betterbabies

Healthy Parents Healthy Baby

2012-01-30T15:53:00.002+11:00

Order your hard copy or your ebook at www.flurishh.com

Healthy Parents Healthy Baby

2012-01-30T15:47:00.005+11:00

What a journey! It makes being a Mum seem quite straightforward!

It started out as a six month project to develop a Healthy Parents, Healthy Baby casual game, a project which actually took almost 2 years. On the strength of the game development I had agreed to write two books that would integrate with this entertaining educational medium. A new website to house the game then needed design and plenty of content ... but along the way my NZ IT Team were beset by earthquake and the booksellers of Australia saw major closures. These gave my publisher pause and a rethinking of sales and marketing strategies for this new book series.

But now at last we have a finished product. Or at least a finished product insofar as these sorts of products are ever finished.

The website is a simple introduction to a natural, healthy approach to having babies! But playing the game will add layers to what the website introduces. 10 minutes per day on your PC, directly thru facebook or on your smart phone and you can undertake the activities, acquire the products, get involved in menu selection, learn more and test your knowledge in a fun and entertaining way! Then the books and ebooks give you additional detail and the motivation to put it all into action in the real world.

Healthy Parents Healthy Baby is Your Guide to Preconception and Pregnancy and mid-2012 there will be Healthy Parents Healthy Toddler - Guide to Birth, Breastfeeding and the Toddler Years. Unlike my previous books which were jam-packed full of detailed info - these new volumes are an easy read, that together with a completely new medium of communication deliver simple to follow advice that will encourage you and your partner to give your baby the very best possible start in life.Then when you join the online community you can share your ideas and your successes with other prospective and new parents. Finally my blog will again be a regular feature and I very much look forward to sharing your parenting journey.

Vaccine damage - if you're in the US, don't look for help

2011-04-12T10:32:00.002+10:00

Did you know that the US Supreme Court has endorsed a 1988 ruling that absolves pharmaceutical manufacturers from any cases that individuals might bring against them for vaccine damage. In other words, if your child suffers brain damage, and needs a lifetime of care, you’re on your own! The world has gone mad, at least in the US, where vaccination is not only mandatory but those delivering these toxins are now absolved completely and absolutely from any responsibility. Where’s the incentive for Big Pharma to prove their product is safe or to develop less toxic versions? Wiped out with one ruling!

And check this, three decades ago, government officials were ordering doctors to give children 23 doses of 7 vaccines and today that direct order is up to 70 doses of 16 vaccines. No wonder they’re concerned about potential fallout from those who are harmed! At least in Australia we still have the right to refuse - a right which more and more parents are exercising thanks to the tireless efforts of committed organisations like Australian Vaccination Network. Do your homework people, find out the facts and take every step possible to keep immune systems strong by natural means!

Another infertility book joins the ranks

2011-03-29T16:14:00.003+11:00

So we have another book joining the volumes on natural ways to improve fertility. Article in the Sydney Morning Herald quoted the authors, a naturopath and the well-regarded Dr Sandra Cabot on the many dietary issues that need attention, but then the negative comments followed. Questions about validity, research, the credentials of naturopaths vs doctors and more. Where infertility is concerned, a healthy diet and lifestyle is not a panacea - it’s merely a VITAL starting point. Optimal reproductive health is only achieved with a combination of whole food diet, robust and comprehensive supplementation, healthy lifestyle, toxicity-free environment, regular exercise, reduced stress levels and a positive attitude. And that’s for both partners! In addition, existing conditions such as hormone imbalance, malabsorption, infection, compromised immunity, heavy metal or other toxic burden must be addressed. When it’s done well - by all parties - it works and works well. Actually, naturopaths or integrative doctors who have been trained in all that’s required, do it best, but only when they have the complete commitment of the prospective parents to their part of the program. While there may be a small percentage of couples who fail to conceive despite their very best efforts, I think the biggest stumbling block and reason for failure is the attitude – “it’s too hard, there are too many things I need to change/give up, let’s just go for the quick fix!”

Familiar environment, less birth stress

2011-03-28T16:33:00.001+11:00

Latest research from University of Technology, Sydney indicates a connection between the design of rooms where mothers give birth, their stress levels and the potential risk of such stress to newborns. In fact, those UTS researchers have received almost $250 million in Australian Research Council funds to explore how the features of a birthplace including design, objects, materials and colours could influence the outcome of a woman's labour.

Dohhhh, does anybody stop to review and ponder what has gone before? For 30 years I’ve been seeing studies showing that the place in which a woman feels most comfortable is the place where she is most likely to labour efficiently and effectively! Michel Odent and others have written extensively about the adverse effects of adrenaline (potential result of a move to hospital, admission and examination procedures and strange environment and attendants) on the efficiency of a woman’s contractions. Adrenaline directly counteracts the effects of oxytocin which makes the uterus contract, so my question is...

Why oh why do we need another study? Surely to goodness the money would be better spent providing these wonderful environments - surely we need birth centres not more studies! Anyway, intuition or good old common sense should probably tell you the same thing - if you ever stopped to think about it! But here we go again, trying to prove the benefits of a natural, non-interventionist approach when the non-natural, interventionist approach gets put forward as the gold-standard that must be bettered! Flea wagging the dog I reckon! Anyway if you want a really sympathetic birthing environment, try your home turf - can’t be beaten!

Memorable memories

2011-03-11T07:44:00.002+11:00

I’ve been off the blogging air this week. It started when I wrote a poem for my younger son’s 21st Birthday. With some great pics to accompany the rhymes, he thought it was awesome! The words had flowed so I was off and running. Thinking ahead now to elder son’s October wedding, this was my template. Maybe putting the mother of the groom on her soapbox isn’t the norm at wedding celebrations, but this mother has never done things by the book. Never even got married ... but that’s another story

Whew, what a labour of love and creativity this little enterprise turned out to be. I’ve beavered away at it all week. What started at 80 rhyming lines, now stretches to 250 and encapsulates the more significant details, the funny and classic remarks, the unique characteristics, all that was encompassed in that journey to adulthood. I’ve had old happy snaps turned into digital files (some colours now not so colourful) and visited countless Facebook pages. Any parent who wants to feel more involved with their kids’ activities and friends - you’re missing a huge resource if you’re not part of that network. Some of the images I found are pure gold!

Most of all, revisiting those 25 years reminded me how hugely privileged to be a hands-on and always-there Mum. I reckon Dave will say the same. I’m thinking I could turn it into a kid’s book. Watch this space ...

Musings ... on social networks!

2011-03-03T16:04:00.004+11:00

They’re in the news this week! The Social Network, giving us the inside scoop on the Facebook saga walks away with three Oscars. Almost in the same breath, two British schoolboys have been jailed for up to five years for running a $26 million Facebook-style website for criminals dubbed "Crimebook". The Sydney Morning Herald reports “This was a criminal enterprise offering sophisticated advice on how to hack into computers, cause them to malfunction and retrieve personal information from computers - and how to do it on a massive scale.”

But warts and all most of us love the social networks! If love is a bit strong for some it’s rare to meet someone who hasn’t been dragged into their net (pardon the pun).

I like them for personal reasons - lots of things my kids get up to are now an open book, and I mean that in the best possible way.

As an author they’re a medium I can’t ignore. If I do, I lose my readers to the multiple lay sites that offer forums and experience-swapping to those trying to conceive, who are pregnant, breastfeeding or raising toddlers.

As a business entrepreneur I love the access they give me to like-minded individuals and potential business associations and discussions.

Of course rallying thousands to a cause (viz the recent uprisings in the Middle East and North Africa) would be impossible without such channels and more power to them all!

But ... and here’s the big question ... are we all too busy getting on our soap boxes, tweeting, posting, blogging, commenting and otherwise having our say to really hear what the other guy is saying?

Sometimes it seems that we’re all just spouting off in a way that, while liberating and empowering, also ignores some fundamental rules of respectful social dialogue. For example, we might consider acknowledging a particular point of view before charging off with the bit between our teeth to develop an entirely different line of reasoning! And where’s the wisdom of inviting experts to establish a specialist online group and then limiting their referrals to other material, services or products. Of course there’s a fine line between blatant self-promotion/spamming and genuinely helpful referrals and recommendations, but expert input to these channels is what makes them so useful and so powerful ... as long as the expert voice is audible above the chatter!

How loudly is your biological clock ticking?

2011-03-01T16:35:00.003+11:00

I've been banging the preconception healthcare drum for nearly thirty years, so it never ceases to amaze me when somebody turns around and says “hey, I didn’t know it was going to be hard to get pregnant in my 30s - nobody ever talks about these things!” Hello, where have you been baby? The media is awash with articles, blogs and online forums are full of the TTC (trying to conceive), IVF specialists tout their wares, their ever-more-sophisticated techniques and their dubious successes at every opportunity.

Talk about blinkers on - but then I ask, who else is wearing blinkers? Whenever we’re bombarded with the plummeting fertility statistics and the drastic decline of fertility with age (and surprise, surprise men have a biological clock that ticks too!) where is the common sense? Am I the lone voice in the wilderness that says, hang on a minute, is age the only factor here?

So do you want to know how you can preserve your fertility and ensure the healthiest baby possible? The answer’s simple - pay very close attention to your own health before conception. The reason for the rise in reproductive problems with age can be simply summarized as longer exposure to 21st century diets and lifestyles. Nutrition, lifestyle, environment and mental and emotional factors all need very careful attention by both partners if you plan to delay your baby-making (or if after attending to all the preconception issues, you consider that IVF is the only option). The four months immediately preceding conception are the most critical!

Comprehensive preconception health care has clearly been shown to give significant protection against age-related sub-fertility, miscarriage and foetal defect. The University of New England has conducted an independent study of 67 couples on the Natural Fertility Management conception program at The Jocelyn Centre. Developed by my co-author Francesca Naish, results of the program are more than merely encouraging. 52% of previously infertile couples can conceive within the first 4 months following completion of preconception care. Over the last 30 years, working with many thousands of couples, The Jocelyn Centre, despite a high proportion of patients being in their late 30s, early to mid 40s and beyond, has achieved successful pregnancies when all else has failed and an insignificant number of age-related defects.

The studies from Foresight - Association for Promotion of Preconceptual Care (UK) and the emerging research in the fields of Developmental Origins of Health and Disease, (DOHaD), foetal origins and epigenetics also provide incontrovertible evidence...optimisation of nutritional status and complete avoidance of any potential toxicity by both partners for at least 4 months prior to conception is the only certain way to ensure the health of the next generation and to reduce the toll of compromised reproductive health (and that includes reducing the infertility rates across all age groups)!

and now for the Baby Gaga...

2011-02-25T17:55:00.001+11:00

On a recent Lifestyle program I watched a renowned Sydney pâtissier create his signature macarons with a hamburger flavour. Not my cup of tea since I certainly don’t associate my macaron treats with meat, but then there’s no accounting for some folks’ tastes. These days in the world of celebrity chefs, the weirder the better as anyone who has followed the rise and rise of Ferran Adria’s Barcelona restaurant elBulli or Heston Blumenthal’s Fat Duck in the UK will attest.

But if Blumenthal set new standards in a country formerly undistinguished in the culinary stakes I reckon the latest from the Icrecreamists restaurant in London’s Covent Garden, would take the cake (pardon the pun)!

Their new pièce de résistance is breast milk ice cream! At a whopping £14 ($22) a serving, consumers are being encouraged to think of the “Baby Gaga” as an organic, free-range treat! Donated breast milk, Madagascan vanilla pods and lemon zest go into the churn for this little number!

If the breast milk doesn’t go through the pasteurization process, said ice-cream might even deliver some health benefits as well as being a certified taste sensation. Those benefits, now available to a curious public are something that the screened, pasteurized, frozen and stored breastmilk, destined for very premie babies and the subject of my last blog, would be unlikely to deliver!

Melbourne has a breastmilk bank!

2011-02-23T18:37:00.003+11:00

So now Melbourne has a milk bank! The powers-that-be have recognised that there’s nothing better than mother’s milk for premie babies (or for that matter, for babies of any age!). While I’m all for sharing Nature’s bounty and Mums who are in good health and successfully breastfeeding their own offspring will have no issues donating to this important and long-overdue resource, but there are questions I can’t help but ask?

Where is the milk from the mothers of these tiny babies (only those premies under 32 weeks gestation and weighing less than 1500g will qualify for access to stored milk)? After all, the milk from a Mum who has given birth prematurely differs in composition from the breastmilk of a woman who has given birth at term! Surprise, surprise that milk is ideally suited to her premie baby! Why aren’t those women the primary donors of milk for their own babies?

And why oh why do we have to undo any benefits with our obsession with sterility and high tech treatments. “Mothers of babies under the age of six months will be able to donate surplus milk, which will be screened, pasteurised and stored for up to three months before being thawed for its recipients.” Anyone wonder how the human race survived wet-nursing and Mums in extended families offering a breast to somebody else’s Bub? What vitamins, co-factors, enzymes, antibodies and hormones are destroyed in the screening, pasteurizing, freezing and storing processes? It’s exactly the same damage that the dairy industry inflicts on raw milk when they convert it to the poor substitute that masquerades in cardboard cartons under the name of milk.

Next thing we’ll have some mis-guided study telling us that the premies getting human milk from the milk bank do no better than the bottle fed infants.

Can those insect sprays!

2011-02-21T09:27:00.002+11:00

For more than thirty years ago, Foresight has been warning about the dangers of exposing prospective parents and pregnant and breastfeeding women to the chemical cocktail that comes from the vast range of commonly available household and personal care products. Supermarket shelves are lined with the offenders and kitchen, bathroom and laundry cupboards are filled with them. They’ve become so much a part of modern life that educating consumers about simpler alternatives which are less potentially toxic to eggs, sperm, foetus and infants is an uphill battle. But Dr. Joan Spyker, an eminent toxicologist says it simply ... “Nearly every chemical to which the pregnant woman is exposed, will ultimately reach the foetus.” It’s a simple equation, the developing embryo and foetus lack the mature detoxification mechanisms that deal with toxic chemicals. I’d add that every chemical to which the prospective parent is exposed has the potential to damage the germ cells.

Now, Paediatrics reports that commonly used insect sprays for home use, even the ones that purportedly are ‘safer’ can affect the development and learning abilities of young children. In utero or early infancy exposure through regular use of domestic insect sprays has been linked to delayed mental development at age of three.

I simply ask ‘where have the researchers been all this time?’ and ‘where is the legislation that requires these products to be listed as dangerous until proven safe rather than the reverse!’

The rise and rise of super bugs ...

2011-02-17T17:30:00.004+11:00

So now we’re threatened with near-extinction and a return to pre life-saving chemotherapy and organ transplants. How’s that then? The rise of the super-resistant microorganism that resists every antibiotic that modern medicine can throw at it!

Good grief, how will we ever manage?

Well maybe, just maybe, we might see the sense in making sure our immune systems are able to respond to bacterial assault without the help of antibiotics. What would that look like? Well let’s try preconception care for both prospective parents, a stress-free and optimally nourished pregnancy, birth away from the hospital environment, prolonged breast feeding and then a childhood and lifetime diet of healthy food grown on healthy soil together with a reduced load of environmental and lifestyle toxins. Oh and robust nutritional supplementation! Works a treat, have had 63 antibiotic-free years myself, my kids have had 20 and 25 respectively. Given our track record we might even reach a ripe old age without needing life-saving chemotherapy or an organ transplant!

Mum was right - vegies are good for kids!

2011-02-12T11:15:00.004+11:00

Would you believe it? Doctors have now shown that kids who eat a healthy diet with lots of fruit and vegetables have higher IQ levels. Kids who eat lots of processed and sugar-laden foods do much more poorly in the intelligence stakes. And the earlier that kids (and they studied 14,000) start on a healthy diet the better, with more pronounced effects during the first three years! Talk about reinventing the wheel! Weston Price’s seminal work “Nutrition and Physical Degeneration” published back in the 1930s demonstrated this pretty clearly, but logic should tell us that what Nature put on the earth for our sustenance would surpass the man-made junk that today masquerades as food. Of course I’d take that early start on healthy food back a couple of notches to include preconception for both parents and for Mum during her pregnancy! Not only guaranteed to deliver healthier eggs and sperm and foetus, but best way to ensure kids will eat those living greens, yellows, reds, oranges and purples without complaint!

and the vaccine debate rages on...

2011-02-06T12:02:00.005+11:00

Another book and vilification of anyone crazy enough to question the orthodox vaccination dogma...BUT Dr Julie Leask, a senior research fellow and manager of social research at the University of Sydney's National Centre for Immunisation Research & Surveillance emerges as a moderate voice in the over-heated vaccination debate. ''We know the vaccine issue is grey. It's not a simple case of vaccines are perfect,'' Leask said and continues...''again and again we hear parents say, 'I want balanced information.’”

Indeed - parents must be able to make up their own minds rather than feel bludgeoned by health, education or other officials. Those who decide, as my mother did (a brave woman almost sixty years ago when polio was still around), as I did, as many others are doing, not to vaccinate, then that should be our choice and harassment, guilt, fear, ostracism and blame should never enter the equation. This decision should be ours to make, just as we have the right to opt for any other orthodox medical procedure or not!

Life is uncertain, but I and many like me prefer to put trust in our own health promotion efforts. And I reckon I’m doing better than anything vaccination (or orthodox medicine) can offer! As a kid I had chicken pox, mumps, measles and whooping cough! But at 63 I’ve never had a serious illness, never been in hospital (not even for babies), couldn’t tell you the last time I saw a doctor. My boys, now 20 and 25, in their combined 45 years on this planet, have together seen a GP just six times (the average number of visits for a newborn in his first YEAR of life). Because of the work I do, I hear similar positive stories from healthy, un-vaccinated families! So what does responsibility for a competent immune system look like? Best place to start is with both parents before conception, but those benefits will last a lifetime! If you’re looking for true preventive healthcare - here it is!

Popeye the sailor man ...

2011-02-04T18:06:00.002+11:00

eats all his spinach ... and lives to fight another day. He scoffs a canful of the green stuff, his muscles bulge and he’s off and running. Yeah, yeah, I know, he’s a cartoon character, but poetic license notwithstanding, I bet you’ve heard spinach touted as a super food - thanks to its high IRON content? You have? We all have!

But guess what ... it ain’t the iron that fortifies old Popeye. It’s the nitrates! Bacteria in the mouth convert the nitrates to nitric oxide and voila! Nitric oxide is a molecule which opens up blood vessels, lowers blood pressure and improves circulation. New research shows that nitrates make mitochondria less "leaky". This has the effect of increasing their efficiency as biological machines. So says Prof Eddie Weitzberg from Sweden’s Karolinska Institute. His findings are published today in the journal Cell Metabolism.

Only one catch - you need those healthy bacteria! So get the whole package, Progurt is the only Probiotic with the multiple human strains that will populate your gut from the mouth to the other end.

I've signed up for a spring clean!

2011-01-31T08:40:00.003+11:00

So school’s in, the workers are back at their desks, so who’s feeling fit and ready to face the year? Not you? Not me either - but I reckon I’ve got the solution. Now the festivities and the holiday excesses are done for the year, it’s time to make amends for the extra food and alcoholic beverage, the sleep-in instead of the gym and those unhealthy snacks while engrossed in the tennis or the cricket! DETOX. Yes, I know, the thought of starvation and privation isn’t high on your agenda when you’re flat out coping with the school run and long days in the office when the beach still beckons, but this detox is going to leave you feeling absolutely awesome. Check out the brand new “Get Clean, Get Lean” from the professional who makes detox a pleasure not a pain. This will leave you jumping out of your skin. I’m doing it too - so let’s have your feedback! You'll be getting mine...

You say ... "a cot!"

2011-01-25T18:17:00.004+11:00

The invitation to the baby shower began...

A Gift for Baby...

X and Y have got the lot

The only thing left to buy is a cot ...

and continued in rhyming fashion until

A comfortable and cozy bed

For Bubba Z to rest it's head.

I couldn't resist a reply in kind

You say a cot ...

but maybe not?

The family bed

is good instead!

For night time feeds

and night time needs.

Stay horizontal, warm & snug -

the nursery option is a dud!

Mum least disturbed,

Bub least distressed.

Don’t leave your bed -

just bare the breast.

A side-car so she will not fall

or mattresses placed wall to wall.

It’s easy, best ... what more to say?

Ignore the doubters who say nay!

The world has always slept this way ...

and she WILL leave your bed one day!

AND long before she goes to University - that’s a promise :)

Epigenetics - there's more to the weight story than DNA

2011-01-24T07:39:00.004+11:00

Last week I followed the comments (that ran to several hundred) posted by the readers of The Sydney Morning Herald in response to the research that I mentioned January 19. Many of them were finger-pointing, there were accusations of sloth and gluttony, amongst many more balanced and reasonable. Clearly weight management is an extremely emotive issue, but it’s also a very complex one. Hormones, toxicity, and stress are contributing factors along with the more obvious issues of a sedentary lifestyle and over-supply of under-nutrition. But it’s the epigenetic effects that are really emerging as key factors - with new evidence indicating that the current epidemic of childhood obesity, is in part linked to the high fat diet of the father-to-be.

So I’ll get on my soapbox again - ‘epigenetics’ literally means beyond genetics and it’s exciting research! About 20 years old and exploding, it has turned conventional genetic ‘wisdom’ on its head. It simply means we can no longer hold our DNA entirely responsible for our weight issues or our heart disease or our diabetes or whatever. We might have a genetic tendency to these or other conditions, but there is additional imprinting that can be both negative or positive, and there are triggers that can switch a genetic variation off or on.

What preconception care endeavours to do is to remove any of those negative triggers and ensure that the positive ones only (and that includes positive mental and emotional effects) are the ones that will ensure the healthiest possible egg and sperm and the healthiest possible environment for the developing embryo and in that, the opportunity for the child (and grandchild and beyond) to enjoy optimal physical and mental health! As some wit said - wait until you've had your children to eat, drink and be merry!

Heart disease, diabetes ... where does it all begin?

2011-01-19T11:07:00.004+11:00

Today Paul Zimmet in the Sydney Morning Herald quite rightly asks if we actually have the right strategies to address the obesity epidemic, which is a major driver of cardiovascular disease and diabetes. BUT ‘Preventing heart disease and Type 2 diabetes needs to begin before a baby is even conceived. Research has found low birth-weight babies to be at increased risk of heart attacks, strokes, diabetes, high blood pressure and osteoporosis.’ David Barker, Professor of Clinical Epidemiology at the University of Southampton's Developmental Origins of Health and Disease research centre (DOHaD) and Professor in the Department of Medicine at Oregon Health and Science University, leaves us in no doubt about the importance of preconception healthcare. Barker was awarded a CBE in the UK 2006 New Year's Honours list in recognition of his pioneering medical research work on the links between low birth weight and the later development of disease. Optimisation of nutritional status and complete avoidance of any potential toxicity by both partners for at least 4 months prior to conception is the only certain way to reduce the toll of epigenetic/trans-generational effects of poor diet, unhealthy lifestyle and toxic environment. There's always much talk and finger-pointing about the lack of responsibility shown by the obese. There's no doubt that responsibility is the name of the game, however the primary responsibility rests with prospective parents.

Tinkering with Nature...

2011-01-18T15:30:00.001+11:00

Tinkering with nature

After years of banding penguins to study their habits (and using them as telltale indicators of climate change) new evidence shows that banding significantly affects penguin swimming and breeding ability. Studies of banded and unbanded birds carried out over a period of 10 years demonstrated that banded birds were 16 per cent likelier to die than non-banded birds, and had 39 per cent fewer chicks.

Should we be surprised? Not really, but we continue to tinker... and in our arrogance (sorry, our ignorance no longer cuts it as an excuse) assume that no harm will result.

Tinkering with fertility - inability to conceive simply Nature’s fail safe mechanism for ensuring that less than optimally healthy folk don’t reproduce - is a good example of that arrogance. While some infertile couples have physical barriers to conception, many more need to make serious improvements to their physical, mental and emotional health rather than rushing for the ART solution.

How long will it take before we realise that in many instances ART simply creates more problems than it solves? Years ago - banding penguins was advised against on ethical grounds, with those concerns glibly brushed aside. Is anybody listening to the ethicists who question the assisted reproductive industry? Maybe they’ll eventually have their day in the sun but what’s the human cost in the interim?

Sperm not up to the job?

2011-01-17T11:12:00.006+11:00

We know that sperm are very susceptible to damage! Taking up to four months to form, they're adversely affected by a host of dietary, lifestyle and environmental factors. Alcohol, cigarettes, exposure to chemicals and heavy metals, heat, tight underpants and nutritional deficits are all well documented to compromise sperm health. The good news is - remove all the bad guys during that four month period and add all the factors that are known to improve sperm health and voila - much healthier and more robust little swimmers. But now, a study from the Queen's Medical Research Institute in Edinburgh gives men with poor quality sperm something else to think about. Richard Sharpe, a fertility researcher at the Institute has demonstrated that male sperm production could be more affected by the lifestyle choices that his mother made when he was in the womb than by his own.

''There is growing evidence that prenatal exposures of males - which are reflective of maternal lifestyle and exposures - can have a major impact on capacity to produce sperm in adulthood,'' Sharpe said.

I've got this thought to add - women taking the oral contraceptive pill right up to the time of conception expose the developing embryo to a zinc-deficient environment. Because of testicular tissue - baby boys require five times more zinc for their development than baby girls.

2011-01-12T09:23:00.003+11:00

So now you can order your DNA test online and if you’re happy with the fact that the different tests vary widely in their assessment of your risk to disease, your response to drugs or whether your kids are likely to inherit something unspeakable, you can compare yourself to other family members - all for $199 but at this bargain basement price, there’s a limit of 10 tests per person!

Yikes - who orders these things?

Notwithstanding the recent advances in science and in genetic testing in particular, research in 'foetal origins' and epigenetics confirms that DNA is far from being the holy grail. Sure, your DNA can indicate a tendency towards a particular condition or a particular metabolic attribute, but we also know that the die is far from cast. For example, a recent study, showed that 18 genetic variants that individually increase risk of type 2 diabetes could not be used to identify which people had the condition and which did not.

It’s complicated - but there’s one thing we do know. Attention to all of the health-promoting measures that include fresh whole foods, regular exercise, no smoking, modest alcohol intake, reducing stress and avoiding environmental toxicity give an individual the very best chance that a particular genetic polymorphism or variation won’t rear it’s ugly head! At no time is this more important than before conception. Then, two prospective parents have the chance to ensure that by cleaning up their diets and lifestyles and ensuring their own physical and mental health in that critical 4-month period leading up to conception, their child will have the chance to experience his full genetic potential in the positive rather than the negative sense of the word!

Revise revisit and refresh

2011-01-10T07:07:00.007+11:00

Anyone might be forgiven for thinking I'd fallen from the radar, but au contraire ... since last blog I've taken my important preconception message in exciting, new directions. I've got a brand new website www.flurishh.com ready to go live. You'll find a wealth of information (written by yours truly) from preconception to breast feeding & beyond, also practical, well-ordered information across the categories: eat, do, think, habits & surrounds. So it's all the stuff you need to do and all you need to know!

But even better - the new site includes a casual game. What better way to connect with a new, younger audience? Through clever deployment of game-play mechanics we've created teaching point situations that require you to actively participate in both the virtual and real world! The game will be played online or directly through Facebook - at the moment it's in alpha-testing phase ... so stay tuned and check the site regularly.

Last year I was also invited to participate in a joint initiative with School/Police Liason - Northern Region. Got to spread the word to Senior High School Students. Making the information relevant to late teens and young adults, they got the message - the adverse effects of alcohol, smoking and drugs on fertility, health of eggs and sperm and subsequent foetal, infant and child development. Great response from teachers, school counsellors, but most importantly from the students! There's no doubt that the teenage years present an ideal opportunity to deliver this information through interactive media, social networks and online communities. Finally - three new books in the pipeline for publication mid-2011!

Too long between posts

2008-02-17T11:31:00.006+11:00

Sometimes despite the best intentions, my blog gets neglected. But a wonderful, diligent colleague keeps me (mostly) up to speed with some relevant, recent research. Here's a selection of the latest
Pomegranate juice can enhance sperm production
Another study shows that when pregnant Mums consume omega-3 fatty acids, they improve their child's coordination
But the Cochrane review of the role of Vitamins C and E in preventing pre-eclampia dismissed the benefits which only goes to show that isolating one or two nutritional factors and studying them alone makes no sense at all. Nature doesn't work that way - it's a holistic approach that gets the results (and that includes a combination of all the trace elements, vitamins, essential amino and fatty acids)
And something that makes a lot of sense - a mother's taste for fruit and vegetables is passed on to her baby
Finally, from Feb 20 08 I'll be on the west coast of the US for a 5-week speaking tour. 30 presentations in as many days. Email jan@well4life.com.au for the full schedule

It's the holistic approach that works!

2008-01-24T11:09:00.000+11:00

A Cochrane Systematic Review suggests that antioxidant vitamins C and E might not protect women from pre-eclampsia! When are researchers going to recognise that adding a pinch of that and a taste of something else is NOT the way to optimise reproductive outcomes or general health and wellbeing for that matter? It's a holistic approach that involves ALL of the nutritional factors, healthy lifesyle, clean environment and right attitude. Studying one or two nutrients in isolation is meaningless, and denies the power of holistic, complementary medicine. I would have expected more of the Cochrane Review - sadly study protocols like these smack of the way Big Pharma conducts its drug research.

we can learn from the animal world

2007-12-07T16:36:00.000+11:00

Mothers with low B vitamin levels before conceiving tend to have fatter male offspring at greater risk of high blood pressure, suggests new research with sheep.

The findings are important for species with two legs, since the pre- and post-natal development of sheep is approximately the same as humans, state the researchers in the prestigious journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.

Give your kids the taste for good food

2007-12-04T15:10:00.000+11:00

THis is an interesting story - find out how you can positively influence your kids' taste for fruit and vegetables (and other healthy tidbits)

All those in favour of Better Babies - raise your hands

2007-11-10T16:17:00.000+11:00

This week my co-author Francesca sent me an email - its always wonderful to hear from an enthusiastic reader of our books - and judging by the pics that came with the message, those readers are getting younger and younger!

November 06 2007
Dear Francesca,

Thank you so much for your lovely email and kind words.

My apologies for the late reply, we are currently travelling up the east coast on holidays till Christmas, and my time for correspondence has been very limited.

You are more than welcome to use Gabriel's photo, with or without his name (Gabriel Amadeus Bozovic). I think the work you are doing is so important, and I am so supportive and am happy to help in any way I can. Gabriel was conceived on my Lunar date, and arrived on the 4th April, 2005.

Again I feel very fortunate to have come across your books before conception. Thank You.

As an Aromatherapist, and wholistic Beauty Therapist, and Reiki Practitioner/Teacher, I have quite a passion for health and wellbeing. I am always researching and furthering my knowledge, and sharing it with those who will listen - I can't believe how much I have learnt since becoming a mum.

I am so passionate about healthy living, that I am going to further my studies in Nutrition/Lifestyle. I would love to eventually work with pregnancy and children. I am sure the poor lifestyle choices people make often come from a lack of information.

Through your books we feel so informed, and know that it has contributed to Gabriel's amazing growth and health. We chose not to immunise. He has been able to express himself verbally from a very young age, which has made our job easier. He is often mistaken for a 3 year old. People always comment on his amazing skin and gorgeous curls. And he has the most amazing and inquisitive mind!

Parenting is an extraordinary journey - how blessed we feel to be on the path. Our lives have been enriched beyond measure.

I have attached digital photos of the one we sent you, and also some recent ones from our trip. I hope you enjoy them and that they are of benefit. I am also happy to send future photos if you are interested.

I will be turning 42 in the new year, and if Gabriel decides he is ready to wean, I will look forward to another healthy conception.

Thank you again,
Kind regards,
Jenny Bozovic.

November 07 2007
Hello Jenny,

Francesca was kind enough to forward your lovely email and the pics (I am the other half of the Better Babies books and programs). Gabriel is absolutely gorgeous and what a wonderful advertisement for our book (and our work)!!

Thankyou for taking the time to share your experience!

I’m wondering if you would agree to posting on my blog? I’d love to link to your website if you have one, or refer to your practice?

The blog is brand new, but testimonials like yours are exactly what it needs. http://betterbabies.blogspot.com

BTW – my own Better Babies (the ones who inspired the books) are now 22 and 17 – the benefits of their beginnings are as apparent now as they were when they were Gabriel’s age J

Thanks again for your gracious words

Jan

November 09 2007
Dear Jan,

Thank you for your email, and very kind words.

I am so pleased Francesca forwarded my email as it was my intention for you both to receive it. You have both been an amazing part of our journey, and we thank you so much for all your sharing, caring, words of wisdom and wonderful books.

I am so happy to help in any way I can, as I think the wonderful work you both do is so important and so needed.

You are very welcome to use the photos, my emails etc.. in your work, for your blog, websites. I can also forward more current photos if required.

If this is not suitable, I am happy to scribe a more specific testimonial.

Thank you so much for your very kind offer to link my website and refer my practise – but I have not returned to work, as I am finding my new Motherhood role very full time!

Thank you again, for enlightening my journey into Motherhood, and filling my mind and heart with so much wonderful knowledge and wisdoms, which have empowered me to make the best possible choices for the best possible outcomes. I feel so privileged to be a caretaker of our gorgeous little boy Gabriel. Our lives have been enriched beyond measure, and we are certainly on a magical and extraordinary journey.

Wishing you all the very best,
Kind regards,
Jenny Bozovic.

On being a full time parent

2007-11-08T18:30:00.000+11:00

This afternoon, while taking advantage of a break between storms and a waterside "exercise station" I struck up a conversation with a full time Dad. He was relaxing on the inclined situp plane. He wasn't doing situps - just enjoying a beautiful afternoon while his daughter played. It reminded me of all the afternoons I'd done something similar while my kids occupied themselves with whatever kids find interesting when they're two or three years old. We don't see many full time parents just "hanging" with their kids - but I reckon everyone would be better off if we did!
Reckon you'll reach the end of your days and wish you'd spent more time at the office?

More older women turn to IVF

2007-11-04T09:36:00.000+11:00

SMH Mark MetherellOctober 16, 2007

Women in their 40s hoping to defy their biological clock are trying for test-tube babies in increasing numbers despite a one in 10 chance of success per treatment cycle.
Births of test-tube babies are booming, spurred by Medicare changes after earlier Government moves to discourage older couples from undergoing a treatment with little chance of success.

Watch out for those plastic bottles

2007-11-04T09:33:00.000+11:00

A chemical found in plastics used for everything from water bottles to dental fillings poses a serious health risk, environmentalists and researchers say, although the jury has yet to deliver a final verdict.Bisphenol A (BPA) is added to hard, clear polycarbonate plastics like those used in reusable water bottles and baby bottles, as well as the resins lining food cans and in some dental amalgams and sealants.

More women wanting a natural birth

2007-11-04T07:20:00.000+11:00

Last night I attended the premiere screening of a wonderful movie. Ricki Lake and Abby Epstein have made a damning expose of birth in the American hospital system (Australian statistics around intervention at birth are not quite as scary, but they're not cause for celebration either). The showing was part of the 25th Australian Homebirth Conference, and after being involved with this movement for more than 20 years, to see how it has grown and evolved, is truly exciting! This film should be mandatory viewing for school students (male and female) but last night, the huge, appreciative audience confirms that more and more women are reclaiming their birth from the medical fraternity and those numbers will keep on growing! This film is a must-see!

More sex means healthier sperm

2007-11-03T16:18:00.000+11:00

And it's healthier sperm we're after. Revolution is a product that can help

FREQUENT sexual activity improves the genetic quality of sperm and may help some couples conceive, fertility specialists have found.
A study of men revealed that genetic defects in their sperm fell substantially after going on a program that required them to engage in sexual activity daily for a week. Fertility doctors commonly advise men trying for a baby to abstain from sexual activity for two to three days, because it boosts the number of sperm they produce.
The latest finding suggests that men who have healthy sperm counts but poor quality sperm can improve the genetic material in the cells by engaging in sex more often.
David Greening, a fertility doctor at Sydney IVF, studied 42 men whose sperm had high levels of genetic damage. After three days of sexual abstinence, tests revealed 30.8 per cent genetic damage in the men's sperm. The men were tested again after being told to engage in sexual activity daily for a week.
Tests showed that while their sperm counts fell by nearly a third, genetic damage also fell, on average by 12.8 per cent, in 37 of the men. Tests on the remaining five men showed their sperm had slightly increased genetic damage.
Dr Greening, who spoke at the American Society for Reproductive Medicine meeting in Washington on Monday, said: "I'm convinced that ejaculating more frequently, i.e., daily, improves sperm DNA damage in most men by a decent amount." He said the longer sperm are held in the tube that leads from the testicles, the more genetic damage they accumulate from free radicals circulating in the body.
Guardian News & Media

A Diamond Moment

2007-10-31T14:32:00.001+11:00

Long awaited
a seed implants
and grows.
Heartbeat like gossamer wings
strengthens.
A body stretches, expands.
Miraculous development
to precise timetable.
Then complete,
waiting at an end,
two lives
intimately linked
together struggle
strain
triumph
and are transformed into a family.
In Australia a Diamond Moment – every other minute

Why the new baby boom?

2007-10-30T10:45:00.000+11:00

Sydney Morning Herald
Kate Benson Medical Reporter
October 30, 2007

AUSTRALIA's birthrate has risen again - thanks to women in their 30s who are fuelling a baby boom - but experts warn that many are leaving pregnancy until too late "and expecting science to save them".

The nation's fertility rate is at its highest level in 12 years, with about 265,900 babies born last year. But it is women between 30 and 34 who are having more babies than any other age group, and more than their age group has had in the past 43 years, according to Australian Bureau of Statistics figures released yesterday.

http://blogs.smh.com.au/newsblog/archives/your_say/016267.html?page=3#comments

Jan Roberts comments:
It's time the prophets of doom recognised that it's not increasing age that compromises fertility, but 35+ years of modern diet, lifestyle and environment! Sure, reversing the trend of this accumulation of factors takes some commitment (from both prospective parents) but it doesn't involve a high-tech solution and it does allow attainment of financial and professional 'security' if that's what you want. Security aside, older parents generally bring greater wisdom and patience to the job - becoming the mother of two sons at 38 and 42 - I made positive parenting choices that would never have occurred to me a decade earlier. But the most inspired decision was our preconception preparation - fabulously healthy babies just one of the many by-products!

2007-09-18T17:44:00.000+10:00

Getting the preconception message

2007-09-18T14:00:00.000+10:00

Hooray - a voice of reason at last ... Australian couples are too quick to regard IVF as a right rather than consider how weight loss, fewer cigarettes or more sex could improve their chances of having a baby, a leading fertility expert said. Reproductive specialist Rob Norman will tell a national fertility conference in Hobart today that while assisted reproduction is the only option for some couples, more than 50 per cent of those who seek it are overlooking simple lifestyle changes that could help lead to a natural pregnancy. "People assume that if they can't have a baby then they're going to have IVF, without even considering that if they smoke or if they're overweight, they're massively limiting their chance of getting pregnant," University of Adelaide Research Centre for Reproductive Health director Professor Norman said. "Some couples who seek help are only having sex once a month, but IVF is not a substitute for intercourse. "There are a lot of people showing up with these health problems but they say: 'I'm not here for a health message, I'm here to get a baby', and that's not right." More couples are seeking IVF as they encounter fertility problems sparked by older age and lifestyle factors that affect the quality of the egg and sperm. The number of IVF babies increased from 4500 in 2000 to 6200 in 2004 and is predicted to reach 8000 this year.

A blogging virgin

2007-09-18T06:41:00.000+10:00

Last week I asked the Universe - how can I get my preconception message out to the widest possible audience with ease and grace. Well you should always be very careful what you ask for. Last Thursday I was offered the most amazing position that will help me do it.

Then yesterday I attended a fantastic workshop - 'blogs, wikis and marketing.' Laurel Papworth had me on the edge of my seat - well, that's probably a bit strong, but you get what I mean. As a passionate and tireless communicator, I realised I haven't even touched the sides of getting my message out to the world.

But I'm on my way...