July marked the second anniversary in our present office location. It was July 4th, 2007, when my wife and three of our friends helped me move in and set up the office. A great deal of time and effort went into the planning and design of the office so it was, and continues to be, rewarding seeing our vision realized. It is difficult, however, to believe two years have passed… so much has happened in that time and we are very proud of our progress.

The years have been filled with highs and lows, good and bad, joy and sorrow. We feel privileged to be there with our patients through it all, celebrating their successes, as well as sharing their sadness. We hope that means as much to you as it does to us.

If it weren't for you, our wonderful patients, we would not be where we are today. Each and every one of you have fostered our growth, and as we reflect on the last two years, we want to express our gratitude for your support. We look forward to continuing our relationships with you, and hope, regardless of where you are in your journey, you will stay in touch.

We have some exciting news to share with you in the coming months, so please stay tuned!

Take care and be well,

David Youran
Director and Founder

To break the stress cycle of trying to conceive, a regular yoga practice may be your best weapon.

When months - even years - go by, breaking the cycle of anxiety and disappointment can seem all but impossible. That tension is made worse in knowing that stress takes a toll on the body, and reproduction is definitely not immune from its impact. Fortunately, it seems that yoga can break the stress loop, allowing your body to truly relax. Studies show yoga engages the parasympathetic nervous system, the one that allows us to turn off the evolutionary "fight or flight" response, that can be at the root of chronic tension.

Visit conceiveonline.com to read more and learn how to de-stress, breathe, and stretch your way to pregnancy with specially designed yoga for fertility moves.

Women undergoing infertility treatment report the same level of stress, anxiety, and depression as women who have cancer, HIV, or heart disease. Chronic stress can lead to depression and lower resistance to disease.

Acute stressors cause increased heart rate, sweating, and rapid breathing which is the “fight or flight” response. Internal stressors are harder to control than external ones. For example you can’t “make” a cycle work, but you can change doctors or clinics if you are unhappy with the medical care you are receiving.

Research has shown that chronic stress causes the hormone cortisol to rise and blood flow to the uterus may be decreased, which could impact implantation of a fertilized embryo.

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According to the National Sleep Foundation, 70% of Americans don't get enough sleep, and most sleep disorder sufferers remain undiagnosed and untreated. Yet sleep is integral to our quality of life, overall health, and fertility.

Sleep helps restore and rejuvenate the brain and organ systems, including the reproductive system. When sleep suffers over the long run, so does our relationship with our spouse, our mood, our immunity, and even our hormone balance. Sleep loss can also lead to fertility disrupting lifestyle factors like caffeine overuse and weight gain.

Lack of sleep may even lead to menstrual irregularity, a factor that can delay the time it takes to conceive. When researchers polled women in notoriously sleep-deprived professions such as flight attendants and nurses working the late shift half of the women reported irregular menstrual cycles (compared to about 20% of the general population). Some stopped ovulating altogether.

Even the light we are exposed to on a day-to-day basis has an influence on ovulation and reproductive hormones, one that has fascinated (and perplexed) researchers for years. "There is some evidence that before the age of artificial lighting, birth control pills, and working indoors, women all ovulated in sync with the phases of the moon," says Joyce Stahmann, M.P.H., a fertility educator and professional herbalist in Portland, Oregon, who teaches the Natural Fertility Management Program.

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