Australia's first holistic fertility kit

An Australian holistic pregnancy planning kit, designed to empower and assist couples embarking on the journey to start or grow a family through natural conception, is now available in pharmacy.

Developed by Sydney-based fertility specialist and gynaecologist Dr Raewyn Teirney, the conceiveplease fertility kit addresses fertility from a holistic couple’s perspective, rather than as a woman’s only issue.

“Australia’s decline in fertility rates over the past four decades^1,2 has sparked a rise in the number of couples seeking professional support.^2,5

“One-in-six couples of reproductive age experience issues conceiving, with males and females almost equally affected by fertility issues,”^3,4,5 said Dr Teirney.

The fertility kit is designed to help both men and women get fertility-fit to heighten the chance of conception, and acts as a one-stop fertility shop.  It comprises a clinically rigorous, holistic, four-step plan with supporting products and medical devices to aid male and female fertility, to assist couples with starting or extending a family through natural conception, or with nurturing an ongoing pregnancy. It includes:

• pre-conception health and support;
• menstrual cycle monitoring for ovulation;
• timed sexual intercourse; and
• testing for pregnancy.

Strategies to detect fertility

There are four strategies couples can follow to detect a woman’s most fertile time — monitoring basal body temperature; testing for the luteinising hormone (LH) surge; monitoring cervical secretions; and monitoring for secondary fertility signs⁶ — all of which can be tracked and tested using the conceiveplease fertility kit.

“Women with a regular menstrual cycle will have a particular biphasic pattern of body temperature and will notice a small drop in temperature at ovulation — about 0.2°C — so it’s important to have sexual intercourse at this time.⁶ This can be detected using the conceiveplease digital high-speed thermometer,” said Dr Teirney.

“Ovulation is triggered by the production and release of the LH from the brain’s pituitary gland.⁶ This can be monitored in the urine using the conceiveplease OneStep Urine LH ovulation predictor testing sticks.

“Following a positive result with the OneStep LH test stick, ovulation should occur within 24–48 hours, and sexual intercourse should ideally occur just prior to, and around ovulation time. Couples are then aware when they should be having regular — once a day — sexual intercourse to increase the possibility of conception,” Dr Teirney said.

Research shows women with more awareness of their fertile days have an increased chance of falling pregnant.^1,7 Once detected, this can be plotted on the conceiveplease Fertility Calendar, with conceiveplease OneStep Urine HCG pregnancy testing sticks to detect human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG) in early pregnancy.

Infertility — a two-way street

“Given infertility afflicts men and women equally, it’s important that both sexes play their part in conception,” Dr Teirney said.

“Couples where both partners are smokers have a twofold chance of infertility.⁶ Smoking affects the quality of the eggs and sperm by a process called oxidative stress,”⁶ said Dr Teirney.

“Furthermore, research shows it is much harder to conceive when either the man or woman has a body mass index (BMI) greater than 25, and significantly more so when greater than 30.^6,8

“In addition to quitting smoking and achieving a healthy weight, reviewing alcohol consumption, following a healthy diet, commencing a daily intake of the appropriate vitamins and antioxidants, monitoring ovulation, engaging in regular sexual intercourse and taking care of yourself can heighten your chance of conception,”⁶ Dr Teirney.

For more information, pricing enquires or to place a wholesale order, contact Health Direction Pty Ltd on 02 4655 8855 or visit www.conceiveplease.com/contact-us/.

References

1. Wilcox AJ, Weinberg CR, Baird DD (1995) Timing of sexual intercourse in relation to ovulation. New England Journal of Medicine. 333:1517-1521.

2. Australian Bureau of Statistics. 3301.0 – Births, Australia, 2011. Fertility rates. Available at: http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Products/3301.0~2011~Main+Features~Fertility+rates [last accessed August 2016].

3. IVF Australia. Female fertility. Available at: http://ivf.com.au/about-fertility/female-reproductive-system#natural-ovulation-and-conception [last accessed August 2016].

4. IVF Australia. About infertility. Available at: http://ivf.com.au/about-fertility/infertility-treatment [last accessed August 2016].

5. Access Australia. Quick medical facts. Available at: http://access.org.au/?page_id=93 [last accessed August 2015].

6. conceiveplease™ Getting pregnant naturally.

7. WHO. Task force on Methods for Determination of the Fertile Period. Temporal relationships between ovulation and defined changes in the concentration of plasma estradol-17, luteinising hormone, follicle stimulating hormone and progesterone. Probit analysis. AM J. Obstet Gynaecol. 1980; 138: 383-390.

8. Balen AH (2007) ‘Impact of obesity on female reproductive health: British Fertility Society, Policy & Practice Guidelines’, Human Fertility. 10(4);195-206.