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The American Fertility Association Blog
Manicures & Martinis & MDs
May 14, 2009 - Thursday
Posted by admin
By Lori Holden
One of these things is not like the others.
One of these things just doesn’t belong
Can you guess which thing is not like the others...?
The Sesame Street song was in my head as the nail tech pushed back my cuticles at the American Fertility Association‘s Manicures & Martinis event in Denver.
I was in a room full of beautiful 20-somethings. Tanned legs, cute sun dresses, fresh skin. We were all guests of the AFA to begin thinking about our fertility and to listen to three doctors from Conceptions Reproductive Associates of Colorado.
I ONCE had tanned legs. I ONCE wore cute sundresses that didn’t have spaghetti sauce in some not-so-hidden crease. I ONCE had fresh skin.
But I never, in my 20s, worried about my fertility. Back then, we were trying hard NOT to get pregnant. And, we were told, “people have babies well into their 40s—you have plenty of time.”
So when I didn’t meet my husband until I was 31, I was not concerned. When we married at 32, I was not concerned. When, after a year of not exactly trying to become pregnant but not really trying not to, I began to grow concerned.
I could have used a night like this back then. Or even before then.
After welcoming remarks by AFA Executive Director Ken Mosesian, Drs. Swanson, Bush and Albrecht told about substances and activities that can decrease fertility in both men and women. They shared results of studies on everything from egg health to treatment success rates to timing of intercourse. They entertained questions about an alphabet-soup of issues: PCOS, POF, MFI, OHSS, IVF, IUI and the rest of the infertility lexicon.
(I am now reading The Land of IF: Understanding Infertility and Exploring your Options, so I was able to follow the technical parts. Mostly.)
The good doctors were informative and charming, and I could see trusting them with my fertility hopes, if I had been like the others instead of being a tired mom having a rare night out with an organization I’m now blogging for.
How did my story turn out? Well, we never did get the better of our fertility. Our one shot at IVF was a failure, and we faced it alone and isolated in the days before online support groups, blogs, forums and the AFA.
But we did become parents, nonetheless. In 2001, we were at our daughter’s birth, and remain in contact with her first parents in a fully open adoption. Two years later, her brother joined us as an infant, and our family was complete.
Lest you think I’m blowing the age gap out of proportion, check out the local news clip. You’ll see my back (I’m talking with the doctors) at 1:12 where the voice over says, “Most importantly, know about the AGE FACTOR.”
Even though I was not like the others—wanting to know the ways to preserve my fertility—I did somehow manage to enjoy my manicure and martini.
Some things are universal.
Lori Holden blogs about open adoption and mindful living amid chaos at Weebles Wobblog, and she dishes up sassy reviews at All Thumbs Reviews. Lori has recently joined the AFA as a contributing blogger.
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http://WeeblesWobblog.blogspot.com ...mindful living amid chaos
http://AllThumbsReviews.blogspot.com ...sassy reviews by sassy chicks
@BestLight ...follow me on Twitter
http://twitter.com/BestLight
Categories
Adoption •
Fertility Preservation •
IUI •
IVF •
PCOS •
Pregnancy •
Reproductive Health
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How to Defend Against Swine Flu and Boost Your Immune System
May 4, 2009 - Monday
Posted by Lisa
by Karen Spencer Dees, Ph.D.
1. SLEEP DEPRIVED NATION - The body rejuvenates and strengthens itself when it is at rest. For the most part, we require approximately 8 to 10 hours per night. Sleep has been linked to balanced hormone levels (including human growth hormone and the stress hormone, cortisol). The right amount of sleep can help to keep weight down, clear thinking and reasoning, improved mood, and vibrant, healthy skin.
Specifically with regard to our immune system, a study published in the journal Seminars in Clinical Neuropsychiatry indicates that “significant detrimental effects of immune functioning can be seen after a few days of total sleep deprivation or even several days of just partial sleep deprivation.” Get your zzz’s!
2. WATER, WATER, WATER - Staying hydrated can alleviate headaches, alleviate depression, hydrate skin - keep you youthful and happy! AND ... Water flushes the body of toxins! You should be drinking daily, your body weight in pounds, divided by two = number of ounces of water per day. Add Electrosport for replacement of electrolytes after exercise with Fortune Delight.
3. ELIMINATE REFINED WHITE SUGAR. If you really want to boost your immune system, experts suggest that you eliminate sugar. Your energy levels will improve, your weight distribution will change, you will think more clearly, have less cravings, and your immune system will be strengthen ... dramatically!
4. FILL UP YOUR PLATE (and YOU) with Fruits and Veggies! The nutritional value that you receive from raw fruits and vegetables is unparalleled. Their vitamins (with an emphasis on Vitamins A and C), phyto-chemicals that give fruits and veggies their color and antioxidants protect cells against environmental toxins and give your immune function a real big boost!
5. TEA TIME. Green tea is a rich source of a type of antioxidant called a catechin. Preliminary research has found that a specific catechin called epigallocatechin gallate (egcg), may give the beverage antigen-fighting abilities. In other words, it may well boost your immune system. Calli Tea and Fortune Delight are excellent choices!
6. INGEST FRIENDLY BACTERIA. Foods that contain probiotics, bacteria that stimulate immunity cells in the gastrointestinal tract, are found in yogurt or kefir drink. One drink per day may well keep infections away! Make sure that you look for yogurt (or kefir) that contains ‘live active cultures.’ I recommend Vitadophilus
7. STRESS-LESS. Our bodies respond to our emotions, to stress and upset, to feeling anxious or harassed and can manifest a cold, sore throat or more. Do create a space within yourself, within your physical environment (home or office) in which you can relax, calm down, take in a deep breath and let it go. Add Ese for anxiety, Top for mental stress and Joi for physical stress.
8. SHAKE IT! Exercise makes our body stronger, it increases the circulation of blood and nutrients, and it helps flush the body of toxins.
BOOST YOUR IMMUNE SYSTEM!!! Daily Alpha 20C for the entire family
Imagine that your immune system is your own personal army. Your troops guard against attacks from ‘alien’ forces, and they defend against invaders. If we ignore, abandon or mistreat this system, it weakens.
However, when we take care of our personal army, when we keep the troops happy, energized, and performing at their peak, we can boost our immune system and our chances of staying healthy are increased dramatically.
Karen Spencer Dees, Ph.D.
Board Certified Holistic Nutrition
http://www.karenspencerdees.com
Categories
Fertility and the Environment •
Fertility Preservation •
Reproductive Health
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And Apparently Women Lie As Well
May 1, 2009 - Friday
Posted by Lisa
Not me of course.
Evidentally the blog entry that I wrote on STD prevention, as it is discussed at The AFA’s Manicures & Martinis Infertilty Prevention Events, hit a huge nerve out there. The blog name is “Men Lie”, you can read it a few entries down. I got emails from a lot of people about this blog. Mostly from women who kinda knew this stuff already. But I also got this one, from a disgruntled reader:
“Yeah and women lie as well. All men must always wear condoms—unless they want to wind up paying 18+ years of child support and effectively becoming a slave. All by her choice.
You see… Sometimes women “forget” to take the pill—without telling their partner. Women also “forget” a whole lot of things, like most of their sexual history, including unprotected sex…
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“A computer lets you make more mistakes faster than any invention in human history--with the possible exceptions of handguns and tequila.”
- Mitch Ratcliffe, _Technology Review_, April, 1992”
Well, there you go. While the sentiment varies, the take home message from both this reader and The AFA, is to some extent the same.
If you want to protect yourself, your health, and your fertility, use a condom.
So dear reader, you know who you are. I don’t disagree with a lot of what you have to say. If you would like to write back to me, cool. Please do so. I request that you use this public forum so that we can invite others to join the conversation. Because it’s an important conversation. And I thank you for your input.
Always,
Corey
Categories
Fertility •
Fertility Preservation •
Infertility •
Reproductive Health
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Life Is Change
March 4, 2008 - Tuesday
Posted by Ken
Change. It’s a word that both inspires and terrifies. On one hand there’s the opportunity for growth and adventure, on the other, we’re called out of the familiar and the comfortable.
And yet all of life is change. In the few seconds that it took you to read the sentences above, we have all changed. We’re older, cells have died and been recreated, new thoughts have emerged, and old ones have been rekindled. The only constant in life, the saying goes, is change.
Organizations experience change as well, and I’m writing to share with you the changes that have taken place at The AFA. As some of you may know, Pamela Madsen, The AFA’s founder, recently resigned her position as Executive Director. As she stated in her farewell blog, “I have given everything that I had to give.”
Her contributions to The AFA were considerable, and her commitment to those facing reproductive challenges unsurpassed. So I acknowledge all that Pam did to bring The AFA from infancy to this point in its growth. Simply stated, we could not have gotten here without her.
Though Pam is no longer with the organization, the rest of the staff remains, fully committed to taking the good work that has been done and building upon it.
I was hired, two years ago, to consult with The AFA to help position the organization for growth and development in a rapidly changing field. Now, the board has asked that I continue to work with them as the Acting Executive Director while a dedicated board committee conducts a national search. The committee members have invited me to formally apply for the position, which I intend to do.
I am certain that the board will hire the most qualified person to fill the position of Executive Director, and regardless of the outcome, I will work with The AFA - in whatever capacity the boards requests of me - to help guide this organization through an incredibly exciting time in its history.
It is a great privilege to continue to work with such tremendously dedicated staff members and board of directors who are focused on working together to deliver the very best education and support services possible, and to effectively advocate for your interests at every opportunity.
During the past few months, this unique team of staff, volunteers and board members has continued and expanded the work of The AFA, producing three separate e-Newsletters, answering support line phone calls, conducting phone-coaching sessions, producing the first Family Matters San Francisco Conference, and building alliances with other non-profits across the country.
There’s much more to report, including an updated website, an expanding mission to help lift the conversation about fertility into the larger conversation about reproductive health care, an emphasis on preventing STDs in order to protect fertility, the relationship between fertility and the environment and our work with the lesbian and gay communities in their efforts to create families. And of course, our core work with people who are experiencing reproductive challenges.
Thank you for your support. You have my word that you can count on us to continue to earn your trust and respect every day, to produce the best quality work possible, and to do it all with integrity.
Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions at: [email protected]
Working together, we can make a difference—for good.
Categories
Fertility •
Fertility and the Environment •
IVF •
LGBT •
Reproductive Health
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