What are the Main Benefits of Folic Acid?

Women are strongly advised to take folic acid during their pregnancy and while trying to conceive.  Folic acid is important for many bodily functions and is a key way to avoid the risk of several birth defects.  Additionally, getting adequate amounts of folic acid has a number of other, less commonly known, health benefits. 

What is folic acid?

Folic acid is a B vitamin that is also known by the name folate.  Naturally, the vitamin can be found in leafy green vegetables, beans, peas, and fruit.  Cereals and breads are often fortified with the vitamin.  This is due to a US government requirement.  It may be difficult to get your recommended dose from food alone.  Therefore, physicians suggest taking a supplement that contains the important vitamin.  In the body, folic acid helps to produce and repair cells.  Specifically, the body will have difficulty making red blood cells without enough folic acid, which can result in anemia.

What are the benefits of folic acid?

Folic acid has been shown to be beneficial in treating a number of health issues, including:

• Neural tube birth defects – These birth defects occur early in pregnancy.  Taking folic acid can substantially reduce the likelihood of having a child with a neural tube defect.  Because the defect occurs so early in pregnancy, it is important to take folic acid while trying to conceive.
• Kidney disease – Individuals with kidney disease often have high levels of hypocestine, which is associated with a high risk of stroke.  Taking folic acid can decrease hypocestine levels by as much as 30 percent.
• Cancer treatment side effects – Methotrexate is a medication that is commonly used in the treatment of cancer.  Unfortunately, the medication has a number of side effects including nausea and vomiting.  Taking folic acid helps to reduce these side effects.
• Depression – Research has shown that taking folic acid with an antidepressant can reduce the symptoms of the disease.

If you have questions about folic acid and its use to improve overall health, speak with a medical expert today.

Please click the link below to enter your information and New Hope will contact you, or simply call 212-517-7676.  Thank you.

Where Are the Best NYC Fertility Yoga Studios?

Fertility treatment should have a combined approach, taking parts from holistic and western medicine.  Our center has found that combining both techniques reduces stress, is a great way to get exercise, and can address the emotional aspects of fertility care.  Yoga for fertility is increasingly being offered by yoga studios to meet this need.  There are a number of great places in NYC to find yoga for fertility classes.

Yoga for Fertility

Yoga for fertility provides a valued service for a number of reasons.  First, yoga helps to calm the body, mind, and spirit.  For those who are undergoing fertility treatment, it is easy to become stressed physically and emotionally.  Unfortunately, high levels of stress may also contribute to fertility issues.  Yoga helps to relieve this stress.  Second, many women with fertility concerns feel isolated or as if they’re the only people with this issue.  Yoga for fertility classes allow women to form a support group and to connect with other women who are experiencing similar issues.

Finding Yoga for Fertility in NYC

There are a number of studios in NYC that offer yoga for fertility classes.  Selecting a center that offers classes that fit your schedule and which is easily accessible can help you to narrow down your options.

• Sonic Yoga – Located at 9th Ave and 51 Street, Sonic Yoga offers yoga for fertility.  The class is focused on healing, balance, and being in a receptive state to allow for the conception of life.  The class is led by a woman who had her own fertility journey, which she freely shares about during classes.
• Lila Yoga, Dharma and Wellness – Located on Bowery, between Bleecker & Houston, Lila Yoga, Dharma and Wellness offers yoga for fertility designed to meet the physical, mental, and emotional needs of women undergoing fertility treatment.  After fertility treatment, women can continue their practice through prenatal yoga.
• Receptive Yoga – Offering workshops in Manhattan, Park Slope, and other locations throughout NYC, Receptive Yoga was founded on the idea that yoga could increase fertility.  Their goal is to support reproductive health and to aid in conception through calming the central nervous systems.

Please click the link below to enter your information and New Hope will contact you, or simply call 212-517-7676.  Thank you.

How Do I Know if I am Infertile?

If you’ve been trying to conceive for a long time, you may be wondering if you are infertile.  Unfortunately, there is no way to know without diagnostic tests if there is an issue.  However, your body can provide several clues to help you to understand if you have a problem.

Infertility Explained 

A couple is defined as having fertility issues after they’ve been trying to get pregnant for one year without success.  If a woman is over age 35, that period shortens to six months.  Unfortunately, there are often no signs or symptoms of a fertility issue.  In fact, the only way some couples know that they have fertility issues is due to their inability to get pregnant.

Symptoms of Infertility

For men, it is virtually impossible to know if there is a fertility issue without a semen analysis.  Having this test performed is the only way to truly know if a man is fertile.  While women often have no symptoms, there can be some indications of a fertility concern, including:

• Skipped or irregular periods
• Long menstrual cycles
• Painful cramping
• Extremely heavy or light periods
• A history of sexually transmitted diseases

All of the symptoms above can be indicative of a larger issue that can impact fertility.  Women who suffer these symptoms should proactively speak with their doctor.  This way, if a serious condition exists it can be addressed and treated as to proactively protect a woman’s fertility.

Diagnosing Infertility

The only way to know if you have an issue with fertility is to have diagnostic tests done.  For women, these tests look at hormone levels, a woman’s reproductive system and her egg quality.  In men, a semen analysis is necessary.

The first step to understanding the root cause of your difficulty conceiving is to meet with a fertility expert.  The team at New Hope Fertility Center provides expert fertility care with a focus on patient individuality.  They can diagnose your concerns and create a personalized treatment plan to address your needs.  Please click the link below to enter your information and New Hope will contact you, or simply call 212-517-7676.  Thank you.

Pick of the Month: Fertility Treatment Options for Women With Ovarian Cancer

Cancer and Fertility

Cancer treatment can affect a woman’s fertility in several ways.  First, the cancer itself can drastically reduce a woman’s ability to produce eggs.  Second, treatment for cancer often impacts a woman’s egg reserves in addition to the cancer cells. Therefore, eggs after treatment are often of a poor quality and unable to be fertilized.

Fertility for Women with Ovarian Cancer

Women with ovarian cancer should consider preserving their fertility prior to starting treatment for cancer.  This can be accomplished in two different ways:

• Egg Freezing – An egg freezing cycle may be done prior to starting cancer treatment.  To accomplish this, a woman will take fertility drugs that will stimulate her ovaries to produce multiple eggs.  Once mature, those eggs can be retrieved and stored until a woman is ready to start a family.  Then, the eggs may be used in IVF.  This treatment option may not always be available as the process will take two to three weeks.  Also, there may be a concern regarding how the medication will affect the cancer.
• Ovarian Tissue Freezing – This method removes and stores ovarian tissue.  The outer layer of the ovaries house hundreds of immature eggs.  There is no waiting necessary and no need for fertility medication.  Once a woman is ready to start a family, the ovarian tissue may be returned to her body where it can function normally.  If this is not possible, the stored immature eggs can be matured in a laboratory setting and used during IVF or with a surrogate.

How Getting Better Sleep Can Aid in Fertility Chances

Fertility is directly tied to a number of other aspects of your health.  If your general health declines, your fertility will decline also.  Therefore, it is important to stay as healthy as possible while trying to conceive.  Many people do not realize how big a role sleep plays in their overall health.  In today’s busy society, it is common for people to be limited to five or less hours of sleep per night.  However, reducing sleep to those levels can have a drastic impact on your fertility.

What Happens While You’re Sleeping

While we’re sleeping, our bodies take time to make repairs to damaged cells.  Additionally, it is during sleep while hormones are regulated.  In fact, one key hormone, leptin, is directly tied to sleep and fertility.  When leptin is not produced at normal levels, ovulation can be interrupted, making fertility difficult or even impossible.  Additionally, sleep directly impacts other hormones that are vital to reproduction.  Hormone issues are one of the leading causes of fertility problems.  Getting adequate sleep also improves your mood and decreases stress levels, both of which are key to your overall health and being intimate with your partner.

Getting Adequate Rest

There are a number of steps you can take in order to increase the amount of sleep you receive daily:

• Turn off electronic devices an hour before bed.  Tablets, smart phones, computers, and other devices are often at arms length.  However, using them before bed can make falling asleep difficult.  Additionally, you’re more likely to stay up late if you’re working on an electronic device.
• If you nap during the day and find it difficult to sleep at night, try to stop taking naps.  Although they can provide needed rest, napping can interrupt your natural sleep cycle.
• Avoid the use of caffeine, particularly late at night.
• Create a routine to help you get in the mood for rest.  Following that routine nightly can get you into the habit of falling asleep.

For additional information on ways you can enhance your fertility naturally, speak with a member of the New Hope Fertility Center team today. Please click the link below to enter your information and New Hope will contact you, or simply call 212-517-7676.  Thank you.