Female
A healthy conception
Fertility tips
Lifestyle
Some golden rules
Much of fertility treatment has become focused on producing the perfect egg; IVF in particular aims to produce as many ’good quality’ embryos as possible. However, we believe this is only part of the story.
Let’s put it another way; it is rather like going to a garden centre and buying the best, most expensive, fabulous plant you can find. When you have it you excitedly hurry home and put it in the garden! There is only one problem; you have forgotten to prepare the ground first, so the soil in the place you have chosen is full of weeds, waterlogged, lacking humus, and of very poor quality. Putting this beautiful plant in this sub-standard situation would be foolhardy: no matter how fancy the plant, it will never thrive without the correct environment and balance of nutrients. You consider adding a bit of fertiliser to the soil in the hope that it will make up for all it’s shortcomings, but deep in your heart you know your plant deserves better than that!
This is how we view your fertility and subsequent pregnancies; we care as much about the soil (your body) as we do about the egg! After all it is your body that plays host to the egg for 9 months. Many people decide to ‘get healthy’ once they have become pregnant; but it takes time to cultivate good health. Having fantastically prepared and nourished soil will stand a plant in good stead even if it’s not the best plant in the garden centre!
We believe that it is the health of both parents at the time of conception that determines the health of the child. All our pre-conception packages are aimed at raising your general health levels and dealing with any problems you may have with a view to producing healthy pregnancies and healthy babies. It is our sincere hope that this will have an impact not only on your pregnancy but also on the health of the next generation.
Fertility tips
Trying to conceive can be a stressful time for couples and research is increasingly showing that stress does have an impact on our health and our fertility. Worrying month to month that a pregnancy has not occurred puts a great deal of emotional stress on both partners and often does no good for your love life.
Numerous factors contribute to a lack of conception and it is often impossible to identify an exact cause. Patients can find this frustrating as some wish to ‘understand’ their condition more deeply. Like many conditions it is clear that this can affect couples on several levels; emotional, physical as well as spiritual.
We are always keen to point out to patients that with every passing month we are providing a better environment for a healthy conception. We like our patients to have a positive attitude towards improving their health and emotional well being as undue anxiety can have a detrimental effect on a woman’s ability to conceive. It’s better to take a few months longer and ensure a healthy pregnancy and baby.
Preparation is important, ideally (age allowing) we recommend spending three months preparing nutritionally, physically and emotionally for any planned conception. Not only does this help you to cope with the journey it is a good investment in your health and the health of your baby. It is also not uncommon for couples to conceive spontaneously during this period.
We believe in an integrated approach to managing infertility, there is a growing body of evidence suggesting that some complementary therapies can improve outcome when used in conjunction with conventional medicine. This is a highly specialised area and it is important that you work with a practitioner who understands the conventional medicine treatment you are receiving.
Lifestyle
Some couples require quite radical lifestyle adjustments. Although we do not advocate impossibly rigid fertility regimes, we do recognise that some aspects of the way we all live today are impacting on our ability to conceive. We feel that the key to implementing these changes is to take a balanced approach, without creating a joyless life.
Our approach is to support couples to make adjustments to their life that are most likely to be contributing to their condition. Sometimes making changes to our life can result in the easing or even curing of symptoms, often more active forms of treatment are required. Either way we think that our approach will help contribute to your feeling of well being and prevent conditions becoming more serious.
The information our practitioners offer within your consultation is based on knowledge from Chinese medicine, naturopathy, body/mind medicine, homeopathic and other forms of traditional medicine. Much of the information has been handed down from generation to generation; heart to heart, mother to daughter, practitioner to practitioner, healer to healer.
Although much of it has not been subjected to rigorous scientific trails it has stood the test of time and has kept its ‘heart’. Much of it you will already do, some of it will sound strange or old fashioned, too simple to be effective, or too much like hard work. We think it’s worth the effort and that sometimes simple, yet mindful, is best.
Some golden rules:
- Wherever possible eat organic food.
- Have sex when you feel like it and not just when you think you might be fertile. Research shows that when we feel sexually attracted to someone we produce the right hormones that help us to conceive.
- Eat well and do not feel as if you are denying yourself. It is important to maintain a healthy relationship with food.
- Avoid processed foods and opt for fresh vegetables and fruit; they are delicious.
- Avoid exposure to environmental poisons
- Rest - do not underestimate the regenerative powers of sleep.
- Say NO more often – for a while at least put yourself first and prioritise. You cannot please everyone and if you are clear with people you will find that they usually respond positively.
- Walk into the countryside or do something everyday that makes your heart sing. Be kind to yourself.
- Enjoy the fact that your health is improving as your change of lifestyle starts to kick in.
- Try to regard each month as a positive step towards creating an ideal environment for conception, rather than a failure to become pregnant.
