This month Natural Health magazine is taking a look at the Pill and some of the health problems that have been linked to it, including irregular cycles, mood swings, loss of libido and more serious health issues such as infertility, high blood pressure and heart complaints.

They asked a number of fertility experts, including Juno Natural Fertility, to explain some of the risks associated with the Pill and to offer advice for combating these side effects and helping your body to restore its natural state of equilibrium.

You can read the whole article, Is the Pill harming your health?, here.

We’ve talked before about chemicals affecting fertility, but as it’s hit the news again in the last week or so we thought we’d bring these new findings to your attention. Chemical toxicity in the system does seem increasingly likely to be a factor amongst couples struggling to conceive.

This is due to the use of flame-retardant chemicals also known as polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in the last 30 years, which can now be found almost everywhere; in the soil, sediment, food, air and house dust.  As a result of their widespread use research has shown that ‘97% of Americans have detectable levels in their body’.  The effect these chemicals are having on our general health, and more specifically fertility, is now being questioned.

According to a recent Economist article, ‘Kim Harley of the University of California, Berkeley, and her colleagues decided to look at whether levels of PBDEs in women affected their fertility. They took blood samples from 223 women on low incomes living in California, most of whom were Mexican, and asked them how long they had taken to become pregnant.  Their research, published in Environmental Health Perspectives, found that each tenfold increase in the blood concentration of PBDEs was linked to a 30% decrease in the probability of becoming pregnant each month.’

Although this research is fairly conclusive about the negative effects of PBDEs on fertility, more research is needed to know the full extent of the problem.  At Juno Natural Fertility a key part of our treatment involves carrying out a Mineral and Toxicity Analysis.  Based on the results we’re able to give you tailored homeopathic remedies and supplements to detox any chemicals found in your system and restore mineral levels in the body.

You can read the Economist article in full here, and to find out more information about our Mineral and Toxicity Analysis visit our website.

We’ve found a great endorsement for using homeopathy when you’re trying to get pregnant. It comes from Bella Online, a US community site, and talks about the possible benefits of homeopathy if you’re in this situation.

Homeopathy is an approach to wellness. That’s the slant in the article and that’s what appeals to us. We know there are many factors that can influence whether you’re able to conceive, and we aim to address all these when you start on the Juno programme of treatment.

The article points out that homeopathy looks at the whole person - body, mind and spirit - and treats you as an individual. Don’t forget there’s no substitute for consulting a professional homeopath, as they’ll be able to spot patterns and connections in your health history that you’ve probably never thought about.

Take a look at the article, and then think about using homeopathy to help with your conception problems.

A week or so ago we did a live webchat as part of Babyexpert.com’s Fertility Month - as you may know from an earlier post.

It was a great privilege to hear from lots of women who wanted help with their particular fertility problem and were looking for our advice. And clearly there is interest in using natural ways to help with these issues.

We covered a range of topics - from recurrent miscarriage and possible ovulation problems, to dealing with the effects of stress from trying to conceive and minimising the impact of a city environment on the body.

We also advised on mineral and toxicity testing, using Australian Bush Flower essences, and talked in general about the potential of homeopathic treatment.

Why not check out the Babyexpert.com webchat page? You’ll see the questions and our answers - and there may be something there to help you.

Don’t forget… we’re always available to answer your individual questions. All you need to do is to ask the experts and one of us will respond personally. We look forward to hearing from you.

This week we’re pleased to have been asked for expert advice in an article for Zest magazine. The piece, Life after the pill, brings together various solutions for women who experience problems post-pill.

When you stop taking the pill, it can take some time for your hormonal system to get back to normal, and that can be quite a rocky road for some women.

If you’re planning to start a family, we believe natural remedies are the way to go if you have to cope with painful periods, mood swings and other symptoms of hormone imbalance.

We mentioned a couple in the article - Pulsatilla and Sepia. Pulsatilla is a good remedy if you become very emotional before your period, and experience pains on the first day. And if your periods are painful with a low dragging pain, try Sepia for natural relief.

You can read the whole article in our news section.

It’s Fertility Month on Babyexpert.com and we’ve been invited to answer their readers questions live on a webchat tomorrow (Monday 11th January) from 12 - 1pm. So if you have a burning question you’d like to ask, then why not join us or simply log on to see what everyone else is talking about, as we’re sure there’ll be lots of interesting questions and answers. Click on the link below for more info and register to ask your question:

http://www.babyexpert.com/Getting-Pregnant/Natural-and-homeopathic-fertility-webchat/v1

Hope to see lots of you there!

Well here we are - the first post of 2010! At this time of year we’re full of ideas for new projects and hope for new possibilities. But you might be feeling a bit sluggish and run down, and even if you haven’t overdone it, the festive period can take its toll.

If you’re trying to conceive, clearing your body of the toxins that accumulate at this time of year is a great way of boosting your system and getting ready to continue with your natural fertility plan. So why not try a simple detox with a difference? The difference is that this detox is homeopathic.

Get hold of some Nux vomica 6c, which is easily available on the high street. Take one pill a day for five consecutive days, and give yourself a month off from trying to become pregnant. This will give your body time to detox, allow your hormones to rebalance and get you fighting fit again.

If you can also take some regular exercise, drink plenty of water and eat fresh, nutritious food this will help flush out and detox your system. You’ll be bursting with those new possibilities in no time!

We’ve talked before about minimising potentially harmful chemicals if you’re trying to conceive, and some newly published research agrees.

The Telethon Institute of Child Health Research in Australia has found a possible link between women working in certain industries and a common birth defect.[1]

They looked at pregnant women who are exposed to heavy metals in labs, petrol stations and in the defence industries. The sons of these women were two and a half times more likely to be diagnosed with hypospadias, a problem that affects the penis.

Sons of women who work as hairdressers or in the beauty industry are also thought to be at higher risk of this diagnosis as they are often exposed to phthalates, a group of common chemicals found in many personal care products, detergents and plastics.

The researchers are keen to point out that more work needs to be done to get more detailed information about the risk, and these are only preliminary findings.

So to reduce your risk of exposure to toxic chemicals when you’re trying to become pregnant, look at the common household items in your home, and consider swapping them for natural products. If you’re concerned or think you’ve been exposed to a lot of chemicals through your work, you can always check your toxic levels with a Mineral & Toxicity Analysis.

If you’re trying to conceive, it’s all too easy to get caught up in the different ways to try and improve your fertility while forgetting the basic baby-making skill - sex.

And regular sex can be good for you too. Some research has shown[1] that women who enjoy regular sex (at least once a week) have more stable periods and fewer fertility problems than women who don’t. It helps as a stress-reducer and can generally make you feel happier.

For men too, regular sex can reduce DNA damage and improve motility.[2] But it’s important not to overdo it as too much ejaculation can reduce the number of viable sperm, so fertility experts now agree that every other day is about right.

The important thing to remember is to enjoy yourselves, and not to get too hung up on your fertility status.

Go with the flow and it might make all the difference!

 [1] Cutler, W. et al (1985) ‘Sexual behaviour frequency and biphastic ovulatory type menstrual cycles’,  in Physiology Behaviour 34, 804-810.

 [2] http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8125934.stm

We talk a lot in our blog posts about wide ranging issues around fertility. But we’ve talked less about our own approach to natural fertility and how it might benefit you if you’re trying to conceive.

As you know, we’re both homeopaths and this is the first element of the treatment we provide. We’re all unique individuals. Sounds obvious but what it means in practice is that we all react differently to the stresses and strains of life, and are affected in different ways by our family and medical history. We have the capacity to get our systems working at their best, but sometimes our bodies need a little help.

Homeopathy is a system of medicine which stimulates our body’s own balancing and healing mechanisms. Because homeopaths take a holistic view of their patients, the links between physical, emotional and psychological health are very clear.

So if you’re looking for a natural approach to your fertility issues, homeopathy could be for you. If you’d like to know more about how our treatment could help, and how it works with other types of treatment, do look at our frequently asked questions page. And then, why not drop us an email? We’d love to hear from you.