With so many causes of infertility, it can be difficult to understand what may be causing your infertility. So let's break it down one by one.

Uterine fibroids. Uterine fibroids are an interesting category when we're talking about causes of infertility. They don't always cause infertility, and the fascinating thing, at least I think of fibroids, is sometimes people misunderstand fibroids and confuse them with polyps, which we'll talk about in another video.

But today we're jumping into uterine fibroids. Understanding exactly what they are, how often do they cause infertility and really, do they always cause infertility? Hint: no, they don't. But we will get to that in just a minute. So let's dive in.

What are uterine fibroids? Uterine fibroids are non-cancerous growths that occur in the uterus and are made of uterine muscle, also known as the myometrium or middle layer of the uterine tissue.

Tumors grow within this layer and can protrude into the inside of the uterus or through to the outside layer. The uterus has three layers of muscle tissue, the perimetrium, which is the outer layer, the myometrium, which is the middle layer, and the endometrium, which is the innermost layer. Fibroids, which grow in the myometrium otherwise known as the middle layer, can protrude into each other layer of uterine tissue. They can protrude inward, pushing into the endometrium, causing less space within the uterine cavity. It can also protrude outward on the outermost layer, the perimetrium.

Uterine fibroids affect an estimated 70 to 80% of people with uteruses at some point in their lifetime. 2 to 4% of those with fibroids experience infertility.

Uterine fibroids are very common among women in their thirties and forties. The cause of uterine fibroids is unknown. Treatment for uterine fibroids depends on the size and impact on life and/or reproductive struggles, but options include surgery, medication, or other interventions. Symptoms may include: heavy menstrual periods, longer or more frequent menstrual periods than expected, weight gain, and/or abdominal distension.

Stay tuned for more information about infertility and don't forget to follow and subscribe.

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There are a lot of things that come up as a new mom.  One of the most complicated things, is the decision how to feed your child.  Are you going to nurse, pump, formula feed, a combination?    

As a mom who combination fed my twins due to an issue with low milk supply, I often struggled to find a comfortable and stylish nursing bra.  But what's more frustrating was finding a sports bra that I could easily transition to nursing from after a workout.  If only Jen & Keri was around!  

Today's guest is Dr. Karlie Causey, co-founder of Jen & Keri, a postpartum activewear brand specializing in stylish and functional sports bras that double as nursing bras!  So, after you have your baby and your back to hitting the gym, you don't have to get out of your sports bra, you can nurse your baby without changing!  And more than that, these incredible bras are cute and stylish!  

Dr. Karlie is the co-founder of a postpartum activewear brand, sports chiropractor, and certified strength and conditioning coach who is passionate about providing practical tools to moms and moms-to-be, helping them restore their bodies and continue exercising after their babies are born.

Here’s a quick glimpse at this episode:

•Karlie shares her journey to becoming a chiropractor. 

•We talk about what inspired her to co-found Jen & Keri. 

•She tells me about her experience founding an activewear company. 

•Who she'd invite to her dream dinner party and who have been the most influential people in her life. 

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Find Karlie: 

On the Web:  www.jenandkeri.com

On the Web:  www.karliecausey.com

Instagram:  @jenandkeri 

Instagram:  @drkarlie

TikTok: @jenandkeri

TikTok: @drkarlie

With so many causes of infertility, it can be difficult to understand what may be causing YOUR infertility. So let's break it down one by one.

Male factor infertility, also known as MFI. This is such an interesting cause of infertility because it's not talked about as often as female causes of infertility, mostly because there are more causes of infertility that can originate from the female.

This doesn't mean that causes of infertility are more often with the female. It's actually a third female factor, a third male factor, and another third male _*AND*_ female factor. But that being said, the category of male factor infertility covers fewer causes than female factor. But let's dive in today and talk about what are the more common causes of male factor infertility, also known as MFI. Let's dive in. This is a great one. So here we go. 

What is male factor infertility? MFI, or male factor infertility is identified as being due to an issue with sperm, sperm production, or other related issues. Some examples are low sperm count, abnormally shaped sperm, otherwise known as morphology, low sperm movement, otherwise known as motility, and more.

Normal sperm count is considered a range from 15 million to greater than 200 million sperm per milliliter of semen. Low sperm count is considered to be anything fewer than 15 million sperm per milliliter of semen. 

In terms of morphology, normal sperm morphology (or shape) has a head, a body and a tail. Abnormal sperm morphology (or shape) is a tail that is too long, a tail that is missing a head, a head that is missing a tail, no body, a head that is too big, a head that is not properly shaped, two heads, or two tails, or anything that is not a normally shaped sperm.

Low sperm motility, also known as slow moving sperm is exactly how it sounds. It's sperm that doesn't move at the proper rate. Normal sperm motility is considered to be sperm that moves forward with progressions of at least 25 micrometers per second. Poor sperm motility is anything that is less than five micrometers per second or sperm that _*doesn't*_ move forward. 

Other causes of male factor infertility are things like varicocele. In varicocele, there is an enlargement of the veins in the scrotum. This enlargement can cause low sperm production and/or decreased sperm quality. In a normal scrotum, the veins are not enlarged and are the proper size.

MFI or male factor infertility, affects an estimated 7% of all men. 40 to 50% of infertility cases are due to MFI. Some causes can be fixed through surgery, diet, and lifestyle changes. Diagnosis is made through a variety of tests, usually in the following order, sperm sample, otherwise known as a semen sample, blood test, imaging, or repeat sperm sample.

Stay tuned for more information about infertility and don't forget to follow and subscribe.

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Have you ever found yourself at a point in your life where everything has changed and you don't know what's next?  Maybe you just bought a house.  Maybe you just had a baby.  Maybe you moved to a new country.  Something pivotal has happened in your life, and you're wondering how to move forward with your life.  My guest today, Jaclyn Strominger, is a Business & Accountability Coach with a passion for helping women leap to their success!

Jaclyn has been been passionate about helping people for over three decades. After 20 years in magazine publishing, she started mentoring when she realized most people begin their careers without a clear path or plan. In 2013, she became an entrepreneur and through her journey started coaching and training women and men how to pursue their own passions and create the life they desire. Jaclyn has made it her mission to help others take charge of their life and make changes to become better version of themselves. As a mentor, she helps others increase their inner and outer confidence, take leaps, and take charge of their lives. She is there for her clients to help them through the highs and lows of change.

Here’s a quick glimpse at this episode:

•Jaclyn shares her background in magazine publishing.

•We talk about what inspired her to leave publishing and become a coach.

•She tells me about why she is so passionate about coaching and why she's a "leaper" and not a "leper".

•Who she'd invite to her dream dinner party and who have been the most influential people in her life.

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Find Jaclyn:

On the Web:  www.leaptoyoursuccess.com

Instagram:  @jaclynsgems

Facebook:  www.facebook.com/JaclynStrominger

LinkedIn:  www.linkedin.com/in/jstrominger

With so many causes of infertility, it can be difficult to understand what may be causing your infertility. So let's break it down. One by one. 

Today we're talking about endometriosis. Endometriosis is a condition that can cause infertility, but it doesn't always cause infertility. It is a complicated disease that isn't really well understood, in terms of the cause.

In terms of cure or treatment, these things are complicated. But it's an important topic, because it can cause infertility, but it's equally important because it doesn't always cause infertility. So many women in the world are walking around with endometriosis and it's complicated and painful. I know because I'm one of them. That is something we'll get into another day, my personal experience.

But today it's important, let's talk about endometriosis. Let's get into it. 

What is endometriosis? Endometriosis is a disease of unknown cause that is characterized by the growth of endometrial tissue, which is the interior lining of the uterus on structures and or organs outside of the uterus.  

The female reproductive system consists of the uterus, the vagina, two fallopian tubes attached to either side of the uterus, and two ovaries, one attached to each fallopian tube.   

Menstrual blood, which is the endometrial tissue that sheds once a month lines the inside of the uterus. Endometriosis is when that same menstrual blood or endometrial tissue occurs on the outside surfaces of the reproductive structures.  

Endometriosis can also occur on organs of the digestive system, including the small intestine and the large intestine. Endometriosis can also occur between the vaginal canal and the rectum, as well as other areas like the large intestine, the fallopian tubes on the outside of the uterus, and even lining parts of the vaginal canal.  

One in 10 people with a uterus are affected by endometriosis. Endometriosis causes infertility in about 30 to 50% of those affected.  

It can be treated, but currently there is no cure.   

It is often misdiagnosed as or diagnosed concurrently with IBS, (irritable bowel syndrome) and/or IC (interstitial cystitis).  

Symptoms of endometriosis may include but are not limited to pelvic pain, heavy menstrual bleeding, painful ovulation, painful sex, bowel and urinary pain, and digestive problems.   

Stay tuned for more information about infertility and don't forget to follow and subscribe.

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Navigating infertility is like a full time job all on its own.  Day in and day out you have to figure out what is causing it, what to do about it, how to manage the emotional component, all while living your regular day to day life.  Compound that with owning and growing a business and it can feel like a recipe for disaster!

Today's guest, Vienne Cheung Brown is the owner of luxury hosiery brand, VienneMilano.  Vienne knows first hand the struggles of navigating infertility and the never ending uncertainty of lack of answers, persistent questions, and all the frustrating ins and outs of infertility.

Vienne Cheung Brown is the founder of VienneMilano, a luxury hosiery brand dedicated to thigh high stockings that are made in Italy. Founded in 2011, Vienne transitioned her previous work in high-tech product management to designing, distributing, and managing a fashion e-commerce brand. 

Today, VienneMilano has helped redefine thigh highs as a fashion category. Her hosiery collection offers one of the world's most extensive variety for thigh high stockings consisting of classic styles, fashion-forward pieces, skin tone matching sheers, eco-friendly stockings, plus sizes, and much more. The brand has expanded from being sold exclusively from VienneMilano.com to distributing to many online distribution channels and brick-and-mortar outlets. VienneMilano has also been featured in Vogue, Marie Claire, Elle, FOX, NBC and has been a popular accessory for celebrities and magazines in photo shoots across the world.

Here’s a quick glimpse at this episode:

•Vienne shares her infertility story and experience.

•We talk about what prompted her interest in creating a luxury hosiery company.

•She tells me about how she balanced the stress of infertility with the stress of owning a business.

•Who she'd invite to her dream dinner party and who have been the most influential people in her life.

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Find Vienne and VienneMilano:

On the Web:  www.viennemilano.com

Instagram:  @viennemilano

Facebook:  www.facebook.com/viennemilano

Twitter:  @VienneMilano

Infertility. What a topic! I know there is so much to cover with infertility. If I were to do one episode and talk about infertility, we'd be here for a month. Or longer, so I'm not gonna do that. That's why these Thursday episodes are short, three to five minute episodes, just to give you the facts. We can dive deeper, we can get way deeper with all of this.

But for now, let's just start with the simple stuff. Today we're talking about infertility as a whole, the general topic, the definition, what the statistics are surrounding infertility, the basics.. But before we dive into that, I just want to emphasize infertility is an important topic. It is not discussed enough.

There's not a lot that people, generally speaking, know about it because it's complicated. It's taboo and it shouldn't be. I am proud to say that I was an infertility warrior. Technically, I still am. Because when you're an infertility warrior, you are always a warrior. You fight this thing and it stays with you forever.

I'm proud of that. I strongly believe that infertility is not a taboo topic. It is something everybody should understand and talk about and not feel uncomfortable about. I get why people feel uncomfortable if you don't know what to say to someone going through infertility. It's tough. But if you're someone going through infertility and people around you don't know what to say, that's equally tough. And we will get to that in another episode.

But today we're talking basics. What is infertility? What's the definition? What does it mean? What are the statistics? I've got so much more to come for you, but here's an introduction, so let's get to it. What is infertility? 

Infertility is the inability to conceive, or get pregnant, despite regularly timed sexual intercourse without protection or contraception for one year. This number changes to six months in people over the age of 35.

Infertility can cause a tremendous amount of anxiety, depression, stress, and trauma. This includes emotional trauma, physical trauma, and spiritual trauma. Seeing a negative pregnancy test is a very different experience than seeing a positive pregnancy test in people with infertility.

Infertility affects one in eight couples. This number can also be looked at as 12.5%. One third of infertility cases are caused by male factor infertility. Another third of cases are caused by female factor infertility. And the last third of cases are caused by both male and female factor infertility.

Stay tuned for more information about infertility and don't forget to follow and subscribe.

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Hormones.  Skin.  Hormones and skin.  What a match these two are!  Think about it for a second.  When your hormones do what they do (especially the sex hormones and other hormones related to reproductive... stuff) skin often freaks out and takes on a life of its own.  Acne.  Dry skin.  Oily skin.  Angry skin. Confused skin.  It's all related to hormonal changes!  

My guest today is an expert in bio-organic chemistry, microbiology, synthetic biology, and skincare and he's here to talk about his innovative probiotic acne system and skincare line, Phyla.

Yug Varma, PhD, is the Cofounder & CEO of Phyla, the world’s most advanced probiotic acne system.

He has 10+ years of microbiome research experience including an extensive background in bio-organic chemistry, microbiology, and synthetic biology. Dr. Varma received his scientific training at several distinguished academic institutions, including Johns Hopkins University (PhD) and University of California, San Francisco. His scientific work has been published in many prestigious journals, including Nature.

Dr. Varma’s mission is to change the way we treat chronic bacterial diseases, and is working tirelessly to achieve this goal with a microbiome-based technology platform. He is passionate about promoting scientific literacy, and devotes a significant amount of time demystifying microbiome research and making the latest research accessible to the general public.

Here’s a quick glimpse at this episode:

•Yug shares his background in bio-organic chemistry, microbiology, & synthetic biology.

•We talk about how he and his co-founder came up with the idea of Phyla and why it was so important to them to create this incredible line.

•He tells me about how Phyla works and the science behind probiotics and acne.

•Who he'd invite to his dream dinner party and who have been the most influential people in his life.

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Find Dr. Varma & Phyla:

On the Web:  www.phylabiotics.com

Instagram:  @phylabiotics

Facebook Group:  www.facebook.com/phylabiotics

Exclusively for listeners of The Hormonal Mama Podcast:  Get 20% off all Phyla products when you use coupon code:  mama20