It is the foundation of the human spirit and fertility. Our well-being depends on it. A diagnosis or feeling of infertility can rob us of our hope in an instant. Due to the labeling society has put on us, we mentally label ourselves defective, broken, old, we may feel desperate, anxious, angry, sad, lonely and alienated from those we love most. Worst of all, our loss of hope decreases our ability to conceive, which exacerbating the situation we most want to rise above.

Women endure various struggles with conceiving a child, and it is often tremendously stressful and can have a negative impact with your work, home and relationships.

Research has shown that the stress of infertility is comparable to that of cancer, HIV/AIDS and other devastating illnesses. Studies have found that women who have high levels of distress are significantly less likely to conceive.

The goal of mind and body wellness is to help all of the body's integrated systems work together more efficiently and reduce stress; which often increases the potential for fertility. Mind and body wellness maximizes the results of traditional medical treatments and improves overall health and wellness. Women who are having difficulty conceiving, including those being treated with IUI, IVF and donor cycles or complementary therapies may benefit from these types of programs.

• A recent scientific study shows that women who experience high levels of anxiety and depression prior to an IVF treatment are 93% less likely to conceive than those who are less distressed.
• Women who take part in a mind/body program in addition to fertility treatment are more than twice as likely to conceive as women who opt for fertility treatment alone.
• According to a study published in February 2004, patients’ distress level is the primary reason they discontinue fertility treatment before it is successful.

Acupuncture
Acupuncture has been used for thousands of years to treat fertility issues. It reduces stress and anxiety, balances the hormonal and endocrine systems and positively influences the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis. It also regulates the menstrual cycle and increases blood flow to the uterus.

In 2002, the American Society for Reproductive Medicine reported that in a study of 114 women who were receiving IVF, half were giv en acupuncture before and after the embryo transfer while the other half received IVF only. The outcome was impressive; of the women who received IVF and acupuncture, 51 percent became pregnant as opposed to 36 percent of those who received IVF only. In addition, the miscarriage rate in the acupuncture group was only 8 percent as opposed to 20 percent in the control group.

Exercise
Daily exercise and healthy eating are integral to overall health, wellness and fertility. In fact, 12% of infertility cases are due to weight issues.

Exercising too much or too little can really impact your body’s natural fertility, which can prevent you from becoming pregnant. When exercise is pursued in healthy moderation, it can actually help to increase fertility. Exercising 30 minutes a day, three to four days a week, can help you on your way to achieving pregnancy. When paired with a healthy diet and good self care, exercise can stimulate fertility and may help you conceive.

Overweight or obese women tend to have more fat in their bodies. This subcutaneous and visceral fat can actually increase the amount of estrogen inside your body because 30 percent of our estrogen comes from fat cells. Thus, women who have more fat will produce more estrogen. This can influence ovulation, menstruation and conception in a negative way. Another fact is that overweight or obese women are more resistant to insulin. Insulin resistance can force your body to produce excess levels of insulin, which can inhibit ovulation. 

On the other hand, anorexic women either never get their period or their period stops due to extreme weight loss. Amenorrhea is the cessation (stop) of menstruation, can be permanent depending on how long a woman has been suffering from anorexia. The good news is most women will start to menstruate again soon after they start to gain weight. Approximately 80 percent of anorexic women who successfully treat their eating disorder will regain their ability to conceive.

By exercising on a regular basis women can really help to lower their body fat levels. Overweight or obese women need to consult their physician about an exercise regiment and this moderation of exercise will help improve their chances of conception. Low impact activities such as walking, cycling, swimming and yoga are much less stressful on the muscles and joints, which is especially good if you haven’t exercised in quite awhile.

Seek nutrition counseling for a variety of concerns, including weight control and women’s health issues, as well as for management (or prevention) of health problems like cardiovascular disease, diabetes/pre-diabetes, gastrointestinal disorders, cancer, eating disorders and polycystic ovary syndrome

Fertility Enhancing Retreats
The incorporation of traditional Chinese medicine is the deepest belief that the mind, body, spirit and soul are one. To achieve a state of health, they all must be addressed. Through most retreats they teach you to breathe differently, eat foods that nourish your fertility, express your emotions honestly and rid your body of the negative effects of stress and limiting belief systems. You will learn how to redirect your body’s attention to your reproductive organs, which in most cases, have been starved of circulation and attention. And lastly, you will be taught how to live life again – fully, joyfully and fertilely. You may be required, asked or suggested to make some pretty dramatic lifestyle changes since many of us have never been taught how to express our fertility.

Life Coaches
Trying to conceive and not achieving pregnancy can be stressful, difficult, and may end up taking over your life. Life coaching is ideal in these circumstances because it is holistic and helps to restore balance. Your personal life coach will work with you on all aspects of your life: fertility, health, honing in with your spiritual side and home life. Psychological counseling for individuals and couples can offer help in coping with stress, including the stresses of ongoing medical treatments and the uncertainty of outcome. If you are having a difficult time in the fertility process, you may want to consider hiring a life coach.

Herbs and Vitamins
Current research now supports the long tradition of naturopathic medicine that the human body functions as a network of interconnected systems. For example, we know that digestive conditions and stress directly affect the reproductive tract. Therefore by treating and supporting imbalances throughout the body, fertility is improved. Naturopathic medicine specifically addresses diet, nutritional deficiencies, environmental pollutants and stress. The result is that we see improvements in the maturation of eggs, the ovulation process, estrogen and progesterone productions are normalized, stress is reduced and emotional factors such as depression and anxiety are improved. By strengthening and balancing the systems of your body that support reproduction, fertility treatments can become more effective.

Massage, Meditation and Hypnosis
Whether you're trying to conceive naturally or in conjunction with medical treatment, massage may help.

It is a well know Maya abdominal massage increases blood flow in the pelvic area and has a detoxifying action, both of which can be important for fertility. Maya massage is based on healing principles of the Mayan civilization that inhabited the Yucatan Peninsula from about 250 A.D to 900 A.D. Maya abdominal massage is an external massage. The main focus is to reposition a misaligned uterus by softening musculature tensions in the uterus and pelvis. The massage therapist’s intent is to increase blood flow to the uterus and improve chi (“flow of energy”). The Maya abdominal massage results: a feeling of better circulation, no more painful periods, 30 percent improvement in fertility, not having to get up at night to urinate — from a correctly placed uterus.

Research suggests that meditation and related relaxation techniques have been scientifically shown to be highly beneficial to health. Over a thousand research studies, most of them published in well-respected scientific journals, attest to a wide range of measurable improvements in human function as a result of meditative practices. Women struggling with infertility had much less anxiety, depression and fatigue following a 10-week meditation program; 34% became pregnant within six months.

Hypnosis can be used on its own to relax the body and improve your chances of getting pregnant, but it can also help reduce the stress that comes with conventional medical treatments. May 2006 report in Fertility and Sterility showed nearly double the rate of pregnancy via frozen-egg transfer procedures in a group of Israeli women who were treated with hypnotic intervention versus a control group that was not hypnotized.

Yoga
There has been some research done on yoga postures, which suggest that specific poses can increase fertility.  Because yoga poses increase blood flow to certain organs, yoga may help to stimulate ovulation and make the uterus more conducive to conception. Additionally, it has been found that couples undergoing IVF treatment who are also practicing yoga regularly are more likely have successful results. For this reason, many fertility clinics have begun to offer yoga courses, along with other complimentary forms of treatment.