Category: Fertility Blog

Today I was invited by my good friend Melanie Harrell to an event called Crystal bowl meditation…flight 432 with Daniel Brower. It was a great experience. I enjoyed every single moment from the lovely store named Body, Mind and Soul www.bmshouston.com, to the great opportunity to spend time with very nice and interesting people.
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I was curious to hear the sound of singing silica bowls tuned on that specific frequency. These days is not frequent to be able to hear it, although it has become increasingly popular.

Let me tell you why do I think 432 Hz tuning is important for this blog and why has it got relevance with fertility. We need to have a look at some of its history first. And is important to know that today, all of the music we hear is played using 440 Hz tune.

Several international scientists, researchers and musicians have found that archaic Egyptian instruments were tuned to 432 Hz, even Ancient Greeks and Tibetan monks. This musical tuning can be found throughout several religions and cultures of the ancient world. However, it has been said that around 1885 it was decided that 440 Hz had to be the standard tuning. Musicians like Giuseppe Verdi were against the decision, but they were not successful with their attempts to maintain the same 432 Hz tune, even when it reported positive effects such a better audience response and increase in performance level. Some even still argue that the change was caused by Nazi propaganda made by minister Joseph Goebbels. Although this is a interesting theory, the true reason of the change it has not been fully explained yet.

432 Hz unites you with universal harmony. Is connected to the numbers used in the construction of several ancient works and sacred places, like the pyramids in Egypt. It is also softer, bright and nicer to the ears. 432 Hz is based in nature and generates healthy effects among listeners. It brings natural harmony and balance of the 3rd dimension, and connects you with a higher consciousness. The pure and clean energy of 432 Hz removes mental block and opens a way to a more fulfilling life. It has been said that ancients used this tune because is closely related to the universe around us.

Playing and listening to music that has been tuned to 432 Hz would make your body resonate in a natural way. It would fill you with a sense of peace and wellbeing. On the contrary, music tuned to 440 Hz is disharmonic, as a consequence does harm causing stress, negative behavior and unstable emotions.

In my own experience today, listening to this bowls, delicately tuned to 432 Hz by Daniel, gave me a pleasant sensation of complete peace and relaxation. I could enjoy the state of having absolutely nothing inside of my mind bothering me, and giving me stress. My mind had the chance to be completely blank. I really enjoyed it, and my body definitely did. I suffer from constants headaches almost daily, and sometimes the day to day stress of several patients and clinics make my stomach to misbehave against me, which ends in bad stomach pains and difficulty to digest any meal. Today my body is really healthy, happy and balanced. I have the feeling it will be like this for a long time now.

As a fertility specialist, and spiritual guide to my patients I always recommend to relax, and let your bodies rest in harmony. Today I just discovered there is a very good way of doing it. I find it interesting that we can meditate, relax and heal at the same time. Daniel has a list of recorded sounds for several diseases and problems, fertility issues among them. His music is pleasant, and Daniel himself is a lovely humble person. 

This was a great opportunity for me to also establish some kind of communication with my highest self, and to get more messages from those beings that are about to come to earth to become humans. I am asking Daniel to help me find the right tune for the embryos when they are inside the laboratory. That way we can play it to them while they are dividing and placed into culture media. It would be interesting to see the results.

Thanks again to Melanie for such a lovely invitation. Thanks to Daniel for his dedication to music. And thanks to the staff of Body, Mind and Soul for they great attention and care.

Daniel’s email: [email protected]

www.circleofsound.org

Sources: www.attunedvibrations.com

As we all know, this is an era of a staggering increase of people looking to back-up their gametes in order to preserve their genetics and future fertility.

We see advertisements offering women the opportunity to save their eggs, in places called Cryobanks. Their offer is focused in women as well as men. We know men freeze their sperm for future use. Couples freeze their embryos, because most fertility procedures get remaining embryos that might end in future babies named back-up babies. This information sounds quite overwhelming when we put it together, but let’s simplify things.

Today more women freeze their eggs for several reasons. Most women are simply not prepared to become mothers during their best fertile years, and once they are finally prepared, their reserve of eggs has depleted considerably and the risk of genetic diseases increases. Having this panorama, it is a great idea to have a back-up plan, which was not available a few years ago, and freeze the eggs when their fertility is at its best. It is difficult to argue this is a clever plan. There is a huge number of successful women who are not prepared to give up their jobs and careers to become mothers; for them this is a great alternative, a win-win situation.

Another important reason to freeze eggs is when a woman has not found the right partner yet. Once she finds it in the future, it will be possible to create healthy embryos using her partner sperm. Those embryos will have the age she had when she froze them. The chances of genetic diseases will be reduced as youngest the age of the egg freeze.

One of the most remarkable situations to use egg freeze it it for women facing cancer. These women should freeze their eggs before any cancer treatment if performed, otherwise the chances of getting a healthy egg or any egg will be dramatically reduced. Thanks to this alternative, they will be able to use their stored gametes in the future. Cancer will not become a future problem for fertility.

Most oncologist do not mention the alternatives of fertility back-ups with cryopreservation. An approximate 75% of oncologists do not mention it during the consultation, prior to the cancer treatment; another 15% of oncologist mention it but do not wait for the freezing to be done prior the cancer treatment. Another 10% of oncologists recommend gamete freezing before the cancer treatment and find alternatives to wait for the freezing to be done. Ovarian tissue cryopreservation is a very useful technique in case of cancer treatments that need to start very quick, and do not have the time to wait for hormonal stimulation and egg retrieval to happen.

Men also have the need to preserve their fertility for several reasons. Many men today are aware that anything can change and affect their fertility capacity at any moment. Another reason it is a fertility procedure that requires to have back-up samples frozen as a precaution (30% of men decreased the quality of their sperm sample the day of the fertility treatment, because of stress and the feeling of pressure). Male cancer is another reason to freeze their gametes, because the same as for women, their fertility chances will decrease dramatically after the cancer treatment. Although males have more chances of recover their fertility than women. Also, if men use any drugs, steroids, medications or alcohol consumption; they should freeze their sperm before it is too late.

Embryo freeze is another alternative of fertility cryopreservation. Many patients with several embryos remaining from a fertility procedure have the benefit to freeze those embryos and use them in the future. Also couples looking for fertility preservation in case of diseases of one of them. Or patients who are just not prepared to become parents yet.

Today we can freeze almost everything we want in the reproductive area, and still get promising results. With all the new advances, this will improve a lot more and offer better survival rates for gametes.

Eggs usually do not have the same survival rate after thaw as embryos do. However the techniques have been improving very much in the last years and today those survival rates have increased.

I always advice to patients to think about the alternative of fertility cryopreservation and consider the many advantages that brings. It is better to have it there and not need it, than need it and do not have it. That is my say.

A few days ago I received an email from a dearest friend named Luciano Guido. Every year he remembers the anniversary of his Dad’s kidney transplant done 33 years ago. A procedure that allows his father to live longer thanks to the science and skills of the specialists performing it. He was the first patient to receive a kidney transplant from another living patient (his daughter Yusi Guido) at the New Orleans South Baptist Hospital.

Antonio Guido had the chance to live longer thanks to the kidney donation coming from his own daughter. He felt as a new man because this procedure changed his life.

Thanks to the bravery of his family that had all its members tested to find the right match Antonio could live longer, and had a much better quality of life.

I kept this email flagged because felt compelled to write about it. Luciano has a great family that will do anything for each other. Family values and support is essential when one of its members is ill, and I am sure this gesture coming from his own family made Antonio stronger and more attached to life than ever. Science can be amazing, but none of this would be possible without voluntaries capable of go through anything to save a loved one.

33 years ago this procedure was something innovative and hard to perform. I am sure not many specialists dreamed with making it possible. Today this is another story. Although the survival rate of patients after kidney transplantation still not very encouraging, the procedure can provide people with more years of life.

Organ recipients are humans with feelings of hope. They are counting on someone for help. Donors can come from everywhere at any time. Nobody knows when an organ will stop functioning and our names be part of the waiting list. People sign to be donors after their death if they still have viable organs; others sign to become donors during their life (as the case of kidney donors). Organ recipients are expectant patients seeking for a miracle into their lives. Waiting for a truly brave organ donor.

I am aware Antonio Guido’s family were all tested, because all of them was capable of giving him a kidney. However they were not all the right match for him, just his daughter.

For those organ recipient life can be short and sudden, and the expectancy of seeing another beautiful day might be felt as great, because they have no sense of future plans until a viable organ comes along and gives them the chance to see that beautiful day. Those are people who do not take life for granted; they learn to appreciate small things and life as a gift. They can sit and observe how others walk, go out, run, exercise, without the simplest notion they are alive and healthy. Those recipients are souls coming to this physical dimension to experience the value of life.

To those who had decided to become donors may the Light be with you. You are part of a small group of humans who truly care for others. After having close relatives who are in the group of people at risk of becoming recipients (as one of my brothers has just one working kidney), I am sure my kidney or any other organ will be available for him whenever he needs it. I will do anything for him to extend his life if the time comes, and I know Yusi did the same thinking about her father’s quality of life.

She was a truly heroe, and my respect to her bravery and courage.

Thanks to everyone who supports organ donation, and thanks to all the brave and courage ones out there.

Dedicated to the memory of Antonio Guido who still very much missed and loved by his family.

I went through a very rough time a few weeks ago. Was very ill and unable to perform my work properly, reason why I decided to get a few weeks completely off. My illness increased some of my psychological symptoms of claustrophobia, anxiety, obsessive-compulsive disorder and even panic attacks developed as consequence of the awful side effects. It was disastrous. I have never felt so ill before.
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During my recovery time I decided it was time for me to get some more help. I went to several doctors, neither of them could help. Acupuncture helped a lot with the migraine and obsessive-compulsive disorder (which has always been very mild anyway). However, the anxiety and sensation of claustrophobia was increasing every day, and I was having panic attacks several times during the day, unable to even leave the house for a moment because I did not want to see people or be outside (I developed agoraphobia).

I had a severe allergic reaction to the toxin Botox, which I had been using for the past 4 years without any complications, until this last time. I was very specific to the doctor (who is a well-known plastic surgeon in Houston), that I am severely claustrophobic, and cannot stand the sensation of being paralyzed. For that reason I just had the injections between my eyebrows and no more. He ended up giving me Botox in several areas of my forehead (between the eyebrows, on top of both eyebrows, between the top area of the nose), completely dismissing my suggestions, then a few days later I developed a huge headache, the worst of my life, a very unpleasant sensation of compression in my  forehead, blurred vision, dizziness and eyelid ptosis in my right eye. It was the worst feeling ever. I literally had those symptoms every day for 6 whole weeks, without any rest, and feeling more miserable every day because the doctor did not want to help and referred me to other doctor who assured me it was a severe reaction to the toxin and I could do nothing but wait for 3 months until the effect wears off. No way I was going to do such thing. I forgot about conventional medicine, who rarely helps, and started with acupuncture, reflexology, sauna and steam and started feeling much better with the headaches. However the claustrophobia was there, really bad and increasing more and more. My anxiety levels rocketed. I was a total wreck. My mind was so blurred that I could not think clearly. But in one of my “clear moments”, it was on a Friday, I decided to contact someone to do a regression for me. I needed to make sure my symptoms were not just caused by the Botox, but also for something else that has been bothering me for years, until now it was time for the volcano to erupt and show of of those symptoms together like a battle of demons fighting inside of me.

I found Melanie Harrell online. Immediately emailed her for an appointment (sure that might have to wait days for it), and less than 20 min later she emailed me back asking if I had the chance to go that same afternoon as she had a cancellation (later she told me cancellations are very rare). There it was, I got the appointment the day I was the most desperate, and went to see her. She had the whole afternoon for me, and she mentioned “the universe wants me to be just with you today for some reason, let’s find out why”.

It is kind of scary when you want something that much, then once you get it the feeling can be overwhelming and scary. Melanie is one of the most pure, honest, open, sweet and understanding persons I have ever met. She heard my whole story with attention and respect, and showed compassion for my suffering with the symptoms of the Botox. She decided to do regression with me to find out about the symptoms, because I had them before in a lower level, but they were there avoiding me to go on cruises, get on elevators, being inside enclosed spaces, go on excursions to caves, and even to get inside the Egyptian pyramids, because the space inside it is too tight. I did not want that anymore.

We started the regression, which is a guided deep meditation state that translates into an opportunity to float out of your body and become a being on a different dimension, enabling you to visit different times were you lived before, without any harm or trauma. You just float and have the most wonderful feeling ever had before. It is very intense and makes you realize how wonderful our energy and souls are. I visited a lifetime that was crucial to understand my symptoms (I will talk about that lifetime in another article). When I came back the feeling was difficult to describe. It was a combination of happiness and frustration. Happiness because I experienced the fact that I lived so many times and had the knowledge to experience life and death. Frustration because during my regression, in the moment I died, I had the most pleasant and rewarding experience of all, pure and absolute joy and love was waiting for me on the other side. It was the feeling of floating outside a body and going somewhere special with special beings. I did not want to come back, it sounds weird specially because it can even be unfair with my love ones in this lifetime, but the feeling of being there was as if finally arrived home. It was frustrating to have to return to this body, in this lifetime, specially a body that was ill.

Once I woke up, everything seemed different. I was fearless, my phobias disappeared and the anxiety that was bothering me for so long was almost gone. I was renewed, changed, and decided to live a better life.

I always wanted to have a regression, specially since I started in this wonderful path of energy and science combined together, but I never though my regression was going to happen during such a difficult time of my life, and it was going to changed me and cure most of my fears and phobias. I could get on a elevator without fear for the first time in years, I could enjoy a ride through tunnels without feeling claustrophobic, I will go on a cruise soon, and I can be on enclosed spaces without feeling breathless. If I knew this I would had done it ages ago! No psychiatric, psychologist or doctor could ever help me with this, Melanie did.

This was my experience and I wanted to share it with you. Because some of you might be now stuck on something difficult to overcome, and it might seem like anything is helping, well let me tell you that hypnosis and a regression can accomplish many things that may seem impossible to you right now. It is worth to try. Melanie also works with Reiki (she is a Reiki master) and combines her sessions with lots of energy healing. Her contact: http://www.melanieharrell.com

If you are located far away from Texas I recommend you to go to Bob Olson’s website http://www.afterlifetv.com/ and he has good recommendations of people dedicated to this type of work.

As for fertility issues, I believe many of the blocks present on patient’s life today may be the cause of unsolved issues in past lives, even on this same lifetime during our first years of life. Once they are addressed and resolved, the blocks will go away forever and we will accomplish whatever we are looking for during this lifetime. As for many other diseases I believe this is also the case. There are so many people being treated by things they do not actually have, causing them side effects and long term damages. Believe me, I have witnessed and experienced it.

My case with Botox was a very good example of looking for a quick fix to a symptom that was bothering me, which was my frequent migraines. I was fixing up the problem for years without looking at the potential side effects and consequences this decision was causing, and kept going on injecting a potent toxin into my body. Suddenly my body reacted to it and wanted it out, but the effects needed to be there for the length of time the Botox last for, which is usually 3-4 months. I learned my lesson and looked for other alternatives, healthy ones, to deal with my symptoms.

In case anyone is interested in knowing how I got rid of most of my Botox, I used electro-acupuncture and microcurrent and my eyes were finally released and most of the forehead relieved. It worked for me, in conjunction with reflexology, sauna and steam, and lots of meditations. As a doctor I would not recommend the use of Botox for migraines, as it can get really worst and cause more symptoms than the ones we had before. It is poison to our bodies and I might have been one of the causes of my failed IVF attempts. I decided to review the results of my patients who have had Botox in the past and underwent IVF treatments, and the results were consistent with my findings that Botox is a toxin that might interfere with the results. Of course more research needs to be done to confirm this. Some patients can develop symptoms, specially psychological symptoms, that will definitely interfere with their performance and balanced energy. What I just experienced with my psychological symptoms it is something I never experienced before, it was a combination of all my demons showing up at the same time.

Anyway, it is just my experience with the toxin and I feel compelled to share it.

As for the regression, even if you do not feel the need to have it because you are well, I recommend it and it will be a great ride. You will go back in time, feel it, live it and even smell it. You will then come back a different person, with a renewed experience and a sense of life that did not feel before. For fertility patients it should be on the must to do list, because is a way to resolve issues and you might even get the chance to see your future children’s energies and get messages from them.

To Melanie, I will always be grateful to meet you and to know there are great energy souls like you in this world. We will continue sharing our experiences and findings together from now on.

Dedicated to the •U beings of my dreams.

When it comes to lifestyle we presume it might have to be related to the activities we do on a day-to day basis. Well, yes, but partially. It also has a lot to do with us intrinsically. Our lifestyles today demand lots of activities, and when we fail to comply some of those activities we feel frustrated. It is normal to feel that way.

<? up() ?>But what if we design a system that can work together with our activities, our health, relationships and the day-to-day situations of work or studies? I designed a system and proved it myself, with friends and patients, and showed to be amazing at increasing the results in many aspects of our lives.

Before I explain you the system, I would like to let you know some facts about my own experience.

A few years ago I found to have fertility problems and had several tests done. Hormones, ultrasound scans, hysteronsalpingography, hysteroscopy and several other tests. They were all showing serious problems with my uterus, ovaries and ovarian reserve (which is the number of eggs available to be used). I was crushed. I was a fertility specialist, looking to conceive, but it was going to be a huge challenge. I underwent several complex fertility treatments with horrendous results. Nothing seemed to be working as I expected. After careful consideration of the events and acceptance of my condition I made a decision: to study my lifestyle deeper. When I mentioned that word “lifestyle” to myself I realized it was a word mentioned just a few times in my life. My own lifestyle was a huge challenge for me. Too many trips around the world for work, very bad eating habits, including skipping meals on a weekly basis, no time for exercise (I though using my brain was exercise enough) and too much stress. I realised my lifestyle was a huge mess!

The best thing to do when you need to learn is to find guidance of people who know what to do. Books are a rich source of information. Unfortunately not all books are written on a easy-to-follow way, so it makes it a whole adventure to find the right one. There are plenty of books about personal growth, lifestyle changes, diets, exercises. But after lots of reading and research I finally found the right ones for me. Those books helped me to plan my lifestyle change, and it was going to start from that moment on.

I was committed to do everything planned, no cheating or tricks to avoid the compromise acquired on my “Lucy’s new lifestyle plan”. I was determined to change my lifestyle for the sake of my own health. I knew it was not going to be easy but I got remarkable results. Everything changed in my body as I kept going forward, and I was responsible for making it happen. Now I am sharing the secrets with you. Hope they will help at improving your results too. I will be delighted to hear your own stories.

There is a diet coming of course, but first let’s work on you.

Sit for one moment, in a place where you can hear your own thoughts, preferable a place surrounded by nature, the forest, a garden, a park. Sit and breath ten times. Every breath needs to be deeper, and with every exhalation you will start to visualise your own life in black and white. Feel the air, hear its sound and block any other noises around you that do not belong to nature. Become aware that the air touches your skin. Keep your eyes open and start to connect with yourself as if you were a guest wanting to talk to someone you know, but have not seen in a long time. Ask to receive light and love, and is important to be grateful for anything you get on that day. Knowledge and wisdom will come to you. It will be possible for you also to learn some positive and negative aspects of yourself. Once you feel completely connected with yourself, think on the following fact: “when did everything started?”. The answers will start coming to you every day you do this helpful exercise.

Read a good book. A book that you always wanted to read and never got the time to do it. Do it now.

You need to start exercising. the best exercise for me was running. Running activates the senses, blood-flow, cells’s metabolism, it oxygenates the body and makes it healthier. It also helps the body to get use to stress. It is advisable to run 10 minutes every two days at the beginning, and 20 minutes three times per week once you get used to the exercise.

Combine the running exercise with yoga, a mild yoga to start. There are really good yoga instructors today who specialize in yoga exercises for people with health problems. Remember, we are starting to change our lives, so it is not necessary to do the hard stuff until you get accustomed. The body needs preparation and time to heal.

Sleep 8 hours every night; that is not negotiable if you want success. Sleeping is a way our body will rest and heal from all the day activities. A number of 8 hours a day are needed to complete this job properly. Otherwise your body will feel overtired.

Do your best to reduce the stress at work. I understand it might be difficult to do, however it is important. I worked on it and made it possible. We all know good jobs demand great responsibilities. But today you are working for yourself and your health, and the results depend on that. Our jobs are places were we spend a lot of time, and we can transform them in pleasant places, reducing the amount of stress and problems.

Drink lots of water. Starting today, forget about sodas, juices with added sugar and energizing drinks, because they are not good for you! Nothing with added sugar is good for your metabolism and body. An expert on diet and nutrition was asked for a soda and he replied:  “Sure. What kind of Diabetes do you want?” So, I got the message. And a curious fact is that water helps you loose weight too. It is miraculous substance!

As for a diet I am going strong and firm here telling a plant-based diet will dramatically affect your results and health on a very positive way. You will see improvements on every aspect of your health.

I strongly recommend you to check the following website to get diet and recipes tips to switch to this new diet plan. I know it might be very hard for some of you at the beginning, but please give me two weeks, or better said, give yourself two weeks to see the dramatic changes first.  And before every meal drink a large glass of water.

Follow this link to get a plant-based diet!

The first months of my plan I decided not to have dinner. For two reasons. First, because at dinner time I was still filled with my lunch and was not hungry at all; second, because I decided to go to bed hungry and accelerate my body’s metabolism. It worked perfectly well. I lost 10 pounds in just 2 months. After that, I gave myself the chance of enjoying dinner and dessert every other day. However, I am used to skip it easily. I think the results are faster that way. If you need your dinner try to avoid any heavy food. Avoid sugars at dinner or you would not be able to sleep properly. Remember it is advisable a 8 hours of good quality sleep.

Have as much fruit as you want; any fruit is good for you, specially grapes, berries, strawberries and apples. I love grapes and mandarins and have as much as I want daily.

With respect to salt, I recommend to decrease the amount of salt you put on your foods and use black pepper and herbs instead. Also try to stick to one or two cups of coffee a day maximum. I completely quitted coffee, however am sure it will be difficult at the beginning for some. I usually have one glass of red wine every other day, which was my substitute for coffee and it turns that red wine is the best option if I feel like indulging myself once in a while with a nice drink.

Do some walking twice a week. Walk to work if possible. It will connect you to your surroundings and will increase your level of attention. My best ideas came while walking. Also, if you own a pet you can use the excuse to walk often. Pets are great companies and the love they provide will definitely make you stronger. Walking pets makes will give you more fun.

And finally, for me the most important of all my steps, do meditations for 10 minutes every day. In those meditations you will visualize what you want and picture it happening. In the future I will explain why meditations are so amazing.

I assure, if you do these steps as I did, the results if you are planning a fertility procedure will change very much. You might think every human being is different and it may have worked on me but not necessarily for others. Well, you are wrong, I have used the same steps with several patients and the results have been remarkable.

Remember, you need to live in harmony with yourself and with others. Once you get the right balance in your new lifestyle, you will find peace, love and light. This light will allow you to be in harmony with others and positive energies will be around you. The positive energies are the ones that make anything possible. But you need to believe you can find that balance. It all depends on you.

The daily meditations will provide you with wisdom and understanding. Through meditation people connects in a conscious level with Light and Energy. You will be wiser and respect yourself on a deeper level. After you realize what you have been doing to your body all these years, you will recognize the necessity to look after yourself and completely change your lifestyle. <? down() ?>

Every day during our reproductive medicine consultation we find patients with mild to severe stress levels. Infertility still on the increase worldwide, and in recent years the rate of miscarriages too. We are observing that stress has become a very common illness for everyone.

This interferes enormously with the reproductive area, causing pathologies on the normal functioning of the reproductive system in both women and men. One of the reasons in women is the lack or decrease levels of progesterone.

Progesterone is a very important hormone during the preparation of the uterus lining before the embryo implantation, and during pregnancy. A constant exposition to stress will cause progesterone levels to decrease. This decrease will come with alterations in the normal cycle.

When woman are exposed to stress, the adrenal glands will produce more cortisol and adrenaline. In order to produce cortisol is necessary the use of progesterone. This will decrease the availability of progesterone, because it needs to be used by the adrenal glands in order to make more cortisol.

The adrenal glands cannot produce cortisol without the use of progesterone. For this reason, when exposed to any stress situation the adrenal glands will make use of progesterone to produce cortisol, and this will cause an imbalance on the adrenal gland/s functioning and progesterone availability. As a consequence there will be alterations in the uterus and its preparation for the embryo implantation and maintenance of pregnancy. It is a complete disruption of the normal-balanced cycle.

Every time we are exposed to stress it is necessary to think: “it is really worthy? I might end up using all my progesterone to produce cortisol because I am under stress”. Some women also use progesterone supplements to deal with some of the side effects caused by lack of progesterone (hot flushes, malaise, insomnia, headaches, mood change, premenstrual pains, etc.) The continuous use of these supplements will eventually caused a fatal and total disruption in the normal functioning of the adrenal glands. The best way would be to avoid situations of stress and try to enroll on a program that can be of benefit to control any stress situation in a given moment. For men under stress there are also other factors that interfere with their fertility causing abnormal semen parameters. There is a strong relationship between stress and lack of testosterone in males. And changes in the germ cells are observed with increase of oxidative stress.

If you are a patient looking to conceive or receiving treatment already, is necessary to talk to your doctor regarding any stress situation you are going through. This may have a huge impact on your results. Your doctor will be capable of comparing the hormonal results with your current stress situation, and provide you with guidance and advise to keep a balanced lifestyle during the treatment.

Hormones need to be measured during the hormonal cycle in the woman (FSH, LH, estradiol, and progesterone). These hormones evaluate ovarian reserve, and any pathology involved in the cycle. Also a measurement of adrenal hormones is performed (cortisol, insulin and DHEA). They can have a strong relationship with patient’s exposure to stress levels.

Elevated cortisol increases the production of insulin, associated with obesity, diabetes, elevated blood pressure and heart problems.

The healing process starts by making the decision to stop worrying and having so much stress in your live. Your body needs to restore to its normal balance. A mind-body program has worked wonders to reduce stress and to give patients the opportunity of getting the ultimate goal of becoming parents.

There is a huge lot of information out there these days regarding assisted reproduction and fertility. We can find implications, consequences, side effects, results, probabilities, etc. All this information seems useful for patients to understand what they are going through, and the chances of success.
Personally, as a former patient in fertility, I understand the difficult times we have to go through once we become the patient. Success and positive results is all we wish for. However, is not always what we get.

Once you become a fertility patient is because you have been trying as much as possible to get the results of conceiving naturally. You become a person in need of help of a fertility specialist. There are also helpers during that pathway. Those helpers are other methods that can be used together with the assisted reproductive treatment. I call helpers exercise, good balanced nutrition, yoga, Reiki, fertility massages, reflexology and acupuncture. They all have been showing to be excellent helpers on the assisted reproductive procedure prior, during and after. They all have been reported to increase the chances of success.

Exercise and a good balanced nutrition contribute to maintain the body on a physiological balance, which contributes to improve the hormone levels and the quality of the gametes. A low carbohydrate diet is highly recommended for patients undergoing fertility treatments. Some patients have been reported to get pregnant quicker once they have reach the ideal body mass index (BMI) in comparison with those over this index with obesity. This applies to women and men. Men can improve their sperm quality with a balanced lifestyle and low carbohydrate diet.

Yoga and Reiki are excellent to maintain a relaxed state of mind and body, to keep calm and patient, and to decrease the anxiety levels to find a healthy energetic balance. When I underwent my last in vitro procedure I was practicing yoga and Reiki. The results significantly improved in comparison with the last attempts, also my anxiety levels were very low, the recovery time decreased exponentially and the hormonal level was really good, this helped with the quality of my gametes.

There are spas that offer fertility massages today. These massages are focused on the lymphatic system to help the body to get rid of toxins (detox process), to also increase the blood circulation, especially in the reproductive organs and the brain, this way the organs will have a better response to hormones and might increase the chances of getting the best gametes. There is a range of products dedicated for these types of massage, they are call Fertility Spa www.fertilityspa.net. They targeted every patient’s need, and during every part of their procedure.

Reflexology and acupuncture are great helper techniques to balance the energy in our bodies and treat specific pathologies and diseases associated with the patient’s symptoms. In the case of fertility issues, these techniques will look to correct the root of the problem wherever it is located, through a process of energetic healing. The use of these techniques together with the fertility treatment have both showed better results in comparison with groups using the fertility treatments alone or acupuncture alone. It is necessary to have a right energetic balance in our bodies in order to get better results.

If you are looking for information online you must be very careful. Internet might be a helpful resource but it also a powerful resource that can make us ill just by reading at others people’s stories and comparing it with our own story. It is important to stay away from agents that might become toxic for our chances to succeed on our chosen fertility path. To surround of positive and happy people is a great helper. There are interesting positive and different stories on this blog Fertility Online, and there is a Spanish blog named www.tenerbebe.net and the clinic www.fertiaguerrevere.com that has interesting information. These blogs are in Spanish.

If you are in a relationship, support and love from your partner during this difficult time is important. Most success stories are related to couples who love and support each other during the whole fertility procedure. 

As always I wish you the best during your adventure and challenge you are taking on your reproductive procedure. Remember I am giving you these advices because I am a fertility specialist but also have been a patient in several opportunities, and I know the feeling. Smile because just with the act of smiling we are liberating thousand of positive substances inside our bodies that promote health. Surround yourself with positive people. Get lots of support from your love ones. Watch a nice funny movie, and think clearly and patiently during your treatment. And do not forget the daily meditations. Those will really help with fear, doubts and anxiety.

if you need more information you can write to [email protected]

Once I met a man who was an excellent person, he exceeded everybody’s expectation of being clever, human, humble, terribly handsome and rich. It was the perfect combination. For me it was peculiar to find him alone and with no many friends around in his life. The day I met him we clicked immediately. We started going out to places and enjoyed meals, and making study groups that consisted only in the two of us. We used to laugh at every possible joke, do shopping together, chat endlessly over the phone and hear a lot of Tony Braxton. I remember me going to study at his home at 2 in the morning and screaming his name while he though I was crazy for making such scandal on his neighbourhood ( he was very reserved and liked his own space), and had all the patience in the world to explain whatever subject I was stuck with. He helped me to understand complex things about molecular biology, physics and statistics, and was my support stone during my personal issues. Our time together was special and I knew I was his only true friend. Because I understood and accepted him as he was. He was gay.

His world was very lonely and I often wondered how a person so great and lovely could be alone. He was sad and no very happy with society, because he received constant criticism about being homosexual.

I’ve had homosexual friends before. I was raised in a family circle were prejudice, racism, religious beliefs and race were not impediments to treat others with respect and consideration. My parents were always very focused in teaching me that nobody has the power to judge others. For that reason, and because I believed it myself, I could not help but wondering -When and why societies dictated homosexuality was something considered to be bad?

There is so much intolerance, rage, jealousy and anger in the world for people considered to be “different or peculiar”.

I shared special moments with all my homosexual friends. I specially have a lot of admiration to my clever, intelligent and successful friend I mentioned. They taught me about another perspective of life. They suffer when society points at them and tries to diminish their opportunities or achievements because of their sexual orientation. It is not fair.

When people criticize someone because this person is different to others for their religious beliefs, sexual orientation, race, etc.; it means they need to look into themselves first and find the reason they are afraid of change. Why is that such a big deal if the world needs us to be together right now? Have we learned anything from the lessons of our past?

I encourage you today to have an open mind. To accept people for what they are and to see inside of their souls, instead of looking the outside appearance. There are marvelous humans inside those physical bodies and you are missing it.

My beloved friend today is a singer star. I am very proud of him and his many accomplishments. He has a stable relationship with his boyfriend. And the best, our friendship keeps growing stronger than ever. He told me: “We found each other in the dark and instant light blossomed with us”.

Homosexuality is not an impediment for people to become parents. They can be as good parents as heterosexuals are. Several serious studies focused in following-up with homosexual families agreed to that. These are hard times for the world and the many wars we have lived. These are times to have an open mind and accept we all are different, it is permitted to be different, it is actually good to be different. There is no harm on it.

Honestly, with the range of products available everywhere to treat so many problems, I am loving these arnica salves now. They were specially created for yoga practitioners, although can be used for any other sport or any person looking to alleviate symptoms, side effects, muscle aches, etc.

I use these creams every single day for my yoga class. I can apply it before and provides me a comforting, nice feeling during the class; also prevents me to hurt any muscles and I have found to be more flexible when use the cream rather than when I don’t use it. If I use it after the class I can spend a great day moving around and I even apply it before going to be so my muscles can relax during my sleep.

The salves come in six different fragrances, each one of them designed with a different purpose. They have been made with pure essential oils, and they are 100% organic – natural without any preservatives on them; this is very important for me as I have decided not to use any more products containing chemical preservatives as I know my skin is an organ that absorbs everything I put on.

So it is a highly recommended product for me. Yoga practitioners love it because of the many benefits they get with the regular use of the salves, and also the relaxation and aromatherapy properties excellent during meditation before or after the yoga class.

Arnica Eucalyptus-peppermint salve, Arnica almond salve, arnica mango-papaya salve, arnica coconut salve, arnica lavender-strawberry salve, and arnica chocolate salve,; all delicious and yummy!

Try one and see the difference…

For more information: www.yogiss.com

The salves are now listed on Amazon.com, click on each one to go directly to the Amazon link:

the best…they are just 14.99 USD!!!

To study several years, and to finally become a biologists or a medical doctor it takes years, not easy at all. Some people study several years and decide to pursue their career as researchers or physicians. I believe just the brave ones go unto the world of becoming an embryologist. I had he chance to do anything I wanted and I became an embryologist, because it was for me the best job in the world.

If I could be born again I would definitely do the same, becoming an embryologist opens up the opportunity to be part of something huge, than no many people live to see. In a million years I would have imagined it was so amazing.

I spent years studying, learning, understanding the basics of human reproduction, the structural steps for a cell to divide, the way cells behave in nature. Nobody ever told me how it was like to work in human reproduction before.

My medical career started when I was very young. I wanted to become a neurosurgeon or cardiologists, both specialties I really liked. Obstetrics and gynecology was out of my list. However, for some unexpected circumstances in my life I ended up doing human reproduction and became an embryologist. If I need to explain how then it would be hard to do it, because I don’t even know how I got to be where I am right now. I just know I worked hard enough to achieve certain level of respect and recognition for my hard work. Even though I seem young to many, my knowledge keeps growing very day. I now I can offer lots of experience to my work. And like me, there are many other embryologists that have decided to dedicate their life to do the same. This career has a strong commitment and devotion that no many other careers have.

This job does not have time, holidays or free days. When patients undergo a fertility procedure there is no free time for nothing but the embryos created. We do create them, and we need to look after them. Wherever they are coming from they are our responsibility, and must strive to provide them comfort and a perfect environment in order for them to grow and succeed inside the uterus.

I can’t even remember last time I had a whole eight hour sleep straight. It has been impossible for me to rest knowing there is so much more to be accomplished.

For all the embryologists out there, I send you my deepest appreciation for your hard work. Please do not forget we are dealing with life, with energies coming from somewhere. We are responsible to provide the right environment for development and successful implantation. Our hands are precious. You “embryologist” are unique.

We embryologists are tools and bridges for life to follow its course. Thanks for your hard work, keep going. Life is amazing, admire it for what it is, embrace it the way it should be, care for it because is unique, and be part of the change because this new generation is about to change the future.