Archive for the ‘mind-Body Fertility’ category

There are natural therapies that can help you body to prepare for IVF by nourishing your body, increasing your egg health and promoting healthy implantation of the fertilized egg. You may not know it but many of these therapies are backed by studies and can make a big impact on the success of your IVF.

Check out the article here:

http://natural-fertility-info.com/increase-ivf-success/

In Part Two of this three part series we covered basal body temperature and today we will cover your graphing your temperature. Thank you for joining me for this series. If you enjoyed it let me know and we can create more of them in the future!

Article by: Marie Zenack

Your Temperature Graph

Put a dot on a graph on the spot corresponding to each day’s temperature. Join the dots of consecutive days. If you do not take your temperature one day, do not join the dots across that day. Also write out the temperature numerically, to guard against errors in graphing.

Interpreting Your Chart

1) Breathe and relax. Study your chart.

2) Can you find six low temperatures during the fertile mucus days of your cycle?

3) Draw a horizontal line at the highest of the six low temperatures. This is your low temperature line.

4) Draw another horizontal line four-tenths of a degree F. or two-tenths of a degree C. above your low temperature line. This is your full thermal shift line.

5) Can you find three high temperatures after the low temperatures? All of the high temperatures must be above the low temperature line. At least the third high temperature must be at or above the full thermal shift line.

6) This temperature pattern of low and high temperatures is called a biphasic pattern with a full thermal shift. A biphasic pattern with a full thermal shift confirms that you really did ovulate. A smaller, but sustained temperature rise also probably indicates ovulation.

If you are hoping to become pregnant, please pay close attention to nutrition. Look for unprocessed foods grown without chemicals. Exercise in moderation. Get plenty of rest. Avoid stress. Think happy thoughts. Pray for the child you desire, and begin sending your child love, now. Heal any hurtful feelings between you and your mate, and between you both and your parents. Your mate should avoid hot shower or baths and tight clothing, both of which lower sperm count.To increase your chances of conception, use the wet, slippery days for sexual relations.

If you have observed a biphasic pattern with a full thermal shift, and it is now 18 days since your last slippery, wet day, and menstruation has not arrived, you may feel confident that you have conceived.

Congratulations and blessings!

About The Author

Marie Zenack is a teacher of fertility awareness and a facilitator of women’s rites of passage.
http://www.menstrual-cycle-period.com/

Complete Series

Part 1: Cervical Mucous

Part 2: Basal Body Temperature

Part 3: Charting

In Part One of this series we went over cervical mucous and how to determine when we are ovulating. Today we are covering taking your basal body temperature to determine where you are in your cycle and if you have ovulated.

Article by: Marie Zenack

Basal Body Temperature

If you are not sure you are ovulating, you can take your temperature. The body’s resting temperature increases four-tenths of a degree Fahrenheit or two-tenths of a degree Centigrade under the influence of progesterone at ovulation. Observing this sign involves taking your temperature at the same time each morning before rising. (This is not as hard as it sounds. It takes less than two minutes and you can go back to sleep if you want.)

To observe your temperature rise, buy a BD brand digital basal thermometer. This brand will give you a consistent and accurate reading. Other high quality brands of digital basal thermometers are also probably accurate, but have not been tested for fertility awareness. Make sure the battery is good. (You can replace it.) An ordinary clinical thermometer is not accurate enough for fertility awareness. Nor is the “ear thermometer” (tympanic thermometer).

Take your temperature every day immediately upon waking, before 7:30 a.m. The body’s rhythms (circadian rhythms) fluctuate over a 24-hour period. Your temperature is lowest in the early morning and highest in the afternoon. Fluctuations are greater after 7:30 a.m. If you go to bed before midnight and wake up before 7:30 a.m., you will get the clearest temperature readings.

If it is not convenient to take your temperature immediately upon waking, you may take it during light morning activity. For example, if you need to go to the bathroom, you may take your temperature while getting up and using the toilet. But be consistent about the circumstances under which you take your temperature. If you take it during light morning activity, take it that way every morning. Don’t take it sometimes before getting up and at other times during light morning activity. If you have sexual relations, take your temperature before.

Many women find that the digital thermometers require such a short time to use that it is easy to take their temperature before getting up. Take your temperature by mouth. Under arm and ear temperatures are not accurate enough for family planning purposes. The thermometer will beep softly several times before beginning to beep slightly louder and repeatedly. Keep the thermometer under your tongue until the louder, repeated beeps begin. You can read and chart your temperature as soon as is convenient after taking it. Your thermometer has a recall button that allows you to read the last temperature taken. Be sure to wash your thermometer after each use.

Fertility charting and using a menstrual calendar is like having a window to peek in on your fertility cycle. Here is a great 3 part series on how to use these methods to increase your fertility through having fertility awareness.

Article by: Marie Zenack

Charting the signs of our menstrual cycle is a good way to keep in touch with our bodies, our feelings, and our health. It is also a good way to predict our days of menstruation in advance, even if menstrual cycles are irregular, and to know the most fertile times if we are hoping to conceive.

Anji is hosting a fertiltiy teleclass next week, here is the info:

I’d like to personally invite you to a fr*ee teleclass I’m hosting this Monday, January 28th at 7 p.m. CST: “How to Unlock Your Fertility”

 We’ll discuss: * How to bridge the gaps between your Mind and Body and Spirit in order to conceive * How to get your body working FOR conception not AGAINST it.

 This class is for you if: You have ever wondered why or how emotions and feelings can be such an important aspect of conceiving when you weren’t sad or depressed about conceiving when you first started trying.

You feel like there must be something MORE going on in your body than what the medical tests show because obviously SOMETHING isn’t right since you haven’t conceived yet. You have heard that you are “supposed” to be positive and optimistic, but no one has showed you how to do that when dealing with the rollercoaster ride that infertility can be. You will walk away from this class knowing what you can do today to radically enrich your fertility. Also, when you sign up for this fr*ee teleclass, you will get the opportunity to tell me what questions you have. Then, I can make sure to answer them on the call.

Register for this fr*ee teleclass right here. When you get to the registration page scroll to the bottom and fill out the registration form and click on the submit button. I’ll send you the call-in information via email. This call will last approximately 60 minutes. If you can’t make the live call register anyway and I’ll send you the call recording. I can’t wait to “see” you on the call!

Should you try Traditional Chinese Medicine and acupuncture to help you get pregnant? Yes. Here’s why. Acupuncture helps the body to become balanced and healthy. There are many studies that show great success when using acupuncture in combination with medical fertility treatments and on it’s own. I have included an article written by an acupuncturist to explain it in more depth, but before that I have some advice for you.

When deciding to try acupuncture you should be ready to commit to a health plan. You can not just receive one treatment and bam! that’s it. It will take a series of sessions to have an affect. Think at least three months, at first the sessions being closer together than moving farther apart once you are balanced. I personally see an acupuncturist monthly as part of my total health system, you should check it out.

Study:

Women who followed a combination of five or more lifestyle factors, including changing specific aspects of their diets, experienced more than 80 percent less relative risk of infertility due to ovulatory disorders compared to women who engaged in none of the factors, according to a paper published in the November 1, 2007, issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.

The study was led by researchers at the Harvard School of Public Health (HSPH) and did not examine risk associated with other kinds of infertility, such as low sperm count in men.

“The key message of this paper is that making the right dietary choices and including the right amount of physical activity in your daily life may make a large difference in your probability of becoming fertile if you are experiencing problems with ovulation,”

Read entire study here…

Hethir:

It is great to see research being performed on the effects of diet and lifestyle on fertility and ovulation. The results are not surprising to me at all, but refreshing. Once again an 80% success rate using a natural approach…

There are three areas included in this study where if you made lifestyle shifts now could make a big difference in your fertility.

Diet/nutrition:Eat a whole foods diet with emphasis on organic, fresh foods. Take a multivitamin…

Stress: Have a stress reducing “practice” in your life such as exercise, meditation or yoga. Learn more about the effects of stress in this article.

Exercise: Exercising every day makes for a healthy body in general…

All of these factors are not new news. They work because they help to bring the body back into balance, where your fertility is abundant.

Medicinal baths are one of my favorite things in the world. They melt away stress, clear your energy and you also get the added benefits of steeping your entire body in herbs. If you do not have a bath tub, you can still enjoy the benefits with a foot bath.

Supplies :
Fresh or dried herbs: these herbs can be fresh picked from your yard, from the farmers market, or bought dried.
1/4 c sea salt
Big stock pot
Strainer

Some of the best herbs for the medicinal bath are:
Rosemary - cleansing, great for the immune system

Lavender - calming, helps with stress

Calendula - great for the skin and spirit

Rose - calming, uplifting

Basil - helps to dispel stress, boosts immune system

Oregano - boosts immune system

Thyme - boosts immune system

Sage - clears energy

Eucalyptus - helps with deep breathing, good for the lungs

Ginger - increases circulation to the reproductive system

Chamomile - calming, helps one to sleep


How to make

1. Chose two to four herbs for your medicinal bath tea

2. Take a 1 - 2 gallon pot, fill with water. Put herbs into water. Bring to boil for 20 min. let steep for another 15 min.

3. Draw a very warm bath, not scalding but as hot as you can handle.

4. Once the bath is ready add 1/4c of sea salt to the bath and pour the strained medicinal bath tea into the tub. Get in the tub and enjoy for 15 -30 min.

My favorite blend I used last night :

oregano

rosemary

sage

basil

On a biological level stress can affect hormones directly in a matter of minutes. When we are constantly living in a state of stress adrenaline is continually released. Adrenaline inhibits our ability to utilize progesterone, therefore directly affecting our fertility. Prolactin is another hormone secreted when we are stressed. Normally prolactin is released by the pituitary gland to stimulate lactation to prepare for nursing. Prolactin is what inhibits a breastfeeding mom from getting pregnant while she is nursing. In times of stress higher levels of prolactin is released.

Ok, I was not able to write each evening after the workshop, because I was just fried. I drove in LA traffic, and that sure makes me cranky! Well I have to say this event was excellent. I was PMS-ing so there were times when I was annoyed by some of the personalities of others, but I’ll just put my “liver stagnation” aside.

Tomorrow I will be going to the Fertile Soul Workshop being held in Santa Monica, Ca. It is being put on by Dr. Randine Lewis, the author of ‘The Infertility Cure‘, an all natural fertility treatment to support women’s efforts to get pregnant and have healthy babies. Dr. Lewis wrote the book to introduce women around the world to using traditional Chinese medicine: on its own or to use along with technology such as IVF or hormone therapy.

She has since created a program around the work that the book explains. I have read and heard many great things about Randine’s methods, and look forward to meeting her. I will give you all updates as I get home each night. If you are interested in attending one of the Fertile Soul Programs, you can visit her website and get the locations and dates.

Her book is a must read, and in my top 5 favorite fertility books.

Quotes from her site::“Dear Randine I want you to know how much you mean to me and to all the other women fortunate enough to cross your path. You are a blessing and no matter what happens, I will (already am) a much better person since I met you. I can’t wait for my child to meet you!”

Join Hethir with an interview with a certified Maya Abdominal Massage Practitioner, Patience Harvey.

In this interview Patience tells all about Maya Abdominal Massage, how it benefits women, how to tell if you need it, what it’s like to get one, and a whole lot more.

Find out how this specialized treatment can help with endometriosis, cysts, recurrent miscarriages, painful menstruation and overall reproductive health.

Since reading “Parenting Begins Before Conception” years ago and interviewing the author, I have really been contemplating pre-pre-natal psychology.

Do our babies communicate with us before they are conceived?

I have read countless stories about parents receiving communication through dreams and feelings from there soon to be conceived.

Does stress have an effect on your fertility?

We live in a fast paced world, and being a woman today has many blessings, one of them being a professional life. But are we constantly trying to hurry to meet all of our commitments?

What Dr. Allen Morgan and Dr. Douglas Rabin (reproductive medicine physicians) found is “what is not widely known is that stress also has a detrimental impact on fertility. Women who are constantly under stress produce prolactin, cortisol, and other hormones, which can interfere with or even block regular ovulation.”.

The Secret is an amazing movie that is sweeping the country, awakening the consciousness towards the law of attraction. If you have not seen this movie yet this is the best description I can find -

“The Secret is an eye-opening, feature-length documentary on one of my favorite subjects — the Law of Attraction. This law states that we attract into our lives that which is in harmony with our dominant thoughts. Think positively about your health, finances, and relationships, and you’ll attract positive results. Think negatively about these areas of your life, and you’ll experience nothing but frustration.”

We can use this tool for all areas of our life, finances, career, relationships, and yes… fertility.

Seeking alternative health treatments for supporting your fertility has high success rates and many health benefits. There are many studies out that show alternative therapies can help to increased chances of conception, grater success with western fertility treatments and healthier pregnancies.

Many have thought that they could not afford to take care of themselves with alternative treatments because of the costs… thats how it use to be, but now there are Alternative Health Insurances that make seeking acupuncture, massage and chiropractic easily affordable and accessible.

Join Hethir in an interview with Carista Luminare-Rosen, Ph.D.

She is a counselor in private practice that specializes in holistic approaches to preconception and prenatal health care.

Carista also founded the Center for Creative Parenting and is Author of “Parenting Begins Before Conception: A guide to preparing body mind and spirit - for you and your future child”.

This interview is 45 minutes and jam packed with amazing information. Thank you Carista for sharing your wisdom and expertise with all of us.

Question :

Hethir -
I want to thank you for an outstanding website! It has helped me to change my diet and given me a lot of hope and inspiration. My question is about exercise. I am a very healthy and physically fit 42-year-old woman. I have exercised regularly my whole life. My husband and I have been TTC for a little over a year now. I have had all the fertility tests, and my husband and I are fine. My hormones are great. I started acupuncture and changing my diet about 3 months ago. My acupuncturist does not want me to be physically active at all from ovulation till my menstrual cycle begins. She says motion is not good for the developing embryo. I am finding this really difficult because I am a very active person. What is your opinion on this matter?

This is a great guided visualization that will help you recover from a stressful situation. This can be done anywhere at anytime. Click here to learn it.

Cervical fluid is necessary for allowing the sperm to swim freely through the cervix. Some of us have low or no cervical fluid, so it is harder for the sperm to move and there may not be a friendly environment for the sperm to sustain themselves.

When a woman ovulates there should be an increase in cervical mucous (CM), as well as a change in the mucous texture, from “wet” to a more pliable, stretchy, egg white like mucous. This is easily helped by using one of these 5 suggestions: