54 THE QUEENS COURIER • HEALTH • APRIL 5, 2018 FOR BREAKING NEWS VISIT WWW.QNS.COM
health
Tips to get you in the baby-making mood
“For many women, getting pregnant
can be a frustrating and anxiety-filled
experience. It certainly was for me,
which is why I was inspired to write ‘The
Impatient Woman’s Guide to Getting
Pregnant,’” said Jean M. Twenge, Ph.D,
whose book offers tips for women trying
to conceive (TTC) so they are empowered
to effectively navigate the fertility journey.
Try the following tips:
1. A good rule of thumb is to get off the
pill three months before trying to conceive
if you have been on it for less than
a year, and six months prior if you have
been on it for over a year.
2. Make friends with your ovulation
cycle. Between a third and two-thirds
of women under age 35 who are aware
of their five-day fertile window are able
to conceive in their first month of trying.
Find this window by using a fertility
monitor, ovulation predictor kits, charting
or by leveraging all three. Consider a
test like the First Response Ovulation Test
so you’ll know exactly when to get busy.
3. If you’ve been having ovulation-focused
sex for over three months and still
haven’t conceived, keep calm and consider
convincing your partner to get a quick
and easy sperm analysis. This “male factor”
or sperm issue comprises nearly half
of all fertility issues.
4. Adjust your diet for optimal fertility.
Incorporate fertility-boosting foods
such as vegetables, fruits, whole grains,
fish, soy foods and olive oil. Avoid transfats
and partially hydrogenated oil, found
in frosting and some baked goods.
These are so bad that the
FDA just outlawed
them. Food companies
have three
years to comply,
so, for now, you
have to police
yourself.
5. Many
studies show
that taking
prenatal
vitamins,
with important
nutrients
like folic acid, vitamin
B6 and DHA,
increases your chances
of getting pregnant quickly.
Omega 3 fatty acids (fish
oil) have been linked to better embryos
in IVF, positive brain development and
higher IQs. There is also strong evidence
that prenatal vitamins lower the chance
of birth defects of the brain and spinal
cord, so begin taking them immediately,
even if you’re just thinking about becoming
pregnant. Ask your medical provider
about a prescription vitamin like OB
Complete Petite since the variety of overthe
counter vitamins can be confusing.
It’s sugar-, gluten- and lactose-free and
has 1,000 mcg or 1 mg of folic acid.
6. Contrary to popular belief, having
sex every day doesn’t lower
sperm count, so, feel free
to have as much sex
as you please, and
enjoy it. But, if you
are dry, use Pre-
Seed, a spermsafe
lubricant
developed specifically
for
couples who
are trying to
conceive. Pre-
Seed is pH balanced
and isotonic
to mimic a woman’s
fertile fluids and
the pH of sperm, allowing
them to swim freely on
their journey to fertilization.
7. Cut the caffeine. Non-smoking
women who consume about 2-5 cups of
coffee per day cut their fertility by 12 percent.
Consuming caffeine has an even
worse effect on male fertility, where having
5 cups of coffee a day will cut his fertility
in half. An alternative to getting
more energy? Try getting a full eight
hours of sleep - it will enhance your mood
and your health.
8. Soak up the sun. Sunlight causes
your skin to generate vitamin D, which
has been linked to fertility. Sit outside for
15-30 minutes without sunscreen a few
times a week in the afternoon. This will
also help you sleep.
9. When you think you may be pregnant -
the earlier you know, the better. Several scientific
studies show that the First Response
Early Result Pregnancy Test detects the
smallest amount of the pregnancy hormone
HcG - so it can tell you sooner than
any other test. The sooner you know you’re
pregnant, the faster you can begin making
healthy pregnancy choices for yourself and
your baby that include diet and limiting
exposure to hazards. To be extra sure of the
result when it matters most, First Response
Triple Check offers three unique pregnancy
tests all over 99 percent accurate in one
convenient combination kit.
If you are feeling anxious or overwhelmed
about getting pregnant, more
information lies within “The Impatient
Woman’s Guide to Getting Pregnant.”
Besides planning on incorporating these
tips into your daily life, here are two
things that you can do right now: Take a
supplement of 1,000 mg of fish oil a day
and learn the relaxation technique of deep
breathing to ease anxiety. You’re about to
start your trying to conceive (TTC) journey.
Enjoy the ride.
Courtesy BPT
Could your family history unlock the mystery
of a rare, life-threatening condition?
Imagine your family carried the gene
for a rare, life-threatening condition, but
didn’t know it?
For generations, members of Angel’s
family experienced fatigue, nerve pain,
numbness in limbs, dizziness, shortness
of breath and chest pain, but were unable
to determine the cause. The answer was
hereditary ATTR (hATTR) amyloidosis, a
progressive, debilitating, life-threatening
condition that typically runs in families.
“Early on, my family used to call
hATTR amyloidosis ‘the curse’ because
no one knew what it was and those who
had it experienced a wide variety of symptoms
and misdiagnoses,” Angel said. She
witnessed firsthand how the condition,
which affects approximately 50,000 people
worldwide, can devastate a person’s
quality of life.
“I watched my grandfather go from
building houses and doing construction
to being wheelchair bound and bedridden.”
Angel’s family’s experience was recently
chronicled in “Living a Rare Life,” a new
downloadable booklet sharing their personal
account about how they’ve been living
with this condition across generations.
Like many rare conditions, hATTR amyloidosis
varies from individual to individual
and is often misdiagnosed because its
wide array of symptoms, like shortness of
breath, numbness of fingers and toes, constipation/
diarrhea and headaches, resemble
other, more common conditions.
While the degree and severity of symptoms
vary from person to person, hATTR
amyloidosis can lead to significant disability
and a shortened life expectancy.
Obtaining an early and accurate diagnosis
is critical.
While Angel tested negative for the
condition, she has taken an active role
serving as an advocate and caregiver for
her family. “The first step to managing
a hereditary condition is knowing your
family health history and identifying gaps
in knowledge about genetic disorders,”
said Angel. “Today my mom and many of
her siblings are battling hATTR amyloidosis,
but now we know how to recognize
the symptoms and better manage them.”
Here are a few of Angel’s tips to begin
conversations with your loved ones about
your health history:
Initiate a Dialogue. Having open and
honest conversations about family health
history may play a role in identifying
symptoms sooner, reaching an accurate
diagnosis sooner and allowing your loved
ones to take control of their health.Speak
to a Genetic Counselor. Genetic counseling
can help your family members understand
their chances of inheriting a rare
disease gene mutation and become familiar
with the testing process. A counselor
can help your family to understand
potential issues related to genetic testing,
like insurance, determine if genetic testing
is appropriate and help make sense
of results once they are obtained.Become
an Advocate. As an advocate, you can be
your family’s most valuable resource for
learning about a genetic condition. For
some family members, it may be helpful
for them to know that they have support
throughout the journey of the condition.
Building a support system can help the
entire family continue to make educated
decisions.If you, or someone in your
family, experience symptoms consistent
with those of hATTR amyloidosis, talk to
your doctor and visit hATTRBridge.com
for information and resources like the
“Living a Rare Life” booklet.
* Angel is partnering with Alnylam
Pharmaceuticals to increase awareness of
hATTR amyloidosis.
Courtesy BPT