I. The mystery of reproduction
The birth of life is a miraculous process involving both men and women. Both men and women must have functional reproductive organs in order to complete the birth of life.
1, the material basis: is the necessary prerequisite for the woman to get pregnant normally, the following is missing
(1) Sound and well-functioning reproductive organs of both sexes. The female reproductive system includes ovaries, fallopian tubes and uterus, and the male reproductive system includes vas deferens, epididymis and testicles.
(2) The female reproductive organs are able to produce eggs in good form and function on time.
(3) The male reproductive organs are capable of producing sperm in sufficient quantity and with normal vitality.
(2) Time control: There are strict time controls for egg discharge, sperm-egg union, transport and embryo implantation.
Ovulation: After a woman enters sexual maturity, there is usually one dominant follicle in each menstrual cycle that develops and matures and expels eggs. Ovulation can be roughly determined by the increase in secretions and ovulation test strips. After ovulation, the egg enters the abdomen of the fallopian tube, where it unites with sperm to complete fertilization. It is important to note that ovulation is often delayed in patients with polycystic ovaries.
Sperm renewal period: Men can continue to produce sperm when they reach puberty and their sperm bank is renewed every 72 days.
Fertilization: After sexual intercourse, high quality morphological sperm that maintain rapid forward motion usually arrive at the distal fallopian tube in 30 minutes waiting to rendezvous with the egg and complete fertilization. The entire fertilization process takes 24 hours.
Entry of the fertilized egg into the uterine cavity: The fertilized egg usually enters the uterine cavity via the fallopian tube on the 5th day after fertilization.
Embryo implantation stage: On day 6-7 after fertilization, the late blastocyst gradually buries into the endometrium after the zona pellucida disappears and is covered by the endometrium and implanted.
3. The process of fertilized egg formation: A male can ejaculate about 300 million sperm in one ejaculation, but not more than 200 can reach the abdomen of the fallopian tube.
(1) When a man and a woman have intercourse, the male semen is ejaculated into the posterior vaginal fornix of the woman and the spermatozoa run toward the uterus and fallopian tubes with the help of the tail swing. The spermatozoa run in a very specific way, in a spiral direction.
(2) The spermatozoa that move to the abdomen of the fallopian tube surround the egg with their heads facing the egg. Of the many sperm, only one is able to unite with the egg waiting in the abdomen of the fallopian tube to complete fertilization. This sperm penetrates the oocyte and immediately causes a series of changes in the oocyte zona pellucida and the oocyte membrane, preventing other sperm from re-entering.
(3) The process by which sperm enter the egg and the protoplasts of both sexes fuse to form a new cell is called fertilization. When the sperm enters the oocyte zona pellucida, it marks the beginning of the fertilization process. The completion of the fertilization process is indicated when the chromosomes of the sperm and egg primordial nuclei fuse together.
(4) The new cell formed by the union of sperm and egg is called a fertilized egg, and new life begins from there.
4. Important Notes.
(1) Sperm and egg occur, develop and mature in the male and female reproductive organs and are transported through the genital canal to join together. Ensuring that these organs are healthy and intact is a prerequisite for the conception of healthy life. For example, chronic inflammation of the pelvis caused by one or more abortions can lead to bilateral tubal obstruction, which is one of the most common and most common cases of IVF.
(2) Ovulation, sexual intercourse, fertilization, implantation and other reproductive processes are subject to certain time constraints. Properly grasping the timing of ovulation, intercourse and intercourse positions is an important part of ensuring the success of conceiving a new life.
II. The concept of fertility
1. For women, fertility means the ability to conceive and bear children.
(1) Female fertility is related to the quality and quantity of eggs in the ovaries. Female fertility begins at the onset of the menstrual cycle during puberty (around age 13).
(2) The number of eggs in a woman is fixed; a woman is born with all the eggs she will have in her lifetime, usually about 1 million. By the time she reaches puberty, the number decreases significantly to about 300,000. After the age of 38, a woman’s egg quality and quantity decline significantly, and her ability to conceive plummets. After the age of 40, there is a significant decline in eggs within each month, and the ability to conceive is minimal after the age of 45.
2. For men, fertility means the ability to make a woman pregnant.
(1) The organ that produces sperm is the testes, and men usually have two testes, located in the scrotum. Each testicle contains a number of small organs called “varicocele”, which are responsible for the production of sperm.
(2) Fertility begins to decline in men around age 35, but much more slowly than in women. By age 50, some men may have less desire, lower sperm quality, and mildly reduced testosterone levels.
3. Fertility declines with age in both women and men. However, age is not an absolute barrier to pregnancy.
4. Important note: Both men and women should complete the task of conceiving a new life before the age of 35 if possible.
III. Understanding infertility
1. The concept of “infertility”.
(1) It refers to a decrease or lack of ability to conceive the next generation, and does not mean a complete inability to have children.
(2) According to the recommendation of the World Health Organization (WHO), a couple of childbearing age is infertile if they live together after marriage, do not use contraception, have a normal sexual life, and have not had a pregnancy for more than one year.
2. Appropriate time for couples to seek help.
Couples should start seeking help when they have been trying unsuccessfully to conceive for six months under the age of 35.
3. The causes of infertility may come from either the female or male partner.
(1) About 40% are related to female causes, including ovulation disorders, tubal factors, uterine factors, cervical and vaginal factors, etc.
(2) About 30% are related to the male partner, including abnormal semen, abnormal sexual function, immune factors, etc.
(3) About 20% are related to abnormalities detected by both spouses, including lifestyle, mental and psychological conditions, immune factors, etc.
(4) About 10% of couples have no abnormalities in various tests and cannot be explained, which is called unexplained infertility and is an indication for artificial insemination.
4. Natural and social phenomena.
(1) According to WHO’s estimation, there are about 60-80 million infertile couples worldwide.
(2) Increasing infertility rates: The incidence of primary infertility increased in many Western countries from the 1960s to the 1980s.
(3) Fertility rates are decreasing: the number of women over 35 years old having their first child has more than tripled in the last decade.
(4) Fertility declines after 35 years of age: After 35 years of age, many physiological changes accelerate the obvious decline in fertility, especially in women.
IV. Infertility depends on the couple to face together
Failure to conceive a child may startle many couples because many of them do not have a history of infertility-causing diseases. In fact, many couples have also taken a variety of contraceptive measures in an effort to prevent pregnancy for many years because of immature conditions. They had been under the impression that once they stopped using contraception, they would soon become pregnant and have a child. For most couples this is true, but for others, pregnancy is not as easy as they think.
Couples facing infertility together.
(1) Dealing with infertility is not an easy task, and detecting the cause of infertility requires the cooperation and collaboration of both partners.
(2) Many male and female patients who have been tested for fertility problems are under mental stress and some are even plagued by low self-esteem. These reactions are normal, and the key to overcoming these psychological factors is for couples to support each other on the basis of their original feelings.
(3) Whether infertility is due to the male partner, the female partner or both, both partners need to face it together.
(4) The main factors affecting fertility are
Age
Genetic factors
Fallopian tube factor
polycystic ovary syndrome
Endometriosis
Reproductive organ surgery
Chromosomal Abnormalities
Cancer
Age
Exposure to chemical agents
Exposure to heat
Use of prescription drugs
Varicose veins of the spermatic cord
Sexually transmitted diseases
Reproductive organ surgery
Cancer
4. Understanding the factors affecting infertility.
(1) Lifestyle choices, specific surgeries, and even genetics may affect fertility in both men and women.
(2) Age has the greatest impact, as the number of follicles in a woman’s ovaries decreases significantly with age.
(3) Understanding the influencing factors and preventive measures can increase the chances of pregnancy.
V. Diagnosis of infertility
Infertility is not only a woman’s problem, but must be faced by the couple and examined together. The examination methods may range from simple body fluid tests to complex analytical methods. Regardless of the tests performed, the most important thing is to get the correct diagnosis in order to determine which treatment to use. The diagnostic steps of infertility include: history taking, physical examination, and ancillary tests.
1. Examination of both spouses: First, determine whether four factors are normal.
(1) Whether the sperm count and activity are normal.
(2) Whether the ovaries are functioning normally and whether there are eggs mature and discharged.
(3) Whether the reproductive tract that allows the sperm and egg to meet and be fertilized, i.e., the fallopian tubes, are open.
(4) Whether there is a suitable environment to support the development of the egg and sperm (good endometrium and good endometrial tolerance).
2. Female examination.
(1) History taking: age at marriage, sexual life, contraceptive measures, menstrual history, family history, past history.
(2) Physical examination: secondary sexual characteristics, internal and external genitalia, endocrine function.
(3) Auxiliary examination: white belt examination (routine white belt, chlamydia, mycoplasma, gonococcus, bacterial vaginosis), gynecological ultrasound, female endocrine hormone level examination, tubal patency test, post-coital sperm penetration test, cervical mucus semen compatibility test, laparoscopy.
3. Male examination.
(1) Medical history taking: to understand the presence of chronic diseases and sexual life.
(2) Physical examination: general examination, focusing on the external genitalia for deformities or lesions.
(3) Auxiliary examination: semen routine, bacterial culture, mycoplasma, chlamydia, gonococcus, acrosome enzyme test, etc.
VI. Treatment of infertility
1. Treatment process.
A Comprehensive gynecological examination and auxiliary examination, such as active gynecological treatment for uterine fibroids, ovarian cysts, endometriosis, tubal effusion, etc., cervical TCT examination to exclude cervical lesions; obese patients to reduce weight, keep blood sugar, blood pressure, triglycerides and other indicators normal, maintain appropriate body mass index; maintain a good lifestyle and diet, prohibit smoking and alcohol, reduce computer operation, stay away from home Keep a good lifestyle and diet, prohibit smoking and alcohol, reduce computer operation, stay away from home decoration pollution, radiation environment, toxic and harmful substances, ensure sufficient sleep, reduce work pressure, etc. The husband’s semen, the woman’s endocrine hormones, and thyroid hormones should also be checked.
B After the husband’s semen is normal or basically normal, the female partner should be treated with medication to induce ovulation for 2-3 cycles (2-3 months).
C After 2-3 cycles of medication to induce ovulation, a hysterosalpingogram can be done to check for bilateral patency of the fallopian tubes.
D If the imaging indicates bilateral patency, you can continue to try to conceive naturally for 2 cycles or go directly to an IUI cycle.
E Two to three failed IUIs can be transferred to IVF cycle.
2. Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART)
Concept: ART (assisted reproduction technology) refers to the combination of egg and sperm outside of the body to achieve pregnancy by a variety of different medical means; ART includes intrauterine insemination (IUI), in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer (IVF-ET), intracytoplasmic single sperm injection (ICSI).
Method Description
IUI
Injection of optimized sperm deep into the uterine cavity: prior to injection, the sperm is specially treated in the laboratory to optimize fertilization capacity.
IVF-ET
Gonadotropin treatment is used to stimulate the ovaries to produce mature eggs, which are removed and placed in a test tube to be fertilized with the sperm of the partner. After fertilization, a single or two fertilized eggs are implanted into the uterus.
ICSI
A single sperm is selected and injected into the egg to complete fertilization.
IVF-ET is performed in 4 stages.
Stage l: Controlled superovulation period.
Stage 2: Egg retrieval.
Stage 3: Fertilization and embryo culture.
Stage 4: Embryo transfer.
The following conditions may occur during the IVF-ET process.
(1) Complications of egg retrieval: bleeding, infection, tissue damage.
(2) Increased chance of twins.
(3) Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS): reactions such as ascites, nausea, vomiting, ovarian enlargement.
(4) In patients with poor ovarian function, the IVF process cannot be performed if there is no follicle development despite drug bulb stimulation.
(5) Some patients will have early miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy.
The success rate for patients undergoing IVF-ET treatment is approximately 40-50% per cycle, similar to the conception rate of women of normal reproductive age.
The first successful human in vitro fertilization (IVF) treatment was performed in 1978. Since then, the success rate of ART has steadily improved, and in 2002, the live birth delivery rate per initiation cycle for women under 35 years of age undergoing ART was 37-39%, which compares favorably with the monthly pregnancy rate and even delivery rate for normal couples.
Although ART success rates were significantly lower in older women, pregnancy rates were higher than previously in all age groups.
Studies have shown that the live birth delivery rate exceeds 50% or more after 4 ART cycles.
3., Dietary preferences.
Pre-treatment period: It is advisable to have a light diet; avoid eating fried, barbecued and spicy products, and be moderate in intercourse.
During the descending period, it is advisable to eat foods rich in vitamins and protein; be careful of cold and do not catch a cold.
Before and after egg retrieval: avoid cold and sour products; be cautious or abstain from intercourse.
During the post-transplantation period, it is advisable to eat lightly; avoid fried, barbecued and spicy products, spicy and fire-engineering, warm and dry products and toxic products; avoid loose stools or constipation; avoid intercourse.
After the diagnosis of pregnancy: it is advisable to eat foods rich in vitamins and protein nutrition; avoid deep-fried, barbecued and spicy products, and avoid loose stools or constipation; avoid intercourse during the third trimester.
4. Food therapy prescription.
Pre-treatment.
Party ginseng 10 grams, astragalus 10 grams, yam 10 grams, soybeans 20 grams, large bones appropriate amount of soup, 1 to 2 times a week.
Descending regulation period.
(1) 10 grams of yellow essence, 2-3 grams of Dendrobium ferruginum, 20 grams of black beans, 3 jujubes, and an appropriate amount of large bones in soup, weekly
1～2 times.
(2) 10 grams of Chinese yam, 10 grams of lotus meat, carrot and big bones in soup. 1 to 2 times a week.
(3) Boil porridge with millet and oats 1 to 2 times a week.
Before and after egg retrieval.
(1) Lotus meat l0 grams, longan 10 grams, quail or pigeon meat or black chicken 100 grams in soup, 1 to 2 times a week.
(2) 10 grams of lotus meat, 10 grams of dendrobium, 10 grams of longan, 3 mu of jujube, 100 grams of quail or pigeon meat or black chicken in soup, once or twice a week.
1 to 2 times a week.
(3) Dendrobium 3 grams of fresh product, 10 grams of yam, carrot, fresh mushroom, quail, quail or pigeon meat or black chicken
100 grams boiled soup, 1 to 2 times a week.
(4) Congee with big bones, 1～2 times a week.
Late stage of transplantation
(1) Dendrobium ferruginum fresh 3g, yam 10g, lotus meat 10g, carrot and big bone in appropriate amount in soup, 1～2 times a week.
(2) Boil eggs with 10 grams of sage stems and 10 grams of ramie root, l～2 times a week.
(3) Dendrobium ferrugineum 3g, lily of the valley 10g, fresh mushrooms, large bones and lean meat in appropriate amounts in soup and porridge, 2 to 3 times a week.
(4) Boil porridge with appropriate amount of large bones and lean meat each, 2 to 3 times a week.
Seven, after the diagnosis of pregnancy
(1) Astragalus stewed sea bass: northern astragalus 15-30 grams, sea bass l (350-500 grams), the right amount of refined salt. Remove the bass scales, gills and internal organs, and wash.
gills and viscera, wash, put in a basin. Add astragalus and water, salt to the right amount, stewed in water. Eat fish meat, each time
Half, divided into 2 servings.
(2) Hen soup: 5 grams of Dendrobium ferrugineum fresh product, 1 hen (about 500 grams), and the right amount of refined salt. Remove the hair and internal organs of the hen and wash it.
Put the fresh Dendrobium iron skin into the pot, add water to stew, add a little salt to taste, and cook until
Add a little salt to taste and cook until the chicken is cooked. Eat the meat and drink the soup, once a week.
(3) Carp porridge: 15-20 grams of ramie root, 50 grams of carp, 50 grams of glutinous rice, sesame oil, green onion, ginger, salt and other seasonings.
The ingredients are sesame oil, green onion, ginger and salt. Remove the scales, gills and internal organs from the carp, slice, add water and boil the soup for use. Take the ramie root and put it in another pot.
Add 200 ml of water and boil to 100 ml, strain the juice, add it to the carp soup with glutinous rice and cook a thin porridge, add a little oil, salt, onion and ginger to taste, and take it twice a day, hot in the morning and evening.
(4) Hemp root in hen soup: 20 grams of dried ramie root or 30-40 grams of fresh product, 1 hen (about 500 grams). Sesame oil, refined salt, and
Seasoning such as sesame oil, salt and monosodium glutamate in appropriate amounts. After the hen is slaughtered, remove the hair, head, claws and internal organs, wash the chicken, cut the ramie root into thin slices and place in the chicken
After the chicken is cooked and rotten, add the right amount of oil and salt to taste.
Eat the meat and drink the soup once a week.
(5) Egg soup: 12 grams of mugwort leaves, 5-10 grams of Dendrobium ferrugineum, 10 grams of ramie root, and 1 egg. Egg with
Put mugwort leaves, fresh dendrobium and ramie root in a casserole, add water, cook over moderate heat until the egg is cooked, peel off the egg shell and cook for 5-10 minutes. 2 eggs at a time. During the 1st month after pregnancy, l times on l day for 6-8 days; during the 2nd month after pregnancy
1 time every 10 days; 1 time every 15 days in the third month after pregnancy; 1 time every month in the fourth month after pregnancy, until the full term of pregnancy.
(6) Shou Wu Huang Qi
(6) Shou Wu Astragalus Wu Chicken Soup: 20 grams of shou wu, 15 grams of astragalus, 10 red dates, 200 grams of black chicken meat, refined salt, aromatic oil, monosodium glutamate and other seasonings.
oil, monosodium glutamate and other seasonings. The system Shou Wu, astragalus, red dates and chicken meat in a casserole dish with 1000 ml of water boiling
Soup, chicken cooked and rotten to go Shou Wu, astragalus dregs, add the right amount of oil and salt to taste. Eat chicken, red dates, drink soup.
(7) Black bean porridge: black beans 60 grams, glutinous rice 40 grams. Wash the glutinous rice, black beans, put the same pot, add the right amount of water.
Cook the porridge with a gentle fire, cook until the beans are rotten and the rice is cooked. Each time a small bowl, 2 times a day, morning and evening warm.
(8) Lotus seeds glutinous rice porridge: 25 grams of lotus seeds, 50 grams of glutinous rice, sugar appropriate amount. After removing the skin and heart of lotus seeds, cook with glutinous rice for porridge.
Add sugar and it is ready. It can be eaten as a main meal or as a side dish.
How to improve the success rate of conception
1. Establish a good lifestyle.
Lifestyle can affect fertility, and maintaining a healthy lifestyle will help you. What you do today
can increase your chances of getting pregnant in the future.
Exercise properly: Regular exercise is important, but too much strenuous exercise can lead to menorrhagia or menopause, which may impair fertility.
Avoid extreme weight: Being overweight or underweight can affect hormone levels and cause infertility.
Consume enough protein: Protein deficiency can affect female ovulation.
Quit smoking: Smoking causes accelerated egg decay in women and can even cause early menopause, as well as increasing the risk of miscarriage.
Reduce stress: too much stress can affect pregnancy. Trying to conceive is in itself a stressful experience for both partners. Parents and family members hope and worry about pregnancy is an invisible pressure, but this pressure is not beneficial or even harmful to pregnancy, learn to release stress and relax.
2, grasp ovulation day prediction.
(1) The menstrual cycle can be long or short, but the interval between the day of ovulation and the start of the next menstrual period is relatively fixed, usually around 14 days.
(2) Calculation method: count from the first day of the next menstrual period, the current day is not counted, count back 14 days or subtract 14 days is the day of ovulation.
For example, if the menstrual cycle is 28 days, and the first day of the current period is on December 2, then the next period will be on December 30 (December 2 plus 28 days), and then subtract 14 days from December 30, then December 16 will be the day of ovulation.
3. To grasp the signs of ovulation.
(1) The ovulation test paper indicates that the second line is getting clearer and clearer.
(2) The leucorrhea will increase 1 to 3 days before ovulation and will be stretched and look like clear egg white.
(3) Faint pain in one side of the abdomen.
(4) The basic body temperature rises 3 to 5 days after feeling breast swelling and pain.
4, grasp the main points of intercourse.
(1) The best time to have intercourse: the night before the predicted ovulation day to the next day before noon.
(2) The best semen: no semen discharge within 3 to 5 days from the male side, that is, 3 to 5 days of semen is most likely to make women conceive. The number of intercourse is too thin can affect the quality of sperm and reduce the chances of female conception.
(3) The best position for intercourse: use a pillow to elevate the buttocks during intercourse, and remove the pillow only after half an hour of intercourse.
(4) The woman should not inform her husband of the doctor’s order to have intercourse, but to exercise her personal charm and let nature take its course, so as to reduce the burden on her husband’s mind.