"Life Creates Life" is a way of thinking about the fertility process from a holistic perspective. Modern, competitive, fast-paced urban lifestyles put daily stresses on the body that far exceed natural limits. At the same time, the abundance and ready availability of food, and the resulting tendency to overeat, has had measurable negative impact on overall health and wellness.
When we reconnect with the natural life force, we activate the innate healing capacity of our bodies. This is accomplished by eating whole, natural foods, drinking plenty of fresh, clean water, creating a healthy balance between work and play, and fostering intimate connections to our friends, partners, and loved ones.
People who come to the Axelrad Clinic are given step-by-step, personalized recommendations along with customized herbal prescriptions and targeted acupuncture treatments to accelerate this process of realignment with the natural healing force of their bodies. When this healing power is able to express itself, people feel more alive, vibrant, and energetic, and the opportunity to conceive and create new life is exponentially increased.
Natural fertility enhancement is pre-conception wellness care with a fertility focus. By promoting overall health and vitality using nutrition, herbs, and Acupuncture, we ensure that the body's natural systems of hormone production, utilization, and elimination are functioning at optimal levels. Fertility cycles become more regular and predictable. Male factors can show significant improvement. And, with more energy and less stress, intimacy can often improve as well.
As experts in natural fertility enhancement, we leverage both holistic and conventional medical knowledge in regards to hormone cycles. Our treatment plans are targeted to specific imbalances that block fertility, including endometriosis, irregular cycles, and ovulation disorders. Additionally, we help people with "unexplained" infertility to optimize overall wellness and regulate fertility cycles for better chances of conception. In many cases, the result is conception and healthy, full-term pregnancy. We can track progress using standard lab values, and understand various symptoms in terms of impact on fertility.
Conventional medical approaches are mostly targeted towards facilitating conception. In-Vitro Fertilization (IVF) is designed to overcome issues where fertilization is impossible or unlikely because of blockage, physical defects, or genetic hormonal problems. It is often used to help couples who are having difficulty conceiving without any obvious problems, such as couples over 35 years of age that have been trying with no success.
Natural fertility enhancement addresses aspects of general wellness that block fertility. For instance, the body must eliminate hormones after they are used. The pathways of elimination include the liver, colon, and kidneys. If any of these pathways are blocked due to inflammation, unhealthy diet, or too many toxins, the hormones stay in the system too long and can cause problems. When these elimination pathways are balanced and detoxified using proper nutrition, exercise, stress management, and herbal medicine, the result can be better hormone balance and increased fertility.
There are hundreds of other ways the body can either help, or hurt, its own fertility. We help each individual determine the areas that need the most attention and work.
IVF overcomes obstacles to fertilization and conception. It does not always overcome other issues that cause infertility. A body that is not ready to get pregnant and stay pregnant will not do so regardless of medical intervention. During an IVF cycle, the body must respond well to the drugs used to stimulate egg production. It must also handle the stress of the minor surgical procedures involved. After all of this it must then initiate the changes needed for pregnancy to occur.
Incorporating acupuncture treatments into your IVF cycle ensures that your body more easily accepts and responds to the drugs and other procedures. Studies have shown that IVF patients who use acupuncture before and during their cycles have significantly higher pregnancy rates. Knowing what we do about how acupuncture modulates stress response and blood flow in the body, it is no wonder that these patients have a lower incidence of side effects and higher pregnancy rates.
By undertaking a focused program of wellness and preparation for conventional fertility treatments, we better prepare our bodies to respond and adapt to the changes being caused by the drugs. A body that is well is a body that has more fertile potential, regardless of the type of treatment used.
There are 4 primary techniques I use in my clinic:
- Acupuncture
- Chinese Herbal Medicine
- Dietary and Lifestyle Coaching
- Mind-Body Techniques
Acupuncture is the insertion of very thin, sterile, stainless steel needles into precise points on the body. These points have been shown to stimulate certain reactions and changes in other parts of the body. The combination and placement of the needles, along with the skill of the acupuncturist, determines what types of effects will result from the treatment.
Chinese Herbal Medicine is a traditional system of natural medicine that has an unbroken lineage going back at least 3,000 years. Over this very long period of time, practitioners were able to fine tune the art of prescribing herbal substances to treat medical conditions. There are literally thousands of herbal combinations that have been traditionally used to treat common complaints such as pain, acne, and digestive problems, to more specialized problems like fertility and gynecological issues. The first written record of herbal prescriptions specific to enhancing fertility is from the 2nd century AD.
Dietary and Lifestyle coaching requires understanding a patient is lifestyle, and how that may affect their health. By making targeted, practical changes to habits of work, sleep, eating, and relationship to self and others, subtle obstructions to the body's healing mechanism can be removed. Changes can include a specific exercise plan; elimination or addition of certain foods to the diet; and rearranging schedules and time commitments to relieve mental stress and pressure. Each patient receives a unique, detailed set of recommendations based on his/her particular needs.
Mind-Body techniques include breathing exercises, Yoga, and visualization. By encouraging deep breathing, the body's stress response is reduced, oxygen levels are increased, and toxins are eliminated. Deep breathing also encourages proper blood circulation in the lower abdomen because the diaphragm gently squeezes down on the abdominal organs. This flushes toxins from the system as well. Studies of yoga and visualization techniques show a reduction in biological markers of distress, and support proper immune system function.
Scientific studies show that the body reacts to acupuncture in several important ways related to reproductive function:
- Stress hormones are decreased, while pleasure and relaxation hormones are increased. This reduces systemic inflammation and calms an overactive immune system.
- The brain signals that control hormone output can be normalized. One recent study demonstrated that acupuncture can have positive effects on women who do not ovulate regularly, helping them to return to a more regular ovulation pattern.
- Blood flow patterns deep inside the body are altered by acupuncture, and one study demonstrated increased blood circulation into the uterus after acupuncture treatment.
The exact mechanism by which acupuncture works is still under investigation, but its effects are obvious and measurable. Therefore, we can be certain that acupuncture provides a powerful method for activation of the body's natural healing response.
Herbs are plants that contain refined medicinal substances along with vitamins, minerals, and other cofactors. Various herbs have been shown through scientific analysis to have the following effects:
- Regulation of blood sugar levels. Poor blood sugar regulation can alter reproductive hormone levels.
- Improved circulation of blood. Blood that does not circulate well or clots easily can affect the function of the uterus and ovaries.
- Enhanced detoxification in the liver. Reproductive function can be altered if used hormones, which are weaker than fresh hormones, are not eliminated from the body properly.
- Protective effects on the stomach and digestive tract. Proper hormone output depends on proper nutrients being absorbed from foods.
The herbs needed by each person differ based on their particular situation. It is always best to seek expert advice when taking herbal medications, to make sure the herbs are right for you. While herbs are not as strong as drugs, they can still have negative effects if taken improperly.
We are what we eat. Foods that are synthetic, processed, overly spiced, treated with hormones, or genetically altered are difficult to absorb which causes added stress on our bodies. Natural, whole foods, on the other hand, are like a familiar friend to our cells and tissues, and are easily assimilated.
The availability of nutrient-rich, organic, whole foods is limited in most urban environments. This, coupled with the added stress of urban living, necessitates basic vitamin supplementation as a matter of course.
The body becomes depleted and exhausted under the chronic duress of poor diet and eating habits. In certain cases, therapeutic nutritional supplementation is used to give the body enough raw materials for healing and regeneration.
When the body obtains proper nutrients in the proper forms, it is able to produce the what it needs when it needs them. Fertility cycles depend on several hormones all acting in unison. When the body produces the right hormones at the right time, the result is a more regular, balanced fertility cycles.
The mind is a creature of habit. Habitual beliefs that create tension and stress keep the body in a reactive state that can impact digestion, blood pressure, and hormone output, to name a few. Studies have shown that certain hormones that block fertility can be increased during times of extreme stress.
By retraining the mind how to let go and relax, we reinforce the body's natural healing response. After practicing certain techniques for a period of time, the mind becomes more adaptable and less overwhelmed by the fast pace of modern living.
Each person's level of stress and imbalance is different. Likewise, individual healing capacity also varies. Some experience dramatic changes in a matter of a few weeks. Those who are more depleted or more highly stressed by job, poor diet, or relationships, may take longer to begin responding. Just like any medical system, holistic medicine can only work as well as the body is willing to respond.
Three to six months is a general timeframe that is given to achieve conception and pregnancy. However, this is not a strict guideline. In some cases the physiological shift happens very quickly, in others it takes longer. Patients are encouraged to expect positive results as they implement their treatment plans.
In all cases we consistently review markers of progress and will refer for conventional treatment if sufficient, measurable progress is not being made.
Natural fertility enhancement can be used by patients having difficulty conceiving and who want to increase overall wellness and ensure optimal functioning of body systems. However, just as with any medical treatment, it is important to understand the limits.
Certain conditions that can impact fertility lend themselves very well to natural treatment, with a high possibility to increase chances of conception and pregnancy:
- Functional hormonal imbalances
- Irregular menstrual cycles
- Stress, anxiety, depression, fatigue
- Ovulation disorders such as PCOS, luteal phase deficiency
- Mild to moderate male factor infertility
There are other conditions, however, where conventional techniques such as In-Vitro and insemination are absolutely warranted from the beginning. These conditions include:
- Tubal obstruction
- Genetic/developmental defects in reproductive function
- Severe male factor issues
- Abnormalities of the uterus
Even in the above cases, however, it simply cannot hurt to engage in a program of intensive natural pre-conception care before trying to get pregnant.
The first signs that things are working is that you notice relief from nagging problems that don't seem related to fertility. You may start sleeping better, digesting foods more easily, waking up with more energy, feeling more calm and relaxed, not being as irritable, healthier hair and nails… The list goes on. These are called "positive side effects" that are really indicators of improvement in systemic balance of the body as a whole.
A body that is more balanced, vital, and alive is a more fertile body. Even if you discover that you are unable to conceive on your own, you will be healthier, happier, and have a much better chance for conventional fertility treatment to work.
We offer wellness care for people with the following conditions:
-
Menstrual issues, including:
- Irregular periods
- Endometriosis
- PMS
-
Pregnancy problems including:
- Morning sickness
- Pain
- Fatigue
-
General issues