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Found today on the Women Over 40 with High FSH board:

Caffeine damages sperm DNA, study shows...2006
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/category/story.cfm?c_id=204&objectid=10408327

Caffiene is good for men, not women.
Caffeine perks up sperm
http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/4480.php

Caffeine and a man's fertility - Ask the experts:





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JULIET Le Page knows more than most about the gift of life. The Scots fertility expert battled for years to experience the joy of motherhood.

Her struggle led to her quitting her job as a physiotherapist to help other childless couples become parents.

Juliet, 49, said: "Becoming a mum changed my life and made me want to dedicate my life to helping other people struggling to start families."

The former NHS worker left trying for children until she was 43, when she met her husband, Richard.

But tests showed Juliet was going through an early menopause, which made it impossible for her to conceive.

Full Story: http://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/lifestyle/health-fitness/2008/06/23/my-pregnancy-struggles-have-changed-my-life-says-scots-fertility-expert-juliet-le-page-86908-20617782/

FACTS AND FIGURES

THERE are just 38 live births a year in Scotland as a result of egg donation.

One in six Scots couples now seek help while trying for a baby.

Figures show just 45 per cent of people who undergo fertility treatment manage to have a baby.

The average age women try to start their families now is 32 - compared to 28 in 1998.

Last year, 30,818 women had IVF in the UK, as a result of which 10,175 babies were born.

Nineteen per cent of fertility problems are due to male fertility problems.

Women aged over 40 have a less than 10 per cent chance of IVF treatment working.

If you would like more information, contact Julia by visiting www.fertilityconcerns.co.uk

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The role of luteal phase estrogen in pregnancy outcome has been a matter of considerable debate.




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IVF clinics are denying treatment to smokers in the latest indication of creeping barriers to childless couples seeking help, it has emerged.

A Department of Health survey seen by Labour MP Sally Keeble last week reveals that clinics are increasingly telling mothers that they must quit cigarettes before they are considered for free treatment.

It comes amid growing concern that IVF is being restricted, with some infertile couples only receiving one cycle of treatment under the NHS, against official guidance.

The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (Nice) has said that clinics should offer three cycles of treatment, but four years after making the recommendation, only a third of health trusts provide more than one cycle.

News that women - and on occasions their partners - have been told to quit smoking before given treatment is likely to reignite the debate over the line between advice and restrictions in the area of IVF.

In 2006 the British Fertility Society said obese women should be told to lose weight before being considered for any treatment.

And some Primary Health Trusts use narrow age restrictions when it comes to treatment, freezing more couples out of receiving free treatment.

Ms Keeble, who underwent IVF herself, said: "Smoking is not a good idea if you are trying to get pregnant. It's linked to miscarriage, and IVF is linked to miscarriage anyway. I think there's no point in putting people through expensive and traumatic treatment if they are doing something which is likely to make it unsuccessful."

She said women were on an "emotional rollercoaster" already by undergoing IVF.

"It's really important that the people doing it should give it the best possible chance of success. I think there's a whole lot of different issues about weight and people's ability to lose weight and maintain weight but, with smoking, it's such an obvious one. It's entirely in the gift of the person to stop smoking."

Source: http://ukpress.google.com/article/ALeqM5gVnw6zpJTqz_VxCCSNgbPuq9Os_A

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June 18, 2008 - Phoenix, AZ - The American Medical College of Homeopathy located off of 20th Avenue and Camelback in Phoenix, recently opened the doors to its new fertility research clinic. The clinic works one-on-one with couples experiencing difficulty conceiving and who are searching for a gentler, more affordable alternative to in vitro fertilization and traditional methods.

Features and benefits of natural fertility include:

• A safer, gentler approach when compared to in vitro fertilization which may cause severe side effects, ovarian stimulation, multiple pregnancy and ectopic pregnancy.
• Considerably less expensive than in vitro fertilization which can cost up anywhere from $10,000 to $15,000 according to web site pregnancy.lovetoknow.com/wiki/Cost_of_In_Vitro_Fertilization
• A six-month treatment package consisting of an initial consultation and evaluation, 24 weekly acupuncture treatments, and six monthly herbal and homeopathic medicine treatments costs $3,500.
• A strong focus on patient-centered medicine in which patients are treated and supported on all levels of their being including physical, emotional, mental and spiritual dimensions throughout the conception process.

Full article: http://www.evliving.com/2008/06/18/662/alternative-ivf-treatment/

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Luteal phase estrogen is decreased in regularly menstruating older women compared with a reference population of younger women.

Objective: To compare daily reproductive hormone secretion in regularly menstruating older versus younger women.

Results: Daily morning urine samples were obtained from 106 women, 28 of whom were aged between 20 and 34 years (mean: 27.8 +/- 3.7 y) and 78 of whom were aged between 35 and 50 years (mean: 40.3 +/- 3.7 y). Lower luteal estrone-3-glucuronide levels were seen in the older versus the younger group (82.7 vs 93.5 ng/ml, P = 0.035).

The pregnanediol-3-glucuronide levels in the older group were lower than those in the younger group throughout the entire cycle. The median length of the follicular phase was shorter in the older versus younger women (13 vs 14.5 d, P = 0.005). There was no significant difference in the median luteal phase lengths between groups.

Conclusions: We report the new finding that regularly menstruating older women not only have lower pregnanediol-3-glucuronide levels but also have a significant reduction in luteal phase estrone-3-glucuronide compared with a contemporaneous cohort of younger women. This combined deficit may play a key role during the luteal-follicular transition, potentially affecting follicle recruitment and decreasing fecundity in the subsequent cycle.

(C)2008The North American Menopause Society

Full Article: http://www.menopausejournal.com/pt/re/menopause/fulltext.00042192-200815030-00015.htm;jsessionid=Lb8GpBcNZc8LZJDPwtyNYv5Ynp8wzSnkHYzPkY4b1pwXfTcJhKHB!1955444924!181195629!8091!-1

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It is lifestyle and health which are the deciding factors in whether to raise a child, it has been claimed.

Fit Pregnancy magazine stated that for many women, age is no longer an issue when it comes to choosing when to have a baby, but whether they have the strength, energy and health levels to cope is.

Mothers of varying ages spoke to the publication about their decision to have a baby earlier or later in life.

Shelley Promisel-Ryan explained that she delayed having her child until she was 43 because she wanted to give her career 21 years but then cut down her hours to spend time with her baby.

However, 27-year-old Heather Brown claimed she wanted to have her first child at 20 so that she can start her career when her son is 15.

The magazine concluded: "Neither the youthful 20s nor the wisdom refined from 40 years of life changes the rules - regardless of the joy that children bring, all mothers are tired and physically worn."

Full story: http://www.bounty.com/Age-not-a-deciding-factor-in-motherhood.news/18641584


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Ran’s Night is designed to keep track of a woman’s monthly cycles by monitoring subtle changes in body temperature (between 0.3 ℃ ~ 0.5 ℃), and displays the previous night’s temperature on-screen, while also saving the data from the previous week. However, the full longterm picture comes with integration online.

While some stats can be read on the device itself, the long-term summary is found by mobile or PC on Ran’s Story. Each morning the user scans the daily QR code on the screen, which then inputs that night’s data into her personal profile and creates graphs and charts along with other information (such as weight) input manually. Thus, over time, it’s possible to visualize monthly cycles and better predict future period strength, PMS, ovulation, and other events.
Though currently sold out, Ran’s Night will be available again soon for about $125.

Full Story: http://www.cscout.com/blog/2008/06/15/trend-qr-code-fertility-monitor.html

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TODAY'S BOOK SUGGESTION:
The Fertility Code
by Dermot O'Connor
-- The Fertility Code program delivers a powerful and practical step-by-step approach for those who wish to give themselves the best chance of starting a family.

As many as 500,000 couples in the UK and Ireland actively seek help with fertility, such as IVF treatment each year. While some are legitimate candidates, many have been proven to just need proper lifestyle and fertility advice and assistance in order to conceive.

The Fertility Code is designed for these people, and for those who need more serious intervention, to optimize their fertility. There are a variety of factors that can contribute to preventing a couple from having a baby.

This is why it is important that a fertility plan should address as many of these potential issues as possible. Through many years' experience of helping thousands of couples to become parents, Dermot O'Connor knows that such a plan must be easy to understand, easy to implement and genuinely effective.

The Fertility Code combines the best of both Eastern and Western medicine to provide a comprehensive guide to conceiving successfully and carrying a baby to full term.
It details the optimum plan to enhance fertility, and delivers a proven strategy, incorporating the key elements consistently utilized by the couples Dermot has helped:

• Fertility Awareness Strategies
• The psychology of fertility
• Optimum nutrition for conception and pregnancy
• The importance of detoxification

Paperback: 224 pages
Click to order/for more info: The Fertility Code

Start reading The Fertility Code on your Kindle in under a minute!

Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here, or download a FREE Kindle Reading App.

---

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Grace and Jude (Not real names) had given up hope of having a child after six years of trying to conceive, including two years of fruitless infertility treatments. But further attempt of first-failed cycle of In-vitro fertilization (IVF) had left the couple disappointed and exhausted. But desperation to have their own child without a donor egg or sperm kept them going.

The couple never quit but decided to try IVF again. Today, their joy knows no bounds as their long wait and doggedness against infertility has yielded a good result. Only last week Grace gave birth to a bouncing baby boy courtesy of IVF treatment.

Full story: http://www.vanguardngr.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=10405&Itemid=0

From www.preciousbabyangels.com:

This is a promising possible addition to the treatment for IVF poor responders.

Here is a link to an amazing study being performed by the Centre for Human Reproduction in Chicago. Check in on this site regularly as they add new information about their study monthly. The most recent update is 20 October 2005.

Science Central - the lady who we can all thank for DHEA

The following are questions asked of Dr Norbert Gleicher [regarding DHEA] and his exact responses: http://www.preciousbabyangels.com/page/page/2531047.htm

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Posted by jbeskimo on the TTC in our Forties forum on FertilityFriend.com :

I don't know if this helps but I found this quote on an egg donor site:

Quote:
For example, we see some women in their early 20's that want to be egg donors at our center that when we do ultrasound on them we see only 3 antral follicles per ovary - and the volume of the ovary is low. Although we no longer accept these women into our egg donor program, I am not convinced that they have an egg quality or quantity problem (my best guess is that they have reduced quantity, but quality is probably fine). Often the young woman is concerned about her future fertility when we tell them that their ovaries are small and do not look like they will make sufficient eggs to be a good donor candidate.

However, I am not aware of any data (medical research, etc.) that shows that women in that particular scenario are going to have a fertility problem. They might - but we just don't know. Some of those women already have 3 kids and are more fertile than they would prefer - so we really can't say that all women with low antral follicle counts have a fertility problem (reduced egg quality or quantity).
Source: http://www.advancedfertility.com/antralfollicles.htm

Just remember that the field of fertility is still very nebulous.

Source: http://www.fertilityfriend.com/Circles/viewtopic.php?p=19403620#19403620

The researchers determined that euthyroid pregnant women with positive thyroid antibodies developed impaired thyroid function and had an increased rate of miscarriage and premature delivery.

“It is a very important idea that women with even the mildest degree of thyroid disease should probably be treated. This gets into the whole issue of whether women who are pregnant, or those who wish to be, should be screened for thyroid disease. This paper by Negro et al is so powerful that many physicians are screening women,” Cooper said.

Full story: http://www.endocrinetoday.com/view.aspx?rid=28716


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The emotional, financial, and practical considerations of infertility can be confusing for couples struggling to become parents. In this video from The New York Times, seven women (ages 32-47) talk about their experience dealing with the particular challenges of trying to conceive.

Click here to read the full story

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Posted by Fodhla at the Pregnancy - TTC - Parenting After 50 forum:

This is a list of clinics that I have found that are willing to treat over 50's, at least the ones who have replied to me.

I have researched the net extensively using my own criteria. I’ve researched in English and Spanish. My sisters in German and Swedish.

So we have covered quite a vast cross section of sites, blogs, articles and feedback.

And without doubt the Czech Republic came out on top. Especially for the Germans – who as you know don’t settle for anything less then the best.

I am sure there are other clinics and other counties that will suit different people's needs, but for me it will be Czech.

Please let me know your comments – knowledge is power!!!!

Meanwhile I wish you all the very best of Irish luck and will keep you posted on my progress. -- Fodhla


CZECH REPUBLIC
FERTIMED
Ales Sobek ( sobek@fertimed.cz )
CRM ZLIN
MUDr.Patrik Horváth ( patrik.horvath@crmzlin.cz )
REPROFIT
MUDr. Macha_ ( machac@reprofit.cz )
REPROMEDA
Kate_ina Veselá ( kvesela@repromeda.cz )

POLAND
INVIMED
Anetta Karwacka ( a-karwacka@invimed.pl )

TURKEY
JINEMED
Jinemed Hospital ( jinemedistanbul@gmail.com )

UKRAINE
L.Melnik ( L.Melnik@isida.com.ua )

AMERICA
American Fertility ( eggdonationafs@gmail.com )

Source: http://www.network54.com/Forum/288399/message/1213125558/List+of+clinics+abroad+for+over+50s

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Public release date: 10-Jun-2008[
Contact: Kathleen McCann kmccann@aasmnet.org
708-492-0930
American Academy of Sleep Medicine



WESTCHESTER, Ill. – Women with delayed sleep phase syndrome are more likely to report irregular menstrual cycles and premenstrual symptoms, according to a research abstract that will be presented on Tuesday at SLEEP 2008, the 22nd Annual Meeting of the Associated Professional Sleep Societies (APSS).

The study, authored by Kari Sveum, of Northwestern University in Chicago, Ill., focused on 13 females with delayed sleep phase syndrome and 13 healthy controls. The subjects responded to a questionnaire regarding their reproductive health, including irregularity of their cycle and premenstrual symptoms, either in the past or present.

According to the results, twice as many subjects with delayed sleep phase syndrome reported an irregular menstrual cycle compared to controls. For those not using birth control, three times as many subjects with delayed sleep phase syndrome reported irregular menstruation, compared to controls. Pre-menstrual problems, such as cramps and mood swings, were reported by 69 percent of those with delayed sleep phase syndrome, compared to 16.67 percent of controls.

“While the data is preliminary, these results suggest that women with delayed sleep phase syndrome may be at increased risk for menstrual irregularity associated with circadian misalignment,” said Sveum. “Further investigation with a larger group of subjects using prospective diary data would be useful to further establish the effects of circadian disruption on reproductive cycles in women with delayed sleep phase syndrome.”

Sleep plays a vital role in promoting a woman’s health and well being. Getting the required amount of sleep is likely to enhance a woman’s overall quality of life. Yet, women face many potential barriers – such as life events, depression, illness, and medication use – that can disrupt and disturb her sleep.

The hormonal and physical changes that occur during and after menopause can also affect a woman’s sleep. Sleep disturbances are more common, and sleep quality can decline. Insomnia related to menopause often occurs.

Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is much more common in postmenopausal women. This increase may be due in part to menopause-related weight gain. But it also appears to be hormone-related. Estrogen seems to help protect women against OSA.

It is recommended that women get between seven and eight hours of nightly sleep.

The following tips are provided by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine (AASM) to help women get the most out of their sleep:

* Make your bedroom a comfortable and safe place. Reduce noises and extreme temperatures that might disturb you.

* Use light and comfortable bed linens and garments.

* Go to bed only when you are sleepy and use the bed only for sleeping and sex.

* Begin rituals to help you relax at bedtime, such as taking a soothing bath or enjoying a light snack.

* Go to bed and get up at the same time every day, including weekends and holidays.

* If you need to take a nap, keep it to less than one hour and take it before 3 p.m.

* Only drink caffeine in the morning, and avoid alcohol and cigarettes late in the day.

* Stay away from fatty, spicy foods that are likely to upset your stomach or cause heartburn.

* Set aside time during the day to get all of your worries out of your system.

* Increase vitamin E in your diet, or take a vitamin E supplement.

* Hormone replacement therapy may help you sleep better by relieving severe hot flashes related to menopause. Ask your doctor for advice about this kind of treatment.

* Only use sleeping pills when supervised by a doctor.

Those who suspect that they might be suffering from a sleep disorder are encouraged to consult with their primary care physician or a sleep specialist.

### More information on “women and sleep” is available from the AASM at http://www.SleepEducation.com/Topic.aspx?id=67 .

The annual SLEEP meeting brings together an international body of 5,000 leading researchers and clinicians in the field of sleep medicine to present and discuss new findings and medical developments related to sleep and sleep disorders.

More than 1,000 research abstracts will be presented at the SLEEP meeting, a joint venture of the AASM and the Sleep Research Society. The three-and-a-half-day scientific meeting will bring to light new findings that enhance the understanding of the processes of sleep and aid the diagnosis and treatment of sleep disorders such as insomnia, narcolepsy and sleep apnea.

SleepEducation.com, a patient education Web site created by the AASM, provides information about various sleep disorders, the forms of treatment available, recent news on the topic of sleep, sleep studies that have been conducted and a listing of sleep facilities.

Source: http://www.eurekalert.org/pub_releases/2008-06/aaos-dsp050708.php




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Nearly half of the 300 survey respondents said it was only after constant pressure that their husbands were willing to seek medical consultation, and 42 percent said their husbands simply were not comfortable talking to a doctor about their possible infertility, taking the position that they were "not meant to have children."

Male infertility affects approximately one in twenty men in the United States, according to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine. Why the apprehension to confront male infertility? Men's reluctance to seek infertility treatment is a challenge to fertility experts in the IntegraMed network, who suggest some men associate their sense of masculinity with the ability to conceive a child. Though cultural associations of masculinity and fertility are slowly changing, men's resistance to address the issue can hinder both diagnosis and timely treatment.

Full story: http://www.foxbusiness.com/story/fertility-specialists-decry-mens-reluctance-seek-infertility-treatment/

A media backgrounder about the top 10 myths about male infertility is available online at http://www.integramed.com/inmdweb/content/cons/conceptions/male- infertility_10myths.jsp

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A human egg has been filmed in close-up emerging from the ovary for the first time, captured by chance during a routine operation.

Fertile women release one or more eggs every month, but until now, only animal ovulation has been recorded in detail.

Gynaecologist Dr Jacques Donnez spotted it in progress during a hysterectomy.

[The egg belongs] to a 45-year-old Belgian woman, and Dr Donnez, from the Catholic University of Louvain, told New Scientist that the pictures would help scientists understand the mechanisms involved.

Full story: http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/7447942.stm

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Maria, an interactive marketing manager at Motorola, was 29. For the next three years, the Cardosos tried different assisted reproductive technologies, including in vitro fertilization (IVF). They saw two different fertility specialists, and Maria even received an experimental treatment in her native Brazil. Nothing worked.

She suffered through two miscarriages, an early pregnancy loss and an ectopic pregnancy, where the fertilized egg implants itself in a fallopian tube rather than in the uterus.

Full story: http://www.pioneerlocal.com/lakezurich/lifestyles/currents/987979,pa-infertility-060508-s1.article

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A new pill specially formulated to increase male fertility has been developed in a move that could see fewer couples relying on assisted reproductive technologies to conceive, a local fertility expert says.

Medical director of Hollywood Fertility Centre Simon Turner said 50 per cent of the patients visiting his IVF program had a male factor contributing to infertility.

Full story: http://www.thewest.com.au/default.aspx?MenuID=158&ContentID=76790