The Breath, Belly Breath & Fertility

The breath plays an important role and has a powerful influence over our physiological and psychological well-being. Breathing is something we don’t pay a great deal of attention too. In fact, its is an unconscious response we do naturally. What I teach my patients is conscious breathing and conscious awareness; it is a form of mindfulness.

Have you ever noticed when in a stressful situation that your heart rate increases, your breathing becomes more shallow or labored. This is our body going into what we call the “Flight or fight” response. All you can think is, how can I get out of this situation. Your head is screaming, “run”. In this heightened state our body begins to produce the stress hormone cortisol. Cortisol is well known for its impact on fertility. Stress reduces the changes of conceiving with In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) according to recent studies.

Different types of breathing patterns have distinct physiological effects. When we connect to conscious breath, it triggers the physiological response of rest and digest. Everything in the body begins to slow down; our heart rate, our mind, our breathing becomes deeper and consciously we begin to connect into our body. Suddenly, we notice we are in a more relaxed state.

The breath we want to promote in fertility is the belly breath. Slow deep rhythmic abdominal breathing. Belly breathing stimulates our vagus nerve, which controls important body functions such as respiration and digestion and sends sensory information to the brain.  Using this breath shifts the hormonal milieu in the body from “flight or fight” to “rest, digest and nest”.

Close your eyes and focus on breath. Begin to identify your breathing pattern. Are you holding tension in your shoulders, back and neck? Is your belly moving?

If you’re not using belly breath, try this exercise/

1. Lie down on the floor with legs extended.
2. Place your right hand on your heart and left hand on your lower belly
3. Close your eyes and begin to breath in and out of your nose.
4. As you inhale feel your belly expand. Breath into your belly
5. As you exhale, feel your belly contract, gently drawing belly to spine.

Continue this belly breathing for 5-10 minutes.

FERTILITY YOGA WORKSHOP

www.angeayoga.com.au

Fertility & Vitamin E

Fertility & Vitamin E

There are so many supplements on the market that can improve and increase our fertility. I am going to share with you, what I find is important to improve and increase our reproductive health and wellness.

Our body and reproductive system is made up of million and millions of cells, including our sperm and eggs. Vitamin E is essential in protecting and improving our cellular health. It is an important antioxidant for reproduction and fertility.  Research has shown it can improve the overall health of Men's sperm and in Women can increase our overall egg health. This is great news!

The chemical name of Vitamin E is Alpha-Tocopherol, it comes from the Greek word Tokos which translates to "offspring" and Phero which means to "bear". It literally means to bear children. I love it when we can find naturally produced foods that contain these qualities. Vitamin E is found in foods  such as almonds and other nuts, sunflower seeds, spinach and apricots.

For the Woman!

Women under going IVF cycles who have been found to have  a thin uterine lining <8mm, Vitamin E has been shown to increase uterine activity and can aid in increasing  the thickness of the endometrial lining. A study published by Fertility & Sterility April 2010,  found that Vitamin E could increases uterine radial artery blood flow. Results showed vit. E given at 600mg a day increased uRA in 72% of patients and endometrial thickness (EM) in 52% of patients.
If you are starting an IVF cycle this may be something you might like to consider. It is always important when going for your scan to ask the thickness of your endometrial lining.

For the Boys!

Vitamin E has been shown to increase your overall sperm health and motility. Vitamin E when taken with Selenium increases live sperm rate. This is most important when having to give a sample for an IVF cycle.  Vitamin E has also been shown to reduce sperm defects. The numbers are actually really good, showing that men who take Vitamin E supplements for even just a few months, can see up to a 10% increase in fertility. I recommend you start now!

In another study, males enrolled in an in vitro fertilization program who had previously had low fertilization rates were treated with oral vitamin E for three months. Fertilization rates increased significantly from 19% to 29% after one month of treatment (Geva).

I would recommend a diet rich in Vitamin E foods and a daily dosage of 500mg.

Sources

Takasaki A, Tamura H, Miwa I, Taketani T, Shimamura K, Sugino N (April 2010). “Endometrial growth and uterine blood flow: a pilot study for improving endometrial thickness in the patients with a thin endometrium”. Fertil. Steril. 93 (6): 1851–8. doi:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2008.12.062. PMID

Geva E, Bartoov B, Zabludovsky N, et al. The effect of antioxidant treatment on human spermatozoa and fertilization rate in an in vitro fertilization program. Fertility and Sterility. 1996;66:430–434

Practice Breath - The art of Receiving and the art of Releasing...............

When we are born, the very first thing we do is take in a breath, inviting life force to fill out bodies and feed our vital organs. Breath is Life itself. The act of inhaling is the act of receiving. The act of conceiving is also an act of receiving.

BODY AWARENESS

Thought for today!  

Body Awareness

It is easy to judge your body for not supporting you or notice what’s “not working”. It is common to feel let down by our bodies when facing our fertility challenges. I encourage you to shift your awareness to what is working in your body and how your body is responding. Begin to notice how your body feels each day as you move through your day. Focus on the positive aspects. How is your body supporting you. What feels good? What can you do live a healthier life?

TOP 10 NUTRITIONAL SUPPLEMENTS & TIPS TO INCREASE YOUR FERTILITY

 

• Start taking your nutritional supplements at least 3 to 4 months before your IVF treatment or natural fertility cycle commences.  
•  Drink at least 2 liters of water a day. Water is vitally important for every cell in the body and helps to remove and eliminate toxins. 
• Vitamin C: 500 mg a day will help collagen production and is vital for wound healing following egg retrieval. There is some evidence to suggest that it may help to prevent miscarriage.  Reduce Vitamin C intake to 250mg before transfer.  
• Folic Acid: helps prevents spina bifida and produce DNA and RNA. 
• CoQ10: May improve blood flow, enrich endometrium, and improve fertilization rates, “mitochondrial nutrients” may improve egg quality and response to ovarian stimulation. Can improve sperm quality. 
• Bromalein: Using Pineapple & pineapple core can help to assist implantation: Pineapple contains bromelain. Bromelain is a proteolytic enzyme that breaks up proteins that inhibit embryo implantation. Consuming a whole pineapple (focusing on the core as it has the highest concentration of Bromelain) during a fertility cycle can be beneficial.  
• Magnesium: helps improve fertilization rates  
• Zinc: promotes cell formation and wound healing after surgery and is vital for hormone production and implantation, plays a vital role in cell division  
• Selenium: improve fertilization rates, prevents chromosome breakage
• Vitamin B complex: will help your body cope with the stress of invasive procedures

Chinese Medicine, Acupuncture & Labour Induction

Chinese Medicine and its role in pregnancy and birth

Acupuncture is an integral component of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), a wholistic system of healthcare continually practiced and developed throughout Asia for many thousands of years.  Traditional Chinese medicine has developed specialised treatment for women in promoting fertility, pregnancy care and postpartum recovery. Today TCM care is become increasingly valued in Australia, as it is in New Zealand, England, Germany and France where acupuncture is available in specialised antenatal clinics and maternity hospitals.

Pregnancy, child birth and postnatal recovery are viewed in Traditional Chinese Medicine as a window of opportunity to enhance and support the woman’s wellbeing. Conversely if adequate care is not taken the resulting problems may continue long after birth.  Value is therefore placed on offering preventive care to strengthen the mother and baby as well as dealing with problems as they occur during pregnancy.

Traditional Chinese Medicine offers a safe, effective alternative for treatment of pain and discomfort during pregnancy and a great alternative to western medicine drugs. Moreover, it provides an excellent compliment to midwifery, doula, and obstetrical care.

TCM effectively treats

• Morning sickness,
• Musculoskeletal conditions such as sore hip
• Threatened Miscarriage
• Fatigue
• Morning sickness
• Musculoskeletal pain (back, sciatica etc)
• Heartburn
• Pregnancy Induced Hypertension
• Stress and anxiety
• Insomnia
• Oedema
• Breech and Posterior presentation
• Labour preparation – Pre Birth Treatment
• Labour induction
• Pain relief during labour
• Post Partum Care

LABOUR PREPERATION

Pre-Birth treatment involves a series of four treatments weekly from 36 or 37 weeks to prepare for labour. Points are used according a woman's constitution and pregnancy history.

These include points to

• Cervical ripening
• Promote optimal energy and stamina for labour
• Help to shorten duration of labour
• Reduce the rate of caesarean sections and need for interventions 
• Reduce the need for pain medications or epidurals
• Greater satisfaction with birth experience
• Boost energy and help with pain relief

INDUCTION OF LABOUR

Acupuncture can provide a gentle inducement of labour when the baby is overdue.  It can be an effective alternative to Syntocinon drip or prostaglandin gel induction.  Acupuncture encourages the body to release hormones such as oxytocin and prostaglandins that instigate labour as well as encouraging the baby downward in the birth canal.

Many mothers find this treatment very relaxing, feeling calmer, more relaxed and have a more efficient labour.  One or more treatments are usually required.  As with the pre-birth treatment if you do not go into labour, you will respond well to medical induction.

PAIN RELIEF & SUPPORT IN LABOUR

Acupuncture offers drug free alternatives for pain relief during labour. 

Acupuncture in Labour can help with:

• Promoting efficient contractions
• Encourage baby into optimal positioning
• Aiding cervical ripening and dilatation
• Pain relief
• Promote endorphin release (primal state) rather that adrenaline release (fear state)
• Smoothing the transition between the 1st and 2nd stage of labour
• To promote delivery of a retained placenta

A Brazilian group has shown that electro-acupuncture (EA) can be used to promote labour as efficiently as the prostaglandin analogue misoprostol which is used to induce labour and cervical priming, but with fewer complications. 67% of woman... in labour were randomised to receive either EA or misoprostol. Woman who received EA experienced significantly fewer obsetric complications along with higher frequency of vaginal deliveries. This was taken from Arch Gynecol Obstet 2011: Electro- Acupuncture for cervial ripening prior to labour induction.