The Truth About Men's Sperm: Part 1

Human Spermatozoa fertilizing an egg

Ok boys the data is finally out about the quality of men’s sperm. The truth is male factor infertility is on the rise and the quality of men’s sperm is on the decline.  I wanted to raise awareness around this topic as it has affected many of my male clients recently. 

     

In 2010, the World Health Organization published and revised their reference values for semen analysis, in fact they lowered their reference values, determining that the quality of men’s sperm is decreasing. What’s more concerning is the value for determining sperm morphology has changed rather substantially. This is definitely not a good thing when it comes to fertilizing an egg.      

It takes around 70 days for sperm (spermatozoa) to develop. The good news is that men are constantly producing new sperm. The not so good new is that because of the long development and maturation time of sperm cells, events in a man’s life such as binge drinking can have a far-reaching effect on the quality of his sperm.  To be realistic you need to give yourself three months of clean living to produce what I call “healthy or improved sperm”.     

What happens in the magical testes is really quite amazing. Men produce individual sperm from a cell called spermatogonium. The spermatogonium then divides to produce spermatocytes, which then develop into spermatids. The next process is really important when it comes to having good swimmers! Take note. The spermatids then develop their tail and then gradually acquire the ability to move by beating its tail. The spermatid then eventually develops in mature spermatozoa otherwise known as sperm. This maturation process takes a whooping 60 days and the sperm another 10-14 days to pass through the ducts of each testicle, and it’s sperm-maturing tube, the epididymis before it can leave the body in the semen during ejaculation. You can see just how long it takes for new sperm to produce. It is a lengthy process almost 3 months in fact.     

Part 2: How to read your semen analysis?

Sweet Potato

Did you know? Sweet potato or wild yam is famous for containing hormone-like compounds that are very similar to progesterone, and it may encourage the body's own production of the hormone. I always recommend to my patients to eat sweet potato to help support your luteal phase and progesterone production. Sweet Potato Curry is a must!

http://www.smh.com.au/lifestyle/cuisine/vegetarian/recipe/lentil-and-sweet-potato-curry-20111018-1lxo4.html

GET HEALTHY TO GET PREGNANT: GET PREGNANT BY GETTING HEALTHY

 

"YOUR CHOICE"

There was an interesting article published in the Herald Sun “Don’t risk your bub with booze” last week talking about alcohol during and after pregnancy. This article really had an impact on my views towards alcohol before and during pregnancy. Click here to follow the link http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/more-news/dont-risk-your-bub-with-booze/story-fn7x8me2-1226272155189

Working in the field of Fertility, I constantly see woman struggling with the issues of infertility. Gone are the days of falling pregnant like our parents did. When I ask my patients about their Mother’s history relating to fertility, most say,  Mum had little or no difficulty falling pregnant. Every woman that walks through my door has some issue relating to fertility. It’s hard enough trying to conceive naturally and if your doing IVF even harder again.

"In the past 40 years, Australian women and girls have stepped up to join the men and boys at the bar," Dr Stone said. This indicates that women have a real issue when it comes to alcohol.  We live in a culture where we think it’s ok to drink.  Have a stressful day at work then have a drink to relieve the stress. Anna Kokavec did a recent study examining the effects of alcohol on hormones. She describes this situation perfectly. In her transcript she  quoted “That's right, and most of us, if you do have that glass of white wine it's not unusual for somebody to say 'oh, I really needed that,' and 'oh, I feel so much better'. So there is this reinforcing effect. So if we are lowering the level of, say, stress hormone in the brain, well we will be feeling more relaxed. That has implications for things such as addiction, because of course if you are stressed you're being rewarded for actually consuming that alcohol, so you're more likely to reach for a glass of white wine the next time you're stressed”.
 
When it comes to alcohol and fertility, the two do not mix. Alcohol has a huge impact not only on your health but also your child’s. We need to take our health seriously when it comes to falling pregnant. All literature and research conclude the same findings that the adverse affects of alcohol range from; infertility, increased risk for spontaneous abortion to impaired fetal growth and development. Bascically, drinking alcohol puts you and your baby at risk for a miscarriage, pre –term birth and other serious health issues.

There are many reasons why we choose to leave pregnancy till our 30s or 40s. For most of us we are in mid to late 30s when make this decision. The decade of the 30s brings security in our careers and relationships, so having children in your 30s makes financial and practical sense. However, pregnancy at any age comes with its distinct advantages and disadvantages. What we are faced with in our 30s is what I call the “odds of success”. We all know that from 30s onwards our eggs are on the decline and the probabilities of conception are reduced with age.  Particularly, if we have made bad lifestyle choices during our 20’s and 30’s, 

The reality is “the older you get, the more lifestyle choices you make influence your health”. When we make the decision to have a baby we make the choice to live a healthy lifestyle. We want to give our children the best possible start to life and this therefore begins with us. Numero uno.  Wanting to have a healthy baby is a primal urge. So most women are therefore capable of being very well behaved while pregnant. It easy, by cleaning up your act it will actually help you get pregnant

What effects does alcohol have?

• Alcohol induces a rise in estrogen levels as a consequence of the metabolic breakdown of alcohol in the liver
• Evidence points to an induces rise in natural or synthetic estrogen levels in woman.
• Increased rate of testosterone- in women
• Decreased rate of testosterone in men
• Decreased rate of estraodial to estrogen
• Decreased levels of progesterone
• Alcohol impairs regulation of blood sugar levels

What does this mean?

• Ovulatory disorder
• Luteal Phase defects
• Alters blood sugar levels
• Impairs reproductive functions
• Interferes with calcium metabolism and bone structure
• Inadequate functioning of the ovaries and testes
• Hormonal deficiencies
• Sexual dysfunction
• Infertility

It can be seen that Alcohol has a wide range of effects on the hormone system and can present many real concerns. When it come to our fertility and having babies,  make the conscious decision to stop drinking before and during your pregnancy. I have a no alcohol rule and I don’t negotiate this with my patients. I witness the struggles of woman everyday. If we remove the external factors that can contribute to infertility then we are already half way there to having a healthy baby and conception. My advice is think twice before you sip that glass of wine. Ask yourself do I really need this glass of wine? Instead, go for a walk, have your favourite cup of tea or have some dark chocolate (80%). Look for the healthy alternative. Remember get healthy to get pregnant and get pregnant by getting healthy.

Easy Recipes – Quick & Easy Recipes – Easy Recipe Guide

Easy Recipes – Quick & Easy Recipes – Easy Recipe Guide

THE GIFT BOX

This year has brought many smiles, many tears, heartache, happiness, sadness, love and the list could go one. It's one big box wrapped up in emotions. It's my gift box i give to myself for Christmas each year.

This year for me has been another year of intense growth, not only in work but also my personal life. On reflection, I have learn't more about myself this year than any other previous years. For the first time in my life I finally feel comfortable in my skin and who i am. I also ponder the question will this change? Considering this is the first time i have experienced this and secondly does everything remain the same? Of course not i say casually.  That is the beauty about life and human beings, everything in motion is constantly in a changing state. So, as humans (lucky us) we are constantly evolving, changing thought patterns, changing our belief systems, constantly working on ourselves, our relationships, etc, and the list goes on.  So much work, so much work!  I confess, life is definitely hard at times. It's the hard times that really push our boundaries, it's these moments that we have to pull out the shovel and start digging deep.  Also too, sometimes i think why can't this end? haven't i been through enough, why is this happening again. Ok, universe what is that you are trying to tell me. Haven't I learn't all the lessons???

What I have come to learn,  is that sometimes there are no answers!

Give yourself a gift box for Christmas, we all deserve one! We have all worked so hard, and its nice to have these little reminders to be kind to ourselves! To love ourselves! And sitting with just BEING!

This year has been such a big year for so many people on so many levels. At the end of the day all our stuff is a big as each others. There are no comparisons just moments of sharing and experiencing. I have been so grateful for my clients who have blessed me with the chance of knowing them.  From each other we all keep learning and growing. I feel so lucky to have been able to share the loss of my Mum with my patients. Everyone has been so amazing!

What does 2012 bring us? The invetible question. My opinion is change. I think 2012 will be a great year. This year we have been faced with many challenges on a large scale. It has been a big year! The energy is definitely shifting. Next year will be the last year we ever have a calender year 12/12/12.

I love writing and I haven't been in the head space to write about fertility. So next year lookout. I have lots of wonderful things to share and write about. I can't wait to put thoughts to paper and share with you what i know about fertility, life experiences etc.

BABY PICTURE: Can you find the baby in the picture.

One of my friends posted this in facebook. I think it's beautiful. Can you find the baby in the picture?

Ten Tips to Kick "Start" your PCOS diet

TEN TIPS TO KICKSTART YOUR PCOS DIET

1. Eat low Glycemic Index (GI) carbohydrates such as vegetables and whole grains. It is very important for women with PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome) to completely avoid refined carbohydrates including sugar, white flour, whole wheat flour and products made from them eg: pasta, breads, desserts, lollies, soft drinks)

2. Keep your blood sugar stable with a daily schedule of meals and snacks every three to five hours that includes some protein and good fats (for example some nuts/nut butter, seeds/seed butter, hardboiled egg, hummus dip). Protein foods take up to 5 hours to digest while carbohydrate foods digest within 30 minutes.

3. Eat at least five servings a day of vegetables including two of leafy greens

4. Have a daily serving of legumes like black beans or lentils.

5. Enjoy grass or pasture fed (organic) meat up to three times a week

6. Eat at least three daily servings of fruits like berries --which have a lower glycemic impact each fruit as part of a meal or with a protein.

7. Limit or eliminate milk and dairy as these can aggravate internal dampness. If you do have dairy have only non- homogenized full fat milk

8. Pay careful attention to portion sizes in order to moderate glucose load and minimize insulin resistance

9. Add one or two Tbsp of cinnamon on cereal each morning to help decrease insulin resistance.

10. Include pre-biotic and pro-biotic foods which promote the growth of beneficial bacteria in the intestinal tract. Pre-biotics are found in whole grains, onions, bananas, garlic, honey, leeks, artichokes and some fortified foods. Pro-biotic foods are found in fermented foods (sauerkraut, live culture yogurt, kim chi, miso).