Wellness - IVF | ICU | ICSI | OI/TI

Acupuncture is a component of traditional Chinese medicine that is based on the circulation of vital energy, or “chi”, through the body, which flows through channels called meridians. It is performed using small needles placed at different energy points across the body, which are activated by electric simulation or the practitioner’s hands. This boosts the natural healing capacity of the body.

Acupuncture can provide additional benefits and improve the efficacy of assisted reproductive treatments in both men and women when used as adjuvant therapy. As per a study, getting acupuncture before and after embryo transfer increased the chance of getting pregnant from 26.3% to 42.5% .

Couples undergoing fertility treatment should consider acupuncture in the following cases.

• Repeated implantation failures
• Repeated miscarriages
• Hormonal imbalances
• Polycystic ovarian syndrome
• Endometriosis
• Poor responders in IVF cycles
• Poor seminal quality
• Sterility of unknown origin

Acupuncture does not cure structural problems such as polyps, uterine malformations, or blocked fallopian tubes, among others. It works by improving sperm quality and ovary function, helping balance the endocrine system and hormones.

Targeted therapeutic massage helps improve sexual and reproductive health. Fertility massage therapy is a specialized fusion of traditional massage techniques from various cultures with fertility reflexology, pulsing, and energy healing. In addition to helping your body achieve a natural balance, this lovely, flowing massage can also help relieve pelvic tension and stress and improve circulation and lymphatic flow to your abdominal organs, including your womb and ovaries.

Regular fertility massage sessions for 3 to 4 weeks may provide many benefits for the reproductive system:

• Helps to reposition a tilted uterus
• Assists in promoting hormonal balance by reducing stress and improving circulation
• Helps to break up scar tissue and adhesions
• Brings fresh blood to the uterus and ovaries
• Reduces stress and your level of stress hormones
• Increases circulation to the womb and cervix
• Helps the liver remove excess toxins
• Helps the body rid itself of old, stagnant blood and tissues

Our modern and hectic schedules are causing a lot of stress to our mind and body. Stress is a primary factor in a lot of health issues, including infertility. Moreover, the process of going through fertility treatment can also be overwhelming for couples. Meditation helps to handle the situation better, improving the chances of getting pregnant.

Meditation is proven to support our physical health as well. It can help reduce chronic inflammation in the body and improve overall well-being. Meditation helps reduce inflammation and improves your chances of getting pregnant. Meditation can also slow cell death and prolong the life of the cells, possibly extending the life of women’s eggs. This increases the chance of conception.

Some of the benefits of meditation in the fertility journey for couples are:

• Calms your mind, body, and soul
• Reduces damage to the body’s cells
• Slows the rate of damage to women’s eggs
• Gives you control over your emotions
• Reduces depression
• Regulates the mood and increases self-awareness

Working toward fertility may sometimes feel exhaustive. As per a study, yoga can improve assisted reproductive technology success rates. There are countless methods of yoga and yoga poses that you can perform. Each yoga pose helps to not only strengthen your body and mind but can also help you regain balance in your body; not only physical balance and agility but the overall balance between all of your body’s functions, including your reproductive system. Yoga can help ensure a regular menstrual cycle in addition to relieving menstrual cramps and muscle stiffness. It is easier to get pregnant for women with regular menstrual cycles.

Fertility Yoga is one of the best ways to support reproductive health. It helps to:

• Reset your endocrine system
• Achieve hormonal balance
• Clear adhesions and blockages in the reproductive areas in certain cases
• Increase circulation to the reproductive system
• Maintain a healthy immune system and detoxify the body

Finding a certified yoga instructor with experience in teaching yoga is important. It is safer and more effective to practice under the supervision of a qualified instructor. It is crucial to build up practice intensity gradually. Begin by doing it 2-3 times a week, and increase it to 5 times a week if you would like. If you are consistent, you will see huge changes in your health over time.

According to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, 15% of the population experiences infertility. While couples can’t control all of the causes of infertility, they can control their eating habits. Your reproductive system, like all the other organs and systems in your body, needs the right kinds and quantities of nutrients to function properly. To prepare for pregnancy and enhance fertility, maintain a healthy weight and choose foods that create a safe and supportive home for your baby’s nine-month stay.

Men should also try to maintain a healthy body weight and follow a balanced eating pattern, since male obesity may alter testosterone and hormone levels. Our body functions properly when we eat a balanced diet that includes foods from all the major food groups. In addition to helping men improve sperm production, it can also help women ovulate. A lot can be changed by making even minor dietary adjustments.

Consume more daily servings of fruits and vegetables, ideally with a combination of colourful options. This provides all essential nutrients like beta-carotene, and vitamins C and E.

Additionally, make sure to stay away from foods made with white flour and instead choose whole grains like whole wheat, brown rice, and oats. To promote fertility and general health, healthy fats from sources like fish, nuts, seeds, and vegetable oils are crucial. However, trans fats, such as those present in fried and processed foods, raise the risk of infertility in both men and women.

Some other general diet suggestions:

• Eat a fertility-focused diet
• Aim for a healthy body weight
• Get active
• Take a high-quality preconception prenatal vitamin
• Consider other preconception supplements

Incorporate these diet and lifestyle habits into your daily routine. Remember, diet and lifestyle strategies can be an important complement to your fertility treatment, but they do not replace fertility evaluation and care. At Hegde Fertility & Women wellness centre, we provide personalised nutritional consultations. Consult a specialist and create a plan that works best for you.