fertility
​
Infertility is a sign that something is not right inside the body and must be fixed. It isn’t a deficiency in fertility drugs or due to a lack of IVF. Fertility is a natural process in the body, but one that the body can turn off if it doesn’t feel it can safely sustain a pregnancy.
I have many friends who have struggled to conceive and I’ve witnessed how painful it was for them to want to have a child and struggle to get pregnant.
​
There are so many confounding factors that can cause or contribute to infertility, which is why conventional treatment can vary so much in effectiveness… it simply can’t address all the possible causes. Fertility drugs and artificial hormones of any kind, including birth control, can make underlying problems better, but can also make them even worse and make future fertility more difficult (this is sad, because hormonal birth control is often prescribed for various hormonal imbalances and problems).
​
What Causes Infertility?
Infertility can be caused by a huge number of factors: hormone imbalance, tilted pelvis, Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome, Endometriosis, Anovulatory Cycles, physical blockage, low hormone production, short luteal phase, lack of lutenizing hormone, high levels or prolactin, and many others.
​
Poor nutrition often plays a major role, as does exposure to certain chemicals. Age plays less of a role before menopause than was originally thought.
Infertility Is a rising problem in todays society
Dietary and lifestyle changes can make a tremendous difference in fertility, and often help with other issues like excess weight, lack of energy, blood sugar problems, skin issues, and insomnia in the process
​
In modern times, many people are undernourished, despite being overweight. The body simply will not allow conception to occur or a pregnancy to continue if it doesn’t have the basic foundation it needs to sustain a pregnancy. Many women turn to a low-fat, high fiber diet in an attempt to increase health and lose weight. Weight loss has been shown to increase fertility, but losing weight in this way is rarely effective for increasing fertility because it deprives the body of the necessary proteins and fats necessary for hormone production.
​
Some nutritional ways to help optimize fertility:
Remove processed grains, other processed foods, sugars and starches from the diet. Obtain more nutrient dense carbohydrates from vegetables, some fruits and starchy sources like sweet potatoes and squash.
​
Increase healthy fats in the diet especially from sources like coconuts, coconut oil, olives and olive oil, butter, grass-fed meats, eggs, avocado and nuts.
​
Get enough protein especially from grass fed meats ( if a meat eater ), eggs, and nuts. This is also important during pregnancy as adequate protein can help minimize the risk of certain pregnancy complications.
​
Eat a lot of vegetables, especially green leafy varieties like lettuce, spinach, broccoli, cauliflower, kale, collard, chard, cabbage, Brussels sprouts and similar veggies.
​
Drink enough water- hydration is important for so many functions within the body, including fertility.
​
Get insulin levels under control- even if you don’t have Type II diabetes, a high carbohydrate diet often goes hand-in-hand with some level of insulin resistance. Optimizing dietary factors with the above methods will help make your body more sensitive to insulin, which will help production of other hormones and proper function of the body.
​
For some women, nutrition alone can be enough to support the body for fertility. It is very important to continue these things once pregnant, and not stop giving yourself proper nutrition, which is even more vital for the growth of an unborn child. Of course, pregnancy is not a license to revert to a bad diet!
Nutrition
​
Any doctor, or even a Google search, should reveal that habits like alcohol,smoking, drug use, and high caffeine intake can severely impair fertility. There are many other lifestyle factors that contribute as well:
​
Lack of sleep
Exposure to harmful chemicals
Lack of exercise (or too much exercise)
High stress levels
Certain medications or supplements
​
Most lifestyle factors are also easy to fix with a little effort. The most common lifestyle factors that can increase fertility are:
​
Getting enough sleep– Sleep plays a vital role in production of many hormones. Studies have shown that women with low melatonin and serotonin levels have a shorter luteal phase (time between ovulation and menstruation) and consequently have a lower chance of conceiving. Lack of sleep also impairs the body’s ability to properly regulate adrenaline, cortisol and insulin, making conception very difficult. Make sleep a priority and get enough to feel rested, not just awake. This may mean taking a nap during the day or going to bed a few hours earlier. A completely dark sleep environment may also help melatonin levels and sleep.
​
Minimize exposure to harmful chemicals- this should be a book in itself, but most women notice improvement from limiting exposure to household chemicals, plastic water bottles and conventional cosmetic and beauty products.
​
Get the right amount of exercise– Getting adequate exercise is important for fertility, but too much can have the opposite effect. Most women do well with several hours of recreational activity a week (walking, fun sports, or swimming) and a few weight training sessions. Too much moderate/intensive exercise will keep the body from ovulation if done regularly. While weight loss can greatly help fertility, having too little body fat (below 15-18%) can make the body go into an anovulatory state.
​
Limit Stress- Easier said than done, especially for anyone who is going through the emotions of fertility difficulties. You’ve probably been told that if you can relax, you will get pregnant. While this is certainly not true for everyone, reducing stress is a good idea. Often, the ideas above will help with many of the physical causes of stress, leaving you more time to (hopefully) relax.
​
Check with your doctor to see if any medications you are taking could impair fertility. Steroids and antidepressants have been known to do so, as well as any other hormone containing or affecting medications.
Lifestyle factors
How Holistic Therapies can help
Treatments to deal with infertility are immense. While many couples today are opting for high tech methods like ivf , a growing number of people are also trying alternative and mostly natural ways to boost the functioning of their reproductive system
​
Complementary and Holistic Therapies can be very beneficial for increasing Fertility.
​
They can target specific areas whilst helping you to manage the stress that you may feel whilst trying to conceive .
​
The emotional stress of Infertility is inself enough to prevent getting pregnant.
​
We often hear Anecdotally about woman who tried for years to conceive and when they said they were just going to give up because it was too stressful they got pregnant.
​
Holistic therapies can help ease the stress.
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
​
Mizan Abdominal Therapy
Mizan uses traditional healing techniques to address conditions involving reproductive organs, the digestive system and emotional health. These techniques are commonly used in India and further east for optimising women’s health. It is an external massage that brings healing to the womb space and optimum health and well-being to women on both physical and emotional levels.
Please click here to go to the Mizan for fertility section for more details.
​
​
Reflexology
Reflexology may help couples with fertility problems by promoting blood circulation around the body, strengthening the immune system, balancing the hormone production necessary for conception to occur and promoting good strong health and vitality in the reproductive organs, which includes helping to regulate periods, promote ovulation, reduce PMS, reduce the chances of miscarriage and also help increase sperm quality and quantity.
Fertility problems can be very stressful and a course of reflexology can also provide the relaxation needed to help return the body to its natural balance ready for parenthood.
Please Click here to go to the Fertility Reflexolofy page for more details.
​
Reiki
Reiki can be used throughout a woman's cycle to support the growth of follicles and recruitment of healthy eggs, the fertilization of eggs and assisting the embryo to implant in the uterine lining. Reiki also provides emotional and mental balance, helping the client to align with the process of fertility in a more positive way. It is very discouraging for a woman to be told by the medical community that she should give up when she is feeling empowered to manifest a family. The negativity permeates into her emotional and energetic fields, creating more blocks. Reiki nurtures her into a place of knowing that all will work out for the best and that all parts of her being are working toward creating the highest good for all. Energy follows thought and is empowered by our feelings
Please Click here to go to the Reiki Page
​
Aromatherapy
Aromatherapy oils are a wonderful way to help aid fertility. Each oil has different properties and can be used for many fertility problems. Balancing hormones, relaxation, increase blood flow, stress release to name a few.
Essential oils can either be dispensed into the air and breathed into your lungs or applied topically mixed with a base oil.
​
Determining which method is right for you depends on the oils being used and personal preference. If you choose to breathe your essential oils in, diffusers can be purchased to make this a possibility. There are also room sprays and steam options available. And for skin absorption, there has never been a better excuse to get a good massage!
Some oils prove more beneficial when applied to specific areas of the body, but all can be absorbed through the skin and taken into your blood stream from there.
​
I have put together some wonderful oil blends that have different properties to help with different elements of fertility.
I use these in my massages and you can now purchase them for you to use at home.
Please Click here to go to the Aromatherapy page for more details about aromatheray
​
​
