Find out if these common fertility beliefs are true or false:

Long abstinence Improves sperm equality.

False. Exactly the opposite is true! Long abstinence results in lower quality sperm as the ratio of immotile spermatozoa increases.

Alcohol has a negative effect on the male reproductive function.

True. Studies have shown that excess consumption of alcohol may adversely affect sperm quality and delay natural conception.

Smoking has a significantly adverse affect both on male and female fertility.

True. Smoking is a major limiting factor for a couple’s prognosis; it has a negative effect on the quality of both sperm and oocytes as well as the function of the uterus. Smoking will decrease success rates of all methods of assisted conception by 30% or more.

A healthy diet combined with moderate physical exercise improves your fertility potential.

True. An increasing number of studies confirm that lifestyle may have a significant effect on the probability of pregnancy.

Couples undergoing IVF treatment with an unhealthy lifestyle are less likely to see success in treatment.
Couples can improve their prognosis by adopting certain changes in their lifestyle, such as quitting smoking and losing weight, even for a period of just one or two months before their treatment!

Let the Sunshine Coast’s premier IVF Clinic, Coastal IVF, assist you with your pregnancy.
We are proud to be one of Australia’s most successful IVF Clinics based on pregnancy rates as a predictor of a successful outcome.

Contact us today to find out what you can do to get started on your journey.

Here are some frequently asked questions you might have while waiting for your result.

What if I am spotting?
If you start to have vaginal spotting, don’t panic. It is possible to be pregnant and spot as well.

Does it mean I’m pregnant if I have symptoms?
Remember that some of the early physical signs of pregnancy: breast tenderness, bloating, tiredness and stomach upset can also be caused by
the drugs you may be taking, such as progesterone. Symptoms of pregnancy can come and go in some woman. You may feel very pregnant one day and feel nothing the next day. You can’t depend on your body to tell you if you are pregnant; you have to wait for the test.

Do I need to stay off my feet? Can I exercise?
Dr Stokes at Coastal IVF will instruct you regarding activity especially if you had an IVF cycle. In any case only do moderate exercise – avoid step aerobics and exercise that elevate your body temperature and pulse rate excessively.

Are there any foods I should avoid?
Eating sensibly and avoiding too much processed food and limiting alcohol intake is highly recommended.

Should I avoid intercourse?
Unless you are spotting, intercourse is fine. However, discuss this with Dr Stokes if you have had a history of miscarriage or are facing a high-risk
pregnancy.

Will the cramps and twinges that may be a result of progesterone ruin my chances for implantation?
No this is just a side effect of the progesterone and does not impact implantation.

I’m thinking of using a home pregnancy test before my blood pregnancy test. Will it be accurate?
The most accurate test is the blood test. If you had a hCG shot you must wait at least 12 days to get an accurate result with a pregnancy test.
Testing any earlier could give a false positive result.

What symptoms should I be aware of, and should I contact my doctor if I have?
If you have any of the following symptoms:
– a fever;
– bright red vaginal bleeding;
– abdominal, pelvic, neck or leg pain;
– feeling faint or extremely dizzy and weak,

then call Dr Stokes at the Sunshine Coast, Coastal IVF office.
They could indicate an infection or tubal pregnancy, which need medical attention.

We know the two week wait can be a tense one. So try as best you can to relax and enjoy the process.
If you have any questions or concerns, call our offices any time to discuss your concerns with a caring team member!

US researchers from Harvard University recruited 189 young men aged between 18 to 22, questioned them about their exercise, diet and TV habits and asked them to provide a sperm sample.

Men in the top quarter of TV-watchers — those who watched for 20 hours or more — had a 44-percent lower sperm count than those who watched least, meaning they said they watched ‘none or almost none’.
Another big factor was exercise, according to the study. Men who exercised for 15 or more hours weekly at a ‘moderate to vigorous’ rate had a 73-percent higher sperm count than those who exercised less than five hours per week.
Though none of the sperm levels were so low that the man would have been unable to father a child.

Semen quality appears to have declined over several decades, according to studies conducted in several countries.

It is unclear why this has happened, but scientists suspect that sedentary lifestyles may warm the scrotum and affect semen concentrations.
Physical inactivity has also been linked to increased levels of oxidative stress, in which rogue oxygen compounds degrade cells.

Previous studies into physical activity and semen quality have focussed on elite athletes, such as professional marathon runners and cyclists.
“We were able to examine a range of physical activity that is more relevant to men in the general population,” said Jorge Charravo, assistant professor of nutrition and epidemiology at Harvard School of Public Health, Massachusetts.

The study was limited by the relatively small number of volunteers and the fact that only a single sperm sample was provided, the authors acknowledged.

If you or your partner have any concerns about male infertilty, you should see your GP for a referral to see Dr Stokes at Coastal IVF.

Source: https://www.bbc.com/news/health-21326810

We found this great article from Kasey Edwards who is the author of Thirty-Something and The Clock is Ticking: What Happens When You Can No Longer Ignore The Baby Issue (Random House) www.kaseyedwards.com.

Your marriage is also likely to take a battering in the process.

Within my friendship circle I know of two relationships that didn’t survive the anxiety, disappointments and mood swings that come with IVF. Even years later many of the women I spoke with were unable to discuss the effect of IVF on their relationships without anger and tears. So large is the toll that IVF takes on relationships that writer Amy Klein recently wondered if it would be easier to ride the infertility roller-coaster without a partner. Writing in the New York Times, Klein reasoned that at least she could wallow in her sorrows without having to worry about how her emotions were affecting her husband.

“I looked at him and realised it’s not only about me. I am not alone. And even though sometimes I wish I could be like [a friend doing IVF alone] and drown in my sorrows, I am now responsible for…our marriage.”

Based on the collective experience of my IVF buddies and me, here are some tips on how to reduce the collateral damage to your relationship during your IVF journey.

1. Let go of the reasons why you need to do IVF You can’t walk through the door of an IVF clinic without a head full of ‘What ifs’.
   What if you’d settled down earlier? What if you started trying for children last year instead of going on that holiday? What if you gained weight/lost weight/didn’t have that abortion/drank less/did more yoga/took fewer drugs in your youth? None of these questions, or their answers, are helpful. In fact, they can be downright destructive — particularly if the reason you need to do IVF is because of a problem with the bloke’s swimmers or plumbing. It’s hard for men to watch their partner vomiting, injecting herself with hormones, and having everything from pessaries to strangers’ hands shoved up her vagina. But it’s even harder for men to know that they are the reason she has to do it. As one friend said, “He was the one with the problem, but I had to be the patient.” Looking forward rather than back can spare both of you additional guilt and resentment.
2. Don’t set unreasonable privacy constraints.
   When I was going through IVF I didn’t want to talk about it. I needed to. Sharing the ups and downs of my treatment with my friends, family, neighbours and the package delivery guy from Australia Post was a sort of therapy I couldn’t have done without. Most women I know who’ve been through IVF have felt the same. However, many of them have been sworn to secrecy by partners who feel ashamed and embarrassed by infertility. I can’t tell you how many conversations I’ve had that have started with, “Don’t tell my husband that I told you…” Infertility is an emotional and sensitive topic, particularly for men because our society equates virility with masculinity. There are also a whole host of religious, cultural and professional reasons why people prefer to keep IVF a secret. But it’s unreasonable to add the burden of secrecy to the already difficult process. If secrecy is important then compromise and work out one or two people the talker in the relationship is allowed to share the journey with.
3. Knowing when to stop
   The heartbreak of IVF is that you can spend years putting yourself through hell and still not get a baby. In our very first IVF briefing session we were told that men were often more reluctant than women to start IVF, but they were also more reluctant to stop. One of my friends did 11 unsuccessful IVF cycles over three years. She wanted to stop after two years because she was exhausted from the endless medical treatment but her husband wanted to keep going. Years later, she is still angry at her husband for the extra year of her life she put on hold because of his wishes. Yes, it takes both of you to make a baby. But when it comes to IVF, it’s hardly equal. The bloke comes in a jar and the woman gets turned into a science experiment. When the woman decides it’s time to stop, it’s time to stop.
4. Note to men: You’re needed, even when you’re not
   In a physical sense, all that’s required for men to make an IVF baby is about 5 minutes and half-decent aim. You might think that once you’ve got your specimen in your specimen jar, your job is done. Wrong! Your partner needs you to support her emotionally every step of the way. She needs to feel like this is an equal priority for both of you and not something she has to deal with on her own. This means you need to attend as many appointments as possible, even after several failed cycles and the novelty has worn off. If she has to go to them then you should too. If you don’t attend the blood tests then at the very least call afterwards to find out how it went and let her know that you are just as invested in the results as she is. And when she’s tired, devastated and angry and just needs to lie on the couch and cry, don’t add to the burden by getting frustrated with her and telling her to buck up. Make her a cup of tea, give her a hug and tell her you appreciate what she is doing for you, your family and your future.
5. Note to women: If your partner isn’t going to support you emotionally then find someone who will
   In an ideal world, men will read tip 4 on this list and say to themselves, “Well duh! Do you think I’m an unfeeling ogre?”. But for some reason your husband may not be willing or able to provide the emotional support you need. Rather than spending the entire time disappointed and angry with him, it might be worth accepting his emotional repertoire and enlisting a different person, such as a friend, sister or mother, to provide what your husband cannot. This might be why, as Amy Klein speculated, it may be easier to go through IVF without a partner. Single-mothers-by-choice choose a support person who is up for the job. If your partner isn’t giving you what you need, perhaps you should too.

Find Out About Our Support Services For Patients.

At Coastal IVF we’re dedicated to full care and supporting our patients through the entire journey.

Source: http://www.dailylife.com.au/life-and-love/love,-sex-and-relationships/how-to-ivfproof-your-marriage-20131119-2xsfp.html

It typically occurs to women in their 40s and 50s and signals the end of their fertility.
When a woman hits menopause, the primary functions of the ovaries stop.

The ripening of the ova (egg), the creation of the uterine lining and the subsequent shedding of the lining (period/menses) ceases.

Menopause can be an uncomfortable time for many women with symptoms such as irregular menstruation, hot flushes, difficulty sleeping, vaginal and urinary problems, mood swings, forgetfulness and tenderness in the breasts.

There are steps we can take to help make this transition in your life more comfortable.

Menopause Management Treatment & Care:

• Hormone Replacement Therapy
• Vaginal oestrogen creams / tablets
• Bioidentical Hormones

Sunshine Coast’s Coastal IVF team can help you through these times to ensure all your gynecological needs are continued to be looked after.