NEW SPERM AND EGG DONOR LAW TO BE PUT INTO EFFECT IN WASHINGTON STATE SOON

Many couples, infertile and otherwise, will turn to sperm or egg donors, to have the family they want, when their efforts to do so themselves, have failed them.

These donors remain anonymous and so does most of their information, including pertinent   genetic information, as recipient families are not legally entitled to such information.

Recently on ABC, a 15 year old young man (Tyler) and his mother was featured. Tyler was conceived using a sperm donor and when he made contact with his biological aunt recently, it was discovered that his sperm donor father had died at the age of 43 due to a genetic heart condition (genetic connective tissue disorder). After a quick trip to Johns Hopkins Medical Center in Baltimore for a baseline screening of his heart, Tyler discovered that he had the same life-threatening heart condition, too.  Luckily for Tyler, he is able to get treatment before it is too late. Tyler’s mom said that this gentleman should never have allowed to be a sperm donor. He has fathered twenty plus children via three sperm banks.

It is for reasons like this that a law will be passed in Washington State soon requiring that sperm and egg donors  provide fertility clinics with their identifying information and medical history. Under the new law, offspring age 18 and older can seek out their donors, as long as the donors haven't signed an affidavit of nondisclosure. The aim is to give people conceived via donated tissue a chance to solve a future medical emergency, just as people who have been adopted currently can.

Read more:-

http://shine.yahoo.com/channel/parenting/what-happens-when-a-sperm-donor-doesnt-disclose-a-genetic-disorder-2514416

Post image by: http://s3.hubimg.com/u/449386_f260.jpg

BPA, A HIDDEN CAUSE OF PCOS AND INFERTILITY?

left and right ovaries showing evidence of PCOS

Most of us know by now that our environment has a lot to do with the state of our overall health and unfortunately this includes our reproductive health as well.

Below is a link to a study done by Researchers in the UK and Greece which say that women with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) have a significantly higher burden of bisphenol A (BPA) than other women. BPA,  a chemical in our environment, is a known estrogenic hormone disrupter.


Read more:- http://www.ovarian-cysts-pcos.com/news124.html

From the site:

“The study compared 71 women with PCOS to 100 "normal" women. All women were subdivided into lean and overweight groups.

All together, the PCOS women had 1.5 times the amount of BPA in their blood than the other women did.

The lean PCOS women had 1.6 times the amount compared to other lean women. The overweight PCOS women had 1.3 times as much as the other overweight women.

The overweight women tended to have lower BPA levels in their blood than the lean ones. We can speculate that in the overweight women, they have more BPA stored in their fat cells and not as much in their blood. Fat cells are excellent storage sites for many environmental chemicals.”

Post image by: http://women.webmd.com/tc/polycystic-ovary-syndrome-pcos-topic-overview

LIGHT MOMENT FRIDAYS – Feature 17

Sure hope this will lighten your day.....

"THE RACE IS NOT FOR THE SWIFT........."

The other day, our son was playing race with his six year old cousin and their grandmother was keeping score. His  cousin won all the races, after which she celebrated and tell her grandmother, ‘one point for me none for Theodore.’ Our son was not amused, so after each loss he would cry. I then heard his grandmother telling him that it is not nice to cry when he loses. I thought to myself, who likes to lose. When I was in primary school and would run a race and be placed last, I was usually so humiliated to the point of tears, so what says a four year old, whose opponent (his cousin) celebrates so jubilantly after each win.

Anyway, that is not really the light moment that I want to write about. This week at our son’s  Summer School, they had a sports day and he was chosen to run the lime and spoon race for his house. I had great hopes for him because he likes to run around the house a lot and especially when it is time for his bath. The other day his grandfather watched him run and was amazed at how he takes his corners at such high speed, so I concluded in my mind that he would  make a good runner. ‘On your mark’  and they were off. Our son held on to his spoon with such a steady grip, that the lime did not fall from the he spoon once.  As he walked down the track, he was busy watching the scenery in front of him as all his opponents limes fell many times and they picked them up,all with great purpose to win this race.

Our son never seemed bothered about winning at all, neither did he seem interested in whether the lime fell or not, he just seemed more interested in the scenery that was unfolding  in front of him. The officials waited patiently as he was the last to reached the finished line. He finished his race as composed as he started, with not one drop of tear.

When I told my husband and his grandmother, they had a good laugh.

I’LL HAVE WATER WITH THAT PLEASE!!!!!!

Many of us find it so difficult to drink the required eight glasses of water each day, even though we know that water, that we so often take for granted, is part of/or the cure for so many things that ails us, infertility included.

Do not take my word for it though, check out this fellow blogger’s blog and see what the experts are saying about Japanese water treatment for fertility.

http://infertility-fertility.blogspot.com/2011/07/japanese-water-treatment-for-fertility.html

image by: http://news.discovery.com/human/2010/08/23/water-zoom.jpg

LIGHT MOMENT FRIDAYS – Feature 16

This one is not quite so funny - but a good story whether true or false...........


LIPSTICK

An example of what backbone is - something our educational system has long since lacked.

Lipstick in School

According to a news report, a certain private school in

Sydney's Eastern suburbs was recently faced with an unusual problem.

 

A number of the girls were beginning to use lipstick and

would put it on in the bathroom. That was fine, but after they put on their  lipstick they would press their lips to the mirror leaving

dozens of little lip  prints.

 

Every night the maintenance man would remove them and the

next day the  girls would put them back.

Finally the Headmistress decided that something had to be done. She called all the girls to the bathroom and met them there with the maintenance man .

She explained that all these lip prints were causing a major problem for the custodian who had to clean the mirrors every night (you can just imagine the yawns from the little princesses).

 

To demonstrate how difficult it had been to clean the mirrors, she asked the maintenance man to show the girls how much effort was

required. He took out a long-handled squeegee, dipped it in the toilet

bowl, and cleaned the mirror with it.

 

The silence was broken by a large number of gasps, a few  girls vomited and apparently someone fainted. Since then there have been no lip prints on the mirror.

 

There are teachers ..... and then there are educators.

 

POLYCYSTIC OVARIAN SYNDROME SUPPORT

Ask anyone who have been diagnosed with PCOS, including myself, how difficult this condition is to deal with.  There are appearance issues, obesity, hair loss, acne, among others and these can translate into  psychological and emotional issues as well, including depression.

PCOS also causes infertility and from experience, this comes with its own host of psychological and emotional issues.

The good news is, you do not have to suffer alone as there is  support available now, if you cannot find any in your locale, there are online based groups one such is Project PCOS, based in Pittsburg, PA, offering awareness, information and support for PCOS sufferers.

Project PCOS involves the family, the sufferers, the supporters, the medical community and the overall public as active participants in this effort and this to me is commendable.

For more information, please visit their website at:-

http://projectpcos.org/

For persons in my locale (Jamaica), there is a facebook page which seem like an affiliate to the above  website http://projectpcos.org/www.facebook.com/pages/Pcos-Jamaica/152562148109440. Feel free to check it out.

image by: http://www.3rdsideproductions.com/images/stories/pcos%20upload.jpg

LIGHT MOMENT FRIDAYS – Feature 15

Another one in the series of 'HOW TO START A FIGHT'


Quite funny.......I love my mother-in-law though and have no reason to get her a gift of this kind.......:-)


"One year, I decided to buy my mother-in-law a cemetery plot as a Christmas gift... The next year, I didn't buy her a gift.
When she asked me why, I replied,
"Well, you still haven't used the gift I bought you last year!"
And that's how the fight started....."
 

HONOUR FOR CAYLEE

I guess by now, most of us have invested in this ongoing trial involving a mother, Casey Anthony who was being tried for the murder of her daughter, Caylee, who went missing and was later found dead, in the summer, about three years ago.

I must say, I was one of those who was somewhat upset when she was found innocent of murder, two days ago and only felt better after hearing her Prosecutor said, “If you are going to understand the legal system any at all, you must understand also, that sometimes, things just won’t go to the way you expect them to.” Also, the evidences could not lead to a murder conviction.

As I watch bits and pieces of this trial over the past weeks, I could not help my anger. Everyone was so busy trying to clear themselves of being connected in any way to this tragic death, lying if they have to, and all this time, I could not believe the different stories that came about. Why was no one thinking about Caylee. Of all the persons who gave testimonies, family and otherwise, someone must know something about this innocent child’s death, whether it be accident or otherwise. Why then is no one moved to honour this child’s memory by being direct and truthful about what really happened. She deserves closure and deserves to rest in peace.

I have heard that her mother was nineteen years old when she was born and the pregnancy was unwanted, but after watching footage of mother and daughter enjoying playtime, everyone can conclude that she seems wanted and loved. Why then would her mother wait a month before reporting her missing. If my child was missing, I would probably report it even before the required time had elapsed (48 hours as I understand it). Most of all though, why would she lie to the authorities when being questioned, when she is a mother and is expected to love and most of all be the protector of any child entrusted to her?

I was further upset when I see all the hugs and congratulations that Casey received after being proven innocent. I don’t know that I would want to be congratulated like that if I was in her position, because, in my opinion, no one should feel like a winner here, Caylee is still dead and it seem we are still nowhere closer in knowing how she died and her mother lied to the authorities to protect herself.

I understand that there are a lot outraged people out there because of the outcome of this trial and I can very much see why. Barring the part the legal system played, there are a lot odd outcome from this trial. Caylee was two when she died and I remember being so protective of my son at that age. Why were those who should have been protecting her seemingly not around  to protect her from her demise, when she needed them most. I know the defense theory is that she drowned accidentally in the family pool and accidents like that happens from time to time, but given the dynamics of this case, this is hard to digest.

I really hope this case will eventually have closure and Caylee will receive the honour she deserves.

 image by: http://news.yahoo.com/jurors-cried-felt-sick-acquitting-anthony-012228871.html

LOW OR HIGH AMNIOTIC FLUID LEVELS IN PREGNANCY

amniotic fluid index (AFI)

"The amniotic fluid is part of the baby’s life support system. It protects your baby and aids in the development of muscles, limbs, lungs and digestive system. Amniotic fluid is produced soon after the amniotic sac forms at about 12 days after conception. It is first made up of water that is provided by the mother, and then around 20 weeks fetal urine becomes the primary substance. As the baby grows he or she will move and tumble in the womb with the help of the amniotic fluid. In the second trimester, the baby will begin to breathe and swallow the amniotic fluid. In some cases the amniotic fluid may measure too low or too high. If the measurement of amniotic fluid is too low it is called oligohydramnios. If the measurement of amniotic fluid is too high it is called polyhydramnios."

A doctor will know your amniotic fluid levels by employing a few different techniques, but most commonly through amniotic fluid index (AFI). Some of the conditions that causes oligohydramnios (low amniotic fluid levels) are birth defects, placental problems and leaking or ruptured membranes among others.

"The risks associated with oligohydramnios is dependent on the gestational age of the pregnancy.  The amniotic fluid is essential for the development of muscles, limbs, lungs, and the digestive system. In the second trimester, the baby begins to breathe and swallow the fluid to help their lungs grow and mature. The amniotic fluid also helps the baby develop muscles and limbs by providing plenty of room to move around. If oligohydramnios is detected in the first half of pregnancy, the complications can be more serious and include compression of fetal organs resulting in birth defects, increased chances of miscarriage or stillbirth, preterm birth among others."

Polyhydramnios (high amniotic fluid levels) occurs in 1 in 100 pregnancies and is diagnosed through an ultrasound. Some of its causes include birth defects, fetal heart conditions, diabetes, blood incompatabilties  in the fetus and mother, among others.

Polyhydramnios could increase pregnancy complications such as, premature birth, placental abruption (breaks or tears on the sac that holds the amniotic fluid), among others.

For more information including treatment of these conditions, please visit the undermentioned  sources:-

http://www.americanpregnancy.org/pregnancycomplications/lowamnioticfluidoligohydramnios.htm

http://www.marchofdimes.com/Pregnancy/complications_polyhydramnios.html

image by: http://www.ultrasoundpaedia.com/3rd%20trimester%20web/afi.jpg

LIGHT MOMENT FRIDAYS – Feature 15

Laughing has been proven to tighten vaginal muscles, so does sobbing. So laugh til u cry ladies. 

                                       ***************************

HOW TO START A FIGHT........

 "My wife and I were watching Who Wants To Be A Millionaire while we were in bed.
 I turned to her and said, 'Do you want to have Sex?'
 'No,' she answered. I then said,
 'Is that your final answer?'
 She didn't even look at me this time, simply saying, 'Yes..'
 So I said, "Then I'd like to phone a friend."
And that's when the fight started..."