Most of my preconception and pregnant women really love their yoga and it was wonderful to come across this study that proves the benefits! The purpose of the study was to examine the effects of a yoga program on pregnant women’s comfort, labour pain and birth outcomes. First time mums were recruited and then half of them went into the active group. They received six 1 hour yoga sessions that involved postures, chanting, breathing, relaxation and meditation.The results showed that the active group experienced significantly higher maternal comfort than the control group both during labour and 2 hours post delivery. The active group also experienced a significantly shorter first stage of labour and less pain than the control group. The researchers concluded:“We suggest that 30 minutes of yoga practice at least 3 times per week for 10 weeks is an effective complementary means for facilitating maternal comfort, decreasing pain during labour and 2 hours post delivery and shortening the length of labour”Can I just add that those mums that combine yoga with HypnoBirthing have an even better result in my experience! SO, if you are considering a baby then get to your local yoga studio and begin your practice. For those of you that are pregnant, then join in my next HypnoBirthing course and do some yoga sessions and you will be greatly rewarded.Yoga during pregnancy: effects on maternal comfort, labour pain and birth outcomes.Chuntharapat S, Petpichetchian W, Hatthakit U.Department of Obstetric Gynecological Nursing and Midwifery, Faculty of Nursing, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla 90112, Thailand. songporn.c@psu.ac.thThis study examined the effects of a yoga program during pregnancy, on maternal comfort, labour pain, and birth outcomes. A randomized trial was conducted using 74-primigravid […]
Yoga Is Proven To Facilitate Pregnancy & Birth!
Most of my preconception and pregnant women really love their yoga and it was wonderful to come across this study that proves the benefits! The purpose of the study was to examine the effects of a yoga program on pregnant women’s comfort, labour pain and birth outcomes. First time mums were recruited and then half of them went into the active group. They received six 1 hour yoga sessions that involved postures, chanting, breathing, relaxation and meditation.
The results showed that the active group experienced significantly higher maternal comfort than the control group both during labour and 2 hours post delivery. The active group also experienced a significantly shorter first stage of labour and less pain than the control group. The researchers concluded:
“We suggest that 30 minutes of yoga practice at least 3 times per week for 10 weeks is an effective complementary means for facilitating maternal comfort, decreasing pain during labour and 2 hours post delivery and shortening the length of labour”
Can I just add that those mums that combine yoga with HypnoBirthing have an even better result in my experience! SO, if you are considering a baby then get to your local yoga studio and begin your practice. For those of you that are pregnant, then join in my next HypnoBirthing course and do some yoga sessions and you will be greatly rewarded.
Yoga during pregnancy: effects on maternal comfort, labour pain and birth outcomes.
Chuntharapat S, Petpichetchian W, Hatthakit U.
Department of Obstetric Gynecological Nursing and Midwifery, Faculty of Nursing, Prince of Songkla University, Hat Yai, Songkhla 90112, Thailand. songporn.c@psu.ac.th
This study examined the effects of a yoga program during pregnancy, on maternal comfort, labour pain, and birth outcomes. A randomized trial was conducted using 74-primigravid […]
PCOS – Diet & Exercise More Effective that Drugs!
A study has just been released that proves changing your diet and exercising more is your best bet for inducing ovulation and improving your chance of pregnancy. This study divided 348 overweight women with PCOS and infertility into four groups. One group received dietary and exercise advice. The other 3 groups received Clomid, metformin, or a combination of the two drugs.
Clomid is used to stimulate ovulation. Metformin is used to reduce insulin resistance.
The women in the Clomid group had a 12.2% pregnancy rate. The metformin group had a 14.4% rate. The group taking both Clomid and metformin had a pregnancy rate of 14.8%. The group not taking any drugs but only making dietary and exercise improvements had a 20% pregnancy rate. The study authors concluded: “…lifestyle modification may be used as the first line of ovulation induction in PCOS patients.”
I cannot emphasise enough the importance of keeping to a therapeutic diet and exercising 3-4 times a week. I counsel all my PCOS patients on what foods they need to be eating and what foods they need to avoid. Trust me – it does make a difference and this study confirms my advice!
An assessment of lifestyle modification versus medical treatment with clomiphene citrate, metformin, and clomiphene citrate-metformin in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome.
Karimzadeh MA, Javedani M.
Research and Clinical Centre for Infertility, Yazd Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran.
OBJECTIVE: To compare the effect of clomiphene citrate, metformin, and lifestyle modification on treatment of patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). DESIGN: Prospective randomized double-blind study. SETTING: University-based infertility clinic and research centre. PATIENT(S): Three hundred forty-three overweight infertile women with PCOS. INTERVENTION(S): The participating women were assigned to four groups: clomiphene (n […]
PCOS – Diet&Exercise More Effective that Drugs!
A study has just been released that proves changing your diet and exercising more is your best bet for inducing ovulation and improving your chance of pregnancy. This study divided 348 overweight women with PCOS and infertility into four groups. One group received dietary and exercise advice. The other 3 groups received Clomid, metformin, or a combination of the two drugs.Clomid is used to stimulate ovulation. Metformin is used to reduce insulin resistance.The women in the Clomid group had a 12.2% pregnancy rate. The metformin group had a 14.4% rate. The group taking both Clomid and metformin had a pregnancy rate of 14.8%. The group not taking any drugs but only making dietary and exercise improvements had a 20% pregnancy rate. The study authors concluded: “…lifestyle modification may be used as the first line of ovulation induction in PCOS patients.”I cannot emphasise enough the importance of keeping to a therapeutic diet and exercising 3-4 times a week. I counsel all my PCOS patients on what foods they need to be eating and what foods they need to avoid. Trust me – it does make a difference and this study confirms my advice! An assessment of lifestyle modification versus medical treatment with clomiphene citrate, metformin, and clomiphene citrate-metformin in patients with polycystic ovary syndrome.Karimzadeh MA, Javedani M.Research and Clinical Centre for Infertility, Yazd Shahid Sadoughi University of Medical Sciences, Yazd, Iran.OBJECTIVE: To compare the effect of clomiphene citrate, metformin, and lifestyle modification on treatment of patients with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). DESIGN: Prospective randomized double-blind study. SETTING: University-based infertility clinic and research centre. PATIENT(S): Three hundred forty-three overweight infertile women with PCOS. INTERVENTION(S): The participating women were assigned to four groups: clomiphene (n […]
Kava Helps Treat Anxiety
Kava, used for generations in traditional ceremonies by Pacific islanders, is an effective and safe treatment for anxiety, university researchers say. People with “chronic high levels of anxiety” feel less worried and, in some cases, less depressed during a 60-person trial undertaken at the University of Queensland.
“We’ve been able to show that kava offers a natural alternative for the treatment of anxiety and, unlike some pharmaceutical options, has less risk of dependency and less potential of side-effects,” said lead researcher Jerome Sarris, a PhD candidate from UQ’s School of Medicine. “We also found that kava had a positive impact on reducing depression levels, something which had not been tested before.”
Anxiety levels were reduced in trial participants who took five tablets of kava daily, as opposed to a placebo group that took dummy pills. Critically the study’s participants did not show any signs of potential liver damage – contrary to concerns that prompted European, British and Canadian authorities to ban kava sales in 2002.
Kava products sold in those countries were based on ethanol or acetone extracts of the kava plant, Mr Sarris said, not the water-soluble extracts used traditionally by Pacific islanders and approved for sale in Australia. “Our study used a water-soluble extract from the peeled root stock of a medicinal cultivar of the plant, which is approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration,” Mr Sarris said. “When extracted in the appropriate way, kava may pose less or no potential liver problems and I hope the results will encourage governments to reconsider the ban.”
The Kava Anxiety Depression Spectrum Study (KADSS): a randomized, placebo-controlled crossover trial using an aqueous extract of Piper methysticum.
Sarris J, Kavanagh DJ, Byrne G, Bone KM, Adams J, Deed G.
School […]
Kava Helps Treat Anxiety
Kava, used for generations in traditional ceremonies by Pacific islanders, is an effective and safe treatment for anxiety, university researchers say. People with “chronic high levels of anxiety” feel less worried and, in some cases, less depressed during a 60-person trial undertaken at the University of Queensland. “We’ve been able to show that kava offers a natural alternative for the treatment of anxiety and, unlike some pharmaceutical options, has less risk of dependency and less potential of side-effects,” said lead researcher Jerome Sarris, a PhD candidate from UQ’s School of Medicine. “We also found that kava had a positive impact on reducing depression levels, something which had not been tested before.” Anxiety levels were reduced in trial participants who took five tablets of kava daily, as opposed to a placebo group that took dummy pills. Critically the study’s participants did not show any signs of potential liver damage – contrary to concerns that prompted European, British and Canadian authorities to ban kava sales in 2002.Kava products sold in those countries were based on ethanol or acetone extracts of the kava plant, Mr Sarris said, not the water-soluble extracts used traditionally by Pacific islanders and approved for sale in Australia. “Our study used a water-soluble extract from the peeled root stock of a medicinal cultivar of the plant, which is approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration,” Mr Sarris said. “When extracted in the appropriate way, kava may pose less or no potential liver problems and I hope the results will encourage governments to reconsider the ban.”The Kava Anxiety Depression Spectrum Study (KADSS): a randomized, placebo-controlled crossover trial using an aqueous extract of Piper methysticum.Sarris J, Kavanagh DJ, Byrne G, Bone KM, Adams J, Deed G.School […]
She Let Go
This has to be my favorite poem to date and I wanted to share it with you. It embodies the effortlessness of surrendering. “She let go. Without a thought or a word, she let go. She let go of fear. She let go of the judgments. She let go of the confluence of opinions swarming around her head. She let go of the committee of indecision within her. She let go of all the ‘right’ reasons. Wholly and completely, without hesitation or worry, she just let go. She didn’t ask anyone for advice. She didn’t read a book on how to let go… She didn’t search the scriptures. She just let go. She let go of all of the memories that held her back. She let go of all of the anxiety that kept her from moving forward. She let go of the planning and all of the calculations about how to do it just right. She didn’t promise to let go. She didn’t journal about it. She didn’t write the projected date in her day-timer. She made no public announcement and put no ad in the paper. She didn’t check the weather report or read her daily horoscope. She just let go. She didn’t analyse whether she should let go. She didn’t call her friends to discuss the matter. She didn’t do a five-step Spiritual Mind Treatment. She didn’t call the prayer line. She didn’t utter one word. She just let go. No one was around when it happened. There was no applause or congratulations. No one thanked her or praised her. No one noticed a thing. Like a leaf falling from a tree, she just let go. There was no effort. […]
GM Foods – Are You Aware of Why You Should Avoid Them?
The Academy of Environmental Medicine has released the following statement: Natural breeding processes have been safely utilized for the past several thousand years. In contrast, “GE crop technology abrogates natural reproductive processes, selection occurs at the single cell level, the procedure is highly mutagenic and routinely breeches genera barriers, and the technique has only been used commercially for 10 years.” Despite these differences, safety assessment of GM foods has been based on the idea of “substantial equivalence” such that “if a new food is found to be substantially equivalent in composition and nutritional characteristics to an existing food, it can be regarded as safe as the conventional food.” However, several animal studies indicate serious health risks associated with GM food consumption including infertility, immune dysregulation, accelerated aging, dysregulation of genes associated with cholesterol synthesis, insulin regulation, cell signalling, and protein formation, and changes in the liver, kidney, spleen and gastrointestinal system. Read more at http://www.aaemonline.org/gmopost.html Genetic engineering (GE) is a radical technology that manipulates the genes and DNA of living things. Unlike traditional breeding processes, GE takes genes from one life form and forces them into another. Using GE, genes from bacteria, viruses, plants and animals have been inserted into soybeans, canola, corn and cotton to grow commercial crops. These GE crops (also called genetically modified organisms or GMOs) are processed into foods and sold in our stores. Most processed GE foods are unlabelled. Right now, millions of Australians are eating GE food without realising it. I am strongly opposed to GM foods – we already have evidence that they cause health problems but I think there will be so much more information coming out over the next 5 years. So far, there […]
DHEA also Reduces Miscarriage Rates – Especially in Older Women
The Centre for Human Reproduction and a leading Toronto Fertility Centre has reported preliminary clinical data that suggests DHEA reduces miscarriage rates in older women with diminished ovarian reserve. DHEA supplementation may reduce the number of chromosomally abnormal embryos (aneuploidy) due to the following factors:In a small number of women who underwent preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) after being treated with DHEA, researchers found lower aneuploidy rates than in women without DHEA supplementation. Unfortunately, women in need of DHEA usually have small embryo numbers and, therefore, only rarely qualify for PGD. There is a lower miscarriage rate in DHEA pregnancies. Since miscarriages, especially in older women, are mostly due to chromosomal abnormalities, this observation, too, suggested the possibility that DHEA may reduce aneuploidy rates. Since the combined data sets between CHR and the Toronto center involve an adequate patient sample, they are now confident to state that DHEA supplementation significantly decreases the miscarriage rate in women with diminished ovarian reserve.While a reduction in miscarriage rates is seen in women of all ages, the reduction is smaller in women below age 35 than in women above age 35 years, where the reduction often exceeds 50 percent. This, of course, should not be surprising as miscarriages are known to increase with advancing female age. Most of these miscarriages are, however, due to aneuploidy and this observation brings us back to this exciting evidence on the decrease in miscarriage rates after DHEA supplementation especially in […]
DHEA May Optimise Fertility in Combination with IVF
DHEA is a natural steroid hormone produced from cholesterol by the adrenal glands, and in the body it is converted into testosterone and estrogen. The most abundant of all steroid hormones in humans, DHEA declines as we age. The concept in regards to fertility is that androgens may augment FSH-receptor expression and stimulate granulosa cell proliferation. This could potentially increase oocyte yield, by increasing the number of follicles responding to exogenous FSH administration and by improving the quality and pregnancy potential of the retrieved oocytes.
“Apparently the maximum effect of DHEA kicks in only after about four months,” says leading fertility researcher Dr Norman Gleicher. It’s also important to note that Gleicher thinks that DHEA can only boost egg production when used in combination with prescribed fertility drugs. “In a natural cycle, it doesn’t matter how many eggs a woman produces. In the end her body will release usually only one,” he explains. “When you are on fertility drugs we make the body release more eggs. And so in order to get the full benefit of DHEA, it is very likely that it will have to be taken in combination with fertility drugs so that the woman does release more than just one egg.”
Dr Gleicher has begun to conduct a larger controlled, double-blind study that might offer more concrete proof that DHEA can increase egg yield in older women. The results are due out in March 2010 but in the meantime, read below for his initial research literature results.
For optimal fertility health, it is vital to look at the health of your adrenal glands and support them using natural therapies. Stress has a huge impact on our adrenal glands, as they are activated […]
