Natural Fertility Therapies

Holistic well-being - the receptiveness of the whole body to conception is increasingly being recognised as a primary inhibitor of infertility. More and more couples are turning to natural treatment to prepare for, combine with or as an alternative to assisted fertility treatment such as IVF.

Through individual, detailed consultation, a combined programme of natural therapies such as Acupuncture, Homeopathy, Chinese Herbal Medicine and Cranial Osteopathy is agreed. The clinic's approach to cognitive conception addresses inhibiting stress related and psychological issues with counselling and psychotherapy, as well as massage and relaxation techniques. The profile of client is varied-including those who are approaching assisted fertility treatment as well as those who wish to explore an alternative to or have had no success with conventional medicine.

Please use the side menu to learn about the basis and efficacy of natural therapies practised at CNFC.

Homeopathic remedies look to treat symptoms rather than conditions, as each case of a particular illness can manifest differently in different people. Before any drugs are prescribed to an individual, her medical history, family history, moods, likes, dislikes, sexual history and emotional state are discussed thoroughly.

It is believed that a person showing infertility signs may not be having direct problems related to the reproductive organs but something less obvious, like an emotional condition, depression, fear of conceiving or dietary problems that may be leading to infertility. Through homeopathy, these problems are eradicated by using plant, minerals, or even metal sources. The pills prescribed are usually sweet and taken at regular intervals throughout the day.

Homeopathy is said to be one of the safest medical treatments with no known side effects, thus being a good option to treat infertility. However, it is important to make sure you go to a fully qualified, licensed practitioner.

Practitioners of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) believe that a variety of energy patterns can interfere with becoming pregnant. Acupuncture can be used in combination with other Western Medicine treatments for infertility when trying to get pregnant. Acupuncture provides a noninvasive, holistic approach to reversing infertility and has a surprising success rate of 60% among infertile women; a very high number, considering that many women discover acupuncture late in their search for infertility solutions

Traditional acupuncture involves inserting extremely thin stainless steel, disposable needles into specific points on the surface of the skin. This ionic transfer sets in motion an elegant interplay of the body's own energies, restoring balance to the body, mind and spirit along with the correction of infertility-related imbalances and deficiencies.

This age-old system of medicine has stood the test of thousands of years and yet continues to rise above and improve health even in our modern western culture.

This sophisticated yet subtle method of treatment is so effective because of its focus on each individual's particular needs. According to the leading Taoist, Chuang Tse, in the 4th century B.C.,

Your acupuncture treatment for infertility will be tailored to address your specific imbalances, and will revitalize you in a relaxed atmosphere.

Acupuncture with IVF and ICSI

Many couples who have difficulty conceiving a child by traditional methods often employ various techniques to assist them in the reproductive process. The most common assisted reproduction therapy is in-vitro fertilization (IVF), in which a woman's eggs are harvested and fertilized with a man's sperm in a laboratory. In cases where a male's sperm count is extremely low, a different procedure known as intra-cytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI) may be used.

Although assisted reproduction techniques like IVF and ICSI have been in use since the 1970s, they are still something of an inexact science. Success rates for each therapy range from as low as 1% to as high as 50%, and a successful pregnancy depends on a variety of factors, including the age of the woman, the cause of infertility, and the skill of the technician performing the procedure. Acupuncture is a useful tool for patients looking to increase their chances of becoming pregnant following assisted reproduction therapy.

Two teams of researchers in Germany and China have found that adding acupuncture to the treatment regimen of women using assisted reproductive techniques to have a child can dramatically improve the woman's chances of getting pregnant by up to 20%. In these women the chosen acupuncture points were those that relax the uterus according to the principles of TCM. This greatly increased the chances of getting pregnant because acupuncture has a great influence on the autonomic nervous system and needling specific points would optimized endometrial receptivity in these women.

While acupuncture balances the body's energies through an external force, Chinese Medicine treats disease by altering the body's internal energies.

Certain herbs contain natural energetic substances whose essence gently corrects underlying deficiencies that help resolve the state of infertility. While many of these botanical substances have been isolated and analyzed scientifically, it is their synergy which produces their potent effects.

By way of a thorough diagnosis, Chinese medicine will analyze your body's individual disharmonies and develop an intricate prescription to restore your delicate internal equilibrium. We will create a harmonizing formula designed precisely for you. Herbs aren't hormones but the effects of herbal treatment for infertility helps the body correct it's own hormonal imbalances.

While it is helpful to know the Western diagnosis, Chinese medicine treats the individual not a Western named disease. Acupuncture and Herbal medicine can be very helpful with infertility. In some cases Chinese medicine alone is sufficient treatment and in others it is best when combined with Western therapies.

Some benefits of Chinese Herbal Medicine

• Balances hormones

• Regulates the menstrual cycle

• Increases follicle production

• Increases quality of follicles

• Relaxes the uterus

• Increase in blood supply to uterus

• Increase in overall immune system

Here are some examples of the effects of herbal therapy as presented by Randine Lewis, Ph.D. in her book "The Infertility Cure"

Blood, Essence, and Yin tonics

• Stimulate estrogen production

• Increase cervical mucus

• Build uterine lining

• Strengthen reproductive organs

• Lower FSH

• in Men, help liquefy overly viscous seminal fluid

Blood and Qi tonics

• Increase hemoglobin production

• Lower FSH

• In men, increase sperm count

Yang and Qi tonics

• Stimulate production of progesterone, testosterone, and thyroid hormones

• In men, increase sperm count and motility

Blood invigorators

• Inhibit endometriosis and fibroids

• In men, improve sperm morphology

Blood coolers

• Restrain inflammatory processes

Qi regulators

• Lower elevated prolactin levels

• Metabolize excess hormones

Dampness drainers

• Lower cholesterol

• Control yeast, bacteria, and other pathogens

We out sourch to an experienced Cranial Osteopath as part of the holistic multi disciplinary approach if necessary.This unique technique is a method of healing the complete body by moving the hands in a particular way over the body. It is performed by an osteopath who has sufficient anatomical knowledge of the body structure. Initially developed to treat skull injuries through manipulation, this method has now evolved to heal the whole body, as the maze of muscles, ligaments, and tendons are present everywhere.

Osteopathic therapists are trained to feel subtle body motions and they can easily locate areas where there are restrictions or congestions. Through hand movements on these specific points, osteopaths remove the stress on those organs and improve their functioning.

Backaches during pregnancy, emotional problems, exhaustion, impotence, infertility, and menstrual pain along with other ailments have been helped through this therapy. The pelvic bone, which is attached to the spinal chord, has especially been found to heal better using this technique. Since the reproductive system is located in the pelvis, people with infertility issues are likely to notice positive changes through this therapy.

Cranial Osteopathy and Acupuncture work quite well together. While the Cranial Osteopath removes restrictions in body tissues and restores normalcy, the Acupuncturist removes the energetic obstructions preventing health. Both attempt to bring wholeness to the body. Both practices view disease as an aberration in the normal state of things, a piece out of harmony with the whole. In Cranial Osteopathy, the practitioner's hands diagnose. Those same gentle hands issue cure. Acupuncture uses tongue and pulse reading together with the patient's history to diagnose. Needles and herbs deliver cure. Both crafts recognize that the body's intelligence reigns supreme and that the doctor is its faithful assistant.

Cranial Osteopathy's strength is in its ability to treat physical trauma most successfully. It has been recognised that Acupuncture has some difficulty treating physical trauma. For example, babies that are induced, c-sectioned, experience long labor time, and delivered with forceps or suction are susceptible to such trauma. These children do very well with Cranial Osteopathy. Orthodontic treatment and dental extractions are another form of insidious physical trauma that can yield ill effect. Children or adults with such histories also do very well with Cranial Osteopathy.

One in six couples in Ireland experience difficulty in conceiving and official statistics show that one in four pregnancies end in miscarriage. Recent studies have shown that diet and lifestyle are major contributing factors.

Many people in western society, while well fed, are still suffering from malnutrition due to the increase of processed foods, a decrease in soil mineral quality, and a lack of whole foods in the average diet. Lifestyles have become faster-paced and more stressful thereby increasing the body's demand for nutrients.

Most people are aware of the importance of a balanced diet during pregnancy, as it helps both the mother and the baby to remain healthy. But the fact is that maintaining a healthy diet when you are trying to conceive and also during the post-natal phases is equally important. If you're hoping to conceive, a diet rich in antioxidants, vitamins and minerals is essential as these nutrients improve the health of sperm and eggs.

The most common factors contributing to infertility today are:

• Nutrition: A poor diet high in processed foods, sugar and bad fats and low in vitamins, minerals and good fats can contribute to ill health, hormonal imbalance and hence to infertility; unsuccessful pregnancy; low birth weight and health problems in infants.

• Sub-optimum vitamin and mineral levels: Low levels can be due to poor diet, problems with the digestive system, increased requirements due to immune dysfunctions, stress, hormonal imbalances to name a few.

• Alcohol, tobacco and street drugs: Smoking, alcohol and street drugs are highly detrimental to the health and development of the sperm and ova, and to the future foetus.

• The oral contraceptive pill and other exogenous hormones: When the woman has been using the contraceptive pill or the copper IUD, nutritional status can be compromised. The pill lowers zinc, manganese, vitamin A and the B-complex vitamins. Recent studies have shown that certain chemicals in plastics and packaging may contribute to hormonal imbalance.

• High levels of toxic metals and trace elements: Exposure to pollutants, chemicals can lead to high levels of toxic metals in the body and thus contribute to infertility. Hair analysis testing can be arranged to establish the presence of excess heavy (toxic) metals or the shortage of essential trace minerals.

• Allergy and parasites: These may include asthma, eczema, migraine, insomnia, depression, irritable bowel syndrome, coeliac disease or parasitic infestations such as giardia lamblia. With dietary manipulation or antibiotic treatments before conception, a lot of medication that is contraindicated in pregnancy many be avoided. Where parasites are eliminated the absorption of essential nutrients will be much improved

The objective of the nutritional therapist in natural fertility treatment is to optimise the health of both prospective parents before conception occurs so that a pregnancy can be started with a normal, strong sperm and ova and the embryo can implant and develop under optimum conditions in a healthy uterus, with no danger of damage from nutritional deficiency, toxins or disease.

• Help identify and resolve any issues that may be contributing to infertility or miscarriage

• Implement good diet and supplementation programme to optimise nutritional status prior to and during conception and pregnancy

• Increase chances of success with IVF and ICSI

• Boost fertility and ensure a healthy pregnancy

• Improve post-natal recovery and ensure healthy lactation for breast-feeding mothers