Tag: why can i not get pregnant

How can I increase my chances of getting pregnant?

by JMReflex, posted in Acupuncture, AMH, Fertility, fertility acupuncture, Health & Wellbeing, ICSI, IVF, Male Factor, Reflexology

If you are reading this then chances are you are trying to conceive, and perhaps you have been trying for a while now and each month is a roller coasting of emotions ranging from the highs of hopeful to the lows of that one line showing on the stick.

Woman crying, holding a negative pregnancy test.

One of the best things you can do is to take yourself off this roller coaster for at least 3-6 months. Stop “trying” and start focusing on collecting data, improving your lifestyle and nutritional choices.

Start tracking your cycle using a very basic thermometer to take your basal body temperature, and a paper chart. Mark down where your temperature is each morning before you get out of bed, and on which day of your cycle. Take note of your menstrual blood, spotting, discharge. Collecting this data for around 3 cycles can start to present patterns and markers that might indicate what is happening within your body and your cycle. Bring this with you if you decide to book in for acupuncture.

Get your bloods checked including a full hormone and thyroid panel. Get copies of these results and again bring them with you if you decide to come into clinic for acupuncture.

Really take a deep dive into your lifestyle; write down when you go to sleep, when you wake up, what you eat for each meal, whether you often get aches and pains. What exercise do you take, and what about your partner/husband? How much water do you both drink? Are you both eating a lot of processed foods? Do you use a lot of plastic?

Don’t go on this journey alone. Find a qualified practitioner to help you along the way. My fertility clients come in for weekly acupuncture where we look at everything in your life in detail and work out a plan of action to prepare you as a couple for conception, whether that is natural or IVF.

My clinic is based on the Fylde PR4. Contact me for a chat.

Let’s talk about periods

by JMReflex, posted in Acupuncture, Fertility, Menstrual Cycle

Did you know that a true menstrual period only comes if ovulation occurred. This means that if you are on the oral contraceptive pill (OCP) and have “periods”, these are really withdrawal bleeds and not true menstrual periods. This is because the OCP prevents you from ovulating.

If you are trying to conceive then it is wise to give your body time to readjust from stopping OCP and get back to a normal cycle.

Period Flow

The flow of your period should be tracked on the day that menstrual blood starts flowing properly (this would be marked as day 1). Often light spotting can occur beforehand so only class day 1 of your period when it gets going properly.

A normal, healthy period would be 3-5 days of bleeding and have a clear end. A regular flow is normal.

Heavy flow and flooding are something to be flagged. This would be more than 5-7 days of bleeding, or if you are having to change sanitary products more than every 2-3 hours. These issues might indicate issues such as thyroid imbalances, fibroid, low iron.

Likewise, very light pink blood for less than 3 days is also something to be flagged. This might be a sign of low oestrogen levels.

Period Pain

Woman feeling emotional and in pain during menstruation.

Rate your pain levels on a scale of 0-10. Mild cramping when your period starts is normal. Anything more should be flagged. Does it stop you from going to work? Do you need to take pain killers? Do you need to use a hot water bottle? Anything more than a 1 on the scale indicates a red flag. Where is the pain in your body? e.g. headaches, abdominal pain, breast pain, lower-back pain? These can all be clues and could indicate imbalances that can be addressed.

Period Frequency

Cycle length (day 1 to the next day 1) should be 24-35 days in length. There should be a clear start and end to the period.

If you have spotting before or afterwards this is something to be noted. Similarly, the colour of the blood should be a healthy red colour with no clots. If it is pink, dark red, purple, or black, then these are all flags to be noted.

Acupuncture

After discussing all of the above in a consultation, acupuncture can help rebalance the body with certain point prescriptions based on your symptoms. Alongside regular acupuncture, lifestyle changes and wellbeing techniques can also be adopted to optimise health and chances of conception.

There are lots of things to think about and consider with fertility awareness. Education is key and having knowledgeable support from an acupuncturist or reflexologist can be invaluable.

If you are looking for fertility support in Lancashire please get in touch.