Getting To The Point of Making Babies
From the original article by Kate Eshmade
Women desperate for a baby will try anything. Searching the internet can lead them to monitoring everything from body temperature to the position of the moon to increase the chances of pregnancy.
Success rates can vary and, without evidence, it’s easy to dismiss these fertility-boosting methods as ineffective.
One method, however, has received more scientific backing than most and that’s acupuncture.
Using Acupuncture To Prepare For IVF
A recent study found that needle-based therapy could boost the chances of a woman becoming pregnant after IVF by more than half. The findings, published in the British Medical Journal, come from a review of seven scientific trials.
While some medical experts remain cynical, someone who believes in its healing powers is Sarah Fuller of Westcliff. After trying to get pregnant for eight years and being told there was no reason she couldn’t conceive naturally, Sarah had acupuncture leading up to and throughout her IVF treatment. She is now seven months pregnant.
“I was looking into IVF and read acupuncture supported it very well,” she said. I was quite sceptical about it, but I just thought ‘I’ll try anything’.”
What surprised Sarah was, instead of looking at her fertility in isolation, the treatment with Leigh-based therapist, Lorna Withers, took a wider approach.
“She straight away picked up on an emotional trauma I’d had eight years ago,” said Sarah, who already has a teenage daughter.
Sarah began to see Lorna on a regular basis. “My whole outlook changed, I became more positive,” she said.
Sarah is one of three women who Lorna has treated during their IVF treatment in the past 18 months. One other conceived and one didn’t.
To discuss your fertility issues or book an appointment, call Lorna on 07960 852338 at her clinics in Leigh-on-sea and Southend-on-Sea
A Natural Approach To Fertility Treatments
Lorna, who is based at Shambhala Studios in Leigh and The Therapy Life Centre in Southend, is finding an increasing number of her patients are coming to her with fertility issues, ranging from those going through IVF, to those looking for help to boost their fertility naturally.
The treatment concentrates on three main areas of the body – the kidney, liver and the spleen, which according to Chinese medicine are also connected to different emotions.
“I think we look at fertility in a very different way to Western medicine,” says Lorna.
“They have various investigations they do, such as blood tests to look at hormone levels, sperm counts, scans and so on. I think their tests are as conclusive as they can be from the direction they’re coming from.
Helping Women To Address Their Emotions As Well As Physical Symptoms
Acupuncture’s natural fertility treatment takes other issues into account, such as the emotional view.
“For example, in Chinese medicine, all organs are attached to different emotions. The kidney is attached to the fight or flight response, and you might find someone who is having trouble conceiving because their kidney energy is low. This might be down to the fact that they suffered a trauma at some point.”
Lifestyle and Fertility
Lifestyle issues, such as diet, alcohol intake and amount of sleep, are also considered to be central to the treatment. As is relaxation.
“One thing you can always do with acupuncture is to help calm the mind, and that’s so important for these women,” says Lorna.
“Any fertility issues, whether a couple are trying to conceive naturally or through IVF, it’s invariably a source of stress in itself.”
Acupuncture and Advertising Standards
The recent ruling of the Advertising Standards Authority means that we are not allowed to talk about the effects of Acupuncture and IVF or any other Western Medical conditions without a recognised Western medical study, including control groups using placebos, to back it up.
However, we think the experiences and testimonials of our clients speak for themselves.
For more information, the British Acupuncture Council has produced some useful fact sheets on this subject.
Acupuncture and Female Fertility
Acupuncture and Male Infertility
