Fertility App announces 10,000 pregnancies

The popular smartphone app, Kindara, which helps women calculate when they are infertile and when they can get pregnant announces their 10,000 conception in just the last 12 months. According to William Sacks, co-founder and CEO of Kindara, “With our current rate of growth, our industry is on track to rival the pregnancy rate of all the nations fertility clinics within a couple of years.” Based on the Fertility Awareness Method (FAM), the Kindara mobile app, website and online portal provide education and support to help couples maximize their chances of getting pregnant. Alternatively, the app can be optimized to conservatively estimate the infertile days of a woman’s cycle, helping her make informed decisions about when contraceptives are needed to avoid pregnancy. Users can enter more than 200,000 data points into the app each week, where they are analyzed and computed into easy-to-read charts that report what is happening with the individual’s fertility. The fact that the use of FAM in an app was able to help 10,000 women get pregnant in just a year, and countless others prevent pregnancy, is evidence that the science behind fertility awareness is still widely unknown. Women everywhere are biting their nails, thinking there is no way to know if they became pregnant this menstrual cycle until they get their period or take a pregnancy test. They lack the basic knowledge about their own bodies and the signals it provides to track fertility, and it is not their fault. The common pig farmer knows more about the science of getting pregnant than the average woman or man. Unlike the average person, pig farmers have studied the signs of fertility and how to monitor them. Though the information is not widely available, it is not exactly hidden. Since the majority of the population never learned the how to track the human fertility cycle in biology class, or sex-ed; from their parents, or even from television, it has not yet reached the critical mass to become common knowledge. Thanks to the simplicity and accessibility of smartphone apps that track fertility, more people than ever before have access to this vital information, and they are saving thousands of dollars. Without researching the numbers, it is safe to say that unexpected or unwanted pregnancies are expensive. For couples who wish to conceive but are having trouble the cost can be dear. Fertility testing costs anywhere from $200 to $500, and in vitro fertilization starts at around $12,400. As their app grew in popularity the Kindara team began receiving as many as 500 reports of successful conception each week. Sacks and co-founder Katherine Bicknell were astounded by the results. “In the beginning, we would ring a bell every time a user got pregnant. Eventually the constant bell-ringing started driving us crazy so we had to stop doing that.” Each of the 10,000 reports from women who were helped by the fertility awareness app to get pregnant have come directly from users since March 1 2013. The Kindara Fertility Awareness app has been downloaded in 134 countries and is available for both Apple and Android users. As of Monday morning it had the No.1 spot on the iTunes Free Medical category chart. Article: 24th February 2014 www.guardianlv.com

Older fathers more likely to have 'mutant sperm'

They say that older fathers have a higher risk of fathering a child with a disorder such as autism or schizophrenia. An increasing body of evidence is showing that as a man ages, his sperm becomes poorer quality. This is because mutations cause stem cells in the testicles to divide abnormally, resulting in an increasing proportion of mutant sperm as men age, New Scientist reports. Some studies have even linked having an older father to Alzheimer's disease, bipolar disorder (previously known as manic depression), heart disease and cancer. Now, scientists warn that a man in his 40s is twice as likely to pass down potentially disease-forming genetic mutations as a man in his 20s - indicating that the biological clock ticks for men, too. Plenty of high-profile men have become late-life fathers, including Steve Martin at 67, David at 53 and Des O'Connor, who became a father for the fifth time at 72. For decades, scientists have speculated about links between older fathers and birth defects. But it was only recently that a groundbreaking study, published in the respected journal Nature, proved that men undoubtedly pass on more genetic mutations to their children as they get older. Read more ... Test your sperm count at www.prideangel.com

New fertility treatment for PCOS without hormone injections

For millions of women suffering from polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), trying to conceive can be a heart-breaking experience. But a new procedure is making it easier for patients to get pregnant without hormone injections, meaning a decreased risk for certain complications. “PCOS is an endocrine disorder where women don’t ovulate on a regular basis,” Dr. Jesse Hade, medical director at Neway Fertility in New York City told FoxNews.com. “It's usually characterized by having multiple little follicles in the ovaries that appear on ultrasound, or having irregular periods, coupled with elevated male hormone levels, or elevated androgen levels.” Manpreet Sangari, 32, was diagnosed with PCOS after months of trying to get pregnant proved unsuccessful. “Basically it will be very hard for me to ovulate on my own and have kids … It would be, not a miracle, but it would just, it would take a long time, and that's when [my obstetrician] told me I should go to a fertility doctor,” Sangari told FoxNews.com. “And hearing all that was just crazy because now you're adding more people into the process of baby making, which should have been so simple.” Sangari went to see Hade, who suggested she try a less-invasive procedure like intrauterine insemination (IUI) before jumping into in vitro fertilization (IVF). But the IUI procedure did not produce a pregnancy, so Sangari tried a round of IVF. The procedure was a success and Sangari and her husband, 36-year-old Sarbdeep Mokha, were overjoyed to learn she was pregnant with twins. But their excitement was short lived when, not long after, the unthinkable happened. “I ended up [having a] preterm delivery on the 23rd week and the babies didn't survive,” said Sangari. “The procedure itself was successful, the IVF was successful -- the carrying of the babies was not successful.” Three months later, when Sangari was ready to try again, Hade suggested a different kind of fertility treatment called in vitro maturation (IVM). “Usually women with … PCOS are the primary candidates for this procedure because they have lots of little immature follicles which lead to lots of little immature eggs. We then go ahead and harvest all these immature eggs, remove them, and then mature them in the petri dish,” Hade said. With traditional IVF, patients typically inject themselves with hormone medications for eight to 10 days to stimulate the ovaries into producing multiple eggs for fertilization. This increases the chances of creating healthy embryos for transfer into the uterus. But hormone injections can be dangerous for PCOS patients because they have an increased risk for ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) – a condition that causes the ovaries to become swollen and painful. Sangari developed OHSS during her IVF trial, making her the perfect candidate for IVM. “In in-vitro maturation, little to none of these [hormone] drugs are given initially, so what we're doing is preparing the endometrium for implantation with hormones to … prime the lining,” Hade said. “And in this process, we wait until the endometrial receptivity gets to its best point, and that's when we trigger the ovulation and remove the immature eggs out.” The treatment is still considered experimental, so it’s not covered by insurance. But Hade hopes to change that with an ongoing IVM study he is conducting that has shown success rates of 80 percent so far. Sangari had the procedure, and in October 2013 she and her husband welcomed a daughter, Zoya. They plan on trying for another child. “We're hoping Dr. Hade helps us get the second baby,” said Sangari. “We had thought of having two kids, and after the first time we got one back, and we need one more.” Article: 20th February 2014 www.foxnews.com

Understanding male infertility | The secret of fertile sperm

To better understand the causes of male infertility, a team of Bay Area researchers is exploring the factors, both physiological and biochemical, that differentiate fertile sperm from infertile sperm. At the 58th Annual Biophysical Society Meeting, which takes place Feb. 15-19, 2014, in San Francisco, Calif., the team will present its work to identify and characterize proteins known as ion channels, which are crucial for sperm fertility and expressed within a sperm cell's plasma membrane. "Any knowledge gained in this area may help create much-needed diagnostic testing and treatments for male infertility, which is in essence an idiopathic disease, because at this time 80 percent of male infertility cases can't be diagnosed or treated," said Melissa Miller, a postdoctoral fellow who will present the team's findings at the meeting. Miller works in the labs of both of her co-authors, Polina Lishko of the University of California, Berkeley (UCB), and Yuriy Kirichok at the University of California, San Francisco (UCSF). To study ion channels, the researchers are recording the electrical activity of sperm ion channels under strictly controlled conditions. "Our labs have characterized three ion channels responsible for regulating calcium (CatSper), potassium (Slo1), and protons (Hv1) within sperm cells," Miller said. "So far, the most well-studied is the sperm cation channel CatSper, which is exclusively expressed within sperm cells and represents an ideal target for development of a unisex contraceptive; no other cell in the body is known to express this protein." Read more ... Article: 19th February 2014 www.sciencedaily.com

New Foreign office guidance for surrogacy arrangements

The new guidance (available at www.gov.uk) sets out the rules on British nationality and immigration, and gives clearer guidance on the procedures parents need to follow to bring a child born through surrogacy abroad home to the UK. In practice, we know on the ground that parents can wait up to 5 months to get the paperwork they need to travel back to the UK after a child is born as a result of an international surrogacy arrangement, so careful planning is key. The guidance also highlights the need for parents to look beyond the immediate issue of getting home and ensure they do not miss the strict six month deadline for applying to the family court to become the legal parents in the UK. UK law does not recognise foreign birth certificates in surrogacy cases, and without a parental order granted by the UK court the foreign surrogate and her husband remain the legal parents in the UK. Last year High Court Judge Mrs Justice Theis said: ‘The message needs to go out loud and clear to encourage parental order applications to be made in respect of children born as a result of international surrogacy arrangements, and for them to be made promptly’. The FCO is urging parents to get legal advice before embarking on international surrogacy. At NGA and Brilliant Beginnings, we are passionate about helping parents planning overseas surrogacy arrangements to get the right information at the outset. Since representing the first parents have an international surrogacy arrangement ratified by the UK court in 2008, we have worked with hundreds of families planning overseas surrogacy arrangements. In 2013, 38% of our new international surrogacy cases involved India, 25% the USA and 7% the Ukraine. There is more information on NatalieGambleAssociate's website about international surrogacy law and about UK immigration and nationality. Article: www.nataliegambleassociates.co.uk 11th February 2014 Read more about Fertility Law at www.prideangel.com

Fertility treatment options for over 40s

Although some women are born with an intrinsic desire to have children, it can take others a little longer to get used to the idea of motherhood. In fact, many women don’t find themselves pining for a child until their late thirties or forties. However no experienced mummy can deny that when the overpowering urge to have a little baby takes hold, it’s difficult to think about anything else. Are you aged 40 plus? From IVF treatment and genetic testing to donor eggs, it’s not too late to have a baby. Discover the various fertility methods on offer and you could be planning that baby shower in a matter of weeks. IVF IVF is a series of procedures which are conducted in what is known as a ‘treatment cycle’. Using hormone therapy to stimulate the development of follicles in the ovary, IVF seeks to collect and fertilise eggs in a test tube to create embryos. The embryos spend up to a week in an incubator before being carefully examined using a high-tech grading system. The strongest embryos are selected to be transferred through the vagina to the uterus where this transfer will hopefully spark a pregnancy. Although success rates do dip with age, women up to the age of 50 have the choice of going ahead with IVF treatment using their own eggs. IVF with Genetic Testing It is a proven fact that the rate of genetic abnormalities and defects in eggs and embryos increases with age and up to 90% of pregnancies will encounter abnormalities over the age of 44. These findings are mostly clearly shown in the growing risk of Down’s syndrome which is observed in older mothers. Genetic testing is a sure fire way to plan for any eventuality. The test offers the most sophisticated techniques of aneuploidy screening and may be particularly useful for older women, or women who have had a previously unsuccessful IVF experience. Genetic testing can be used to: •Identify any chromosome abnormalities •Conduct genetic tests relating to infertility •Screen for over 100 of the most ubiquitous diseases •Improve pregnancy and live birth rates because only the embryos with normal chromosome arrangements will be chosen for transfer •Determine whether or not embryos are abnormal, enabling the patient to make an important decision about transfer and further treatment IVF with Donor Eggs IVF using donor eggs is the most common method of fertility treatment when the patient has none of her own eggs to use. This situation can often be attributed to the ovaries store of follicles running out due to old age. One of the most telling signs of menopause is irregular or non-existent periods at which point donor eggs may need to be considered. From collaborations with overseas clinics to donor eggs from IVF patients with resources to spare, your chosen fertility clinic will be able to provide you with a number of donor egg solutions should you want to pursue this option. Article: 15th February 2014 by The Bridge Centre Author Note: The Bridge Centre are a team of fertility experts based in South East London, specialising in fertility for the over 40s. Offering a wide range of fertility treatments to women under and over the age of 40, contact The Bridge Centre today to kick start your journey to motherhood.

7 Lifestyle factors which affect your fertility

Research is showing that the decisions you make about your nutrition, exercise, stress, and environmental toxin exposure can influence your health and fertility. Additionally, these lifestyle factors also influence the health and development of your baby once your pregnant! While some aspects of lifestyle may not be modifiable, there are many that can be modified in order to promote health and fertility. The main factors that are influential to creating a fertile environment in both men and women include: Nutrition Eating a clean diet of organic whole foods, plenty of antioxidants in berries and a rainbow of fruits and vegetables, essential fatty acids (like those from wild salmon and cod liver oil), nuts and seeds, and protein from organic, grass-fed animals will nourish your body, support your hormones and sexual health, reduce oxidative damage and inflammation, and create a healthy, well-functioning system that is ready to support new life. Strengthening your digestive integrity with organic whole foods is a foundational step to supporting your body's fertility. A strong digestive system promotes a healthy immunity. And it is essential in order to properly absorb, assimilate, and use the nutrients from your food. Weight management Body weight can have significant effects on health, and infertility is more common in those with a BMI over 25. Excess weight can be especially problematic for men because adipose tissue produces estrogen hormones and can thus disrupt the high testosterone levels that promote the growth of virulent and highly mobile sperm. Exercise A healthy amount of physical activity promotes fertility in men and women. Being active, getting your lymphatic system circulating, exercising your heart, and strengthening your muscles all promote your health and therefore work to tonify your body and prepare for pregnancy and raising a child. Psychological and physical stressors While stress seems to be unavoidable (infertility itself is stressful!), it is in your best interest to find ways to manage your stress and not let it wear you down. In fact, research shows that successful fertilization of female eggs decreases when the woman is dealing with too much stress and no way to manage it. Cigarette smoking, coffee and alcohol Cigarette smoke contains over 4,000 chemicals and is associated with numerous health conditions. Smoking negatively impacts the DNA of sperm in men and may decrease ovarian function, hormone levels, and menstruation in women. Drug use (both prescription and recreational) Not all medications have been tested for their influence on fertility, but some examples of pharmaceutical medications that can negatively influence fertility include antibiotics, antidepressants and antipsychotics, antiepileptics, anti-hypertensives, opiates, and even non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs like Advil. Research is not well funded on the influence of recreational drugs on fertility, but common drugs like cannabis and cocaine do negatively influence hormones, ability of sperm to travel through the oviduct, and male production of sperm. Cannabis has been shown to disrupt the development of the brain and nervous system, predisposing the baby to neuropsychiatric illness later in life. Avoiding all pharmaceutical and recreational drugs (even coffee, tea, and alcohol) will allow your body to maintain optimal hormone levels and foster a strong reproductive system, thereby supporting fertility. Exposure to toxins in the home and work environments Air pollution, cleaning supplies, pesticides, personal care products, exposure to heavy metals, plastic components such as phthalates and BPA, and Teflon-coated cookware, can be contributing factors to infertility. Toxic chemicals in the environment may lead to inflammation, damage to sperm DNA, altered hormone levels, and issues regulating weight and metabolic factors. Therefore it is critical to use non-toxic products for home and personal use, eat organic food free of pesticides, cleanse your body before trying to conceive, remove all amalgam fillings, drink clean water, and avoid EMF radiation from Wi-Fi and cell phones as much as possible. Transitioning your daily habits to be health-promoting will not only lead to your health improving, but it will create a fertile body ready for raising a baby. Article: 10th February 2014 www.naturalnews.com Read more about Natural Fertility at www.prideangel.com

Olympic advert features gay couples and families

http://blogs.prideangel.com/post/2014/02/Olympic-advert-feature-gay-couples-and-families.aspx

Pride Angel Journey | Delivering the afterbirth

I knew this moment was significant. Standing in the birthing pool holding the baby that seconds earlier had squeezed its way out of me, I could hear the last bars of Morcheeba’s ‘Part of the Process’ playing as Sally leaned across the edge of the pool towards me for a photo. Click. And another lesbian family was born. So I savoured the moment, the birth of this child (there really had been a baby inside me all this time!) And I savoured the fact that the effort of labour was over. But the stinging pain between my legs was becoming a distraction and the water was suddenly very red. The midwife clamped the cord and offered Sally a section to cut through before they took the baby from me and helped me to clamber out of the pool. Feeling suddenly very naked, I eased myself down on to a large plastic letter ‘U’, stolen from Sesame Street. ‘U’ for uncomfortable. Unbelievably Uncomfortable. It seemed there was still a placenta to deliver and this was the place for it: known in the trade as a birthing stool. Holding again the little bundle of baby, having to push out a placenta, seemed rather a nuisance. But it soon slip-slopped out and I was finally able to prop myself on the bed where the midwife helped me with the babymouth-to-nipple angle. Then it was time for Sally – Mummy-Sal – to get some skin-to-skin bonding time while the midwife stitched up my second-degree tear: the source of the stinging. As the local anaesthetic had its effect I was able to relax while the midwife and Sally (who is a vet) had a genial discussion on the nature of my wound and various suturing techniques. And finally after the hours and hours of labouring and then the holding and feeding, and the stinging and stitching, it was time for sleeping; the three of us - two exhausted mummies and a baby too new to know how exhausted it was, settled down and slept. Article: Article: by Lindsey, West Yorkshire 9th February 2013

75% of people disagree with IVF for women over childbearing age

Almost three-quarters of people do not think women should receive IVF to help them conceive beyond their natural childbearing years, a poll has found. A quarter believe women should stop trying to bring babies into the world past the age of 40 while 43 should be the cut-off for men. The survey of more than 2,000 people across the UK found 31 per cent think the current age limit of 42 for IVF on the NHS is too old. Some 26 per cent said they thought 40 should be the maximum age limit for either NHS or private treatment. Meanwhile, almost three-quarters (72 per cent) said science not should intervene to help women become pregnant beyond their natural childbearing years. The poll was released to mark the TLC documentary Tina Malone: Pregnant At 50, which will air on Tuesday. The Shameless actress travelled to Cyprus for IVF treatment and conceived her daughter, Flame, with donor eggs, giving birth aged 50. Two-thirds of those surveyed said they thought children born to women aged 50 to 55 were negatively affected by having an older mother. This figure rose to 73 per cent of over-50s surveyed. Some 52 per cent said women who are 50 cannot be a good parent for a child through to adulthood. When asked about men aged 50 and over having children, 43 per cent said the same. Malone, now aged 51, had her first child aged 17. She said: 'People might consider me over the hill and too old to be a mum but physically, emotionally, mentally and financially I am much better off now, as a mum at 50, than I was as a mum at 17 when nobody criticised me for having a baby. 'I have more stamina and energy than most 27-year-olds, and all the time to give to my baby. Of course there has to be a cut-off, but if you are fit and healthy and financially secure, then you should be allowed to have a child at 50.' Today's survey also revealed people's main concerns when it comes to older mothers. Some 72 per cent said the main worry for mothers over 40 was their health during pregnancy and birth, while 68 per cent said the impact on young children when their parent dies is also a concern. Meanwhile, 62 per cent said the health of the child owing to having an older mother was an issue. When asked what was the ideal age for women to have their first baby, 27 was the most popular age. Susanna Dinnage, managing director of Discovery Networks UK, said: 'The findings reveal that most people believe 40 should be the cut-off for parenthood. 'However, juxtaposed against this public view, Tina gives a very moving and compelling account of one woman's personal decision to have a child at 50, three decades after she had her first child.' Article: 7th February 2014 www.dailymail.co.uk Read more about IVF and sperm and egg donation at www.prideangel.com

Gay marriage bill passed in Scotland allows same-sex couples to marry

Scotland has followed England and Wales in changing the law to allow same-sex couples to marry. The Marriage and Civil Partnership (Scotland) Bill passed its third stage in a free vote at the Scottish Parliament as MSPs voted 105-18 in favour. The vote means Northern Ireland is now the only country in the UK that does not permit gay people to marry. After the vote was passed, Scottish Health Secretary Alex Neil said: "This is a historic moment for equality in Scotland. “I am proud that the Scottish Parliament has taken this progressive and hugely important decision in favour of equal rights in our country. “It is right that same sex couples should be able to freely express their love and commitment to each other through getting married. Marriage is about love, and that has always been at the heart of this issue. “That was the clear message from Scotland’s Parliament today. We must no longer allow same sex couples who wish to get married to be barred from doing so. “Thanks to this bill, same sex couples now have the same access to marriage — one of our most important institutions — as everyone else. “There has been overwhelming support for this Bill from the beginning and many MSPs from across the political spectrum have expressed considered, personal opinions. “We now need to work quickly and in close co-operation with Westminster on implementation. On that basis, I very much look forward to seeing the first same sex marriages taking place in Scotland as soon as is possible.”The issue had polarised public opinion between supporters who championed it as a move towards equality and opponents who raised concerns about the impact on religious freedom. Scotland becomes the 19th country in the world in which gay marriage is permitted in all or part of its jurisdiction. Legislation to allow gay marriage in England and Wales was passed at Westminster in July 2013. Article: 4th February 2014 www.news.stv.tv

Coca cola first to feature first gay family in Super Bowl Ad

The hashtag #AmericaIsBeautiful went trending on Twitter shortly after the spot aired. Gay rights organization GLAAD praised the ad, calling it "a step forward for the advertising industry." Coke has been under fire for its marketing lately. A social marketing effort that allowed customers to give each other digital coke bottles with words written on them backfired after the site wouldn't allow users to put the word "gay" on them. The beverage maker has also been criticized for sponsoring the 2014 Olympics because the host country, Russia, in 2013 passed a law banning "the distribution of "propaganda of non-traditional sexual relations" to minors "Coca-Cola has demonstrated to corporate America that being LGBT-inclusive is good business, but as the world turns its attention to Sochi for the 2014 Winter Olympics, it's time for sponsors of the Olympics like Coca-Cola to show the whole world how beautiful LGBT families are," said GLAAD President and CEO Sarah Kate Ellis in a statement after the ad aired. Article: www.nbcnews.com 3rd February 2013

Failed IVF treatment triples chance of divorce

All parents know that having a baby can put a strain on the strongest of marriages. But now, new research suggests struggling to have a baby can make divorce or separation even more likely. Danish researchers found couples who have a rocky patch because of failed IVF treatment are three times more likely to end up separating than those who do become parents. The researchers, who published their findings in Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica, found that within 12 years of failed fertility treatment, 27 per cent of women are no longer living with their partner. They studied 47,000 women with an average age of 32 from the Danish National Patient Registry and the Danish In Vitro Fertilization Registry, Medical Daily reports. The women studied all sought medical help for infertility between 1990 and 2006. Seven years later, 43 per cent remained childless and they were three times more likely to have separated from their partners than those who had children. ‘This research is important because although earlier research has shown that fertility problems and its treatments are major stressors…especially if the treatments are unsuccessful, we did not know how many of these couples actually decide to split up if they did not get a child,’ lead researcher Trille Kristina Kjaer told Medical Daily. She added: ‘Now that we know that there is a higher probability of divorce if you do not get a child after a fertility evaluation the individual couples, and also the medical staff that work with these women, can initiate proper interventions earlier and hopefully prevent some of the break ups.’ IVF patients have claimed the treatment is as stressful as any other major life event, such as divorce or the death of a family member. For people having the treatment privately, there can be significant financial stresses involved which can put a strain on relationships. The treatment can also cause significant disruption to family, work and social activities which can also cause marriages to become strained. While IVF is very stressful, there is no guarantee it will be successful. For women under the age of 35, there is a 32 per cent chance of each cycle of IVF resulting in a live birth. For women who are 40, there is a 13 per cent chance of the IVF being successful. Article: 31st January 2013