman with healthy eggs has a cycle of IVF and gives those eggs to an older woman. The pregnancy rates with egg donation are excellent as egg quality is the main determinant of IVF success rates. Egg donation is available in NZ and we see many women successfully have a baby this way at Fertility Associates.

If there isn’t a man on the scene, it is also still possible to have a baby using donor sperm. Fertility Associates has a donor sperm programme but there is a wait for donors follow this link to find out more: http://www.fertilityassociates.co.nz/Donor-services/Become-a-sperm-donor.aspx.  So if you are thinking about having a baby the best advice I can give is to talk to a specialist sooner rather than later.

Best Wishes,
Mary Birdsall

Questions I often get asked about Fertility

Questions I often get asked about Fertility

Fertility can be complex, at Fertility Associates I often gets asked the same types of questions:

 

Question 1: Do I need a referral to see a fertility doctor?

Answer: I would suggest that it is good to let your GP know what you are thinking in terms of your fertility health. Having a referral often means that your first consultation will take place with more information, and test results. Many couples like to make an enquiry without involving their GP and self-refer to fertility clinics, this is ok too, but you should try and come with as much information as you can.

Question 2: I am 42 and have been trying to have a baby for two years. What are the options available to me?

 

Answer: As you get older, your chance of conception month by month, declines significantly. At 42, your chance of having a baby naturally is around 4% each month. It is entirely possible you have not conceived yet by chance alone, however I would recommend you see a fertility specialist.  Where you will be given an assessment of your chance of conception as well as some suggestions about potential treatments.  Check out www.biologicialclock.co.nz.

Question 3: I have a three-year-old and have been trying to get pregnant again for the past 18 months, without success.  What should I do?

 

Answer:  Your previous pregnancy doesn’t really change the rules about when you should seek advice, as there are many things that might limit your chance of conception (a man with a low sperm count is perhaps the most common). Fertility is all about chance. It’s important to understand how long “normal” is. On average, it takes a 27-year-old about four to five months to conceive but a 37-year-old will take around eight to nine months.

Question 4: I am single and in my mid-thirties. Is there a way to assess my future fertility?

Answer: There are good tests to assess the number of eggs you have, but without more complex investigations, it is difficult to know what your chance of pregnancy would be. The Anti-Mullerian Hormone (AMH) test can predict whether you are likely to continue to ovulate for as long as most other women. It’s a useful test, however, for younger women who are thinking of deferring conception.  If the AMH is low (fewer eggs than you would expect), then they may change their plan or look at treatment options like egg freezing.
 

Best Wishes
Mary Birdsall

Pregnant: Now what?

Pregnancies following fertility treatment are not the same as pregnancies following spontaneous conceptions. Women who are pregnant following IVF treatment have slightly increased risks of high blood pressure, small or early babies, antepartum haemorrhage ( bleeding during pregnancy) and caesarean section.
It used to be thought that these events were due to the age of the women or to the increased rates of twins. Recent studies however have controlled for these variables and still these increased risks are seen.
So what can we do about this?
Firstly, consider having a frozen embryo replaced, as fresh IVF pregnancies appear to have slightly worse outcomes when compared to frozen embryos. Secondly, choose to have only 1 embryo transferred at a time as twins have much worse outcomes. Even when 1 baby results after 2 embryos have been replaced, then the outcomes are worse compared to when only a single embryo has been replaced. Thirdly, choose a specialist obstetrician to care for women during pregnancy following IVF treatment.
The reasons for the increased perinatal risks are unknown and are probably due to a combination of the effects of stimulation on the endometrium, possibly the lab environment for the embryos along with the impact of infertility. Women who take a long time to conceive but who eventually become pregnant without treatment also have these same increased risks.
There are some groups of women who have some even higher risks, namely those women over 40 along with those women pregnant following donor egg treatment. These women have higher risk of high blood pressure and small babies.
Having said all of this, the vast of majority of women pregnant following fertility treatment have healthy term babies.
Best wishes
Mary Birdsall