New comments on 'Fertility And Your Beauty Routine'

New comment from flutterbyejewels

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 20:05:17 -0500

Thanx for posting...This is all imformation we all need to know regardless of if we do anything about it or not

New comment from Wendy Lou

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 15:40:19 -0500

Moderation sounds good to me...I can't be infertile AND have gray hair! I'm too young for both & need my roots touched up on a regular basis. I think I'd be more depressed than I am now if I couldn't have highlights 2x a year, lol:) Happy Friday!

Wendy Lou

New comment from VanessaM

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 12:43:33 -0500

HMMM.... I am very tempted! I will have to talk to DH to see what he thinks! I just need a break from reality.... not that Im going to go out and get trashed but you know.

VanessaM

New comment from chelsharmony

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 11:11:27 -0500

Just remember that sperm is made 3 months prior to come out. It takes about 90 days for sperm to mature so the drinking would be the drinking from months b4 that would potentially effect it. Also, its constant over-drinking that i have read that would bother sperm, not casual drinks or an occasional rowdy night out. Since sperm is constantly being made thru a mans life they are very lucky :)

chelsharmony

New comment from chelsharmony

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 10:25:46 -0500

enjoy! it may even help since you will be all loose and relaxed and ready for implanting! :-)

chelsharmony

New comment from VanessaM

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 10:16:26 -0500

Thats awesome... I have put alcohol to rest since TTC and sometimes I miss just having a few drinks. Now I know that it is pretty bad for men if there is a male factor so Im not sure if I will end up having any drinks just because he cant.

Thanks Chels!

VanessaM

New comment from chelsharmony

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 10:11:28 -0500

no vanessa - go ahead and have a few. You know there are soooo many ladies (myself included) who got preggo in my main drinking time of my life. I had turned 21 2 months b4 getting preggo and i was drinking ALOT b4 i knew..... my RE said that you can do about your regular life while having IUI's and having a few drinks is a-ok. Just do over-due it, either way it has nthing to do with how it will implant :)

chelsharmony

New comment from VanessaM

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 10:08:10 -0500

Ok I just have a questions about that.... does alcohol decrease the chances of implantation? Because we are about to go out of town tonight and were planning on going to some place nice for dinner and I wouldnt mind having one drink, but I have an IUI scheduled for tomorrow morning. Is it too risky?

VanessaM

New comment from TheFertilityAdvocate

Fri, 26 Jun 2009 06:57:33 -0500

So here is my fertility challenge! I dare each and every one of you to do ONE thing this weekend that is "bad" for your fertility! A glass of red wine? One great big latte? A glass of milk with oreos! It's okay - indulge. It won't matter! And do it while you are soaking in a bubble bath! I know that I posted that piece - and I think that we need to know the stupid stuff that can really hurt us on all levels of our health - but I also think that while we are going through infertility that we also need comforts like chocolate and massages. So go - be wild - it is Friday! Have THAT thing - that you have not been having!

TheFertilityAdvocate

New comment from vickyy

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 22:15:50 -0500

Thanx for posting.

vickyy

New comment from jennywithendo

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 17:08:36 -0500

it's true that it can be quite confusing and often contradictory...just this week I was reading how whole milk increases your fertility and low-fat milk DECREASES it...and yet in my endometriosis books it tells me drink low-fat or no milk since it contains estrogens that make it worse...there was no way I was giving up my milk especially in my tea but I was down to skim and then I read it's not good either!!! ugh...I just decided everything in moderation...

jennywithendo

New comment from chelsharmony

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 09:46:59 -0500

i agree totally - thx for the posting, great read!!

chelsharmony

New comment from wish27

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 06:54:28 -0500

ALL THESE SMALL THINGS R SO IMPORTANT IN OUR LIFE..

wish27

New comment from wish27

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 06:52:56 -0500

Thanx for ur advice, i actually needed it after these long 6 yrs of ttc i had just stopped living my life as it was before ,no parties ,no get togeathers ,no drinks actually i am living as i am dead hh,withall the pain in my heart just don't want to show to all just don't want to let them know specially my dh as a person like him is the only gift of god i had because he is my strength to fight with this because i had him to hold me when i m tired of all this and give me the strength which recarges me again,and it is he who founded this site and make me strss free because here r the wonderful people withwhome i can share every thing.THANX TO ALL OF U....:))

wish27

New comment from TheFertilityAdvocate

Thu, 25 Jun 2009 06:40:13 -0500

I get the point "What are we suppose to do stop living?" Give up everything and for how long? Take away from red wine and coffee - grab my chocolate out of my cold dead hands why don't you! It is hard - and I am not saying that you should give all of your life's pleasures away during this waiting and trying time. It can feel like it is just too much. I guess the point of it all is to pay attention. Read labels. Be informed. Makes choices where you can - and also allow yourself to have a cup of java and a glass of wine when you want it. It won't kill you - or present you from having a baby. It is all about balance.

TheFertilityAdvocate

New comment from HopeN

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 21:44:32 -0500

Not everyone knows about Talc and its ill effects. so sad we use it on babies.

HopeN

New comment from jennywithendo

Wed, 24 Jun 2009 21:18:59 -0500

There is a great book called Gorgeously Green and it talk all about the different ways beauty products hurt us and the environment...I suggest everyone read it!!!

I use only natural cleaning products because the effects of these things on all women is not good but for women like me with endometriosis they are even worse!

Also I would like to add that not all natural things are more expensive in fact many of the things that are safe for you can be made at home with stuff you've already got lying around. Also in the long run I'd rather spend a little more on things like this and a little less on things like going out to restaurants or buying other little "extras"...

Thank you for mentioning talc...how this is still used on babies is beyond me!

jennywithendo

New comment from chelsharmony

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 14:12:12 -0500

if you are gonna do this as a new thing in your life then i think its great but as a fertility treatment i just think there are sooo many things that we ladies (and make our men do) after not gettting preggo - i cant tell you how many "things" i have changed or done to fix this 2nd infertility. I was young and smoked, drank, smoked pot occasionally and ate for crap and conceived 2 kids w.out even trying. Now, i am healthy, 34 (32 when starting) dont smoke, no drugs, no drinking, etc and i have only failed attemps and m/c to show for it.

We went organic for a bit as well to try to detox the body. I just cant try anything else at this time but i appreicate the info, sometimes it just makes it worse tho..... more things that i am "doing wrong" and more things i have to watch out for. Its sad we have to live like this.

The natural things are so much more expensive - its just not right :(

chelsharmony

New comment from VanessaM

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 14:04:43 -0500

Wow! This really makes you think about the things that you actually use daily and dont even stop to look whats in it. I think we have put so much trust in the FDA and other "health inspectors/regulators" that we dont think to look at the ingredients in tooth paste or lotion.

VanessaM

New comment from TheFertilityAdvocate

Mon, 22 Jun 2009 06:23:29 -0500

Great HopeN - It makes you think about your shampoo differently doesn't it?

TheFertilityAdvocate

Fertility And Your Beauty Routine

Sun, 21 Jun 2009 18:28:06 -0500

Several years ago, I spoke as the representative patient voice at an environmental conference for fertility at San Francisco University. I remember looking out into the audience - a group of doctors, scientists and researchers that studied the environmental effects of the world around us on our health.

I remember being stunned by the grey hair - the lack of nail polish and make up! These folks did not use many of the every day products that most of use without thinking - because they knew the health effects of those products - and they didn't want them!

Yet very little is still written about the environmental effect of the every day products that we use on our fertility. Many of us use all kinds of lotions, cremes and expose ourselves to countless concoctions every day which contain an incredible of synthetic chemicals. We do this often without a thought about how these chemicals could be adversely affecting our overall health and our fertility.

The fact is that most of us would be horrified to learn that many of the products that we apply directly to our skin are made from the same harsh chemicals used in industry, and are known hormone disruptor's for both men and women.

For example, I recently learned that a product called propylene glycol is a solvent used in hair care products, make up and deodorants. It is also the main ingredient in antifreeze and certain types of brake fluid!! Now, if that does not get your attention - I don't know what will!

How could this be?

Well, in our current state of affairs, only new chemicals by law have to be assessed for their effect on our health, which amounts to no more than 3% of those in everyday use. There are activists here in the United States and around the world that are working to change the laws - but that means going up against industry and lobbyists - so it may take a good long time before all the chemicals in the products that we use on a daily basis will be completed evaluated for use on human bodies!

And the fact is that daily exposures to harmful chemicals add up! And it is this daily tank up on harmful chemicals that could really be impacting us. Like most things - only doing something once in a while won't impact our health. But it is the constant used of these products that come to us in so many different every day forms, that can accumulate in the body and ultimately effect our over all health, including our fertility and the pre conception health of our children.

No one can under estimate the importance of pre conception health. Whether it is our body weight, our diet, our habits such as smoking and drug use. And for those people who are in the fertility trenches trying to conceive - this constant vigilance can feel so painfully extended. I get that - I really do.

But pre conception health is something that you can do something about and it is something that you can be in control of! So use your pre conception time wisely! Consider undertaking a detox program to assist your body in getting rid of our everyday accumulated toxins. Studies have shown that detoxing can help our bodies regain our natural hormonal balance - and for men who have been adversely effected by industrial toxins and see an improvement in sperm levels.

So, how do you do this? Some of this is common sense. Check out the basic products that you put in your mouth and on your skin on a daily basis. Think about such common items as tooth paste, mouth wash, soap, deodorant, body lotions, make up, nail polish and hair products. Have you ever read the ingredients? Can you understand them?

So I have been reading around - and here are a few of the tidbits that I have found when it comes to the kind of chemicals that are we exposing ourselves to, that can especially effect our fertility and the health of our unborn children.

In 1989 the Australian Occupational Safety and Health Administration analysed nearly 3,000 chemicals used in personal care products. 884 of the ingredients were found to be toxic with 218 of these products found to cause reproductive problems and 314 found to have some effect birth defects in humans!

It is amazing that more information is not out there in Reproductive Endocrinologist's waiting rooms about this! But who would fund it? Is not a wonder that more people don't know about this?

Here is a list that I found of the most common offenders - check out the products that you use on a daily basis. If they contain these chemicals - I would ditch them. I did.

Parabens are mostly likely found in body care products. Parabens have been found hanging out in human breast tissue and evidence suggests they can act as oestrogen making them a hormone disrupting chemical in both men and woman. Propyl parabenhas been shown to adversely affect male reproductive functions. At the daily intake level currently acceptable by our govenment it was found to decrease sperm production.

Phthalates are hormone disruptors and apparently they do not have to be listed on labels. They are most often found in perfumes, musks and fragrances. Phthalates have been shown to have a relationship with low sperm counts and some studies have shown that they can also cause sexual abnormalities and deformities. According to a survey by the CDC, women with the highest levels of Phthalates were also women of reproductive age. Phthalates can also be found in hair spray, make up, nail polish, shampoo and soap! In high levels they are linked to reproductive and fertility problems in women.

Triclosan is another endocrine disruptor which can be found in soaps, toothpastes, body washes and those instant antibacterial hand washes. You may be clean.....

Talc is found which is found in baby, face and body powders as well as the dusting on condoms! Which means that it can put directly applied to women's reproductive organs! Talc is a known carcinogen, and has been link with ovarian cancer when used in the genital area. So why is it still found on condoms?

This is still a partial list. If you are interested in learning more - please check out Our Stolen Future.

Remember, that environmental toxins such as manicures, hair dye, and what we can find in certain brands of toothpaste - can truly impact our over all health and our reproductive potential. There are replacement products available! We just have to learn how to be educated consumers - we have to get the information so that we can make informed choices.

We live in an age where there is natural body care products available almost every where!

Many couples are diagnosed every day with unexplained infertility. Yet we know that stress, diet, lifestyle and environmental toxins can have an effect on fertility. Who knows if changes in these areas in a couple's life can be the difference between infertility and fertility?

TheFertilityAdvocate