A test that can detect Down’s syndrome from the blood of pregnant women has raised the prospect of routine screening for the condition for every expectant mother who wants it and should be available in around 5 years.

At the moment a test to check for Down’s syndrome is only carried out on women who are at high risk such as being over the age of forty. It is an invasive test and does carry the risk of miscarriage of one in 100 women. It involves inserting a needle into the womb to remove amniotic fluid surrounding the foetus or removing a small piece of the placenta.

Down’s syndrome affects around 1 in 900 of pregnancies and occurs when three copies of chromosome 21 are inherited instead of the usual two. Down’s syndrome causes learning difficulties and often cardiac defects.

However, if the test proved positive what would you do? It would give you more time to prepare and research about your life as a parent of a child with Down’s syndrome but equally it could increase the abortion rate.

Many parents who have a child with Down’s syndrome experience all the joys of parenthood and will tell you that they wouldn’t change anything. Their children enjoy their life and have great potential.

Would you go ahead and have the test if it became more accessible?

Author: David Riewe 

·         If you smoke, now is a good time to quit rather than waiting until you have that positive test. Smoking can decrease your fertility and increase your risk of a miscarriage if you are still smoking when you are pregnant. ·         Start to eat foods that have plenty of vitamins, minerals and fibre. Lay off the fat and excess sugar. You want to eat foods that have a high nutrient density. Eat at least five portions a day of fruits and vegetables along with protein and iron rich foods like dried fruit, and green vegetables. Try to steer clear of raw fish like sushi, and steer clear of undercook shellfish, meat or chicken. You also want to try to avoid fish that has high mercury content like swordfish, shark, or king mackerel. Cut out any food that has unpasteurized milk in it including cheeses such as brie, camembert, and some Mexican cheese. Also cut out foods that have raw egg in it including homemade cookie dough.

·         Water should always be your first beverage choice before, after and during your pregnancy. Water helps to flush your system of toxins. Once you’ve gotten your eight glasses in, you can drink fruit and vegetable juices also.

·         Perhaps the most important thing you can do before you get pregnant is to cut out all alcohol. Women who drink might have a harder time getting pregnant than women who do not drink. Another reason why you should give up alcohol is that most birth defects that are caused by alcohol exposure usually occur in the first few weeks of pregnancy, usually before you even know you are pregnant. 

Getting your body prepared for pregnancy is one of the best decisions you could make. Your body will be more prepared for the challenge of growing a baby and the experience will be a little easier on your body.

by: Lyta Humphris

Are you finding it difficult to become pregnant? If so you can do many simple things to improve your chances of conception, the way we live can have a big effect on the reproductive system of both men and women and most people prefer natural ways to increase fertility. You may both have to change your life-style to incorporate healthy influences, and eliminate things you enjoy that reduce your fertility.

Alcohol Reduction
Alcohol can put pregnancy at risk. According to some studies, the risk of miscarriage appears to increase with moderate drinking during the first three months of pregnancy, particularly in the first weeks.

Reducing Stress
Stress can have a big effect on fertility. In women under stress, the reproductive hormone prolactin is over-produced and this can interfere with ovulation. The hypothalamus stops secreting gonadotrophin hormone, which in turn will affect the release of both the luteinizing hormone and follicle-stimulating hormone. As these hormones stimulate ovulation - fertility is affected.
Self help for stress is regular exercise, deep breathing techniques, hypnotherapy and visualization - a combined approach can include the following:

Nutritional Improvement
You should not overlook nutrition in fertility treatment – it is important to have a good level of nourishment that will allow your body to function well, and it is of course a very natural way to increase fertility! Bad eating habits can lower the reserves of nutrients that are necessary for reproductive hormone systems to work properly.
Your hormonal balance and fertility are affected by what you eat, your nutrient levels and how well your digestion works. If you are short of essential fatty acids, vitamin A, vitamin B6, zinc, magnesium, and antioxidants, then your hormone production may be blocked - resulting in an imbalance that makes conception less likely.

Acupuncture

Have you ever wondered about the treatment of infertility with traditional medicine and acupuncture? Good candidates for trying medical acupuncture are people who have unexplained infertility - acupuncture is effective for balancing the body’s energies and raising the receptiveness of the body for conception. Men and women with a physical problem, such as damaged fallopian tubes, or a low sperm count, would be encouraged to try acupuncture in addition to their medical treatment.

Hypnotherapy
Hypnotherapy is exceptionally beneficial and natural way to increase fertility. Hypnotherapists are already using Hypnotherapy to help women give birth peacefully, and teaching them that a normal birth should be a calm and natural process. Learning simple but specialised relaxation, and breathing, and other techniques, make the whole birth easier and more comfortable.
With unexplained infertility, hypnotherapists teach you to let go of the stress you have been holding on to, using specialised relaxation, and breathing techniques. It teaches you to let go of any emotional blocks or worries you may have that can create infertility issues – Hypnotherapy can help you identify and process emotional issues that might be interfering with conception.
In addition to dealing with deep-seated fears, hypnotherapy is effective in stress reduction, and this in turn allows for hormonal rebalancing. This has been seen in cases where there is too much prolactin being produced which can inhibit ovulation. In a relaxed environment at a clinic, you can work together to bring about positive attitudes and beliefs.
You can give your unconscious mind free rein here and allow yourself to be creative, free, and prepared to follow your heart’s wishes.

So there you have it - a range of natural ways to Increase infertility. Choose as many as befits your lifestyle and make things easier for yourself and your baby.

The latest press releases are claiming that research has been proven that diet can affect the gender of your child.

Studies have shown that women who have a lower calorie intake at the time of conception are more likely to have a girl. Experts claim that this could explain why the birth rate of males is falling in developed countries.

A boy or a girl

They state that not only does a higher energy intake link to giving birth to a boy but the women were shown to have eaten more nutrients containing potassium, calcium, and vitamins B12, C and E.

Apparently ladies who like to tuck into a nice healthy, hearty bowl of cereal in the mornings were also more likely to produce a son.

The study that has been analysed for over forty years indicates that women who have a lower calorie intake are much more likely to have a girl. If this is the case, then my only question is….why is it that Victoria Beckham has three boys? Surely if anyone should have given birth to a girl, it would have to be her?

You have a good job, nice home, great social life and you think you and your man are for ‘keeps’, so when or how do you decide to turn your life on it’s head and bring a baby into the equation? 

No sooner have you and your partner trotted down the isle to say ‘I DO’, Auntie Flo will be asking the million dollar question of when you are going to be starting a family. 

Saying okay lets do it, lets start trying for a baby may seem easy but from the moment those words are uttered your whole thinking will start to change and suddenly your idyllic baby free world will have been turned on it’s head!  

The decision is made and suddenly it will be all you will be able to think about…..unexpectedly you may find yourself in the baby section of the supermarket instead of the fruit and veg. Baby books and magazines will fill your shelves instead of your fashion and gossip magazines and your monthly ovulation cycle will be closely monitored with every symptom of a possible pregnancy noted. 

It can change your whole world, no more alcoholic drinks after work, maybe less strenuous workouts and no more shopping for skinny jeans and killer heels! Smocks, comfy sensible shoes and a healthy diet will take hold and before you know it, you’ll be loving every second of it, well maybe! 

So the big question is…..how do you suddenly decide…YES the time is right? 

  Your partner’s emotions could probably be fluctuating just like your hormones when you tell them you are pregnant! They could be experiencing excitement, anxiety and maybe even fear!

Although you may have been trying for a baby when it finally happens it can be a shock, suddenly the realisation of the huge responsibility of having a baby suddenly becomes real.  If your partner has gone off sex and is making all sorts of excuses to avoid any bedroom activity then try talking to him. He may just need some reassurance! 

• If your partner is the main bread winner he may be worrying about money.

• He could be feeling very protective of you and your unborn baby and scared sex will harm the baby.

• Some men find that their partner’s changing shape alters the way he feels about sex and he doesn’t like the thought of having sex whilst you are carrying his child.

Many of his fears may only be fleeting, others may need you both to discuss how he’s feeling and talk him through them 

• If he is worried that he will hurt the baby, take it slowly and no matter how big he thinks his penis is, it won’t be large enough to hurt the baby. The penis only actually enters the vaginal cavity which is not harmful to the baby.

• If he still can’t relax enough to have penetrative sex then why not enjoy a massage and oral sex

• Remind him of your old self and buy some lovely sexy maternity lingerie, they have some really pretty bras, thongs and pants now for pregnant ladies.

Try not to feel rejected, he probably just needs a little time and a bit of support to get used to the idea of the two of you becoming parents!

You have missed a period and think you may be pregnant, what now?

Probably the easiest thing to do would be to get a home pregnancy test, available from most Pharmacy’s and supermarkets but that’s where the fun begins……so many to choose from, which one is best? 

A home pregnancy test will measure the presence of the hormone human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) in your urine. A pregnancy test of 20 IU/L will be more sensitive than one with 50 IU/L, you can check this information on the box. Normally a more sensitive testing kit will be more expensive, some are so sensitive they can detect this hormone up to 4 days prior to your expected period! 

How do I use the test?

How to test can vary depending on which brand you use so it is important to read the instructions very carefully. You can test anytime of the day, however, urine is more concentrated first thing in the morning! 

Now for the fun bit……testing your wee!

Some will tell you to wee directly onto a stick (such fun!) and others will ask you to pee into a pot and then place a sample strip into the urine. Basically they will all measure the amount of hCG in your body and then give you the result. Some will spell it out for you by writing ‘pregnant’ or ‘not pregnant’ in a window( nice and simple) others will tell you to look for a coloured line usually blue or pink. 

How long do I wait?

You can usually check the results within a few minutes, however, these minutes will seem like hours! 

Missed your period but have a negative test result? 

If this has happened but you think you still may be pregnant, wait a few days and test again. The levels of hCG in your urine may not have reached a level where they can be detected. Drinking large quantities before testing could also dilute the hormone.

Get the time right!There is little chance of you getting pregnant if you are not having intercourse when you are ovulating. It’s a good idea to get to know your cycle to be sure of when the time is right, basically, ovulation happens 14 days before your next menstrual period. Sperm can live in your body for approximately 4-5 days and your egg, once released, can live for up to 48 hours. If you have intercourse around this time then you have a 25% chance of becoming pregnant! Doesn’t seem much of a chance does it really, especially if you are really feeling desperate for a child. The good news is that 75-85% of women will get pregnant within a year!

Morning, afternoon or night?Make love first thing in the morning as his semen will have a higher sperm count! A friend of mine also swears by elevating her hips on a pillow directly after making love, it worked for her, she has three little ones.

Get your position right!What position is best for conception…..it’s the missionary! Apparently if the man is on top you get deeper penetration which will allow his sperm to be closer to the cervix. Try to enjoy your love making and not just be thinking about conceiving, studies have proven that women who are relaxed and more aroused will give the sperm a higher chance of reaching her egg. Feeling anxious and depressed can have an adverse effect, a good excuse to buy yourself something sexy and take up yoga to feel your best mentally and physically.

Can your man help?Of course he plays a major role in conception but ensure he is fit, healthy, not smoking or drinking too much. Get rid of all his tight fitting pants and get him into some loose boxers. A man’s testes can overheat if a man’s pants are too tight which will mean he will be unable to produce sufficient sperm. Keep him out of saunas and hot tubs too! Finally…..Good Luck but if you are having trouble conceiving after one year of unprotected intercourse then see your G.P for some expert help.