Healthwise Clinic Natural Health Blog

IVF standards and procedures vary in different areas of the world.  some practices which are illegal in the UK are permitted in the  US and Georgia, for example.

Women in the UK can only earn £ 250 for donating eggs while in the States donors can earn $10,000.. which has meant that more American women are donating eggs.

A new practice aimed at older women who are unlikely to be able to produce their own eggs is being launched in Britain, but because the practice in illegal in the UK, treatment will take place in the USA.

The winner of a raffle will get £13,000 worth of IVF treamtent in the States and can choose the egg by education, race, and the personality and background of the donor.

It sounds a complex procedure and very close to science fiction stories of a fearful future.  Aldous Huxley’s book “Brave New World” had babies defined by type in the communal nurseries.

Any woman is of course capable of choosing the father of her child by race, education and personality and background.  In fact it is what happens all the time naturally.   The problem with “natural” of course means that women who are past child-bearing age cannot get pregnant.

Natural health brings special benefits.  Even if you are trying IVF as nothing else seems to work, acupuncture and herbal medicine help to balance the body and help both the mother and the unborn baby.  We are more than mechanical and chemical procedures,  and need that extra soul and spirit dimension in our lives for a fulfilled life and health.

See here for more information from Andrew Loosely on how to get pregnant naturally

The average number of children born to each woman in Britain has risen from 1.63 in 2001 to 1.96 in 2008, the highest since 1973.

The baby-boom is fuelled by rising fertility rates as well as  immigration.  The population of the United Kingdom has now reached 61 million.

More than a quarter of a million children were born last year as fertility rates reached the highest levels in a generation according to the Office of National Statistics.

The rise in births helped to increase the overall population in the country by 408,000, the biggest annual rise since 1962.

Image of baby by christine

Births are increasing because women born in Britain are having more babies and also because the number of women of child-bearing age has risen by 20 per cent because of immigration since 2001.

There were 791,000 babies born in 2008, an increase of 33,000 on the previous year. More than half of this rise came from births to mothers born outside Britain, but living in the UK.

In London, 55 per cent of all births were to mothers born outside the country.

Roma Chappell, deputy director of demography at the ONS, said that the changes to the overall fertility rates were highly significant.

“It’s actually quite exciting because it’s the highest fertility rate we have seen in the UK for some time. You have to go all the way back to 1973 to find a time when the fertility rate went higher,” she said.

The 69 year old single mother of twins born through IVF recently died.

Maria del Carmen Bousada de Lara became the world’s oldest mother.  Apparently she lied to doctors that she was 55 when she was in fact 66 at the time of her IVF treatment.  She contracted cancer and has died leaving them motherless at the age of two.

She had already reached the menopause.

Lorraine Kelly, the GMTV presenter has spoken out strongly against the treatment.

“ Implanting pensioners with donor eggs and pumping them full of hormones so they can give birth in their late sixties is morally bankrupt and plain wrong,” Lorraine is reported as saying.

“I believed at the time of their birth that she was being horribly selfish.  I still maintain she should never have been given the fertility treatment.  Having a baby is not a woman’s right it is a privilege.”

The mother developed cancer soon after having the boys which created debate about whether the IVF treatment had in fact contributed to the disease.

Lorraine Kelly herself experienced secondary infertility (SI) after having had her daughter.  Although she suffered a miscarriage when six years later she did become pregnant, she did not want to undergo IVF fertility treatment.  In her autobiography “Between You and Me” she explained

“ I never went down the road of IVF.  I didn’t feel so overwhelmed about it that I wanted fertility treatment.  We just tried the old-fashioned way and it didn’t happen.  We have accepted that.”

Many of the families we see at Healthwise Clinic feel, like Lorraine, that they want to have a baby the “old-fashioned” way.  Unfortunately fertility treatment with acupuncture is less well known than IVF or normal pregnancy so Lorraine may never have heard of it.  However it is a way of boosting the body’s natural fertility and there is nothing artificial about the process.

Acupuncture and herbs can help couples have their first or subsequent babies.   That a woman who has already reached the menopause can give birth at all highlights the artificial nature of IVF  treatment.

Do you agree with Lorraine or not?

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If you have the problem of infertility you are already in a slightly stressful situation because all couples would prefer to conceive naturally and easily.

If IVF has been considered, the first things to think about are the medical issues. The most common is often the risk of multiple births, and then the realisation about the artificiality of a situation where you are taken to menopause and then brought back.

But it would never cross your mind to consider the chance of adminstrative errors. The press has reported two stories recently of error: adminstrative mistakes with a huge repercussion on people’s lives.

One woman who thought she had an egg saved to try for a second birth, has now discovered she has no egg. It was donated to another woman who promptly aborted it when the mistake was realised.

The other case involves another mix up where a white couple now have a baby from a different race.

IVF treatment is difficult and costly, and usually time is running out for the mother, so to be told that the egg had been given away must be very hard.

And the parents of the child born with a different coloured skin were expecting the baby to be their own flesh and blood, and not the result of an admin mix up. Obviously many couples (not just Madonna and Brangelina) happily adopt children of a different race, but in these situations it is all part of a conscious decision.

These problems make it impossible to pretend that IVF is a natural process, and add another layer of concern for couples already coping with the stress of infertility.

At Healthwise Clinic we advocate a natural approach both in terms of the way the baby comes into the world, and in a personal relationship with the couple. Our success rate using careful diagnosis, acupuncture and herbs gives us cause for confidence. And we know we are improving health and reducing stress at the same time.

There is a natural alternative to IVF.

Acupuncture is not a simple word to write or say but it is a simple treatment to receive to aid fertility.

After your consultation and diagnosis you lie fully clothed on the treatment couch.
You then relax and very very fine needles are inserted at certain points into your skin.
You lie peacefully on the couch and may find that you naturally doze off for about twenty minutes.
The needles are removed, and most patients tell us they feel refreshed, and come back gently into “normal” life.
You will then be given some guidance on what to do or avoid.
Your supply of chinese herbs that have been prescribed individually for you will be checked, and you may receive a new prescription.

It all takes place in one room in the clinic, and with one consultant who knows you personally and sees you every time. You are not sent from one department to another with your notes under your arm to talk to different people.

We have been told that this helps to make the process of having a baby seem more natural, and helps to give you confidence that you can become pregnant.

As our bodies and minds are linked, we think that having a respectful relationship with you and your body contributes to our success rate of over 65%.

There is a baby boom taking place at the moment!

Back in September and October when the recession news really started to hit it was noted that sales of take-aways were going up. So people were staying in more, and the papers at the time said that this might result in more births.

And they were right. Now, nine months later a lot of babies are being born. Apparently in some hospitals there is a problem with finding midwives to assist with the births.

If you would love to be part of the giving birth boom but are having problems, please don’t worry. There are a lot of things you can do to help yourself become pregnant. The first one is to enjoy yourself and cut down stress.

If you consider acupuncture and chinese herbs with Healthwise, we can advise you on what would be best in your individual situation.

Our clients enjoy coming to the clinic for their treatment which is a wonderful start.

Opinions are getting heated on this subject.

Lots of the people we speak to think she is too old, and that it is wrong to conceive at an age when you could not have a baby naturally.

Other people think it is all right, and that life is uncertain enough anyway so whether she will be a competent mother of a teenager at 80 is not really the issue.

As you might expect the medical establishment are divided on this as well.

What do you think? We would appreciate your thoughts!

According to the Daily Mail Elizabeth Adeney will give birth at 66. She went to a fertility clinic abroad for the IVF treatment.

She will be just under 80 when her child becomes a teenager.

The NHS places a limit of 40 for treatment and most British private clinics at around 50 – 55. Not so in Ukraine, and obviously not where Elizabeth Adeney went. Fertility clinics in some countries pay well for egg donation, and older mothers are happy to pay to be pregnant.

Apart from the debates about the rights and wrongs it does highlight the artificiality of the treatment. A woman of 66 would not normally be able to become pregnant, but science can do it for her, using her body as a waiting room. She is likely to elect to have a baby by caesarean, as well.

Certainly no natural health.

The Healthwise Fertility Clinic in Burnham in Buckinghamshire is situated in the High Street. When clients walk down the street and find us the often say that they already feel more relaxed.

Burnham is a mix of large village and small town…with interesting independent shops as well as some major supermarkets. You don’t get high rise blocks of offices.

It is a perfect location for those in the Thames Valley who are looking for help with fertility, and want individual and supportive treatment.  You get a whole package of treatment including acupuncture, herbal remedies and education which directly relates to you and your condition.

Andrew Loosely’s excellent reputation  attracts people from Gerrards Cross, Beaconsfield, Amersham, Taplow, Maidenhead and Henley as well as further afield.

Trains from Paddington to Reading and the West Country stop at Burnham. Sometimes people from London prefer to be seen in Burnham because they enjoy seeing the green fields on the journey, and the fact that we are in a small town High Street.  However, they also come to our London clinic which is in Harley Street.

You are very welcome for an initial consultation in Burnham or London so please call us on 01628 668339,  and ask for our brochure.

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Fertility is an issue that affects mind, body and spirit.

Couples who come to Healthwise Clinic for acupuncture to help conception, have often had their condition described as infertility, or unexplained infertility.

Our approach is to think in terms of the positive condition rather than describing it in a negative way. Therefore we prefer to use the word fertility for our treatment, rather than infertility.

As the body, mind and spirit are all linked, there is a chance that the description infertility may in inself be counter-productive to conception and pregnancy.

So if you are finding it difficult to become pregnant, an important first step can simply be stop thinking of yourself as infertile.

At Healthwise we encourage you to take charge of your own fertility and offer a course of treatment which is specific to your condition. This includes acupuncture, and a course of herbal remedies in capsule form, plus a wealth of information about small changes you can make in your lifestyle.

If there is anything mechanically wrong with either partner we find it out straight away. Don’t forget, though that because the body, mind and spirit are all linked, there is an infinite capacity for change.

We are delighted that the fertility treatment at Healthwise Clinic has helped couples conceive where once they had no hope. Part of that is due to the fact that we empower you to take charge of your own fertility.

Give us a call if you would like an introductory consultation either in Burnham, Bucks or in Harley Street in London. Telephone 01628 668 339