Cigarettes, Alcohol, Fertility and Conception

"As soon as a precious little baby is growing inside my womb, I promise I will stop all my bad habits: no more alcohol, no more smoking." Many women have this talk with themselves, vowing they will stop smoking or drinking after they become pregnant, but the reality is these habits are hard to break. Why put yourself in the position where you might be tempted to harm your unborn child. Stamp out any self-destructive habits before you become pregnant; you'll increase your chances of both conceiving and carrying a healthy, full-term baby.

 Smoking and Fertility Issues

By now everyone knows that by smoking can cause serious health problems, but a report by the British Medical Association (BMA) in 2004 added to the ever growing list stating that "smoking can massively impair both the female and male reproductive systems." Numerous studies verify that women who don't smoke are twice as likely to get pregnant then women who smoke.


Smoking affects your hormonal balance by significantly increasing the concentration of FSH (follicle-stimulating hormone). Any lack of hormonal balance will affect your ability to conceive. Smoking can also lead to the premature onset of menopause by reducing the estrogen levels in pre-menopausal women to an amount which is more typical of women in the menopausal age bracket. This is particularly worrying for women trying to conceive who are over the age of 35 and are reaching the end of their child bearing years.


Smoking has also been shown to reduce the amount of Vitamin C in the blood; insufficient levels Vitamin C are linked to poor egg quality. Zinc also has an important affect on the reproductive organs, and women who smoke often have very high levels of the harmful mineral cadmium in their blood, hindering the body’s absorption of zinc.


The risk of miscarriage is also drastically higher for smokers. Estimates show that smoking is the cause of over 5000 miscarriages per year and that women who smoke even one cigarette a day increase their probability of miscarrying.

Dads Should Also Quit Smoking

It is also important that your partner quite smoking, as smoking directly affects the sperm in a number of ways. It alters their number, mobility, and structure, making impregnation less probable.


Smoking alters the sperm head in a way that reduces its ability to penetrate the egg cell. Researchers at the University of Buffalo compared the sperm of men who smoked more than four cigarettes a day to those of non-smokers. They bombarded one half of an egg cell wall with sperm of smokers and the other half with sperm of non-smokers and observed how many sperm had permanently attached themselves to the egg cell after a few hours. Their findings showed that an the sperm of smokers was a frightening 75% less fertile than those of non-smokers


Smoking can also damage the DNA of sperm, resulting birth deformities and cancer, and an increase in miscarriage rates. A study published in the British Journal of Cancer shows that male smokers have an increased risk of fathering children who develop cancers such as leukemia and brain tumors, even if their female partners does not smoke.


Smoking also frequently impairs a man's ability to get an erection, and with out that, well, a baby is just not going to happen!

Smoking Harms Your Baby

Tobacco smoke contains more than 4000 harmful substances that pass directly into the blood of your unborn baby and affect its development in different ways.


-Over 45 scientific studies show that smoking is one of the main causes of low birth weight.

-Pregnant women who smoke 30 cigarettes per day run a 33% risk of giving birth prematurely while non-smokers only have a 6% risk

-If a baby develops inside the womb of a smoking mother, he or she experience nicotine withdrawal symptoms at birth.

-Scientific studies have shown the probability of giving birth to a baby with forms of congenital deformities such as a cleft palate, harelip, squint, and deafness increases when either parent smokes.

- Smoking also causes oxygen deficiency (fetal hypoxia) that increases the risk of premature birth and congenital deformities.

Ready to Quit Smoking?

Free NHS support materials are available to help you quit smoking.

Order your free materials and begin your journey towards becoming a non-smoker by clicking here.

Alcohol and Fertility

Research shows that women who have a high alcohol intake are prone to experience irregular cycles and can often miss ovulation.


In a Danish study, more than 7000 women who had been trying to get pregnant without success for almost five years were questioned about their alcohol and nicotine consumption as well as any previous gynecological problems. The results showed that alcohol consumption was a significant factor in infertility in women over the age of thirty. Women in this age group who drank more then seven alcoholic drinks a week are half as likely to achieve a pregnancy. It seems that alcohol prevents the corpus luteum (yellow body) from producing a sufficient amount of progesterone, one of the most important hormones needed to maintain a pregnancy.

Alcohol and Fertility In Men

Your partner should also limit his alcohol intake if you are trying to conceive. Alcohol can lead to deformities of the sperm head leaving it incapable of fertilizing an egg. Alcohol also reduces the concentration of hormones needed to create sperm. Astonishingly, after an alcohol binge, the number of sperm is drastically reduced for several months.

Consequences of Alcohol During Pregnancy

Current research shows even small quantities of alcohol consumed by a pregnant women can affect the development of the fetus. Consuming alcohol during pregnancy can cause behavioral disorders and learning difficulties in the unborn child later in life.


Fully developed fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) results in brain damage, development disorders, reduced social skills, restricted growth, low birth weight, and heart and kidney deformities. There is also a milder form of FAS, known as fetal alcohol spectrum disorder (FASD) can cause coordination disorders, attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), or diminished IQ scores.

Just a Reminder...

It goes without saying that any other forms of recreational drugs should be strictly avoided by both partners.

Get Healthy Now

It is not as if the current research detailing the negative effects of smoking and alcohol on pregnancy come as a surprise. Common scene tells us that any substances that alter our natural equilibrium are going to have an affect on the delicate little life that is just beginning to form, and at that early stage, minor imbalances can cause major problems. If you are reading this page it is probably because you are taking steps to becoming a parent, so even if you don't have any major addictions, it can't hurt to do a self check and get all harmful substances out of your system while there is still plenty of time.

Check out our website and read the original article here http://ethicalfamilyplanning.com/cigarettes-alcohol-fertility-and-conception

Downloadable Fertility Chart

Hooray! Your ready to take the plunge and start charting your fertility. You want to make this work. The idea of natural and sustainable birth control is invigorating. So go ahead, download the PDF, and begin to see what remarkable messages your body has been sending you all along.


DOWNLOAD A BLANK FERTILITY CHART HERE

Just make sure you completely understand fertility charting before you begin using it for contraception. No amount of information you read online should substitute a visit to your Doctor or Gynecologist.  We recommend seeking medical assistance when making any contraception based decision.



While manually charting your fertility is a great way to get in sync with your body, it can still be tiresome and complex. Rather than maintaining complicated graphs and charts why not switch to Cyclotest.  A simple fertility display like this will be displayed for you as the result of your daily temp reading — it can't get any simpler. Letting Cyclotest do the work also reduces the risks of errors that could compromise the reliability of your charting. Click around the site and learn more!

Check out our website and learn even more here: http://ethicalfamilyplanning.com/download-fertility-charts

The Cervix Position as a Fertility Indicator

 

Another powerful tool to add to your toolbox of fertility indicators is the feeling and position of the cervix. The tip of the cervix, which can be felt deep within your vagina, feels acutely different at various stages of your fertility.

When it is hard and low within you vagina, you are infertile; when it is soft and high, you are fertile.  Learn to interpret these changes, and your even more likely to accurately pinpoint your ovulation date.

The German Sympto-Thermal method is so reliant on cervical position it substitutes examination of cervical discharge with examination of the cervix. According to the WHO (World Health Organization), the examination of the cervix is just as important as the examination of mucus discharge as well as the Basal Body Temperature (BBT).

The observation of the changing position of the cervix is an amazingly reliable Fertility indicator The cervix noticeably changes during the menstrual cycle: After menstruation it will be closed, hard and positioned low inside the vagina. As ovulation nears it becomes softer, opens up,  and rises inside the vagina. After ovulation it will close again, become hard and lower its position.

Basic Assessment Parameters for Cervical Position Observations

• If the cervix is very open, soft, and is positioned high up in the vagina, this indicates the most fertile point of the cycle. 

• The infertile period starts on the night of the third day the cervix has appeared closed and hard, whenever your body temperature doesn't indicate anything else. 

Cervical observations should be incorporated into the fertility charts that are used for Natural Family Planning and Fertility Awareness. This combination of  many different fertility indicators link together to give you a remarkably accurate picture of when you are ovulation.

For example, the Sympto-Thermal method, which uses a number of different position fertility indicators, including, according to some, the position of the cervix, has a 99% pearl index rating.

That's right, it is 99% reliable for preventing an undesired pregnancy. And with fertility monitors like Cyclotest, implementing the Sympto-Thermal system is simple. A few straightforward clicks of a button and the monitor will automatically produce a clear visual chart detailing your level of fertility. Check out our pages on the Sympto-Thermal method and Cyclotest for more information. 

Read original article here: http://ethicalfamilyplanning.com/cervix-observation

How to Observe Cervical Mucus

 Have you ever been going about your daily routine, shopping, working, or making dinner, when all of a sudden you get an uncomfortable feeling of wetness down under. You know your not menstruating now — but what was that? You run to the bathroom and find its just that sticky white mucus that randomly seems to appear.


Stop! Pay attention! That mucus is not just a random fluke. It is a very accurate message your body is sending you to tell you when you are fertile.


And if you learn to interpret the different types and textures of mucus, you can be on your way to a birth control method that allows you to be one hundred precent in-sync with the natural rhythms of your body. No synthetic hormones. No plastic or rubber barriers. Just you, your partner, and your body.

How To Observe Cervical Mucus 

You can collect a sample of cervical mucus to observe  from the opening around your vagina with a piece of toilet paper or with you finger. Everyone will develop their own method with which they feel most comfortable.  Once you have some mucus on your fingers, press your thumb and index finger together and stretch the mucus.  Pay special attention to what the mucus does when it is stretched.

Infertile

You may find that you don’t have any mucus immediately after your period. No mucus means your are not fertile.  If you do have mucus during the days following you period, it will probably be sticky or come out as a blob. This mucus is usually thick, dense, sticky, flaky, and tacky.  It may be yellow, white, or opaque.  It will not stretch or move when pulled apart by your thumb and index finger. After ovulation, you will once again see a marked lessening of mucus, and if there is any mucus  at all, it will be again sticky and not stretchy.

Fertile

When you are fertile, your mucus will change to a more watery state and feel more slippery. You may also find that your fertile mucus is more abundant than infertile mucus.  This mucus is often described as wet, slippery, watery, thin, and fluid. It’s likely to be clear or have a cloudy or white color to it. Fertile mucus will even smell sweeter than less fertile mucus which may have a more vinegar scent.  The most important observation to make is the wetness/slippery observation in comparison to the infertile mucus.

Highly Fertile

When you are highly fertile, you are most likely to find what is commonly known as EWCM (egg-white cervical mucus) or spinn (short for spinnbarkeit which is german for spiderweb). EWCM is ‘stringy,' like a spiderweb. It may appear as a glob, or in smaller amounts in more watery mucus. It’s important to note that not all women experience this form of mucus, so don’t be alarmed if you don’t notice any EWCM.  If you were to stretch EWCM between your thumb and index finger, you may notice it stretches, unlike the infertile mucus which keeps its shape. This kind of mucus is ideal for sperm to swim through and creates an ideal environment for them to reach the egg.

Putting Cervical Mucus Observations Into Practice 

Interpreting the different textures of mucus might sound confusing, but when you put this knowledge into practice, it will quickly clarify itself. Keeping track of your observations on a chart will allow you to reference your finding to let you know when it is necessary to use a secondary method of contraception.


Observing your cervical mucus one way of monitoring your cycle and a component of the Fertility Awareness Method (FAM) of contraception.  If you want to aid or avoid conception, cervical mucus observations are shown to be around 98.5% accurate in indicating the fertile and infertile times of your monthly cycle. Remember that your cervical mucus may be affected by external factors such as stress, medications, illness, dieting and travel.


It is advisable to consult a family planning specialist or a doctor if you have any more questions or concerns about cervical mucus observation.

Cervical Mucus In Different Fertility Awareness Methods 

The Billings Ovulation Method (BOM) is  based upon cervical mucus observations. John Billings who was recognized with a Papal knighthood and for whom the Pope sent condolences on his death, developed the method as a form of Natural Family Planning (NFP) in accordance with his religious faith as a practicing Catholic. However, Billings strove to raise awareness of the significance of cervical mucus to fertility to all people, regardless of their religion. Thomas Hilgers later created the Creighton Model Fertility Care System as a variation of the Billings method.



Cervical mucus observations are also one of the factors considered with the Sympto-Thermal method of fertility charting. Coupled with other observations such as LH hormone levels, cervix position and Basal Body Temperature (BBT) this method enables you to create cycle by cycle charts which clearly identify your unique date of ovulation and your fertility window.


If you would like to start observing and charting your cervical mucus, we suggest you implement  the Sympto-Thermal method of charting cervical mucus as well as other indecators . This method will give you 99% contraceptive reliability, and with contraceptive monitors like Cyclotest, achieving these outstandingly accurate results is simple. A few clicks of a button and the monitor will automatically produce a clear visual chart detailing your level of fertility. Check out our pages on the Sympto-Thermal method and Cyclotest for more information.

Stop by our website and read the original article here: http://ethicalfamilyplanning.com/chart-fertility-cervical-mucus

The LH Hormone and Ovulation Predictor Kits

Strolling down the aisles of your local pharmacy, you've probably noticed a box on the shelf that reads "ovulation predictor kit" or "ovulation test strips." You already know that the time when you ovulate is the time when you are the most fertile, but what do these test indicate, and what exactly are they testing for?


In short, its all about the LH hormone. The presence of the LH hormone is a clear indicator of impending ovulation, and one of the central pieces of fertility awareness.

Why Is The LH Hormone Important? 

Lets start with a bit of a biology class to get a basic understanding of why the LH hormone is an important indicator of fertility.


At the beginning of a woman’s menstrual cycle, her body begins to produce the follicle stimulating hormone (FSH). FSH aides in the formation of a follicle on one ovary. This follicle contains and nurtures the ovum. When this follicle has fully matured, an acute rise of the Luteinizing Hormone (LH), called the "LH surge," triggers ovulation and development of the corpus luteum which causes the egg to separate from the ovarian surface. Detection of this surge in a simple urine sample signals ovulation will occur within 24-48 hours.

What Are Ovulation Predictor Kits? 

Ovulation predictor kits (OPKs), such as Cyclotest, function by detecting this LH Surge in urine and alerting the woman that ovulation is about to take place. It is a common misconception that a positive result shows ovulation taking place.  Realize that ovulation occurs 24-48 hours AFTER a detected LH surge, and plan your love life accordingly.

Read original article here: http://ethicalfamilyplanning.com/chart-fertility-luteinizing-hormones

The Creighton Model

Although Natural Family Planning was spearheaded by the Church, more and more couples like yourselves are attracted to the benefits of being in-sync with the natural rhythms of the body for contraception. The Creighton method, research by and named after Creighton University, helps women to track and record their individual cycles empowering them to make smart, individual fertility decisions.

Biomarkers - Clues To Your Fertility 

This model of natural family planning relies on  what are called biomarkers, external indicators that give you clues as to what is happening internally with your unique cycle.  The two  most prevalent indicators used in the Creighton model are cervical mucus and the menstrual bleed.  Once these biomarkers are observed, they are then recorded to allow each women to clearly track her own fertility.


After tracking and recording biomarkers, a pattern will emerge. Once you begin to take note of this pattern, it is easier to establish other biomarkers such as specific bleeding patterns, level of mucus production, and length of time between different stages within the cycle.  Once the patterns become routine, you will probably even be able to observe how diet, exercise, stress and other outside influences affect your fertility.  This enhances a woman’s ability to control  her own gynecological health and well-being.


Its founder, Hilgers, describes the Creighton Model as being based on "a standardized modification of the Billings ovulation method," which was developed by John and Evelyn Billings in the 1960s. The Billings issued a paper refuting the claim that the CrMS represents a standardization of the BOM and claims that the two methods are different and are not interchangeable.  The main difference between the two methods is that unlike the Billings method, the Creighton model does not use indicators observed from the vulva to determine ovulation/fertility.

Benefits Of The Creighton Model

The Creighton model has been known for its positive effect it has on a couple’s relationship.  Couples who manage their fertility naturally have reduced divorce rate of as low as 1 in 150 couples.  After managing fertility together, couples are said to communicate better, appreciate each other more and become more in tune with one another.


Studies have shown that the reliability of this method is 99.5%.  An additional benefit of employing the Creighton model for natural family planning is that it does not depend on cycles being regular. It can be practiced while breastfeeding, during times of stress while in  peri-menopause , etc.

Other Methods of Natural Family Planning 

The Creighton model is one of many highly reliable methods of practicing Natural Family Planning and is based mainly on cervical mucus and cervical position . Other Natural Family Planning methods include the Symto-Thermal method which incorporates cervical observations similar to the Creighton method, but also uses temperature charts to increase reliability. Click around our website to learn more.

Read original article here: http://ethicalfamilyplanning.com/nfp-creighton-model

The Billings Method

Cervical  mucus is an amazingly accurate secret memo that your body sends you each and every day telling you the story of your fertility.


The Billings method, developed by John Billings in accordance with his Catholic faith, relies on cervical mucus and a general sensation of wetness or dryness around the vagina to allow women to determine the fertile and infertile phases of their cycles.  Although John Billings was Catholic, and was even granted Papal knighthood, his intention was to raise awareness of natural family planning to all people regardless of religion.


Your secretions of cervical mucus are talking to you. Well, not really, but they are giving you a lot of information about what is going on inside your body. Different consistencies of mucus serve different purposes. One protects and nourishes the sperm so they can retain their fertilizing capacity, another acts as a filter which destroys damaged sperm cells, while another forms a kind of path that directs the sperm to reach and fertilize the ovum.  If there is no viable egg, the body will simply not produce mucus at all.


It is also beneficial to be aware of the general feeling around your vulva as you go about your daily routine. A feeling of wetness, similar to the sensation you would recognize as menstruation, means you are secreting a thicker and more abundant mucus. It is not necessary to touch the mucus on your vulva or make any internal investigations.

The Four Basic Rules of the Billings Method:

1.  There should be abstinence from intercourse and all intimate genital contact during the days of heavy menstrual bleeding.

2.  Once the Basic Infertile Pattern has been recognized — days of dryness or unchanging discharge — intercourse is available on alternate evenings only.

3.  Once there is any change from the Basic Infertile Pattern, whether it be bleeding or mucus — a change in sensation or in the appearance of the discharge — the couple should wait without intercourse before resuming sexual activity. Waiting without intercourse allows the woman to observe the development of the mucus pattern without interference from seminal fluid.  Waiting for 3 days after the return of the Basic Infertile Pattern ensures that the hormones have settled back to a basic low level and the cervix is tightly closed.

4.  The Peak Rule is applied once the Peak has been recognized.  The Peak is the last day that mucus was sticky and slippery. It is recognized in retrospect when there is a distinct change and the mucus is no longer slippery. On the fourth morning past the peak, intercourse can be resumed for the remainder of the cycle. Waiting four days past the peek allows the egg to sufficiently deteriorate and become infertile.

Benefits Of The Billings Method 

The Billings Ovulation Method™ has been independently trialled by the World Health Organization and other reputable bodies and been found to be as successful for avoiding pregnancy as any method of family planning available today.


From the earliest trials, method-related pregnancy rates were as low as 0 to 4 per cent.  As teaching methods were refined and updated, these rates fell close to zero.  Continuation rates were consistently high.


It is generally accepted that acquisition of accurate knowledge of the Billings Ovulation Method™ by the couple, combined with motivation and co-operation ensure success.The benefits of employing the Billings Method include improving the relationship, low cost, easy to learn, reliable, all natural, can be used for life, does not depend on regular cycles, and is morally acceptable to all cultures.

Other Methods of Natural Family Planning 

The Billings method is one of many highly reliable methods of practicing Natural Family Planning and is based mainly on cervical mucus and cervical position . Other Natural Family Planning methods include the Symto-Thermal method which incorporates cervical observations similar to the Billings method, but also uses temperature charts to increase reliability. Feel free to click around our website to learn more!

Read original article here: http://ethicalfamilyplanning.com/nfp-billings-method