Showing posts with label OVARIES. Show all posts
Showing posts with label OVARIES. Show all posts

Friday, June 28, 2013

Newly Discovered Hormone Makes Ovaries Grow



Infertility can be very frustrating for couples who want so much to have children. It brings new hope therefore, whenever research brings about new information that could impact positively in this regard.

There is good news then for infertile couples, because, according to an article in the June 2013 issue of FASEB  Journal,  scientists seem to have just discovered an hormone which could make ovaries grow, for couples not responding well to Follicle Stimulating Hormone (FSH).  This would mean more infertility treatment options.

Read more in this regard :-

http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/05/130530111149.htm


From the article

"To make this discovery, Hsueh and colleagues analyzed all the proteins likely made by the eggs, and discovered a previously unknown hormone, called R-spondin2. The researchers then replicated this new hormone in test tubes and injected it into mice. The hormone stimulated growth of mouse ovarian cells, leading to the generation of mature eggs. These eggs were fertilized and led to successful pregnancies and the delivery of healthy pups. Then, human ovarian tissue was grafted into mice, and this also grew after treatment with this newly identified ovarian hormone, suggesting that the hormone could work in humans."













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Monday, July 2, 2012

“Success Of Fertility Treatment May Approach Natural Birth Rate”


This is some very good news for persons struggling to have children and wishing to go the route of assisted reproductive technology.

According to Medical News Today, a groundbreaking study of about 250,000 women in the United States, finds that live birth rates by way of assisted reproductive technology, comparable to that of the natural fertility rate, can be achieved.

This technique also known as (ART) involves taking eggs from a woman’s ovaries, fertilising them with sperm and then returning them to the woman’s body.

For much more on this,  please click on the link below:-

http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/releases/247214.php

From the article
The research, led by Michigan State University's Barbara Luke and published in the New England Journal of Medicine, highlights what factors help or hinder getting pregnant using assisted reproductive technology, or ART. The results indicate that when there are favorable patient and embryo characteristics, live birth rates with ART can approach those of natural fertility. 
"This is good news for women who are trying to have a child," said Luke, a researcher in the College of Human Medicine's Department of Obstetrics, Gynecology and Reproductive Biology.








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Thursday, October 13, 2011

OBESITY AND INFERTILITY


Obesity is widely known to be a cause of infertility and is also a common symptom of Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS).
How exactly does obesity interfere with your efforts to conceive? Findings from a recent study done by researchers from Antwerp, Hull, and Madrid, are that eggs exposed to high levels of saturated fatty acids, found in the ovaries of obese women, interferes with the development of the embryo.
The study found that embryos developed from cattle with high levels of saturated fatty acids, had fewer cells, altered gene expression and altered metabolic activity, all indicative of reduced egg viability.
Although this study was done on cows, it could help to explain why obese women and women with diabetes, have problems conceiving.
Read more by following the link below:-
From the article
"The most viable embryos, those most likely to result in a successful pregnancy, have a 'quieter', less active metabolism, particularly in relation to amino acids," explains Dr Sturmey. "Where eggs were exposed to high levels of fatty acids, the resulting embryos showed increased amino acid metabolism and altered consumption of oxygen, glucose and lactate - all of which indicates impaired metabolic regulation and reduced viability." 





Tuesday, December 14, 2010

A BABY FOR US TOO, PLEEEASE

Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him.
Children born to a young man are like sharp arrows in a warrior’s hand
Psalm 127: 3 and 4


“HOPE MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE"


I am not a fan of too much reality television, but a few of them I do watch, especially those showing people who are triumphing, despite challenges. I guess this is so, because I do have challenges myself and so need to take a page from these peoples' life book, from time to time.

I like ‘Little People Big World’ and ‘The Little Couple’, which both airs on TLC. As the names indicate, these are shows starring people of small statute as they, ( I was going to say, as they try to find their places), but I do believe these people are  commanding their spaces in our ‘big world’ because they are doing things that some of us who fit in without much difficulty, is not so brave to do.

I am particularly drawn to Bill Klein and Jen Arnold of The Little Couple, and now I find out that they are dealing with reproductive issues in their show. They are both in their thirties and are under  4ft tall.   Jen is head of the paediatric centre at a hospital in her area, where she specializes in treating newborns who are born critically ill and Bill is a businessman.

They are newlyweds, having married for two years and like most couples, they are thinking of starting a family. Jen has been cautioned against carrying a child because of her small statute, as it could have a tragic outcome and so they are exploring the possibility of having a surrogate carry their child. Their reproductive specialist is now in the process of stimulating Jen’s ovaries so that she can produce the required amount of follicles for retrieval so that this procedure can begin.  The problem though is, despite an increase in the amount of medication Jen is still only able to produce two follicles and they need between six to seven for this retrieval to make sense, because it is a risky process for a little person.

See below a clip from the episode when Bill and Jen visited their fertility specialist to explore the possibility of having children through surrogacy.




Jen is of course very devastated when she realizes that her ovaries are not producing the required amount of follicles to make their plans to use a surrogate possible and her husband is being so supportive and encouraging to her. This season ended on this note, but from all indications, it seems they will still try this retrieval process again when the new season returns.  If they are not successful then they are thinking of adoption.

I shared this story just to say that, no matter what, all of us deserve a shot at our dreams, and I am happy that they are reminding us all of this. Not because these individuals were born little, does it mean that they should not have as much of life as they possibly can and also not because they were born little, does it mean that they were not born with the capacity to conceive, foster and care for children.  I know there might be concerns as it relates to the safety of  the baby or babies that they will eventually care for, but there is another  such show on TLC, called ‘Our  Little Life,’ where another  little couple has a child and just watching how keenly they  care for this precious life, despite their many and varied challenges, is quite commendable.

I wish Bill and Jen all the best in their pursuit for the family they so deserve. 


Friday, November 19, 2010

CAN OUR OVARIIES MAKE NEW EGGS?

Children are a gift from the Lord; they are a reward from him.
Children born to a young man are like sharp arrows in a warrior’s hand
Psalm 127: 3 and 4

“HOPE MAKES ALL THE DIFFERENCE"
 


This post caught my attention and so I feel I should share it. 

This maybe encouraging news for some of us who find those darn eggs so elusive.

 

Monday, April 13, 2009

POLYCYSTIC OVARIAN SYNDROME (PCOS)

A typical polycystic ovary

In one of my earlier posts, I mentioned briefly about Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. I now find it necessary to dedicate an entire post to this condition as I am now hearing everyday of someone with this condition.

When I was diagnosed with PCOS, being a stutterer, I could not pronounce the name properly and so apart from not understanding the condition as much as I would have wanted to, I used this as my excuse as well, not to talk about it.


WHAT IS POLYCYSTIC OVARIAN SYNDROME?

For my readers who do not know what this condition is:-

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS) is one of the main causes of infertility in women. It affects anywhere from five to ten per cent of women between the ages of 20 and 40, making it the most common reproductive syndrome for women of this age group. However, a further 30% of women may have some of the symptoms associated with PCOS although they won’t be diagnosed with the syndrome. Women who suffer from PCOS have cysts (fluid-filled sacs) on their ovaries that prevent the ovaries from performing normally. PCOS affects regular reproductive functions, like the menstrual cycle, as well as fertility. Ovaries of PCOS suffers tend to be from 1.5 to 3 times larger than normal ovaries.”……………………..

You can read further by visiting:- http://www.fertilityfactor.com/infertility_PCOS.html


GETTING PREGNANT WITH POLYCYSTIC OVARIAN SYNDROME

I was reading an articile the other day that women who are diagnosed with PCOS go on to having the same amount of healthy children as women who are not diagnosed with the condition. This really encouraged me.

Many women who are trying to get pregnant may experience problems trying to conceive. Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, known as PCOS for short and also known as PCOD or Polycystic Ovarian Disease, is one of the leading causes of infertility among women. While research has not yet determined how to cure for PCOS, it may be possible for a woman with PCOS to get pregnant with the right treatment or treatments.”……………….

Read further by visiting:- http://www.thelaboroflove.com/articles/how-to-get-pregnant-with-polycystic-ovarian-disease/


N.B. Since my PCOS has now returned, my doctor has prescribed a course of low dose contraceptive to be taken for over three months to dissolves these cysts. If this is proven successful then she advised that if I wish to become pregnant, then she recommends that we start trying right away.

When I was first diagnosed with this condition many years ago, a laparoscopy ( a surgery where a small incision is made in your abdomen and with the help of gas your ovaries is accessed and the cysts scraped from them) was done but sadly after the birth of my son, it has returned. I was perturbed at first that I might have to do surgery again but thankfully my doctor advised that she no longer does surgery for this condition for the reason that the cysts do return, and after paying so much for this surgery, who wants to know that they will again be faced with this issue.

I recommend therefore to anyone with this condition who is contemplating surgery, to have a talk with your doctor about the possibility of using contraceptives to dissolve these cysts. The only draw back with this, I might add is, because women who are diagnosed with PCOS have irregular periods due to lack of ovulation, and this procedure has to be done with the onset of menstruation, it might prove difficult. We just have to hope for the best.

MANAGING POLYCYSTIC OVARIAN SYNDROME

If you happen to have PCOS but you are not comtemplating having children for whatever reasons, this condition should be monitored and managed because there are other serious conditions that is associated with this. For example, diabetes and heart disease just to name some.

Most women with polycystic ovary syndrome should have an oral glucose tolerance test at diagnosis and at five-yearly intervals thereafter, and measurement of fasting lipids at diagnosis and at two- to three-yearly intervals. The exception would be a woman aged less than 20 who is not overweight and who does not have a family history of diabetes mellitus, gestational diabetes or large birth weight.”…………..

For further reading visit:- http://www.mja.com.au/public/issues/nov16/kidson/kidson.html


I sincerely hoped this information helped you and do not hesitate to let me have your comments or any questions you might have regarding Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. Having been someone who is struggling with it for over a decade now, I should be able to shed some light on your concerns and questions. If I do not readily have the information, I will research it or you.

Please feel free to click on any relevant links on the right of page.

ALL THE BEST


Please do not forget to join me for my next post

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

I AM BACK!!!!!!!

Hello all, you don’t have to miss me any longer, I am back. The problem with my internet has been sorted out. Can you imagine they suspended our internet account for over a month simply because of a mix up with my landlord’s name, (as the internet account is in his name), and took so long to sort it out. Sometimes we are subjected to such unnecessary inconvenience. Anyway, that is over and thank God I am back.

As I said in my last post, so much has happened over the time that I was away and I know you are anxious to hear about them. Let’s see, where do I begin? Well, I suffered another miscarriage at two months gestational age and found out to my horror, that my polycystic ovarian syndrome (pcos) is back and worst than ever, my husband lost his job, then the car was taken, as it was attached to my husband’s job, then a few days afterwards, our internet was suspended.

I felt so victimized, it was as if someone had targeted us and was again subjecting us to misery. Blogging has been the best way so far for me to fully come to grips with the struggles I had to endure in my life so far and when that opportunity was taken from me, I felt really empty. I also felt like I was living in the United States of America as everyday you hear stories of persons who have fallen victim to this global recession. Thank God though, our situation is not as bad as we still have good kind people around and we are being truly blessed by them.

Anyway, back to the issue of the miscarriage I suffered, as this is partly what this blog is about. We really was not trying for a baby, at least not right now because we knew that my husband’s job was in jeopardy. When we found out that we were expecting, we were frightened and confused at first but soon after started to embrace it to the point where we became so excited as we had in fact had discussions about a sibling for our son. We were therefore very sad when we learnt that we had lost it. I for one, was horrified as I thought that I was through with miscarriages, but I guess that choice is not mine to make. I was further horrified when I learnt that my pcos was back and was the cause for the miscarriage. My doctor reacted in such a dramatic way when she saw the cysts on my ovaries that I thought she was going to tell me that I had ovarian cancer. I was so relieved when she told me that they were in fact cysts.

And so, I am once again dealing with the effects of a miscarriage and feeling so guilty that I am grieving this loss when we have already been blessed with such a beautiful son. I am loving him and appreciating him even more these days and is even more grateful to God for him. Miscarriages are such horrible experiences that, if I had enemies, I would not wish it on even them. They have such crippling effects and once you experience them you never fully get over them. I gave birth to our daughter's dead body on April 2, 2007 and last week I could not understand why I was feeling so empty and depressed and why certain places (the UWI hospital, Mona, my sister's home where I spent the days following our loss) were appearing in my memory. I soon realised that it was because I was about to relive the horrible loss of our daughter this time two years ago, and this has been happening every year since.

I do not know what to draw from this experience at this time because we were not trying. I remember however, in the years that I was struggling to have a child, I often asked God for even just one and then we would adopt the other so that they can grow up together. If our request was granted, we saw the adoption as our way of giving thanks to God for his blessing of a child by also giving one other child the love of a family which he probably would otherwise not experience. I cannot help but think now that maybe God is holding me to this promise. We are therefore now actively thinking about adoption as soon as we are financially able to do so as our son definitely needs someone to grow up with. Let me hasten to say that when I spoke in one of my earlier posts that as a child I often dreamt of the ‘pitter patter’ of little feet around my home when I was grown, I never meant just two feet, I meant more, and four is such a whole and complete number. I never saw myself with just one child. An old saying goes, “one pickney is not pickney.” I hope I am not discounting the fact that some of us for whatever reason end up with just one. No need to feel cheated or guilty as this is just for me. You just hug your one child and thank God eternally for them because you are still more fortunate than many who have not been able to experience this blessing. You such, continue to be in my thoughts and prayers.

I am somewhat over this miscarriage now because given our present situation, if this child was still on the way, I am not sure how we would be cooping financially and so I must conclude that God knows best. He alone knows tomorrow and so we trust him enough to rest in his care and keeping.

Do not forget to join me for my next post.