Your Holistic Guide to Fertility & IVF

Jun 23, 2015 | Uncategorized

Working in the field of fertility with both men and women, I see the constant struggles that individuals and couples go through trying to fall pregnant, either naturally or through In-vitro Fertilization (IVF). Approximately 1 in 6 couples struggle with fertility issues. Having been through the fertility journey myself, I understand the challenges that it brings but also the importance of living a healthy balanced lifestyle.

Depending on our circumstances, some couples will have the option of conceiving naturally and others may have to use the path of IVF. As a Dr of Chinese Medicine & Acupuncture I work with both ends of the spectrum; Natural Fertility and In Vitro Fertilization (IVF); both achieving great results. Having worked in this field for many years, I have helped many men and women to overcome the challenges of infertility with great success.

From a holistic perspective, I recommend therapies that can enhance your health and fertility. What I have found to be successful is healthy living integrated with mind-body medicine. I tell my patients on their first consultation “you want to treat your body like it’s already pregnant”. Most people are willing to make healthy lifestyle changes for conception to have a healthy baby.

Nutrition

If we take a close look at our nutrition, you will be surprised at some of the choices we make. We need to be more conscious about the foods we consume. You want to avoid foods high in preservatives, processed foods, refined sugars, caffeine and alcohol. Clinical research suggests that alcohol intake negatively impacts IVF success, is associated with a longer time to conception and is associated with increased miscarriage risk. For men, chronic alcohol consumption negatively impacts sperm quality and can cause acute drops in sperm count. Studies on caffeine and fertility are inconclusive, however caffeine is known to decrease blood flow to the uterus. Caffeine can also increase anxiety and stress levels. Too much caffeine may increase the risk of clotting and miscarriage. Best to avoid coffee if you are having implantation problems or have a history of re-current miscarriages. My advice is its best to eliminate coffee altogether.

Key Nutrients & Vitamins

The best way to nourish our body is to eat well. However, there are specific nutrients that can help improve our fertility. Studies have shown that vitamins can improve fertility in both men and women. Certain vitamins are essential to maintain healthy sperm production and ovulation.

Royal Jelly: Royal Jelly is rich in amino acids, lipids, sugars, vitamins, and most importantly, proteins. It has been shown to improve egg quality and balance hormones. Royal Jelly should only be taken during natural conception.

CoQ10: is contained in every cell in the human body. It promotes good blood circulation. Studies have shown that women taking CoQ10 have higher fertilization rate in IVF with ingracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). May improve blood flow, enrich endometrium, and improve fertilization rates, “mitochondrial nutrients” may improve egg quality and response to ovarian stimulation. Can improve sperm quality. It is important for sperm and egg production.

B Vitamins: B vitamins help reduce our stress levels and are important for embryonic development.

Vitamin E: It is an important antioxidant for reproduction and fertility.  Research has shown it can improve the overall health of men’s sperm and in women can increase our overall egg health. It has been shown to increase the endometrial lining.

Selenium: improve fertilization rates, prevents chromosome breakage

Magnesium: improves fertilization rates.

Lifestyle

The truth is the older we get the more lifestyle choice matters. What we do now, can impact our fertility later in life. If want healthy eggs and active sperm you also need to be healthy and active. Fitness and exercise will help control your body weight, regulate your hormones, increase your self-esteem and help manage your stress levels. All of which influence our reproductive health.

Acupuncture

In recent studies, it has been shown that women having IVF treatment can boost their chances of falling pregnant by 65 per cent simply by having acupuncture. A review combining the results of seven previous studies has found that acupuncture also increases the chances of having an ongoing pregnancy (beyond 12 weeks from gestation) by 87 per cent — and nearly doubles the chance of a successful live birth, increasing that by 91 per cent. If you’re new to the fertility process some of this information may be new to you.

With natural conception acupuncture can:

Regulate the Menses: works by regulating our hormones and menstrual cycle. Controlling irregular menstruation can enable couples to better predict the time of ovulation.

Increase Uterine Lining: It increases blood flow to the uterus, resulting in a thicker healthier uterine lining. I have seen dramatic improvements with acupuncture and herbal therapy in treating thin endometrial lining.

Improve Sperm: Separate studies have shown that acupuncture can increase sperm count and sperm motility.

Prevents Miscarriage: Particular herbal formulas and acupuncture treatments are known to help secure a growing embryo and prevent a miscarriage.

Acupuncture & IVF

In conjunction with in-vitro fertilization (IVF), acupuncture may help:

Regulate hormones: Women’s hormones must fall within a desired range to continue with treatment. Acupuncture helps regulate your hormones.

Increase number of follicles and improve egg quality: Obtaining good quality eggs is the most important factor and desired outcome. Specific points help stimulate our ovaries and build endometrial lining.

Increases changes of Implantation: Acupuncture helps creates a receptive environment for the embryo to implant. As mentioned earlier in the study it increases your chances of falling pregnant by 65%.

Relieves stress: Acupuncture has been shown to increase beta-endorphins “happy hormones” in the blood thereby reducing stress levels.

Meditation & Mindfulness

For all the years we have spent trying not to fall pregnant, we have lost our connection to our body and inner wisdom. Mind-body techniques are extremely valuable as it teaches us to get out of our heads and connect in with our body. This is an essential tool when it comes to our fertility. Mind-Body treatment of infertility patients has been shown to increase pregnancy rates as well as reducing psychological distress.

Circle & Bloom offer a mind-body series for natural fertility and IVF treatments. There is a daily meditation for each day of your cycle. I use these programs in my clinic with all of my patients.

Headspace is another great meditation app. Andy breaks meditation down and keeps it simple. There is a free download on Itunes. Its 10 minutes of meditation for 10 nights. It’s a great introduction to meditation and easy to follow.

1 Giant Mind is a brilliant app. It is also another free download.  1 Giant Mind is a non for profit organisation that delivers learn to meditate programs. I highly recommend this app. Jonni Pollard has a way of weaving his magic into your life through meditation. Once you start you will want more! I know from personal experience.

Thoughts are seeds we plant in the soil of our bodies. In ancient Chinese medicine there is a phrase “yi yi yin chi, and its translation is ‘energy follows intention’. Our overall attitude can play an important role in our fertility. The power of our mind and emotions can impact our health and well-being. Negative thinking can lead to stress, depression and anxiety. Observing our thoughts becomes key in our ability to change them. Changing the way we think towards our fertility can have a profound impact on our overall happiness. . I encourage you to shift your awareness to what is working in your body and how your body is responding. Begin to notice how your body feels each day as you move through your day. Focus on the positive aspects. How is your body supporting you? What feels good? What can you do live a healthier life?

Reduce Stress.

The mind-body connection has a huge impact on our fertility. One of the key aspects of fertility is to initiate the relaxation response. Whilst sex is fantastic for this, there is so much pressure around “making a baby” that even the most pleasurable act can become stressful.

Recent research has shown that for many woman infertility can create levels of anxiety and depression equivalent to women with cancer, HIV status or heart diseases.

 According to Dr. Gabor Mate, author of When the Body says No, the four major causes of stress are: lack of control, uncertainty, emotional isolation and the inability to express emotions. Many couples struggling to become pregnant are experiencing all 4 of these major stresses at any given time.

  • High levels of stress have been shown to:
  • Alter the function of hypothalamus gland, which controls ovulation
  • Contribute to irregular menstrual periods
  • Produce high levels of cortisol the “flight or fight” hormone
  • Decrease reproductive hormones like estrogen and progesterone
  • Divert blood flow away from the ovaries and uterine lining thereby affecting egg quality and successful implantation.

According to Psychologist Alice Domar, the director for the Mind-Body Center for Women at Boston IVF, her research suggests that stress and the psychological symptoms associated with infertility are similar to those associated with other serious medical conditions. Domar’s research also suggest that mind-body techniques that elicit a relaxation response such as meditation and yoga can reduce stress and increase chances of conceiving.

Yoga

I am a self-confessed yogi and Yoga teacher. Yoga is a powerful life tool and is another must try for those who are trying to conceive. The word Yoga comes from the Sanskrit word ‘yuj’ which means to unite. It is about the connection of mind, body, breath and movement. Yoga is a combination of asana (postures) and breathing techniques that help you get into a state of relaxation and mediation. Yoga asana increases strength, improves flexibility and helps balance our hormones. Modern research has proven yoga to reduce the stress hormone- cortisol and in yoga physiology it is believed that specific yoga postures increase blood flow and life force ‘prana’ or ‘qi’ to the reproductive organs.

Yoga for me personally has been life changing, creating a catalyst of positive change and a way of living. I was introduced to yoga over 7 years ago. The effects have been profound. Yoga has helped me through some of my toughest times in my life- the passing of my mother and the break-up of my thirteen-year relationship. What you practice on your amt you can take off your mat and use in everyday life. This brings a whole new paradigm of health and well-being.

This is why I have combined my work in Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture with mind-body techniques and especially focused on fertility yoga. Yoga can be used as a integral pre-conception program.

The Breath

Different types of breathing patterns have distinct physiological and psychological effects. When we connect to conscious breath, it triggers the physiological response of rest and digest. Everything in the body begins to slow down; our heart rate, our mind, our breathing becomes deeper and consciously we begin to connect into our body. Suddenly, we notice we are in a more relaxed state.

The breath we want to promote in fertility is the belly breath. Slow deep rhythmic abdominal breathing. Belly breathing stimulates our vagus nerve, which controls important body functions such as respiration and digestion and sends sensory information to the brain. Using this breath shifts the hormonal milieu in the body from “flight or fight” to “rest, digest and nest”.

Close your eyes and focus on breath. Begin to identify your breathing pattern. Are you holding tension in your shoulders, back and neck? Is your belly moving?

If you’re not using belly breath, try this exercise/

  1. Lie down on the floor with legs extended.
  2. Place your right hand on your heart and left hand on your lower belly
  3. Close your eyes and begin to breath in and out of your nose.
  4. As you inhale feel your belly expand. Breath into your belly
  5. As you exhale, feel your belly contract, gently drawing belly to spine.

Continue this belly breathing for 5-10 minutes.

The combination of acupuncture, yoga, breathing, mindulfness and meditation really do help create a defense against the stress response and assist fertility. This in conjunction with Chinese herbs and now this new form of fertility yoga delivers Australian women more options to achieve their dream of motherhood.