Fertility Friday | Fertility Awareness Mastery for Women's Health Professionals

FFP 134 | Optimizing Sperm Health | Motility, Morphology & Sperm Count | Why He Needs To Get Tested ASAP | Marc Sklar 0

Apr 28, 2017

For more than 15 years Marc has been helping couples struggling to conceive and have healthy babies. In addition to his Doctor of Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine, Dr. Sklar trained at the Harvard Medical School, Mind/Body Medical Institute. He is the creator of MarcSklar.com and ReproductiveWellness.com, the co-author of Secret to Conception and a Fellow of the American Board of Oriental Reproductive Medicine and Medical Advisor for Natural Health International.

In today’s show, we talk about sperm health. I’ve had so many questions about this topic that it is ridiculous, and I’m happy to have Marc here to talk more about this.

Topics discussed in today's episode

Why focusing on sperm health is a hit to the male ego
How to approach your male partner about having his sperm tested
Why you should have your male partner's sperm tested ASAP when you're trying to conceive
Why fertility issues are just as much a man's issue as a woman's -- it's just as likely to be his
Why are we more likely to assume it's a woman's issue?
How a man's semen analysis is an indicator of his overall health
How testing your male partner's semen right off the bat can save you 6 months or more later on
How what we consider to be a "normal" sperm count has changed over the past 50-100 years
What are the 3 main parameters that determine sperm health?
Why has the "normal" sperm count declined by 75% over the past 50 or 60 years?
What is considered to be a "normal" sperm count
What is considered to be normal motility and morphology?
Why the majority of the sperm men produce is abnormal
What can be done to improve sperm quality?
Why excessive exercise can be a problem
Why it's important that his testicles stay cool
How long does it take to see the change in his lab results?
The truth about IUI
What actually constitutes "trying" from both Marc and My perspective
Specific supplements to support sperm quality

Connect with Marc

You can connect with Marc on his Website, his clinic Reproductive Wellness, and on Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube!

Resources mentioned

Join the community! Find us in the Fertility Friday Facebook Group

Subscribe to the Fertility Friday Podcast on iTunes!

Music Credit: Intro/Outro music Produced by J-Gantic

Fertility Friday | Fertility Management Masterclass

This episode is sponsored by my Fertility Management Masterclass! Gain clarity and confidence using the Fertility Awareness Method and improve your cycle health at the same time! Click here for more information!

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FFP 133 | Preparing for Pregnancy and Childbirth Naturally | Mama Natural {Genevieve Howland} 0

Apr 21, 2017

Genevieve, who you may know as Mama Natural has shared hundreds of hilarious and informative videos that have empowered millions of women to embrace natural pregnancy, birth, and parenting. Her YouTube channel gets over a million video views each month, and she has just released her first book The Mama Natural Week to Week Guide to Pregnancy & Childbirth. Her new book is a great resource for mamas to be coming from a natural perspective. What I love about Genevieve's approach is that she recognizes that pregnancy and birth are normal and natural -- not a medical crisis. She is on a mission to inform you of your choices, because as the saying goes...knowledge is power.

Topics discussed in today's episode

What was the inspiration behind the Mama Natural YouTube channel?
Genevieve shares her experience birthing her first child and why she made completely different choices the second time around
How to manage an un-medicated childbirth, how to stay focused without freaking out, and how to stay on top of the mental game during labour
Recognizing that labour is temporary and the real work starts once your baby arrives
The cascade of interventions -- how interventions early on increased the chance that you'll need more serious interventions down the line.
Presenting the routine testing and procedures done in pregnancy as options that you can choose instead of mandatory actions you must take
What you need to know in each trimester of pregnancy
How to manage your risk of developing gestational diabetes, or having a positive test for Group B strep by developing healthy eating habits
Setting yourself up for the healthiest pregnancy and birth from the start

Connect with Genevieve {Mama Natural}

You can connect with Mama Natural on her Website, on Facebook, Twitter, and on her YouTube Channel

Resources mentioned

Join the community! Find us in the Fertility Friday Facebook Group

Subscribe to the Fertility Friday Podcast on iTunes!

Music Credit: Intro/Outro music Produced by J-Gantic

Fertility Friday | Fertility Management Masterclass

This episode is sponsored by my Fertility Management Masterclass! Gain clarity and confidence using the Fertility Awareness Method and improve your cycle health at the same time! Click here for more information!

Download this Episode

[On-Air Client Session] FFP 132 | Fertility Awareness Reality Series | Using FAM for Birth Control Successfully & Confidently | Emily & Lisa 0

Apr 14, 2017

In this edition of my Fertility Awareness Reality Series, I am sharing a client session with Emily. Emily was a member of my recent group and is actively avoiding pregnancy at the moment. Emily shares her experience of learning to trust the method and describes the phases she had to go through to get to the point where she feels confident using the method to prevent pregnancy.

In this episode, as in the other episodes in my Fertility Awareness Reality Series, I pull back the curtain and show you inside a real client session. You get to see exactly what it's like to work with me one-on-one!

You still have about 2 weeks to join my April 2017 Group Programs! Make sure to head over to the group program page and apply today to reserve your spot.

Topics discussed in today's episode

What Emily gained from the group program after a full year of charting
How Emily went from thinking she never had any dry days to discover that most of her cycle days are actually dry
The process of deprogramming that has to happen to allow your partner to ejaculate inside of you on your infertile days (i.e. going fully unprotected)
Emily talks about how she manages her fertile window to manage using the method with her comfort level
How your birth control changes change with age and time
The lack of information about the common side effects of the pill given by healthcare providers.
The effect of hormonal contraceptives on testosterone and cervical mucus
Nutrient deficiencies related to the hormonal contraceptive use
Why it's easier to chart when your cycles are healthy even when you're trying to avoid pregnancy
Why the side effects associated with hormonal contraceptives tend to be downplayed by your physician
Why it's important to have all of the information to make informed choices about birth control

Resources mentioned

Related Podcast Episodes

Join the community! Find us in the Fertility Friday Facebook Group

Subscribe to the Fertility Friday Podcast on iTunes!

Fertility Friday | Fertility Friday Group Programs

This episode is sponsored by my Fertility Friday Group Programs! Gain clarity and confidence using the Fertility Awareness Method and improve your cycle health at the same time! New groups are starting in April 2017: Click here for more information!

Music Credit: Intro/Outro music Produced by J-Gantic

Download this Episode

[On-Air Client Session] FFP 131 | Fertility Awareness Reality Series | Managing Hashimoto’s Naturally | Going Gluten Free | Kelly & Lisa 0

Apr 7, 2017

In this edition of my Fertility Awareness Reality Series, I am airing a client session with Kelly. Kelly is a member of my most recent Fertility Friday Group Program. She recently came off hormonal contraceptives and joined the group in preparation for pregnancy. Although Kelly isn't actively trying to conceive at the moment, she joined the group as a way to better understand her cycles and focus on improving her menstrual cycle health before she starts trying to conceive later on this year.

One of the themes that arise in this episode is the importance of self-advocacy. Kelly recently received a diagnosis of Hashimoto's Thyroiditis as a result of our sessions together during the group program. In light of her new diagnosis, she has been making a number of changes to her diet and lifestyle to address this, and she is also working closely with a functional practitioner who is supervising her care. With that being said, in Kelly's case, this issue was only identified because she requested testing. An important reminder that we have to take an active role in our own healthcare.

In this episode, as in the other episodes in my Fertility Awareness Reality Series, I pull back the curtain and show you inside a real client session. You get to see exactly what it's like to work with me one-on-one!

You still have about 2 weeks to join my April 2017 Group Programs! Make sure to head over to the group program page and apply today to reserve your spot.

Topics discussed in today's episode

Kelly's experience with hormonal contraceptives
Kelly's recent diagnosis of Hypothyroid (Hashimoto's Thyroiditis)
The impact of thyroid disorders on the menstrual cycle chart
What days are optimal for trying to conceive?
Why it's important to have your partner's sperm analyzed right off the bat
The role of cervical mucus in filtering out defective sperm
How to manage a gluten-free diet?
A whole food gluten-free diet vs a junk food gluten-free diet

Resources mentioned

Related Podcast Episodes

Join the community! Find us on the Fertility Friday Facebook Fan Page

Subscribe to the Fertility Friday Podcast on iTunes

Fertility Friday | Fertility Friday Group Programs

This episode is sponsored by my Fertility Friday Group Programs! Gain clarity and confidence using the Fertility Awareness Method and improve your cycle health at the same time! New groups are starting in April 2017: Click here for more information!

Music Credit: Intro/Outro music Produced by J-Gantic

Download this Episode