August 18, 2012 -- Dialysis and pregnancy rarely go hand in hand, but Kurla resident Sharifa Sheikh has pulled off the impossible by giving birth to her third child a fortnight back.

I thought I was putting on weight and was shocked when the doctor told me that I was 24 weeks pregnant, said the 42-year-old Sharifa, who also has two daughters.

What made it difficult for her to accept the situation was the fact that she had tried to get pregnant right after the birth of her second daughter who is now 12 years old but in vain.

Moreover, we have a 16-year-old daughter, said her 44-year-old husband, Mohammed Arif Sheikh, a driver who has been out of a job for the last three months and had to borrow heavily for his accidental baby.

The boy, born in Kohinoor Hospital, Kurla, on July 31, is, in fact, a medical marvel.

It is extremely rare for a woman on dialysis to get pregnant, said nephrologist Aseem Thamba, who has been Sharifa's doctor since she was detected with kidney failure in 2005.

Usually, women with kidney failure are past their reproductive age.

Even if they are not, the fluctuations in hormones due to their disease is so immense that it's difficult to conceive.

Read more: 42-yr-old woman on dialysis pulls off rare pregnancy

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TODAY'S BOOK SUGGESTION:
Taking Charge of Your Fertility, 10th Anniversary Edition:
The Definitive Guide to Natural Birth Control, Pregnancy Achievement, and Reproductive Health
by Toni Weschler

-- For any woman unhappy with her current method of birth control; demoralized by her quest to have a baby, or experiencing confusing symptoms in her cycle, this book provides answers to all these questions, plus amazing insights into a woman's body.

Weschler thoroughly explains the empowering Fertility Awareness Method, which in only a couple minutes a day allows a woman to:
• Enjoy highly effective, scientifically proven birth control without chemicals or devices
• Maximize her chances of conception or expedite fertility treatment by identifying impediments to conception
• Increase the likelihood of choosing the gender of her baby
• Gain control of her sexual and gynecological health

Paperback: 512 pages
Click to order/for more info: Taking Charge of Your Fertility

I wanted to thank you for this wonderful program!

After years of trying to conceive and a failed IVF [InVitro Fetilization] and a failed FET [frozen embryo transfer], I ordered the Pregnancy Miracle book, by Lisa Olsen.

According to my infertility doctor, it was very unlikely that I could become pregnant with my own eggs.

But here I am, pregnant for the first time in my life.

I got pregnant naturally just two months after my failed FET, and after following the Pregnancy Miracle plan.

I am now seven months pregnant (see photo above).

I am spreading this miracle story to whomever I meet and who suffers from infertility.

Kind regards and thank you, Lisa!

-- Martha Francis, July 2009 (UK)

Photo credit: pregnancymiracle.com
All rights reserved

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TODAY'S BOOK SUGGESTION:
The Sperm Meets Egg Plan: Getting Pregnant Faster
by Deanna Roy
-- The Sperm Meets Egg Plan is a step-by-step guide to achieving pregnancy without taking invasive tests, charting temperatures, or making mistakes in predicting your ovulation that result in mistimed attempts at fertilization.

Designed by Deanna Roy after months of trying made her believe she had a fertility problem, the plan will help you time intercourse whether you have a typical or atypical cycle.

It includes adjustments for common fertility problems, what to do if you are over forty, and considerations for trying again after a pregnancy loss.

This booklet includes 40 pages of instruction plus a 10-page sneak peek of Deanna's book Baby Dust. It should be a free download.

This FREE booklet is a THANK YOU to all the women who have supported Deanna's web site since the loss of her first baby in 1998.

Start reading The Sperm Meets Egg Plan on your Kindle in under a minute!

Don't have a Kindle? Get your Kindle here, or download a FREE Kindle Reading App.

I just decided I'd give you some positives.

I am 44 years old and have a 7-month-old son, a 3-year-old son, a 4-year-old son and a 6-year-old daughter.

I also was pregnant three additional times (between the birth of the 3-year-old and my most recent addition), but lost them due to miscarriage (all flukes, at different stages of development).

All children were conceived on the first or second attempt; all pregnancies were easy without complication; all births also without complication. The risks are so overstated.

Yes, they exist and yes, they are greater than at a younger age, but the increase is not dramatic and the odds are still very much in your favor of having a baby that is happy, healthy and wise!

Even though it may sound impossible, it's entirely probable to get pregnant during menopause - although the chances of a woman getting pregnant are decidedly slimmer during middle age compared to during her 20s and 30s.

Egg production naturally decreases by 50-percent by the time most women reach the age of 40. The percentage continues to decline every year after.

Yet, women are not completely infertile until menstruation has stopped for 12 months straight.

In fact, almost 70-percent of women between the ages of 40- and 44-years old ovulate regularly during the perimenopause stage.

In fact, about half of perimenopausal women between the ages of 40- and 49-years of age don't use any contraception, which results in more than 60-percent of unplanned pregnancies and abortions in women over 40.

There you have it - it is possible to become pregnant during menopause!

So if you don't want to become pregnant, continue using a reliable birth control method.

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TODAY'S BOOK SUGGESTION:

Birth Begins at Forty: Challenging the Myths of Late Motherhood
by Elizabeth Gregory

-- More and more women are giving birth in their forties, and for some, it will be their first baby.

What was unusual is now becoming quite common, yet little has been written on this dramatic shift.

This book tells all and is the result of honest and revealing interviews.

The book covers a range of topics, including the trend to late parenthood; how do you decide?; how easy is it?; the risks and differences with late motherhood; combating age prejudice; getting life back on track; having another baby; fathers over 40; and the benefits and delights.

Paperback: 203 pages
Click to order/for more info: Birth Begins at Forty

August 2, 2012 -- British actress Saffron Burrows revealed her advanced pregnancy on a night out in Los Angeles.

The actress, 40, made headline when she embarked on a relationship with fellow British actress and True Blood star Fiona Shaw, 54, a few years ago after a string of high-profile flings with the opposite sex.

Former Law and Order star Saffron was seen leaving upscale restaurant Madeo in West Hollywood, with one hand resting on her huge baby bump.

The actress looked fabulous in a simple blue sleeveless V-neck dress, which she paired with beige sandals which had a feminine bow at her ankles.

Saffron wore her auburn hair loose around her shoulders and appeared to be wearing little if no make-up, her natural pregnancy glow on full display.

This Pregnancy Over 40 story was found on DailyMail.co.uk
Read more: Saffron Burrows, 40, unveils her baby bump
Originally posted in August 2, 2012.
Photo Credit: Dailymail.co.uk - All rights reserved

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TODAY'S BOOK SUGGESTION:
The Long-Awaited Stork: A Guide to Parenting After Infertility
by Ellen Sarasohn Glazer

-- Parents who have wondered about the long term impact of infertility on their self-image will find the answers in this insightful book by Lois Melina, author of Raising Adopted Children and Making Sense of Adoption.

Finally, here's a book that's sensitive and responsive to the unique emotional experience of parenting after a long, arduous course of infertility diagnosis and treatment.

The Long-Awaited Stork gives you all the information, advice, and support you need to adjust to and cope with the special problems of parenting after infertility.

Paperback: 368 pages
Click to order/for more info: The Long-Awaited Stork