‘Baby-maker’ helps new moms over 40 defy the odds
IVF isn’t the only option for older women trying to get pregnant
She’s known as “the baby-maker” — so-named for her track record in helping women get pregnant against the odds.
Emma Cannon says she does not have all the answers but, having founded the Fertility Support Clinic in 2004, she has come to be relied on for using a more natural approach to conception. With more than 50,000 hours of clinical experience and an average of 360 new clients each year, she has become something of a “baby whisperer.”
“One in 28 babies are born to women over 40,” Cannon says, “but (we’re told) you only have a five per cent chance of getting pregnant every month when you’re 40, so where do these statistics really come from? Science would have you believe our fertility falls off a cliff at 38, but so many other factors come into play.”
With a raft of older women such as Janet Jackson, 50, becoming first-time mothers in recent months, and conception rates growing among older women, there is more focus than ever on keeping the body healthy as it ages.
In-vitro fertilization (IVF), for so long considered the only hope for women unable to get pregnant naturally, has come under fire of late, with one leading fertility expert criticizing clinics which insist on “unnecessary” treatments for vulnerable couples hoping to conceive, particularly as women remain fertile until they are 45.
Cannon, 49, believes IVF isn’t the only answer for women wanting to get pregnant, and that many could find their fertility better boosted through acupuncture, making simple lifestyle changes and, actually, just having more sex — all of which she details in her new book, Fertile. It offers a combination of practical advice on nourishing the body before starting to try for a baby or beginning IVF, and delicious recipes created with Cannon’s friend, nutritionist Victoria Wells.
“I’ve known patients go for IVF who aren’t regularly having sex and aren’t given advice on regular sex,” Cannon says. “Often people are prioritizing everything but sex. They’ve created a joyless life for themselves and they’re doing endless yoga or furiously juicing and that isn’t working either. The more out of control we feel, the more out of control we can become with things like our diet.”
The emotional fallout from trying and failing to get pregnant is not, she adds, helped by the fact that we are living in a society in which “we are all so used to getting what we want, when we want it.” Many rely on IVF as a way to get pregnant when “we have been massively oversold (it). The idea that it works and it works for everyone is nonsense.
“We are told that a truth exists in science and, when it doesn’t work in areas of fertility, people feel really let down. What I’m advocating isn’t perfect either, but my clinic works in a more integrated way. We aren’t ruling out medicine; we are supporting it.”
Cannon urges women to consider that “the older we get, the more important it is to address our lifestyle choices. The rejuvenating and protective aspects of our body reduce. During the time when the eggs are suspended in the ovaries, they come under the influence of the ovarian environment and there is a small window there where we can potentially make an impact on the quality of the eggs.”
So is there a way we can actually change the quality of our own eggs?
“This really is the holy grail of fertility,” she says. “The quality of the egg declines with age, but this is an area of medicine that is looking to improve the end-stage development of the egg.”
And, she adds, there are simple steps that can be taken to help things along the way.
“Melatonin is the hormone secreted at night and it can be taken as supplement. Research suggests that higher levels of melatonin found in the fluid surrounding the developing follicles produced larger follicles during IVF and neutralized free radicals (that can cause disease). Melatonin can be achieved by exposure to sunlight, so walk to work in the morning if you can.”
She also recommends paying attention to one’s digestive system by promoting a calmer and comparatively sensible approach to eating, continually emphasizing that every individual is different and everyone’s digestive systems are unique.
“I don’t believe in ‘superfoods.’ All these terms that we attach to foods are actually really damaging. Just eat as near to nature as possible and cook as much as you can.”
And it’s not only what you eat, but how. Too many of us are eating too late in the day: “When we go to bed at night, we’re meant to digest our day, not our dinner. Our lifestyle and health do not support fertility, particularly when we are waiting longer to get pregnant.”