Among the many not-so-lovely side-affects pregnancy brings, comes the welcome news that your hair is the best it’s ever been during this time. Thanks to all those lovely increased hormone levels, your hair doesn’t shed while you’re pregnant but continues to grow resulting in a full head of lustrous hair. A small consolation to having to pee […]

7 years ago

Plus, how to stay away from them.

7 years ago

Whether you are a fan of hard-core Cross Fit sessions, or you’re just as happy with just a gentle stroll, there’s no doubt women are confused about what type and how much exercise to do during pregnancy. Here are my top tips to help keep mum and baby healthy during this busy time: Don’t be afraid to […]

7 years ago

The never-ending breastfeeding question – do I have enough to give?

8 years ago

My kids have always been pretty healthy eaters. That’s not to say their eyes don’t go out on sticks at the mere mention of chocolate cake, but overall they try their best to make healthy choices. We rarely get take-aways and fizzy drinks, jellies or fruit juice are normally off-limits, while veggies or fruit are […]

8 years ago

Learn what you can do to improve your symptoms before resorting to surgery.

9 years ago

Few detection methods are 100% accurate

9 years ago

Avoid these to give swimmers the best chance possible.

9 years ago

We all know that our children need regular exercise, plenty of sleep and a balanced diet to stay healthy.  That said, if you want to keep your kids full of energy and away from the doctors office, there are a few extra tricks you can try. Health fact: ‘Pretty clean’ is better than ‘super clean. This […]

9 years ago

Feeling cheated of that pregnancy ‘glow’?

9 years ago

Jessica Bourke on the dos and don’ts…

9 years ago

From one of Ireland’s leading fertility experts.

9 years ago

It’s something you might have overlooked.

9 years ago

When it comes to fertility issues, it’s easy to forget that it ‘takes two to tango’ because so much of the emphasis is placed on a woman’s health issues, rather than on her partner. Recent research has highlighted how wrong we were in this assumption and that male fertility issues deserve as much attention, if not […]

9 years ago

“Find a doctor who is willing to go the extra mile on your behalf”

9 years ago

Any guys who are reading this might want to look away now. I’m about to go into a whole lot of detail about important ‘lady stuff’… While most women don’t talk much about the ‘mechanics’ of periods, it’s actually very useful information to have, because it can give you clues about your hormonal health and […]

10 years ago

Might it be time to clear out the kitchen cupboards? These foods could be causing a negative impact on your hormones. And we don’t need any more disruptions to our hormones, now do we? In the wake of the recent WHO report that claimed an increased cancer risk due to eating excessive processed and red meat, some of […]

10 years ago

Jessica Bourke is a Natural Fertility Specialist, a regular contributor to Irish media and co-author of the ‘Guilt Free Gourmet‘ cookbook. She’s also a busy mum-of-two. 1. “Kids are just small adults, while adults are just big kids.” I love this phrase; it’s something my Dad used to say when I was small and it really resonated with me. […]

10 years ago

The field of sperm and egg donation is an area fraught with anxiety for many patients who are dealing with fertility issues. Making the leap from the idea of using your own egg or sperm to having a baby that is not genetically your own, is never easy, and it deserves careful thought and discussion. […]

10 years ago

Much has been written about the benefits of getting out in the sun for 20 minutes without sunscreen to ensure healthy Vitamin D levels. From immune suppression to miscarriage, there is a wide-ranging list of conditions that it appears to help with. With our busy lives spent mostly indoors, we were able to by-pass the […]

10 years ago

Everyone’s heard the story about the couple who were having difficulty conceiving, but after going on a relaxing holiday… hey presto, they discovered they were expecting. Well meaning advice, to just ‘relax and let it happen’ can be extremely frustrating to hear, when you’ve been trying your best to do just that, yet there is no sign […]

11 years ago

Planning to get pregnant? you need to know these facts

11 years ago

Every day in my clinical practice I’m privy to the joy and despair that are an inevitable part of the fertility journey. It can be challenging at times, but it’s part of the job and I wouldn’t have it any other way. Sometimes however, I find the bad news more difficult to accept. A patient’s story […]

11 years ago

Weight gain is a normal and healthy part of being pregnant. The fat stores that are laid down during this busy time of growth and development are there to ensure your own and your baby’s survival after the birth. So why do so many women find it hard to lose weight after having a baby?  […]

11 years ago

The answer to this important question is that it depends on each woman’s individual case. Let’s discuss:  Benefits for women over 40 If you fall into this age category, there is research pointing to the benefits of frozen embryo transfer (FET), instead of having a transfer on a fresh cycle. The reason for this is […]

11 years ago

The emotional and physical recovery from a miscarriage is incredibly important and not something that should be taken lightly. Granted, there are some women who are lucky enough to get pregnant the next cycle after a miscarriage and have no further problems, but for most women, it’s advisable to wait at least two menstrual cycles before […]

11 years ago

Every parent dreads that inevitable note coming home from the teacher; there’s a case of head lice in your little one’s classroom. According to recent news too, head lice are no longer a problem reserved for our younger children, but teenagers too because of the craze for taking ‘selfies’, where kids stand close together allowing adult head lice to […]

11 years ago

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) is an incredibly common health problem. It encompasses all manner of symptoms that affect the gastrointestinal tract, from heartburn and reflux to excessive wind or irregular bowel habits. These symptoms indicate that your gut isn’t doing very well. While IBS is considered to be a fairly benign problem, it has the […]

11 years ago

Last year, when Facebook and Google announced their plans to offer egg freezing to female employees, it triggered an international debate about the ethics and ramifications of such a policy. Not surprisingly, this led women of all ages to wonder about their own fertility potential; ‘Should I be thinking about conceiving straight away or can […]

11 years ago

The number of Caesarean sections taking place around the world each year is on the rise. This has been attributed to the increase in twin pregnancies (whether due to advanced maternal age or IVF treatment), obesity, interventions such as foetal heart rate monitoring or induction of labour. We know that a woman who has had a […]

11 years ago

Folic acid is vital for a healthy pregnancy, but are you taking the right type? In recent years there has been an increase in the numbers of babies born with neural tube defects. As a result, doctors have been reissuing their advice that all women of child-bearing age should supplement with folic acid, even where […]

11 years ago

By about the twenty-seventh week of pregnancy you are considered to be in your third trimester, but there’s something extra special about reaching the 30 week mark. At this point, the countdown to your due date starts into the single digits and the whole idea of impending motherhood begins to feel much more real. You […]

11 years ago

Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome affects fertility and numerous other areas in your life

11 years ago

It’s the stage of your pregnancy when, with any luck, that pesky morning (or all day) sickness should be easing, energy levels are slowly rising and you’re starting to feel like yourself again (kind of).  Try to incorporate the following to feel even better: Exercise: To reduce the risk of gestational diabetes or excess weight gain […]

11 years ago

At work in her clinic, Natural Fertility Specialist Jessica Bourke deals with all aspects of reproductive health. And she’s learned a thing or two about people along the way… 1. Telling a woman who is dealing with fertility issues to ‘just relax and it will happen’ is akin to waving a red flag at a bull. […]

11 years ago

If you had been considering a home birth but read the recent article about American mother Ashley Martin’s ‘traumatic’ experience, you probably had second thoughts about it. I want to share my own experience and discuss the big question this piece raises: in choosing a home birth, are you really taking a risk with your baby’s life? […]

11 years ago

‘So when are you thinking of having another one?’ This is a rather rude question that many a new Mum has been asked, often when their baby was barely a week old and they haven’t even got their head around breast-feeding yet. Nosy friends and family aside, it does raise an interesting topic: is there a minimum […]

12 years ago

Last week I went through some of the vital nutrients that are known to support female fertility so this week I have shifted the focus to male fertility. These are the supplements men should consider to ensure healthy ‘swimmers’: 1. Zinc: There is a lot of evidence linking Zinc to male fertility, which is why […]

12 years ago

Nutrients taken in supplement form are designed to enhance the good work you are already doing with your diet and lifestyle. Supplements should never be a replacement for a healthy diet, so make sure to enjoy green leafy vegetables, fruit, nuts, seeds, lean protein, whole grains and omega 3 rich foods on a daily basis. However, […]

12 years ago

Mental preparation can have a big impact on your experience of labour

12 years ago

Taking a probiotic could reduce your baby’s risk of dermatitis

12 years ago

Welcome to the first in a series of natural fertility articles

12 years ago