Reflexology and Fertility

 

  
One of life's greatest gifts is a child. If a couple are having difficulty conceiving, despair can rise with every passing month and infertility can rapidly become a deeply frustrating and miserable experience on many levels.
While it is important to stress that there is no "miracle cure" complementary therapies - in particular reflexology - may provide a good starting point for couples dealing with fertility issues. Further clarity may also be gained by re-assessing your approach to the way in which you are both living your lives.
 
The miracle of conception and birth is largely reliant upon the mother's willingness and openness to become a "receptacle" for a brand new human being, so if you begin to look at successful fertility as resulting from a balanced and relaxed lifestyle you are well on the way to cultivating the positive outlook and sense of wellbeing which is so crucial to carrying and bearing a child.  
 
It seems very glib to assess a couple who are experiencing difficulty in conceiving and advise them to "relax". How on earth is this possible when you are spending every waking moment working out "fertile periods", wondering if you might be pregnant or worrying that another month has passed with no "result"? However, the truth of the matter is that today's society dictates that the freedom to live a healthy, stress-free lifestyle in a clean environment is a luxury that many of us simply feel to be beyond our reach.

It is also true to say that once you enter the spiral of negativity so prevalent among couples who so desperately want a child of their own, your attitude can begin to affect your overall outlook on life and your body will suffer as a result.

Listen to your body and take control 

It's your body: therefore your best approach to conception should be to take control of your lifestyle. Most importantly, know that this applies to both parts of the couple - after all, it is you and your partner who are creating the new life in the first place. Learn to take time for yourself and think yourself into a positive situation. By opting to live a more holistic lifestyle you are making a commitment to your body, mind and spirit to change your state of being.

 
Your body may be out of balance, and while you may be unaware of any "symptoms", your body will never suffer in silence. One way of alerting you to an imbalance may well be blocking your ability to conceive.

What is infertility and how does it happen?

Infertility is defined as the inability to fall pregnant after a year of unprotected sexual intercourse. What a negative statement! Conversely, when you consider the statistics below it's no wonder that conception is so often described as a miracle, given how hard the poor sperm have to work in order to reach the home target!

- Ovulation occurs for only one day in each cycle. 
- Of the 250,000 - 400,000 eggs contained within the ovaries, only one grows during a woman's menstrual cycle.

-There exist 100 -200 million sperm in each ml of semen. This is considered a normal sperm count .
-Sperm can live for 3-5 days in a suitable environment; in an unreceptive environment they can die in just 1-2 hours

So, in order to conceive a number of factors must be present:

Intercourse must occur at the time of ovulation
- The woman's vagina must contain receptive mucus; otherwise the sperm will die immediately. This mucus looks and feels a bit like egg white and usually occurs about a week after menstruation
- The fallopian tubes must be unblocked
- There must be enough healthy sperm present
- The egg must be fertilised before it is implanted in the womb
Although we women may spend much of our early womanhood wary that we might become pregnant, the reality is that it takes a fair amount of effort. Up until the age of 25 a woman's fertility is at its peak, after which the chances of becoming pregnant begin to lower.

The key to whether or not conception occurs lies largely in becoming in tune with your own body and all its complex signals, bearing in mind that age, lifestyle and biological and medical factors can all play a role in the fertility of both males and females.

Some common male causes of infertility:

Primary testicular disease
Disorders of sperm transport
Defective secretion
In approximately half of all men, a cause may not be identified
 
Some common causes of female infertility:
Abnormalities in menstrual function -the most common cause
Ovulatory disorders, characterised by infrequent or scanty menstruation
Fallopian tube damage
Endometriosis
 
Causes of reduced fertility are many, but very few are insurmountable if treated with the right approach.

Complementary therapy can be a particularly powerful tool in dealing with fertility issues, but it is much more effective when used to complement a healthy lifestyle. You may find it useful to check the list below and determine whether you could make some changes in some areas in order to increase your fertility:-

Smoking: the NHS run an excellent Pregnancy Smoking Helpline: 0800 169 9 169

Alcohol: reduce your consumption drastically, preferably altogether. No matter how much you think it is helping you to deal with your stress, it isn't.

Caffeine: your intake should be one cup per day or none. This includes tea, coffee and, sorry -chocolate counts here as well!

Environmental toxicity: not always an easy one to avoid, but try to reduce your exposure to pollution, computers, mobile phones and microwaves.

Drugs: it goes without saying that recreational drugs are out; try also to reduce your intake of medical drugs, but consult your GP first.

Weight: being overweight or underweight is not going to help your chances of conceiving.

Eating patterns: irregular eating patterns can add to your body's sense of imbalance. If you live with an eating disorder you are going to find it difficult to cope with pregnancy so try to address the issue.

Exercise: too much or too little can be detrimental -remember, it's all about balance!

Emotional stress: from work, relationship or home. If you have any, deal with it! Learn to breathe deeply, take time to meditate, swim, walk, read -whatever gets you out of your head and helps you to relax (except, of course for alcohol, cigarettes or drugs!)

For further information on preconception lifestyle choices, contact Foresight, the Association for Preconceptual Care: www.foresight-preconception.org.uk

Many ancient fertility rites and rituals remain in existence the world over, and it is significant that we appear to be bombarded with news stories featuring overpopulation from the countries where many of them are practised. What is noticeable is that none of these countries surround their inhabitants with the levels of noise, stress, pollution and toxins that we live with in our society today.
 
Becoming more in tune with our bodies and less receptive to the pressures in our environment is not as huge an adjustment as it seems, and you can only feel better for it!

How can reflexology help?

Many couples have found that reflexology has helped them to conceive. This may in part be due to decreased stress and anxiety levels, but studies have shown that it can be very effective, particularly when both partners receive treatment. Over half of all conception problems are male-related, yet men are less likely to seek help with it, especially that of a more complementary nature. It is important to remember that having a child is a partnership from the very beginning, and that if your partner is as open as you are to the entire process then your chances of succeeding in your aims are far greater.

Reflexology is ideal for this as it is a truly holistic therapy that can really rebalance the body, mind and spirit and address any disturbances at a very deep level. Amongst its many benefits, reflexology can:

Induce deep relaxation -truly stress reducing and a chance to rebalance your body and escape from your worries for a while

Regularise menstruation

Stabilise the body's systems

Help to rebalance the reproductive system

Work with the endocrine system to balance hormone production necessary for conception to occur

Your commitment

Research undertaken in Denmark and the U.K. has shown that reflexology can increase fertility. Reflexology works best for fertility if both partners commit to treatment and agree to sustain it for a certain period of time. Ideally, treatments would be given once a week for 6-10 weeks as part of an agreed treatment plan. Over time, this can help to regulate the female cycle, encourage ovulation and boost sperm count.

In some cases, conditions such as fibroids and endometriosis may also experience relief; this would usually involve your therapist and your GP consulting together. Most importantly, reflexology works to achieve balance, or homeostasis, throughout the entire body, mind and spirit.

Being open and receptive to the host of benefits possible through complementary therapy can only enhance your experience of conception.

Ali has continued with her training to specialise in fertility and maternity reflexology. She has completed courses with Sally Earlam at the Central London College of Reflexology, with renowned Danish reflexologist Inge Dougans and also with Denise Tiran, midwife and author of numerous books on complementary therapies and pregnancy.

Ali also trained in Ayurvedic massage under Dr. R. Bhagavan, B.A.M. at a specialised retreat in Tamil Nadu, India, and incorporates many Ayurvedic techniques and theories across her other therapies. She is particularly interested in how Ayurvedic knowledge may be used to ensure a healthier pre-conception lifestyle and enhance pregnancy, and is continuing her research into this area.

Reflexology is a non-diagnostic and non-curative practice, and should not be viewed as a substitute for the advice and guidance of qualified medical professionals. However, Ali believes that complementary therapy is just that -complementary; designed to work in tandem with conventional medicine

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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