For a few months now, we had BBC, CNN and almost every channel harping on and on about the effects of swine flu, the deaths caused by the disease and even preventive measures that you can use yourself to prevent the spread of the disease. But the news about disease and its potential spread is not good. This fall, the WHO predicts a potential explosion of the disease worldwide due to the cooler weather that is prevalent during the time. Unless scientists come up with a vaccine in the next few months we are going to have a tough time dealing with the effects of the disease.

A vaccine is imminent?

The need of the moment is to find an influenza vaccine that can treat the current form of the flu virus. Global vaccine experts are working full time to find something that can work against different forms of the virus and seriously limit the side effects of the virus at the same time. The WHO has been pressured into taking an active interest in the working of vaccine manufacturers to produce a viable vaccine. At present, most of the flu viruses are supplied by European manufacturers and they might not be able to keep up with the demand for a newly manufactured vaccine from the US and the rest of the world. Tentative release dates have been established for a swine flu test vaccine at the end of November for the actual release of the virus.

On the negative side: But wary researchers from all over the world have expressed concern about the marketing and supply of the vaccine. Vaccine distribution requires that the ampoule of vaccine medication should be under continuous cold temperatures. Vaccine companies will need to provide cold storage trucks to keep the vaccine viable over the long distances till will have to travel. Apart from the logistical problems, there are serious doubts about the efficacy of the virus and any other potential side effects. The internet has been ringing with whispers about the super fast release of the vaccine without sufficient human testing to meet the demands of the public. There could be potential side effects which might become visible after a few years in children and young adults that can be life threatening. There is no research to prove it as long term studies have yet to be established. But parents are seriously worried about the potential side effects of the disease like thiomerosal that is used as a preservative in the vaccine and the denatured virus itself that forms the basis of the vaccine.

On the plus side: The NIH and the WHO have collaborated to produce the vaccine for human use and the CDC has advocated the use of the vaccine in children from 6 months to about five years of age. Researchers have assured parents that the nasal version of the vaccine that is now in use is completely safe but it still cannot be used in patients with a weak immune system, asthma, diabetes and other chronic conditions.

I would prefer to wait and watch.

Herbal infertility treatment is very old indeed – in fact it goes back thousands of years. Two of the oldest examples of the uses of herbs for infertility can be found in Indian Ayurveda (even as earlier as 6000 years) and in CTM or Chinese Traditional Medicine. But these two look at infertility differently and there are differences in the way they treat the problem as well.

According to Ayurveda, infertility happens when the person’s diet is inadequate, the lifestyle is unhealthy and most importantly, when there are too many toxic elements within the body that are affecting the vital organs. Chinese Taoists however say that infertility is the result of blockages within the body, due to which, there is a problem in the free flow of energy. When there are blockages, it hinders the efficient functioning of the body and one result of this is infertility. And they have not only defined infertility, but they have also found a remedy for this problem. CTM experts say that herbs along with Chinese acupuncture needles when inserted at the right places can unblock the energies and release them, thus aiding the pregnancy process. Uttaravasti in Ayurveda interestingly, is also somewhat similar to this line of treatment.

Here’s one more important fact about herbal infertility treatment. Though herbs are of course very important, but it is necessary to know that they are used not just to remove the symptoms, but to treat the person completely – both in body and in mind. And not only that, the herbs are also able to restore the hormonal balance of the body which often gets disturbed and one result of which is infertility. But when seeking such remedies, do remember that they tend to work better among women with infertility problems. The treatments suggested are often a combination of various ingredients in forms such as tablets, pills, granules and others. In some cases if it is more suitable for the patient, the treatment may also be in the form of a tea. Here are some of the components that form a part of herbal infertility treatment…

• Black Cohosh
• Dong Quai
• Licorice
• Red Cover blossom
• Chastetree berry
• False Unicorn root
• Wild yam

While there are many herbs that are used, but it can be said that the ones that can improve the fertility to a great extent are Siberian Ginseng, Vitex, Don Quai and Motherwort. And among these, Don Quai seems to be the most effective. Don Quai gives such great results because it can promote the normal functioning of the ovaries and also re-establish the normal cycle in all those women who are victims of infertility.

There is another problem that many women suffer from. While they are able to conceive, but often they fail to carry it and thus it ends up with miscarriage. What they need in such cases is the herb Vitex. There are three hormones in the body that can help a woman conceive, sustain the pregnancy and also is responsible for breast milk. These three hormones are LH or Luteinizing hormone, Progesterone and Prolactin. Vitex is able to enhance the level of them in the body and this is really some great news for the woman. The uterus also needs to be kept relaxed and for this, the woman needs Wild Yam and Cramp Bark that also prevents miscarriage. A weakened immunity is another cause of infertility and herbs can help here as well. Many women become a victim of cold and flu’s (the most common symptoms of a poor immune system) and when they have turned to these herbs, most of them have got great results.

Herbal infertility treatment is a great idea, but this alone may not work. For best results, it has to go together with the holistic approach of treatment. The holistic approach first finds out the real problem and then suggests a remedy that is appropriate for it, and this remedy can be in the form of herbs, Chinese medicines, exercise, diet and lifestyle changes and even acupuncture. Conventional remedies on the other hand just suggest assisted methodologies and thus in most cases they fail. Holistic approach on the other hand is successful in most cases.

Different people view the question of how to get pregnant from differing perspectives. While happy, contented couples are sure to eye the issue of pregnancy with a great deal of romanticism, love and emotion, such might not be the case with couples who have problems in becoming parents. Indeed, the inability to conceive a child can result in twisted thoughts in one’s mind, resulting from acute mental pain and frustration.

Most newly-married couples are averse to the idea of becoming parents very early on in their married lives. However, as a couple becomes familiar to each other, the earlier inhibitions begin to disappear. Indeed, in a few months time, couples might actually start wishing to have a baby. This is perfectly in keeping with normal female sentiments, which crave to become a mother as that would fulfill her feminism. The current worldly scenario may be uncertain, layoffs from work may be at a very high level, competition might be fierce, and the daily cost of living may be rather exorbitant. However, the desire of a wife to become a mother overcomes all these factors.

A lady, who is wondering how to get pregnant, needs to be aware that there are certain ground rules that would ensure the healthy disposition of both herself and her soon-to-be-born child. While planning to conceive a baby in a healthy manner, women need to abide by the following generic guidelines:

• Start to prepare for conceiving the baby at least 3 to 4 months before the actual date,

• Adopt a healthy, holistic approach, which would be aimed at the physical well-being of both the mother and the child,

• Put a stop to consuming cigarettes and/or alcoholic liquors, since they can adversely affect pregnancy,

• Avoid taking intoxicating drugs,

• Make it a habit to take in adequate amounts of nourishment. Stresses and exertions are common on the female body, both before and after delivering the child. Enough nourishment is required to support her during these times,

• The overall balance of the female body needs to be maintained. Hence, a balanced diet, comprising of easy-to-digest proteins, minerals and vitamins, needs to be adopted.

Let us now discuss the factors which all would-be mothers should be aware of. These factors are:

1. How does my body function? - In other words, ladies need to know the time of their ovulation. The period of ovulation is the best time for conceiving a baby. Fortunately, there are alternative ways to find the time when a woman would ovulate. The Luteal Phase (also termed as the ‘Post Ovulation Time’) needs to be explained here. This phase measures the span of time between ovulation and the date of starting of the menstrual cycle, and is fixed at 14 days for most females. Once a lady ovulates, she will have her period after the Luteal Phase is complete (or, after 14 days). Alternatively, women also can use the BBT technique (the method of Basal Body Temperature) to determine the date of ovulation. This method prescribes the usage of a specially manufactured BBT thermometer to record the temperature of the vagina every morning. Ovulation is generally accompanied by a significant rise in the vaginal temperature at these times. Thus, the time of ovulation is detected, and sexual intercourse should ideally be scheduled during this period,

2. When would sexual union have a larger chance in conceiving a baby? - For higher chances of conceiving, it has to be made sure that sperms of the most robust quality enters the female body at the time of the latter’s ovulation. It is recommended that fresh sperm should be inserted within the body of a woman immediately before she ovulates. This would ensure top-quality, desirable reactions from the sperm, whenever the ovulation is complete. A male who has an issue with his sperm is generally advised to abstain from releasing sperm, for a minimum of 3 days prior to the pre-planned day of lovemaking. When thinking the right ways of how to get pregnant, these information are of immense use,

3. How often should a sexual intercourse be held, so that there remains a high probability of getting pregnant? - The frequency of sexual union depends on the overall physical condition of the husband, the estimated time of ovulation of the wife, and other related points. If the male sperms tend to remain in the testicles for too long, the sperms tend to grow old, losing their potency and effectiveness. Hence, too long a period of abstinence is certainly not advisable. On the other hand, if sexual union occurs everyday, the strength of the male sperms falls, owing to a significant decrease in the sperm count. On the day of ovulation, and around this period, lovemaking at a frequency of once in every 2 days is considered to be ideal.

Adopting a holistic approach prepares a lady to answer the question ‘how to get pregnant’ in the best way possible. Unlike other conventional methods, this approach is based on an in-depth analysis of the human body, and an accurate identification of the factors that might create pregnancy-related problems. There are no harmful side effects in this approach either. Holistic treatment methods preclude the use of Chinese medicines, herbs, and adopting suitable changes in both the dietary habits as well as one’s overall lifestyle. Acupuncture also forms a part of this treatment technique, while proper methods of exercising are emphasized on, All these certainly help the holistic approach to have a larger chance in delivering the desirable results.