A man has been left fighting for his life after he lost his leg during a horrific shark attack at Falcon Beach in Mandurah on Tuesday afternoon.
The man, who is believed to be a fly-in, fly-out worker for FMG, was surfing at the West Australian beach at about 4pm with friends when the attack occurred.
“It’s very desperate scenes down here at the moment,” Nathan Hondros, deputy editor of the Mandurah Mail, told Radio 6PR.
“We’ve got the bloke out of the water, he seems to have lost a leg from above the knee and it looks like ambulance crews are trying to revive him… it’s not looking good.”
But according to witnesses the man, believed to be 29, was soon assessed by paramedics who dismissed the RAC rescue chopper which landed at the scene and transported the patient to Peel Health Campus by ambulance.
Jodie Hough, a Halls Head local, said the man was still conscious when he was brought up the stairs from the beach, reports Perth Now.
Falcon Bay beach has been closed one kilometre in each direction by City of Mandurah rangers and there is no word yet on what kind of shark was responsible for the attack.
I will never forget the time I lost my three year old at the beach.
I turned around for a second – a second – and she was gone.
I scoured the beach, screaming her name, absolutely panic stricken.
I found her about 300 metres or so away, sitting on the lap of a complete stranger.
She was fine. It took me weeks to recover.
And so, when I saw that footage of the child in the gorilla pit, I sobbed.
I sobbed for the mother, watching her child in danger. I sobbed for the child, who was probably terrified.
Now, I’m no longer crying, but I am absolutely stunned and disgusted by the wave of criticism directed at the mother of the child.
I try not to write when angry, but it’s hard not to be angry about it.
As a society, we can weep with parents whose child roams into a swimming pool and drowns.
We can empathize with parents who accidentally run over their toddler with the family car.
We can mourn the recent death of a four-year-old strapped into a car which ran down a boat ramp into the water.
Because we understand, of course, that accidents happen, and that it is a tragedy for all concerned.
And yet we slander this mother for ‘allowing’ her child to enter a gorilla pit at the local zoo.
Let me explain why it is not the mother’s fault.
It is impossible to keep your child in sight every second, particularly kids who are bolters (like my beach-wanderer). The only sure-fire way to ensure that your child will remain by your side is to use a kiddy-leash. But of course we are utterly disparaging of parents who resort to leashes (“You’re treating your kid like a dog???”) and so there is huge disincentive to do so.
The mother was taking her child to the zoo for a day out. This does not scream ‘neglectful’ to me.
Zoos are supposed to be safe spaces for children. Zoos are designed for children. Animals don’t get out of their enclosures, kids don’t get in. Yes, the child was heard telling his mum he wanted to ‘go in the water’. But the mother, no doubt, felt secure in the knowledge that he couldn’t go in the water, because they were at the zoo and kids can’t get into the enclosures. It was an absolutely reasonable assumption. I would have thought the same.
Had the little boy climbed into the enclosure and been rescued without hurting the gorilla, there would have been universal celebration. If the little boy had been killed, there would have been worldwide mourning. Sadly, the gorilla died. But this tragic outcome doesn’t change the actions of the mother. She is no more responsible for the accident in the third scenario as in the first two.
The decision of the zoo to shoot the gorilla is not the mother’s responsibility. Whether you agree with it or not does not change the mother’s actions. Yes, it may have been unnecessary. I’m not a gorilla handler, so I don’t know, and unless you are, neither do you. Either way, human life has to come before an animal life. You may be a passionate supporter of animal rights. You may be devastated at the death of this creature. But if it was your child (or partner, sister, best friend) and you had to choose, I suspect you would make the same decision.
If I had a regular out-of-the-home job I would have had to call in sick today. In fact I might have to take leave for the next four weeks and I’m just not sure how HR would respond if I had to tell them I needed leave to watch my dog sleep.
I’ll take a moment to acknowledge my privilege while I give you the back-story.
Henry is my dog, also known amongst family and friends as my second child. He is a 10-year old spoodle who is as high in maintenance as he is in beauty. But right now he is not well and the mother in me is having a really hard time coping.
With both a ruptured cruciate ligament and spinal problems, Henry is unable to stand, he is just lying on his fluffy bed being hand fed and occasionally taken outside in the hope he’ll be able to get his ablutions done before he’s cuddled up and taken back to his bed. It may not sound like he needs me to be at home with him but I can’t seem to separate my mind and my body. And Henry is taking up a whole lot of my mind.
The only time that I can remember feeling like this before is when my baby was born 10 weeks prematurely and spent two months in neo-natal intensive care growing, learning to breathe, fighting off infections and dealing with a hideous case of necrotising inter-colitis.
I remember having this same feeling of angst and anxiety that I am experiencing with my dog right now. While I am keenly aware of the difference between my child and my dog (my child is not covered in soft, golden fur) it hasn’t diminished the way I feel. And it’s not so much about the person (or pet) at the centre of the situation but the powerlessness I feel.
When my son was in hospital the awful truth was that I was no help to him in a practical way at all. Ventilators breathed for him and he was fed specialised nutrition through a tube. Even when I was able to express milk, human milk fortifier was added to my breast milk because he needed that extra bit to help him get stronger. Nurses handled him with love and care and a practiced skill that I felt I’d never master. I was a very loving onlooker with just presence and tears to offer.
I couldn’t even cuddle him as he was so small and fragile that just touching him would cause his oxygen levels to drop. If I could describe powerless to anyone that’s how I would define it; not being able to comfort your baby when they cry.
Many years have passed since that awful time and my son is now a strong, happy and healthy 15-year-old and I’m the only one bearing the scars. Maybe it is because of these scars that I’m feeling my dog’s sickness so profoundly.
I have a dog that loves and trusts me completely but doesn’t understand why he’s in pain or why I am allowing the vet to prod and poke him. I am consumed with love and worry for him but that’s not enough to make him better. I have to surrender to the vet and it’s hard to explain that to my dog.
Maybe this is the way all people feel about their pets, or maybe I am just a neurotic (people who know me are nodding their heads) but my dog is as much a part of my family as my son is, although admittedly my son is a much better communicator.
It’s tough seeing someone you love in pain but I’m glad I have this opportunity to sit at home and watch him recuperate, even if he is desperately trying to find the words to say “do you really need to watch me sleep?”
And who knows, maybe in this time I’ll get over the trauma of my human son’s early days in the hospital and I can replace my anxiety with a whole new canine dimension.
The mother of the little boy who slipped into the gorilla enclosure at the Cincinnati Zoo on Saturday – which led to the animal being shot dead – has addressed her critics.
Following the dramatic turn of events, many voiced the parents should be charged with child endangerment.
And now the mother of the boy, Michelle Gregg, has broken her silence taking to Facebook with an impassioned post which has since been deleted.
“God protected my child until the authorities were able to get to him. My son is safe and was able to walk away with a concussion and a few scrapes… no broken bones or internal injuries,” she penned.
“As a society we are quick to judge how a parent could take their eyes off of their child and if anyone knows me I keep a tight watch on my kids. Accidents happen,” she continued.
You can read it in full below. Post continues…
It has since been revealed that the 32-year-old, has four children with the boy’s father, 36-year-old Deonne Dickerson [pictured above], who is a convicted criminal.
His rap sheet is riddled with offences including burglary, firearms offences, drug trafficking, criminal trespass, disorderly conduct and kidnap.
People across the globe took to Twitter to slam Michelle, claiming that she was personally responsible for the death of Harambe, the 17-year-old, 204-kilogram male Western Lowland gorilla.
Watch the shocking footage of Harambe with Michelle’s son. Post continues…
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One user quipped, “Am SICK&TIRED of LAZY people who do not WATCH THEIR CHILDREN. RIP #Harambe you did not deserve to die. @CincinnatiZoo I am sorry 4 u also.”
While comedian and animal lover Ricky Gervais simply said, “It seems that some gorillas make better parents than some people.”
In fact, animal activists believe criminal charges need to be brought in and have started an online petition called Justice for Harambe.
The scenes from the day shocked the world.
If it reaches 150,000 signatures, it will be sent to the Cincinnati Zoo, Hamilton County Child Protection Services and Cincinnati Police Department to encourage action against Michelle.
Standing by their actions, Cincinnati Zoo released a statement from park director Thane Maynard saying, “We are heartbroken about losing Harambe, but a child’s life was in danger and a quick decision had to be made by our Dangerous Animal Response Team.”
Explaining the decision behind the elimination of tranquilizing as an option, Mark said, “tranquilizers do not take effect for several minutes and the child was in imminent danger. On top of that, the impact from the dart could agitate the animal and cause the situation to get much worse.”
Harambe just turned 17.
While the zoo believe the gorilla was violently dragging and throwing the little boy, onlookers on the day, and people who have viewed footage of the scene think something else was at play – that Harambe was protecting the child.
“The little boy, once he fell, I don’t think the gorilla even knew that he was in there until he heard him splashing in the water,” onlooker Brittany Nicely told ABC News.
“The gorilla rushed the boy, but did not hit the boy. He almost was guarding the boy, was protecting him… The gorilla was not, in my eyes being harmful.”
Meanwhile, Australian vet Dr Chris Brown has also weighed in on the matter.
“Western lowland gorillas like Harambe are classified as critically endangered in the wild and behaviourally are renowned for being relatively placid, unless provoked. So were other non-lethal measures an option? For starters, the zoo staff were placed in an awful situation. And probably acted on an existing protocol. But what else could have been done,” he said.
This is not the first time that a child has fallen into a gorilla enclosure. Watch the incredible moment from 1996 when a female gorilla saved a child. Post continues…
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However, another witness from the zoo recounts the scenario differently.
Deirdre Lykins was at the enclosure with her family. In detailed Facebook post, which you can read in full below, she describes how the child wandered away within seconds, “flopped” over a fence and then crawled into the gorilla enclosure, eventually falling down into the moat.
“The gorilla did just seem to be protective of the child. It wasn’t until the gorilla became agitated because of the nosey, dramatic, helpless crowd; that the gorilla violently ran with the child!”
Deidre was at the zoo during the horrific accident. You can read her full account at the end of the article.
Continuing, she wrote, “And it was very violent; although I think the gorilla was still trying to protect, we’re taking a 400 lb gorilla throwing a 40 lb toddler around! It was horrific! The zoo responded very quickly, clearing the area and attempting to save both the child and the gorilla!”
“The right choice was made.”
Despite the unrelenting negative backlash from the tragic occurrence, others in the zoo community have defended Cincinnati for their decision.
Post continues after the video…
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Jack Hanna, the director emeritus of Ohio’s Columbus Zoo, told Good Morning America, “I can tell you now, that there’s no doubt in my mind the child would not be here today if they hadn’t made that call.”
“So what is the decision? I think it’s very simple to figure that out.”
Harambe celebrated his 17th birthday on May 27, and was raised from birth by zookeeper Jerry Stones at the Gladys Porter Zoo.
“He was a special guy in my life. Harambe was my heart. It’s like losing a member of the family.”
But Jerry told New York Daily News that he did not second guess the Cincinnati Zoo’s decision to shoot Harambe.
“I raised him from a baby, he was a sweet cute little guy.”
“He grew up to be a pretty, beautiful male. He was very intelligent. Very, very intelligent. His mind was going constantly. He was just such a sharp character.”
Bec Douros, who rose to fame during the 2013 series of The Block Sky High alongside her husband George, was travelling with her seven-month-old son Archie when the incident occurred.
According to the interior designer, the woman next in the seat next to her berated her for feeding her bub.
“A big F#@% you to the lady sitting next to me who rolled her eyes at me and said I should have done that BEFORE I got on the flight,” the mother-of-one penned alongside a photo of Archie’s hand resting on the plane window.
“A massive thank you to the other lady who kindly swapped her window seat so I could finish feeding Archie,” Bec continued, before revealing it was their first flight without George.
Proving that karma can work instantly, Bec concluded: “I should have told that old bag she left her reading glasses on her seat, but I thought to myself she really should have put them away BEFORE she rushed ahead of everyone to get off the flight #gladthatisover #goodluckfinishingyourbooktonight #normalisebreastfeeding.”
Bec’s post has since gone viral with many people supporting her sentiment.
“Well done Bec! Traveling with a little one alone is hard enough let alone having to deal with everyone’s opinions too,” one user agreed.
“Humans eat when hungry. They don’t force themselves to eat when they’re not wanting food. Babies are no different you can’t force then to feed,” another added.
Relive Bec and George’s emotional return to The Block in the player below. Post continues after the video..
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Last year, Bec and George introduced their bundle of joy to Woman’s Day and revealed they’d never been happier.
“There are no words to describe the feelings you have when you see your child for the first time,” Bec explained.
“You can’t help but instantly fall in love. He’s just perfect,” George added.
Earlier this week, Bec took to social media to celebrate her little man’s seven months.
“My baby is 7months old today. I could not have asked for a more beautiful soul to enter our lives. He laughs and smiles all day long. Archie you make us just as happy as we seem to make you,” the smitten mum shared.
Bec’s post about the incident has since gone viral.
There they were, splashed in the style pages of The New York Times. Hell, if they could make it there, like the song says, they can make it anywhere.
Here was the proof that I was right all along – that my finger was on the pulse, that I am at the vanguard of fashion. Not only am I ahead of the curve – damn it, I am the curve.
The naysayers may continue to say nay, but I say yay. Yay for comfort edging, yay for high waists and yay for the journalist who made my day, if not entire life by typing GRANNY PANTS ARE OFFICIALLY COOL.
Having it acknowledged in print felt as good as the first time I slipped into some, the result of an unfortunate laundry incident.
Living by myself at the time – no husband, no children, no responsibilities whatsoever (wistful sigh) –occasionally, I’d commit the sin of not doing my laundry for a couple of days.
Okay, alright, truthfully … a couple of weeks. So, naturally, the day came when my undies drawer was bereft of the lace and lycra undergarments befitting one of my age and social status (read: young, single, looking for love or even just a casual dalliance. Your place or mine – even your mum’s house is fine).
Yet there was one pair left. Giant white underpants I’d been given as a joke birthday present. I’d held onto them being true to my frugal yet practical Scottish heritage. They may come in handy should I need to hand-wash a large truck with a giant sponge, or escape enemy fire by creating a makeshift parachute. A girl never can be too sure or too prepared.
So here they lay in my drawer, alone and unloved. And here I stood in front of that drawer, alone and unclothed. We were the perfect match.
As I carefully hoisted those brushed cotton pants over my hips, I felt a quiver of excitement. They rested comfortably just above my bellybutton and a warmth enveloped the lower half of my body, the entire lower half of my body.
They hugged me in all the right and the wrong places. An audible sigh escaped my lips. There was a party in my pants and nobody was on the guest list.
Yes, for the first time in years, I felt truly satisfied in the downstairs department.
Finally a solution to the underwear problems that had plagued me for years. Begone scratching, itching, digging and protruding.
No more unsightly G-string hanging over waistbands, no more wrestling with uncomfortable placement of lace bows, no more visible panty line (VPL) and no more wedgies requiring a quick trip to the toot for an extraction.
It was cotton for my bottom forever more. Oh, tidings of comfort and joy, comfort and joy …
I was resolute – out with the old undies and in with the new.
Yet I attracted scorn from well-meaning friends convinced I should put my underwear choice underground.
They begged me to turn my new big cotton panties back into scanties. Questions like, “How could you?”, “Why do you?” and the obvious one, “How does he?”, were frequent visitors to my conversation pit.
However, I cared not for their words, knowing that my life had improved immeasurably. My kidneys were warm all the time and that deadliest of sins – vanity – was dead to me.
I no longer carried superficial worries about colour-matching my undies with my bra, having reached an almost Buddhist detachment from my undercarriage.
I also felt pleased that I was creating a safer neighbourhood as would-be sexual predators would most likely flee to greener pastures should they spy my undies flapping on the line.
I always wondered why grannies seem so serene, so content and so peaceful. Was it their experience, their wisdom or perhaps their access to A-grade pharmaceuticals?
No, it’s just that they’ve been sitting on a big secret for years … a big comfy secret.
ABOUT THE WRITER
Amanda Blair lives in Adelaide with her four children and a husband she quite likes when she sees him. In her spare time, she talks a lot and sometimes does it on the radio and the telly.
This story originally appeared in the July 2015 issue of The Australian Women’s Weekly.
Us women throw around the term ‘man flu’ as a bit of a joke sometimes but it turns out it’s actually legit.
According to a national survey by Medibank, more men were hit with influenza last year than women.
The study was drawn from weekly interviews with more than 1000 Aussie men and women, and 21 per cent of men were sick with the flu, compared to women at 19 per cent.
NSW had the most affected by the sickness with 22 per cent compared to the national average of 19 per cent.
But the incidence of the flu in the country is thankfully declining. It dropped from 26.5 per cent in 2007 to 19.9 per cent in 2015.
Medibank’s medical director Kevin Cheng said that hormones could play a role in why men are affected more than women.
He said: “Further to experiencing more severe symptoms, this data is also showing that men appear to be more susceptible to the flu in the first place, with weaker responses to flu vaccinations observed in some males with higher testosterone levels.”
“Recent studies have shown that men may experience more severe flu symptoms than women, with testosterone being found to potentially weaken their immune response at a cellular level.
“Conversely, the female oestrogen hormone has been found to hold antiviral qualities that could help women limit the replication of the virus in the body.”
When it comes to the common cold, however, women are hit harder with 48 per cent affected and 43 per cent for men.
Still, females everywhere should rejoice in the fact that when it comes to a more intense strain of sickness, women come out on top. Take that, men!
Trending video: See inside Adele’s $13 million mansion
The weather outside was frightful, but the fire was so delightful it took me a minute to realise the doorbell was ringing. And ringing.
“Ah,” sighed the MOTH (Man Of The House). “Another milestone. Sweet Pea can reach the buzzer.”
Our granddaughter, aged four (and ¾, if you please), had come to stay while her mother went shopping.
That she’d dressed herself for the occasion was obvious. She was wearing a warm jumper and leggings, and a furry polar bear hat with long earflaps.
Yet it didn’t stop there. Ever the fashionista, she had pulled on a blue satin princess costume, complete with a tulle train, over the winter clothes. A tiara perched, rakishly, on top of the furry hat.
“Well, hello, Princess Anna,” I said. “I’m not Anna! I’m Elsa,” she said with weary patience. She knows I can’t keep the fabulously Frozen princesses straight.
I thought back to the time I took Princess Elsa’s mummy, Flynn, and her older sister, Reagan, both teenagers, on a shopping for clothes marathon.
I suggested a large variety store in a lower price range. They were appalled. Careful to look noncommittal (adolescents can smell enthusiasm a kilometre away), I pointed to a well-known department store.
They gave me The Look – mouth screwed upwards (to show disdain), eyebrows raised (to show disbelief).
They headed straight to a boutique with thumping music so loud I could feel my liver vibrate.
For hours, my girls tried on small black things and smaller black things until, at last, they found exactly what they wanted – the same dress. I tried to fix the problem.
“Same dress – different colours.” No. “One dress – you take turns wearing it?” NO! “Two dresses – don’t wear them at the same time?” No. “Two dresses – one of you leaves home?” No. “Two dresses – both of you leave home?” No.
By this time, with my feet killing me, I had a great idea. “We go home. The dress stays here!”
Things were a little different when I was 12 years old and growing up in blizzardly cold Canada. My mother told the shop assistant, “We’re looking for a winter coat that is sensible and hard-wearing.”
“And pretty,” I added, hopefully.
The shop assistant marched us past racks of red coats with soft grey fur collars and bright blue coats with shiny silver buttons until we reached a rack of blankets. The sort you throw over horses in cold weather.
“Harris Tweed coats,” the shop assistant said, waving her arms expansively along the rack. “They are that little bit more expensive, but they go with everything! You have the blue/grey/brown/green tweed, the grey/brown/green/blue tweed, the brown/green/blue/grey tweed or a lovely green/blue/grey/brown tweed.”
I struggled to tell the difference. She plucked a coat off the rack and held it out for me to try.
It was the green/blue/grey/brown one. Or so she said.
“It’s water-proof, stain-proof and flame-retardant! You can let it down every year as she grows. She will never need another coat,” she said, triumphantly.
My mother had to work at a time when most mums didn’t. There was no money for frivolous, pretty things. I needed a coat that could withstand Arctic gales blowing down from Hudson’s Bay.
All the right buttons had been pressed. Especially the one that said, “Last coat ever!” I wasn’t getting a coat. I was getting a life sentence.
Mum could go to work every day confident that not only was I warm and dry, I was unlikely to catch fire.
The first day I wore the coat to school, one of the boys in my class told me about an English mountaineer. “Did you know that, in 1920, George Mallory climbed Mount Everest wearing a Harris Tweed coat?” he asked. No, I didn’t.
I think he wanted to cheer me up, which was nice. We watched the other girls in the playground, flocking together when the bell rang like bright red and blue birds – with fur collars.
I wore my Harris Tweed coat every winter for five years and, for five years, I couldn’t wait for spring.
“Harris Tweed is Scotland’s secret weapon,” I said to the MOTH when I told him the story. “And all this time I thought it was whiskey!” he mused.
Medications are supposed to make us feel better, cure disease or help us to manage illness. Every medication can have adverse effects and for some medications that can be a very long list.
You know about checking whether any drug you are planning to take is likely to interact with any other drugs, herbs or supplements.
A lesser known, in fact barely recognised down-side of many pharmaceutical medications and over-the-counter medications is that they can deplete one or more essential nutrients.
This can occur because of interference with the normal processes of absorption of nutrients, or because of a chemical interaction within your body affecting the activity of the nutrient in bodily tissues.
The medication may help you, but could also be causing harm, or be responsible for some of the side effects.
Nutrient depletion can cause you added health problems on top of the problem you are trying to solve with the medication.
The effects can be far-reaching and include weakness, depression, anxiety, headaches, muscle cramps, impaired immunity and increased tendency to blood clots and osteoporosis.
It is unfortunately common to see a side effect of one drug caused by nutrient depletion (such as indigestion or depression) being treated with another drug, potentially compounding the problem.
If you recognise and treat a possible drug-induced nutrient depletion, it could help you tolerate an essential medication.
Here are some of the commonly prescribed drug groups with the nutrients they are known to deplete.
If you are taking one of these medications, you will need professional advice on supplementation to counter the effects, or find a different way to manage your medical condition.
ORAL CONTRACEPTIVES (birth control pills): B vitamins, vitamin C, magnesium, selenium and zinc.
l HORMONE REPLACEMENT THERAPY: vitamin B6, vitamin B12, folate and magnesium.
ANTI-DIABETES DRUG (metformin): folate, vitamin B12, coenzyme Q10.
INDIGESTION AND ANTI-ULCER DRUGS (H2 antagonists and proton pump inhibitors) used to lower stomach acid: vitamin B12, folate, vitamin D and magnesium, calcium, iron and zinc; osteoporosis is a risk in the long term.
SSRI ANTIDEPRESSANTS: vitamins B6, B12 and folate, vitamin D and sodium.
DIURETICS (fluid tablets): B vitamins, magnesium, zinc and potassium.
BETA-BLOCKERS: coenzyme Q10, melatonin.
ANTIBIOTICS: Many antibiotics can deplete B vitamins. Also, while gut flora are not strictly nutrients, depletion of the important bacteria in your gut can affect the absorption and metabolism of some important nutrients. A probiotic is essential if you have taken antibiotics.
Here are just some of the common consequences of nutrient depletion:
Vitamin B12: fatigue, weakness, strange sensations in the hands and feet, balance problems, depression, delusions, memory loss, swollen tongue.
Vitamin D: bone weakness, bone pain, depression, increased risk of some cancers.
Calcium: bone weakness leading to osteoporosis, muscle stiffness, twitching, aching, poor sleep, dry skin and brittle nails, tooth decay.
Magnesium: decreased bone density leading to osteoporosis, muscle cramps, muscle weakness, accelerated ageing, insomnia, anxiety and depression, elevated blood pressure, irregular heartbeat and other heart problems.
Zinc: impaired immunity, dry skin, acne, loss of taste and smell, diarrhoea, mouth ulcers.
Coenzyme Q10: fatigue, impaired memory and concentration, muscle weakness, high blood pressure, heart failure and weakened immune system.
Some nutrient levels can be checked with blood tests, such as iron, folate, vitamin D and vitamin B12. Other nutrients such as coenzyme Q10 are not easy to test or the test is unreliable or expensive.
In some cases we have to anticipate the likely nutrient depletions or judge clinically what is needed to counter side effects of medication.
My advice is to review all of your medications with your doctor. If you are taking a medication which can cause nutrient depletion, make sure you get advice on whether the medications you are taking are all necessary, or whether there are non-drug alternatives which are safe and effective for you.
If you need to continue your usual medication, you will need to adjust your diet and/or take appropriate doses of supplements to make up for the nutrients that are likely to be depleted.
This story originally appeared in the June 2015 issue of The Australian Women’s Weekly.
Choosing to start a family later in life is now more possible than ever thanks to a host of fertility aids, but are some women leaving it too late? Professor Kerryn Phelps reports.
Choosing to start a family later in life is now more possible than ever thanks to a host of fertility aids, but are some women leaving it too late? Professor Kerryn Phelps reports.
Recent decades have seen a trend for women to delay pregnancy in favour of career development and financial security, and there has also been a lot of media attention on declining fertility rates with age.
As a general practitioner, I often speak to patients who are over 30 and starting to look at their options for fertility and pregnancy.
Some have started trying to get pregnant, but find it is taking a lot longer than they expect. Some are single women with no current plans to find a partner, or who have not found a partner who they consider is suitable for co-parenting.
They want to know how they can buy time until the circumstances are right for them to have a baby.
Fertility peaks when a woman is in her early 20s so in purely physiological terms, women are advised to consider their first pregnancy before the age of 32 when the rates of miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, stillbirth, chronic diseases and infertility are at their lowest.
While this is biologically ideal, it may not be socially ideal or feasible, resulting in a decision by many women to delay their first pregnancy until they are well into their 30s.
The problem is that fertility drops off rapidly at around 35 and drops off sharply in the early 40s. This may seem young, but in fertility terms, it can be “game over” for many women.
One question that comes up frequently is, “How much time do I have left?” The answer is that there is no way of knowing for sure.
A blood test called Anti-Mullerian Hormone (AMH), or ovarian reserve test, aims to estimate a woman’s egg reserve or how much her fertility has declined.
Women are born with their lifetime supply of eggs, which gradually decrease in quality and quantity with age. AMH is a hormone secreted by cells in developing egg follicles. The level of AMH in a woman’s blood is generally a good indicator of her ovarian reserve and the likelihood that she will respond to the hormone stimulation of IVF, but it is not very precise.
An inaccurate test can have serious outcomes. An inaccurate result could make a woman feel pressured to freeze her eggs when she actually has plenty of eggs left, while another woman might think she has plenty of time, but her egg supply may be running out.
So, what are the options for women who are aware of their declining fertility, but are not ready to raise a child?
Sperm donors
One possibility for single women or women in a same-sex relationship is to recruit a close friend to provide sperm as a sperm donor, or for him to be a sperm donor as well as a co-parent for the child.
Other women choose to use sperm from an anonymous donor. If they are not ready to be a parent right now, there is the option of having an IVF procedure to collect eggs, having them fertilised in vitro and then freezing the resulting embryos for pregnancy down the track when the time is right.
Freezing eggs
More recently, we have seen the development of egg freezing technology and I am being asked about this all the time.
Many women are seeing this as an insurance policy, to “buy time” until they are ready for parenthood. The idea is to have their eggs harvested and bank them for later, to remove the time pressure of finding the right partner or the “right time” for a baby before it’s too late for aging ovaries.
Yet is this the solution it seems to be? Freezing technology for sperm and for fertilised embryos has been around for decades.
Egg freezing is relatively new and less successful at producing a baby than a frozen embryo. Frozen eggs need to be warmed and then fertilised with sperm to produce an embryo.
United States data show that a 30-year-old who freezes 24 eggs has less than a 40 per cent chance of having a live baby, so there are certainly no guarantees.
The procedure is also expensive. Clinic charges vary, but an egg freezing cycle is about $10,000 with a day surgery fee of around $1000 and storage of $500 per year. This is not covered by Medicare unless the woman has a medically diagnosed infertility problem.
Much of life is unpredictable, but my advice to young women is to think carefully about whether you want to be a mother.
Consider your career and plans for your life path, and remember that your fertility is very time sensitive. Explore your options sooner rather than later.
This story originally appeared in the April 2016 issue of The Australian Women’s Weekly.
