Found this post by Ally (Ocelot Cub) on FertilityFriends.co.uk:

Ally wrote: I have collected a number of success stories from ladies with high FSH/ low AMH who have fallen pregnant. When I have really low days I get out the file and re-read the stories, I find it such a tonic so I wanted to share it.....

[Note not all stories are about over 40 women]

• FSH 96 - Irregular Cycles - Diet and Acupuncture

• 43 Years old - FSH 35

FSH 94.4 - Dr. Check

• FSH 110 - Pregnant

• AMH 0.1 - Irregular Cycle

• FSH 178 - 3 Babies

• Low AMH 0.4 ng/l pregnant with Clearblue Fertility Monitor

• Pregnant naturally while waiting for DE

• FSH 32 - Elevated Estradiol / High FSH

• World's Oldest Natural Mum (59) Conceives While on HRT!

• Pregnant while on HRT

• Pregnancies in ladies with undetectable AMH

• No period and FSH 124

• FSH 128 on HRT

• FSH in 40's

• Spreadsheet of Pregnancies Various High FSH

• High FSH levels and Natural pregnancy

• FSH of 29 and got a BFP this morning

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TODAY'S BOOK SUGGESTION:
The Infertility Cleanse: Detox, Diet and Dharma for Fertility
by Tami Quinn and Beth Heller

-- Women who are trying to conceive will find a holistic approach in this hands-on manual.

Step-by-step guidelines help implement a three-part program — of yoga, hypoallergenic and anti-inflammatory nutrition, and stress-reduction techniques — to cleanse the body, mind, and spirit in preparation for pregnancy.

In addition, this program draws on cleansing methods from traditional Chinese medicine and Ayurveda and has been specifically designed for women who are trying naturally or with assisted-reproduction plans.

Also based on new clinical research that suggests that gut health, chronic inflammation, and environmental toxins may be root causes of infertility, this important book offers all women a natural, holistic approach to readying the womb for a child.

📚 Paperback: 192 pages
Click to order/for more info: The Infertility Cleanse

📚 Start reading The Infertility Cleanse on your Kindle in under a minute!

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

On the Women Over 40 With High FSH message board, there is a post called the Over 40 Timeline.

It is a post containing the successes of the women from the Women Over 40 With High FSH board.

Whenever someone has a baby, they come back to add themselves to this post.

Many times though, the ladies are so busy after the birth they don't have time to come back and post (which is completely understandable), so this isn't a comprehensive list.

But still, the number of success cases is amazing.

It is a truly inspiring list.

I refer to it often when my spirits are in need of a lift, like now!

Some interesting points:

* The oldest person so far on the list is Annie from Finland, with a baby at 47 years old, and her highest FSH was 37.

* Highest FSH so far on the list is Toni, who clocked in at a FSH of 110.

Remember, this is just the ladies who used to post on this one message board. Such a small subset of everyone out there who was ever diagnosed with high FSH and are in their 40s!

Read more: *Over 40 Timeline* Updated

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TODAY'S BOOK SUGGESTION:
Ready: Why Women Are Embracing The New Later Motherhood
by Elizabeth Gregory

-- Over the past three decades, skyrocketing numbers of women have chosen to start their families in their late thirties and early forties.

In 2005, ten times as many women had their first child between the ages of 35 and 39 as in 1975, and thirteen times as many had their first between 40 and 44.

Women now have the option to define for themselves when they're ready for a family, rather than sticking to a schedule set by social convention.

As a society, however, we have yet to come to terms with the phenomenon of later motherhood, and women who decide it makes sense for them to delay pregnancy often find themselves confronted with alarmist warnings about the dangers of waiting too long.

In Ready, Elizabeth Gregory tracks the burgeoning trend of new later motherhood and demonstrates for many women today, waiting for family works best.

She provides compelling evidence of the benefits of having children later -- by birth or by adoption.

Paperback: 336 pages
Click to order/for more info: Ready

Start reading Ready 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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Fertility testing for a man is fairly straightforward, and involves testing the quality and quantity of semen, but there's more to it for a woman.

"For a man, it takes an afternoon," says Dr. Roger Pierson, a professor of obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Saskatchewan.

A couple of months ago, Amanda Daniels started looking at options. She came across several websites talking about measuring Follicle Stimulating Hormone levels, or FSH, as a simple way of determining fertility. FSH is the hormone promoting the growth and recruitment of eggs.

Read more: Doctors warn on shoddy fertility tests

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TODAY'S BOOK SUGGESTION:
It Starts with the Egg:
How the Science of Egg Quality Can Help You Get Pregnant Naturally, Prevent Miscarriage, and Improve Your Odds in IVF
by Rebecca Fett

-- Whether you are trying to conceive naturally or through IVF, the quality of your eggs will have a powerful impact on how long it takes you to get pregnant and whether you face an increased risk of miscarriage.

Poor egg quality is emerging as the single most important cause of age-related infertility, recurrent miscarriage, and failed IVF cycles. It is also a major contributor to infertility in PCOS.

Based on a comprehensive investigation of a vast array of scientific research, It Starts with the Egg reveals a groundbreaking new approach for improving egg quality and fertility.

With a concrete strategy including minimizing exposure to toxins such as BPA and phthalates, choosing the right vitamins and supplements to safeguard developing eggs, and harnessing nutritional advice shown to boost IVF success rates, this book offers practical solutions to will help you get pregnant faster and deliver a healthy baby.

Paperback: 304 pages
Click to order/for more info: It Starts with the Egg

Start reading It Starts with the Egg on your Kindle in under a minute!

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

Ovarian Reserve Test

Hormone Levels and Fertility Bloodwork

Hormone to Test : Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH)

Time to Test: Cycle Day 3

Normal Values: 3-20 mIU/ml

What Value Means : FSH is often used as a gauge of ovarian reserve. In general, under 6 is excellent, 6-9 is good, 9-10 fair, 10-13 diminished reserve, 13+ very hard to stimulate.

In PCOS testing, the LH:FSH ratio may be used in the diagnosis. The ratio is usually close to 1:1, but if the LH is higher, it is one possible indication of PCOS.

Source: Follicle stimulating hormone

But what does it really mean?
Having a too high FSH really only means you will probably get kicked out of the doctor's office, and they will be no longer willing to help you.

It DOES NOT mean you can't get pregnant.
It might mean it will be harder, and take longer to get pregnant.
Or it might not mean anything at all for you.

It might even mean a higher chance of pregnancy for you since having a high FSH means your body is working overtime to push out those eggs.
Which means you might even have 2-3 eggs in a cycle, even without fertility drugs.

So don't lose heart, trust your body!

From Stories of Pregnancy and Birth Over 44 Years Old:

Story One: My highest CD3 [cycle day 3] FSH was 28 mIU/ml.
I'm now 23 weeks into my first ever pregnancy at 43-years-old
I conceived naturally, i.e. no medical help) a few weeks before my 43rd birthday...

Story Two: Julia Indichova wrote the book Inconceivable.
She had an FSH of 42 mIU/ml when she was 42-years-old.
When she was approximately 44-years-old, she got pregnant and gave birth when she was 45-years-old.
The month she got pregnant, her FSH was 30 mIU/ml.

Story Three: We had an amazing story today...
Sort of a slap in the face to all the docs who kept poo-pooing this wonderful patient...
46-year-old....never been pregnant.....highest FSH: 65 mIU/ml!!
(Cycle Day 2, Estradiol [E2]: 102 pg/mL - so the FSH was really much higher)
Several IUIs [Intrauterine insemination]
IVF [in vitro fertilization] with own eggs is not an option in our clinic if over 42 years old, or FSH over 15 mIU/ml... whatever
DE [donor egg] speech over and over and over. Last cycle...
LTZ [Letrozole] with boosting. One follicle.

*************PREGNANT*************

HCG [Human chorionic gonadotropin]: 20,000 !!

She didn't do an HPT [home pregnancy test] since she just knew there was no chance.
She finally broke down after no period for four weeks.

Story Four: I am 45 years old.
This is my husband's and my first baby.
I too was told by my doctors with an FSH of 65 mIU/ml and high TSH [Thyroid Stimulating Hormone] - TTC [trying to concieve] was not going to succeed...
Well, I am here to tell all of our sisters on this site, Dream the Impossible!

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TODAY'S BOOK SUGGESTION:
Having Your Baby Through Egg Donation
by Ellen Sarasohn, Evelina Weidman Sterling

-- A comprehensive book for people considering parenthood through donated ova, and those supporting them.

It takes readers through the decision-making process, focusing on questions they are likely to be asking themselves, including:
Are we candidates for egg donation? Will it work?

How much does it cost? How do we find a donor?

How do we talk about our decision with others? How will we tell our children?

Ethical questions related to egg donation are also examined:

Can a donor truly have informed consent Is it ethically correct for donors to receive payment, and, if so, is the payment for 'time and effort' or for their eggs?

Hardcover: 384 pages
Click to order/for more info: Having Your Baby Through Egg Donation


Start reading Having Your Baby Through Egg Donation 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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ABSTRACT: Although the transfer of fertilized donor oocytes is the most efficacious mode of conception for infertile women with hypergonadotrophism associated with incipient or apparent ovarian failure, there are many individuals who, for religious, ethical, or personal reasons, would prefer to try to conceive with their own oocytes.

The three cases presented here represent extremes to date for (i) highest serum FSH concentration in a woman with incipient ovarian failure (n = 2), and (ii) the oldest woman with apparent overt ovarian failure (n = 1) to have successful pregnancies. All three cases were treated for only a short time with pharmacological dosages of ethinyl oestradiol with luteal phase support with progesterone.

The peak FSH (mIU/ml) in cases 1 and 2 was 143 and 127 respectively. The precedents set in these cases can help physician-patient consultation when patients inquire whether there is a certain critical FSH concentration above which pregnancy is not possible or an age over which successful pregnancy could not be achieved even if ovulation despite ovarian failure was possible.

First case: A 36-year-old gravida 1, para 1 presented with a 3-year history of infertility. Her estradiol was less than 20 pg/ml, her FSH was 143 mIU/ml. Conceived 2nd cycle, delivered vaginally at full term.

Second case: A 35-year-old woman presented with primary infertility and oligomenorrhoea. FSH of 22 mIU/ml, estradiol was less than 20 pg/ml. She had a successful full-term delivery.

Third case: a 45y old woman, last menstrual period was 6 months previously, FSH of 35. She delivered a full-term healthy baby.

Read more: Human Reproduction, Vol. 15, No. 8, 1709-1712, August 2000© 2000 European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology

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TODAY'S BOOK SUGGESTION:
3 Steps to Fertility
by Marina Nicholas

-- The world of infertility can be complex and daunting.

This book helps couples navigate the world of infertility treatment and tells them how they can maximize their chances of conceiving by following the three essential steps—gaining a full understanding of what conception entails, completing the necessary fertility tests at the appropriate time, and choosing the treatment that will improve their chances of having a baby.

Each infertile couple is unique, and what suits one couple may not suit another.

Some may be more comfortable first looking into complementary therapies while others will opt for immediate in-vitro fertilization.

With detailed information on assisted conception techniques, all possible tests, and how diet, ovulation tracking, hypnotherapy, reflexology, acupuncture, and herbal medicine can improve one's chances of having a baby, this book will help all couples find the right approach for them.

It also will ensure they are both better informed and more open to all forms of treatment as they embark on their journeys to parenthood.

Paperback: 160 pages
Click to order/for more info: 3 Steps to Fertility

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Milder ovarian stimulation for in-vitro fertilization reduces aneuploidy in the human preimplantation embryo: a randomized controlled trial

BACKGROUND: To test whether ovarian stimulation for in-vitro fertilization (IVF) affects oocyte quality and thus chromosome segregation behaviour during meiosis and early embryo development, preimplantation genetic screening of embryos was employed in a prospective, randomized controlled trial, comparing two ovarian stimulation regimens.

METHODS: Infertile patients under 38 years of age were randomly assigned to undergo a mild stimulation regimen using gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) antagonist co-treatment (67 patients), which does not disrupt secondary follicle recruitment, or a conventional high-dose exogenous gonadotrophin regimen and GnRH agonist co-treatment (44 patients). Following IVF, embryos were biopsied at the eight-cell stage and the copy number of 10 chromosomes was analysed in 1 or 2 blastomeres.

RESULTS: The study was terminated prematurely, after an unplanned interim analysis (which included 61% of the planned number of patients) found a lower embryo aneuploidy rate following mild stimulation. Compared with conventional stimulation, significantly fewer oocytes and embryos were obtained following mild stimulation (P less than 0.01 and less than 0.05, respectively). Consequently, both regimens generated on average a similar number (1.8) of chromosomally normal embryos. Differences in rates of mosaic embryos suggest an effect of ovarian stimulation on mitotic segregation errors.

CONCLUSIONS: Future ovarian stimulation strategies should avoid maximizing oocyte yield, but aim at generating a sufficient number of chromosomally normal embryos by reduced interference with ovarian physiology.

Human Reproduction Vol.22, No.4 pp. 980–988, 2007

Source: Milder ovarian stimulation for in-vitro fertilization reduces aneuploidy in the human preimplantation embryo: a randomized controlled trial

From another article regarding the same study, includes dosage:

METHODS: A total of 174 IVF patients aged less than 38 years and with a body mass index (BMI) less than 28 Kg/m2 were treated with mild ovarian stimulation using a fixed daily dose (150 IU) of recombinant follicle-stimulating hormone (rFSH) from cycle day 5 and GnRH antagonist from the late follicular phase. In women with mono- or bifollicular growth (17%), the cycle was cancelled and the treatment was adjusted in a second treatment cycle by starting rFSH on cycle day two.

Source: Predictors of low response to mild ovarian stimulation initiated on cycle day 5 for IVF

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I was lucky enough to organise a Dr Check consult because I am in Australia, and also thinking of (maybe) cycling with him if things don't work out here at my clinic. I found him to be very helpful and patient with my questions, and although our discussion only lasted for 90 minutes - it began at 10.30pm his time and I wasn't the last one he had to speak to so he's clearly very very dedicated!

FSH: Cornell 2005 study said once someone's FSH has been above 15 (even once) then they must use donor eggs. He doesn't believe this and has had plenty of success encouraging women to try both naturally and with minimal stim cycles.

He said once you can achieve a 6-7-8 cell embryo then 65% of the time it should work if you are under 35 and if you are over 35 then 38-42% success (in the absence of other factors such as immune issues). A normal live pregnancy rate for someone 41-42 should be 20% per cycle (without distinguishing FSH as normal or abnormal).

WHY LOW DOSE STIM: He believes a high dose stim regime doesn't fry our eggs, but it does somehow affect implantation and this leads to lower success rates.

HOW DOES LOW STIM WORK: their premise is you don't add FSH on high FSH, i.e. they like to use estrogen to bring down your FSH if it is elevated. After this, he likes to let your own FSH drive your follicle growth - so whether or not they add FSH, and how much, is driven by your own levels during your cycle.

ANTAGNOSIST VS AGONIST: although there are some published studies suggesting lower success rates for an antagonist cycle, he believes these were earlier studies and it is no longer the case. He believes there are benefits to an antagonist cycle in that it is easier.

ESTROGEN PRIMING PROTOCOL: while he was the first to introduce estrogen to lower FSH before a cycle, he's not in favour of the full EPP because it means a whole month (while you're 1st on BCPs) is lost, ie. it takes two months in total, and seems to be wasting time.

BACK TO BACK CYCLES: this is case by case, but generally where there is no risk of hyper stim, then it should be OK.

ANY DIFFERENCE IN DRUGS: in their experience (and no studies have been done to confirm), very high doses of GONAL F seem to have had the lowest pregnancy rates. However when you use low doses it doesn't seem to matter whether you are using Gonal F, Follitism or Bravelle - they are all essentially the same ... He does seem to prefer Cetrorelix vs Ganerlix (sp?) though for antagonist cycles.

WHEN IS ENOUGH, ENOUGH? So long as you are producing nice embryos then even if you are over 40 years old, you have a chance of success with your own eggs. On the other hand, he is a pragmatist, so if you do want to increase your chances in any given cycle then donor eggs could boost success rates to 55%.

ABNORMAL FERTILISATION: I had a 3PN fertilisation on my last cycle and he suggested that it wasn't that my eggs are "suddenly old" but more likely a result of the protocol (very high stim of 900 Gonal F).

ICSI: in general he thinks arranged marriages aren't that good, i.e. your eggs probably know how to pick out the best partner better than we do. But he can see why in my case (where I only get 1-3 eggs) it might seem better to use it - even psychologically, because if you don't use ICSI and then they don't fertilise well you'd be upset (although the same could even have happened with it).

ASSISTED HATCHING: should definitely be done for older than 40 years, as the embryo is avoiding vital enzymes available to it on its way down the fallopian tube.

DAY 2 OR 3 OR BLAST: on Day 2 you can't hatch embryos so, for this reason, DAY 3 is better. On the other hand, on Day 3 some think the uterus is more sensitive/cramps more, so ... the only real advantage to blast is if you have lots of eggs and don't have a good freezing program ... on the whole, the best environment for them is inside you not in the lab.

IMMUNOLOGY: His background is in reproductive immunology. If you have NK Cells in your uterus, then they can have a protein that acts as a progesterone blocking factor and this can cause implantation problems. He thinks the studies show LIT can work, but it is hugely expensive and he thinks something like Intralipids (a free fatty acid from soybeans which can bind to the NK cells and deactivates them) works well too and is much cheaper ...

On the other hand, he doesn't think there are any tests which will reliably determine if you have got an NK Cell problem, so it would probably be best to just go off your history (ie, multiple IVF failures etc) ... Basically, he doesn't think anything else (like IVIG, etc) is needed and he wouldn't advocate them.

STERIODS: No good data to support the use of steriods (prednisone/dex) in IVF cycles. Doesn't think they are necessary.

HEPARIN: Only really helps people with implantation issues associated with APA. You can use it, but he doesn't really see a reason to do so.

MTHFR: I am homozygous, and he says it's quite common and heparin isn't really warranted - especially if you haven't got elevated homocysteine levels.

ASPIRIN: he hasn't seen any studies showing a difference in blood flow to the uterus or endometrial thickness based on aspirin. He thinks no aspirin (even low dose) is better.

VIAGRA/VAGINAL ESTROGEN: no good studies showing a significant difference in endometrial thickness with use of these, ie. wouldn't bother with them.

DHEA: he knows the Gleitcher (sp?) study showing higher implantation rates, but apparently it also showed higher miscarriage rates. Plus, he says it was a study on women around 30 years old where none of them had an FSH higher than 12. In other words, it's not convincing and he thinks pregnancy rates might be better without it.

ENDOMETRIOSIS: the studies are a little mixed. Some show no lower pregnancy rates in women with endo, some do. 2003 data showed IVF overcomes endo abnormalities, and 2005 studies showed endo does inhibit IVF success. If you have had multiple failed cycles without IVF then laparoscopy - a study showed 61% of women falling pregnant afterward vs 18% before. However, in my case where I have already had multiple laps for endo, he wouldn't advocate anymore.

HYDROSALPINX: I recently had my tubes removed due to hydrosalpinges (bilateral), and he said this is a good idea as plenty of research shows it impacts IVF success rates.

DIET/EXERCISE/SUPPLEMENTS: doesn't advocate anything special - regular healthy living etc ... don't have to give up exercise, sugar, meat or use only organic food etc etc etc.

GOLDEN EGG THEORY: the premise behind the high stim approach is the higher the better. The argument is our bodies are like a lottery - the higher the number of eggs achieved, the higher the probability of getting that one golden egg from the (presumably) bad lot.

Dr. Check feels our body knows how to identify the best of the eggs in our basket, and kicks out this one each month - so even if you use a low stim approach and get only 2 embryos, it's not necessarily a worse outcome than someone using high stim and getting 9 embryos ...

Source: Check Consult - Summary of Info - (Long)

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Photo credit: Twins, by Joelle Inge-Messerschmidt/PhotographyByJoelle.com

Twins can occur naturally in any woman at any time. However, there are certain factors that increase your chances of having twins.

These factors include:

Family History:
  • Having a maternal history of twins or other multiple births increases your chance of becoming pregnant with twins considerably.

Cultural Background:
  • People of African American descent are more likely to have twins or multiple births. People of Asian or Hispanic descent are less likely to have twins.

Age:
  • Your chances of having twins increases as you grow older. Women produce more ovulation-stimulating hormone as they age, increasing your chance of releasing more than one egg during ovulation. The chance of having twins rises to 4% between the ages of 30 and 34, and to 5% between the ages of 35 and 39.

Previous Twins:
  • If you’ve already had twins, it is more likely that you will have another twin pregnancy.

Previous Pregnancies:
  • Women who have had four or more previous pregnancies are the most likely to have twins.

Fertility Drugs:
  • Taking fertility drugs or undergoing fertility treatments can significantly increase your chances of having twins or another type of multiple births. In some cases, women can increase their chances of having twins by up to 20%.

Weight Gain:
  • A study by the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology linked the recent rise in multiple births with the steady rise of obesity in North America. Women with a body mass index (BMI) over 30 are more likely to have twins than those in the suggested BMI range of 19 to 25.

Increasing Your Chances of Having Twins:
  • So, are there any proven methods to increase your chances of having twins? Well, there are a number of ways that you can go about trying to have twins, but, as with anything, there are no guarantees. Having twins is mostly down to luck, although there are a few things you can do to help Lady Luck along.

Focus on Nutrition:
  • Women who are well nourished are more likely to have twins or multiple births. So focus on eating well and eating enough to maintain a healthy weight.

Eat Yams:
  • Yams, a type of sweet potato, have also been linked with multiple births. A tribe in Africa whose diet consists mostly of yams was recently found to have exceptionally high rates of twins and multiple births. Yams are thought to contain chemicals that stimulate hyperovulation, increasing your chances of conceiving twins.

Try Fertility Drugs:
  • Though not recommended unless you are suffering from fertility issues, fertility drugs do seem to greatly increase your chances of having twins. The fertility drug clomiphene (Clomid) increases your likelihood to 8%, while menotropins (Pergonal) increases your likelihood to 18%. Fertility drugs do cause side effects though and should never be taken without the supervision of a medical doctor.

Try Fertility Treatments:
  • Fertility treatments are also associated with higher rates of multiple births. In-vitro fertilization involves implanting more than one embryo into your uterus, which means you are more likely to conceive twins or higher-order multiples. Like fertility drugs, fertility treatments should not be undergone without approval from a medical doctor and are usually reserved for couples who are having difficulties conceiving.

Full article: Increasing Your Chances of Twins

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TODAY'S BOOK SUGGESTION:
The Brotherhood of Joseph: A Father's Memoir of Infertility and Adoption in the 21st Century
by Brooks Hansen

-- Offering men a chance to be heard and women a rare opportunity to view the struggle with infertility from a male perspective, The Brotherhood of Joseph brings to life the anger, frustration, humor, heartbreak, and sense of helplessness that come to dominate the husband's role.

As his remarkable account reaches its finale in Siberia, however, Hansen's once again becomes the story of a husband and a wife who, even after years of medical frustration and fruitless paperwork, still must take one last risk together and trust in their most basic instincts before their new family can be born.

Start reading The Brotherhood of Joseph 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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Photo Credit: by Cold Clock, by Marcelo Gerpe

AMH [Anti-Mullerian Hormone test] assessment is also useful in fertility assessment as it provides a guide to ovarian reserve, and identifies women who may need to consider either egg freezing or trying for a pregnancy sooner rather than later if their long-term future fertility is poor.

Measuring AMH alone may be misleading as high levels occur in conditions like polycystic ovarian syndrome, and therefore AMH levels should be considered in conjunction with a transvaginal scan of the ovaries to assess antral follicle count.

In view of its potential use to assess a woman's ovarian reserve and future fertility, measurement of AMH is sometimes called the biological Body Clock Test.

It also has the potential to rationalize the program of ovulation induction and decisions about the number of embryos to transfer in assisted reproduction techniques to maximize pregnancy success rates whilst minimizing the risk of ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS)

Read More: Anti-Müllerian hormone

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TODAY'S BOOK SUGGESTION:
Taking Charge of Your Fertility, 10th Anniversary Edition:
The Definitive Guide to Natural Birth Control, Pregnancy Achievement, and Reproductive Health
by Toni Weschler

-- For any woman unhappy with her current method of birth control; demoralized by her quest to have a baby, or experiencing confusing symptoms in her cycle, this book provides answers to all these questions, plus amazing insights into a woman's body.

Weschler thoroughly explains the empowering Fertility Awareness Method, which in only a couple minutes a day allows a woman to:
• Enjoy highly effective, scientifically proven birth control without chemicals or devices
• Maximize her chances of conception or expedite fertility treatment by identifying impediments to conception
• Increase the likelihood of choosing the gender of her baby
• Gain control of her sexual and gynecological health

Paperback: 512 pages
Click to order/for more info: Taking Charge of Your Fertility

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Bronson Natural Vitamin E Complex

Found on the Women Over 40 with High FSH:

Enriched flaxseed oil no fish tale for dry eye, meibomitis

When taking fish oil, it depletes Vitamin E in the body, so you need about 400IU EXTRA (make sure it's mixed topherols).

Vitamin E deficiency ironically can cause infertility, increased FSH and LH.

First, vitamin E, acting as an antioxidant, maintains the integrity of the oils.

Second, long-term supplementation with omega-3 fatty acids, whether from flaxseed oil or fish oil, depletes serum levels of vitamin E.

Source: Enriched flaxseed oil no fish tale for dry eye, meibomitis


Personal Health: Fish stories and the hoopla over fish oils

There is also concern about the inhibiting effects of fish oils on the immune system. Whereas suppressing excessive immune reactions may be beneficial to those with autoimmune disorders, it may also reduce the ability of certain white blood cells to fight off infections. And unless taken with vitamin E, large doses of fish oil can deplete the body's supply of this critical antioxidant nutrient.

Source: Personal Health: Fish stories and the hoopla over fish oils

400 IU of a mixed-tocopherol supplement

Vitamin E is an antioxidant that works especially well to prevent oxidation of omega-3 fats in cell membranes, thus helping to prevent the damage that leads to inflammation, cancer, and heart disease.

Source: hpakids.org

Lipid peroxidation and oxidant stress regulate hepatic apolipoprotein B degradation and VLDL production

Our finding that infusion of DHA in mice increased hepatic lipid peroxide content is consistent with a large body of literature, primarily from studies of animals fed on diets enriched in PUFAs (45, 64–67). For example, feeding rats on diets enriched in EPA, DHA, or LNA increased hepatic lipid peroxidation and the breakdown of vitamin E (64). In another rat-feeding study, the ingestion of DHA-containing oils decreased triglyceride concentrations in the plasma and liver at the same time that hepatic levels of lipid hydroperoxides and TBARSs rose and vitamin E fell (65).

Source: Lipid peroxidation and oxidant stress regulate hepatic apolipoprotein B degradation and VLDL production


Personal Health: Sorting out the benefits of taking extra vitamin E

Taking fish oil supplements or consuming a high-fish diet can use up the body's supply of vitamin E. And most vegetable oils and margarine supply the wrong kind of tocopherol and increase the body's need for vitamin E. (Olive oil, in contrast, is rich in the form of tocopherol that is biologically most effective.)

Source: Personal Health: Sorting out the benefits of taking extra vitamin E

EDITOR'S NOTE: We had stopped taking extra vitamin E a couple months ago. Little did I know that fish oil is an oxidator. My joints have really been bothering me (I've tested negative for RA), and I'm wondering if it's because of a vitamin E deficiency. Note that if you eat a lot of olive oil (which I don't) you should be OK.

CONTRAINDICATIONS AND PRECAUTIONS:

Vitamin E is contraindicated in those with known hypersensitivity to any component of a vitamin E-containing product.

Those on warfarin should be cautious in using high doses of vitamin E (i.e., doses greater than 100 milligrams daily of d-alpha-tocopherol or 200 milligrams daily of d1-alpha-tocopherol), and if they do use such doses, they should have their INRs monitored and their warfarin dose appropriately adjusted if indicated. Likewise, those with vitamin K deficiencies, such as those with liver failure, should be cautious in using high doses of vitamin E. Vitamin E should be used with extreme caution in those with any lesions that have a propensity to bleed (e.g., bleeding peptic ulcers), those with a history of hemorrhagic stroke and those with inherited bleeding disorders (e.g., hemophilia). Supplemental doses of vitamin E higher than RDA amounts should be avoided by pregnant women and nursing mothers.

High dose vitamin E supplementation should be stopped about one month before surgical procedures and may be resumed following recovery from the procedure. Use of supplemental vitamin E in low birth weight premature infants must be undertaken with extreme caution and only by trained medical personnel.

Source: Importance of Vitamin E

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TODAY'S BOOK SUGGESTION:
Eat, Love, Get Pregnant: A Couple's Guide To Boosting Fertility and Having A Healthy Baby
by Karen Daniels

-- A breakthrough revolutionary plan for getting pregnant fast, solving common fertility problems and having a healthy baby – this is NOT your average book on getting pregnant!

Renowned fertility expert Dr. Niels Lauersen and women's wellness expert Colette Bouchez help readers take charge of their fertility with a revolutionary new self-help plan designed to show couples how to work together to boost their conception odds, plan for a healthy pregnancy, and get pregnant faster – all without the use of expensive fertility treatments or medications.

Based on scientific research and tested on thousands of couples Eat-Love- GET PREGNANT is a simple yet revolutionary plan that provides the quintessential missing link absent from most other fertility programs – namely, the importance of not only boosting both male and female fertility simultaneously, but bold new evidence showing how, when couples work together in certain special and unique ways, they can create a unified fertility power boost strong enough to take them from infertile to fertile in as little as three months.

Paperback: 116 pages
Click to order/for more info: Eat, Love, Get Pregnant

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Here are some of the functions of estrogen:

It stimulates the rebuilding of the uterine lining after menstruation; it helps cells in the Fallopian tubes, uterus and vagina divide and mature, and it helps to maintain the structure of the vagina and prevent atrophy.

It helps to form the shape of the breasts and hips during puberty; it helps to dilate blood vessels to carry more oxygen, and helps maintain a healthy cholesterol balance.

It also helps to maintain the blood supply and prevent atrophy in the urinary tract, and in the skeleton, it slows the rate of bone loss in the maturing body; in the brain, it helps to regulate the menstrual cycle and the body's thermostat.

When you are trying to get pregnant, there is a lot of talk of not having too high of Estrogen. One concern is that if your estrogen is over 75 pg/ml, it may mean your FSH is falsely low. Also mid-range levels of estrogen usually mean you will stim better for the RE.

And if your estrogen levels are very high, you could have a functional cyst, or even diminished ovarian reserve. All these mean that you may have harder time getting pregnant, or getting medical help.

Hormone to Test : Estradiol (E2)
Time to Test : Day 3
Normal Values : 25-75 pg/ml
What Value Means : Levels on the lower end tend to be better for stimulating. Abnormally high levels on day 3 may indicate existence of a functional cyst or diminished ovarian reserve.
Source: Maternity, Newborn, and Women's Health Nursing

But what if your estrogen is too low? Can that be a problem too? Yes, if your estrogen is low on day 3 of your cycle, and doesn't climb, it may take you a very long time to ovulate - or you may not even ovulate that cycle.

If you are having a long unending cycle, and your estrogen is still low, taking Prometrium or Provera to try to kick-start your next cycle, probably won't work.

If you can't maintain your estrogen levels in your luteal phase (from ovulation to menses), you may not be able to maintain a pregnancy. Your body needs both estrogen and progesterone to maintain a pregnancy.

Symptoms of Low Estrogen – Hot flashes, Shortness of breath, Night sweats, Sleep disorders, insomnia,Vaginal dryness, Dry hair/skin, Hair loss, Anxiety, Mood swings, Headaches, Depression, Short term memory loss, Frequent urinary tract infections, Heart palpitations, Frequent yeast infections, Vaginal shrinking, Loss of pubic hair, Painful intercourse, Inability to reach orgasm.

More:

Excessive exercise, low body weight, and eating disorders all adversely affect the pituitary gland, so that it doesn't send proper signals to the ovary. Women with these conditions are found to have very low levels of estrogen; they do not bleed in response to the progestin challenge. These women also do not release eggs and hence can not ovulate

Treatment for low estrogen levels.
In situations where a woman is not getting her periods normally (ovulating only four to six times a year) and the underlying cause can't be changed, estrogen-containing medications can help to induce ovulation. Natural remedies such as tofu, dong quai and yams have some estrogenic qualities, but there has not been much medical literature published on their benefits.

Certainly, it's crucial from a medical perspective to diagnose and treat low-estrogen levels. In addition, low estrogen levels can also have harmful emotional and psychological effects arising from late puberty or hampered fertility.

Source: Can Low Estrogen Levels Affect Ovulation?

Estrogen Maintains Pregnancy, Triggers Fetal Maturation:
With one hormone triggering the production of another, which in turn regulates the development and release of still others, and with cells changing structure and function as they mature, it’s a complicated story. Estrogen regulates progesterone, protecting pregnancy. It also kick-starts one of the major processes of fetal maturation. Without it, a fetus’s lungs, liver and other organs and tissues cannot mature.

Source: Estrogen Maintains Pregnancy, Triggers Fetal Maturation

Luteal Estrogen Supplementation In Pregnancies Associated With Low Serum Estradiol Concentrations

The frequency of preclinical pregnancy losses among the 102 women with hCG less than 5mIU/ml and E2 [100pg em=em ml=ml](p=0.04) The increase in preclinical pregnancy loss rates among women not receiving luteal E2 resulted in a decrease in ongoing pregnancy rate (8%), compared to those receiving luteal E2 supplementation (31%) (p=0.002). Our results indicated that a subset of women losing pregnancies preclinically after GnRHa and FSH stimulation due to low luteal phase serum E2 level may benefit from luteal estrogen supplementation.

Source: Luteal estrogen supplementation in pregnancies associated with low serum estradiol concentrations

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TODAY'S BOOK SUGGESTION:
Pregnancy Miracle
by Lisa Olsen

-- A 279-page, instantly downloadable e-book presenting a 5-step, sure-fire, 100% guaranteed, clinically proven holistic and ancient Chinese system for permanently reversing your infertility and your partner's infertility disorders and getting pregnant quickly, naturally and safely within 2-4 months without drugs, dangerous surgeries, side effects, or expensive infertility treatments.

It's probably the most powerful infertility reversal system ever developed, and currently the best-selling e-book of its kind on the entire Web!

Here's what the author Lisa Olson had to say about her incredible program:
After 14 years of trial, error, and experimentation, I finally discovered the answer to infertility and developed a fool-proof system to getting pregnant the natural way - no drugs, or surgery necessary.

It took a lot of research to get to where I am today, to know exactly what works and what doesn't. Yes, after desperate trial and error, countless of useless treatments, disappointments, and agony, a simple holistic system opened the door to my new and much brighter life of motherhood.

I was also excited to see that my other infertility related symptoms had diminished. After years of waiting, I was finally free from Infertility! I have become a proud mother of two.

And now I'm finally revealing my secrets in this new 'encyclopedia' of pregnancy called, Pregnancy Miracle.

I will be your own personal coach, take you by the hand, and lead you through the lousy advice, hype and gimmicks... and directly to the sort of inner balance perfection that will end your battle with infertility forever and help you become a proud mother of your healthy children.


Click to order/for more info on this helpful program:
Pregnancy Miracle

Found this on Women Over 40 With High FSH:

TheFertilitycure.com

-- I am sure many people here are very familiar with Randine Lewis's theory.

It's good to have myself to remember from time to time I need to do my deeds.

Like the very helpful meditation to warm up my whole body.

The egg factor: using Chinese herbal medicine to improve fertility in a 45-year old woman - by Inga Heese.
 •  Egg Quality and a Woman's Age
 •  The ‘egg factor’: PDF file

-- I don't quite understand this. Maybe I should ask Dr. Check?

 •  Anyone know how to improve egg quality?

 •  Coming Late to Motherhood: Trying to Conceive After 35

-- this one said egg quality is genetic, can't be improved, only can be decreased due to environmental issues. Hum, bad news?

And Julie suggested we add this article to the list:
 •  Financing Fertility Treatments

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TODAY'S BOOK SUGGESTION:
The Infertility Cure: The Ancient Chinese Wellness Program for Getting Pregnant and Having Healthy Babies
by Randine Lewis

-- Infertility affects one out of six couples today.

Dr. Lewis presents a groundbreaking alternative approach to infertility, explaining how she used traditional Chinese medicine to treat her own infertility, successfully conceiving and giving birth to two children.

In Lewis's experience, women who have undergone three to six months of the dietary changes, herbs and acupuncture treatments become pregnant with no further effort.

Lewis intersperses her somewhat technical examination of the program with anecdotes about her patients, weaving in discussions on diet, herbal supplements, acupuncture, older women and problems related to infertility.

Paperback: 320 pages
Click to order/for more info: The Infertility Cure

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