Hormones | Fertility | Prenatal | Gut health | Anxiety
Gestational diabetes is diabetes which occurs during pregnancy (gestation). Gestational diabetes is usually diagnosed between weeks 24-28 by an oral glucose tolerance test (OGTT). It causes elevated levels of blood sugar/glucose levels which can affect the pregnancy, the health of the mother and the health of the baby.
It is estimated that up to 50% of infertility is due to male factors. That's right, there are plenty of women undergoing IVF when the issue preventing conception is not to do with them, but is to do with the male partner involved. Compromised sperm.
Methylation is a process which you may or may not have heard about. It is the act of donating a methyl group from one compound to another compound, altering the chemical structure and changing it into something else. This process is happening in all of our bodies, all of the time.
Have you been to your GP with symptoms of exhaustion, anxiety, depression, irregular or painful periods, or just not quite feeling right… had blood tests taken, think that you are going to finally get some answers, only to have the results come back and be told you’re fine? Even though you feel so far from fine?
Endocrine disrupting chemicals (EDC’s) are a class of chemicals that mimic, block or interfere with our hormones, such as oestrogen. They can lead to hormone imbalances, infertility, miscarriages, preterm birth, low birth weight, endometriosis, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), sperm abnormalities and breast cancers.
I have had hundreds of conversations with people who are exhausted but have been told that their blood tests are "fine", yet they are experiencing symptoms of fatigue, anxiety, subfertility, constipation, acne, hair loss, and more. Are your test results really fine?
The research is robust; men's fertility is on the decline. Big time. Sperm counts have dropped significantly in the last few decades. Thankfully, men generate new sperm every 72-76 days. This means that unlike women, who are born with all of their eggs, men have an incredible opportunity to completely change the health of their sperm, and therefore the health of their future children, prior to conceiving.
So often the onus of fertility and infertility is placed on women. This is an interesting narrative, as the research shows that second only to female age, male factor infertility is the most common cause of infertility. When looking at male fertility, the two most important aspects are the creation and the movement of sperm. …
There is much that can be done to optimise your health and wellbeing prior to conceiving. Infact, there is plenty of research to show the impacts that our diets and lifestyle have on fertility outcomes - from falling pregnant, to staying pregnant, to enjoying pregnancy! Taking 4-6 months prior to attempting conception to clean up …
Healthy parents create healthy babies. The inclusion of certain nutrients can improve fertility, aid conception, support healthy foetal growth and reduce the risk of miscarriage and birth defects. There are many wonderful foods to include to support your fertility and pregnancy.