Dr. Simone’s Mind Space

Learning to be patient..how challenging for the mind to be stuck on ground and not able to fly. Waiting in snow chaos in Zurich. As if there’s never any snow here!! We’re seriously challenged to remain calm, when in such a special scenario. The crew and all passengers kept very quiet. Thanks to the chocolate everyone got, I assume! Personally, I feel I didn’t deal well with the situation! It’s been mentally very stressful to just sit and wait, without any agenda!! Especially, since I have specific plans for this evening and my son’s very first birthday! I so wish, I’d been up earlier this morning and having had my exercise in, instead of wanting to squeeze that in too. But that’s the typical “shoulda, woulda, coulda” attitude that doesn’t change anything, only makes one more irritated. Lesson learned: Do everything you want BEFORE a flight or train ride! Find tranquility in a situation you can’t change! Stay open-minded and curious. Challenging times ask for decompression! Go for some exercise to not share the negative energy elsewhere! Look at the bright sides, stay positive! @drschwank @unesurcent @optimalperformancezurich

Infertility can affect anyone. There’s no socioeconomic advantage or exception of infertility. Yet, of course depending on the medical system, it can also be a very costly experience. Yet while infertility can be a major stressor on a relationship, many aspects can actually help strengthen it. The most important part of the process is, to undergo it as a team, with a united goal, to become a family, one way or another. That’s however much easier said than done. Here are some aspects to keep in mind, that can help a couple to cope with infertility. Be a team self-blame starts when you see infertility as your own struggle. Try to keep some spontaneous intimacy. “Planned sex” is unsexy. Manage your stress. Seek professional help, if your stress becomes unbearable and overwhelming. Communicate honestly. Resentment and anxiety can shut down the lines of communication in a marriage or partnership. Become educated. Knowledge is powerful, especially when it comes from a qualified expert. Set goals and limits. Communicate honestly about your limits, and set mutual goals. You may also decide to explore alternative methods of starting a family, such as egg or sperm donation, or adoption and decide when you’ll consider such methods, @drschwank @unesurcent @optimalperformancezurich

Lifestyle choices, such as excessive alcohol consumption, smoking, obesity, and high stress levels can negatively impact fertility in men and women. What can be done? It’s always easier said than done! Change is super tough!! Ask yourself, which adjustments are feasible and sustainable. -Less is more. If you want to change a habit, start with a small change that you can maintained over a long period of time. -Do it as a team and support each other. Fertility treatments are super tough. You may therefore fall back into old habits. Don’t blame each other. -Meet each other with dignity, kindness, and respect. Set yourself a goal, like the Everest camps. Start with base camp one, two, etc. nobody reaches the top within one day! Keep living! Fertility treatments can take a longtime to succeed. Keep your daily life and especially important your social life going. It’s crustal for mental and physical well-being. @drschwank @unesurcent @optimalperformancezurich

Hormonal problems and irregularities, such hyper and hypo thyroid activity can impact fertility, the female cycle and male sperm production and quality. Common causes of hormonal imbalance that affect ovulation Some of the most commonly diagnosed conditions and hormonal imbalances are anovulation, polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) and hyperprolactinemia. These conditions often result in infrequent or absent ovulation, which complicates an individual’s or couple’s ability to become pregnant. Symptoms of hormonal imbalance Often times, hormonal imbalance is not diagnosed until an individual experiences infertility. Women may experience one or more of the following symptoms: Absent or irregular periods. Spotting between periods. Heavy or painful periods. Increased hair growth on the face, neck, chest, and back. Unexplained weight gain. Constipation and diarrhea. Men are less likely to have a hormonal imbalance that contributes to infertility than women, but they may still experience symptoms such as: Erectile dysfunction. Low sperm count. Reduced body hair growth. Breast tenderness and overdevelopment of breast tissue. Thinning hair or male pattern hair loss. It’s important to discuss any of the above symptoms with a reproductive endocrinologist if infertility is suspected. @drschwank @unesurcent @optimalperformancezurich Source: https://lomalindafertility.com/infertility/women/hormonal-imbalance