OTHER RELATED HEALTH ISSUES
Anxiety & stress is familiar to infertility patients, the need to have children is recognised as a strong natural force explained by a variety of social, biological, cultural and psychological reasons. Moreover this need is so fundamental that when - and if - you decide to start a family you inevitably expect that you can do so whenever you choose. So when there are difficulties in conceiving, it can rapidly become a life crisis and the emotional pain with feelings of loss can be immense.
The investigation of fertility can have a number of worrisome and stressful effects on an individual or couple, the most prominent of which are:
These are all responses that I commonly hear and responses too which are often associated with stress. In stressful situation our bodies fail to cope with the high levels of adrenaline produced. We sometimes have a huge expectation of ourselves that we can cope with anything, but this of course is just not true. Stress can build up slowly, such that even a small event can trigger tears, or even anger, as we reach saturation point. We may feel unwell, have butterflies, feel sweaty, breathless, hot and cold, anxious, panicky, tired. We may lose our appetite, have skin problems or have no wish for sex!! Just what you need.
I have become very adept at treating stress, particularly through my extensive fertility work, where I use acupuncture to lower the body’s stress responses in order to allow the body’s natural fertility function back into play. Acupuncture is excellent for any stress disorders, and I would like to reach out to the widest community, not just for fertility patients, to bring you my extensive experience in helping reduce your stress – helping you to feel better!! I am happy to use acupuncture within the context of any medications you may be taking and will work with your medical team to ensure that our acupuncture treatment is a safe and appropriate adjunct to your Western treatment.
The investigation of fertility can have a number of worrisome and stressful effects on an individual or couple, the most prominent of which are:
- the medical pressure (what will the diagnosis be?)
- the emotional pressure
- the financial pressure (can we afford treatment?)
- the uncertainty of what the future holds (a life without children?)
- a sense of isolation
- anxiety that life's out of one's control
- growing resentment and anger
- feelings of inadequacy and guilt
These are all responses that I commonly hear and responses too which are often associated with stress. In stressful situation our bodies fail to cope with the high levels of adrenaline produced. We sometimes have a huge expectation of ourselves that we can cope with anything, but this of course is just not true. Stress can build up slowly, such that even a small event can trigger tears, or even anger, as we reach saturation point. We may feel unwell, have butterflies, feel sweaty, breathless, hot and cold, anxious, panicky, tired. We may lose our appetite, have skin problems or have no wish for sex!! Just what you need.
I have become very adept at treating stress, particularly through my extensive fertility work, where I use acupuncture to lower the body’s stress responses in order to allow the body’s natural fertility function back into play. Acupuncture is excellent for any stress disorders, and I would like to reach out to the widest community, not just for fertility patients, to bring you my extensive experience in helping reduce your stress – helping you to feel better!! I am happy to use acupuncture within the context of any medications you may be taking and will work with your medical team to ensure that our acupuncture treatment is a safe and appropriate adjunct to your Western treatment.
Not being able to have a child (secondary infertility) is more common than primary infertility, about 60% of infertile couples are secondary infertile, I never get drawn into value judgements and I treat secondary infertility every bit as seriously as primary infertility. I have treated many women with secondary infertility and helped them a great deal. I provide an understanding ear and never underestimate their distress or their particular problems.
Depression - whether or not you have been trying for a long time depression can be a symptom or cause of fertility problems. Often it is linked with a lack of energy, insomnia, low appetite and libido. I will always recommend you see your GP to register symptoms of depression and to take prescribed medication if that is necessary.
Miscarriage - I have supported many women and couples who have lost babies - through first trimester miscarriage, at mid term, at term, through stillbirth and from cot death. I have worked extensively with women who may have had a loss, sometimes many years ago, through miscarriage or termination, who may yet still be holding unresolved issues around that loss. Acupuncture has the great capacity to help you feel calm and grounded, helping to stabilise you and giving you the ability to cope.
Acupuncture can help you towards reaching into the depths of your emotional resonances and the treatment space may offer the opportunity to safely and gently experience and explore the grief around the loss of a child. Within the supportive context of the acupuncture treatment there is an opportunity to find nurturing and a healing place to find resolve with the intensity of the grief of losing a child.
This can be a powerful inhibition to conception for some women and the process of de-briefing the experience and working through the held emotions associated with these sad events can often unlock a place within a women's heart that will then help to make space for a healthy conception to occur.
No matter what kind of bereavement you may have experienced, I am here to support you in whatever capacity you may need, to help you come to terms with your loss in as safe and supportive a way as possible.
Acupuncture can help you towards reaching into the depths of your emotional resonances and the treatment space may offer the opportunity to safely and gently experience and explore the grief around the loss of a child. Within the supportive context of the acupuncture treatment there is an opportunity to find nurturing and a healing place to find resolve with the intensity of the grief of losing a child.
This can be a powerful inhibition to conception for some women and the process of de-briefing the experience and working through the held emotions associated with these sad events can often unlock a place within a women's heart that will then help to make space for a healthy conception to occur.
No matter what kind of bereavement you may have experienced, I am here to support you in whatever capacity you may need, to help you come to terms with your loss in as safe and supportive a way as possible.
About 10% of women develop postnatal depression after having a baby, which can last from several weeks to several months. Common symptoms include exhaustion, tearfulness, and feelings of being unable to cope with motherhood, insomnia, lack of appetite, anxiety and irritability. Many women find acupuncture a relaxing experience which may help to relieve some of these symptoms.
Acupuncture aims to treat some of the underlying patterns that Traditional Chinese medicine may identify and has been found in clinical studies to be beneficial in the treatment of depression (Mamber et al, 2004; Wang et al, 2008). In combination with dietary and lifestyle advice and support from family members and health professionals such as GP and health visitor, acupuncture may help in the treatment of postnatal depression.
Acupuncture aims to treat some of the underlying patterns that Traditional Chinese medicine may identify and has been found in clinical studies to be beneficial in the treatment of depression (Mamber et al, 2004; Wang et al, 2008). In combination with dietary and lifestyle advice and support from family members and health professionals such as GP and health visitor, acupuncture may help in the treatment of postnatal depression.
'Older motherhood' is now official, the latest birth statistics published by the UK's Office for National Statistics show that more women than ever before are choosing to become mothers in later life. In England and Wales the number of live births to mothers aged 40 and over has nearly trebled from 9717 in 1990 to 27,731 in 2010.
When you're over 40 and trying to conceive, fertility statistics, your risk of miscarriage and your risk of genetic abnormality all seem designed to make you give up even before you start. However, although IVF success drops drastically after 40 there is still a good chance of conceiving. It's worth being proactive so call us today to book your health consultation.
When you're over 40 and trying to conceive, fertility statistics, your risk of miscarriage and your risk of genetic abnormality all seem designed to make you give up even before you start. However, although IVF success drops drastically after 40 there is still a good chance of conceiving. It's worth being proactive so call us today to book your health consultation.
Whether you've heard it called premature menopause, early menopause, premature ovarian failure pr premature ovarian insufficiency, it's fundamentally the same condition. Infertility can be a devastating consequence of premature menopause. The failure or removal of the ovaries means that a natural pregnancy is no longer possible. Even if you had not been planning on having a family or already have children, the fact that the choice has been taken away from you can be hard to bear.
Premature menopause brings with it wrenching emotional change along with the physical. Your emotions are already affected by the fluctuating hormones in your body and the reality of your condition impacts on your emotions even more. For most women, facing menopause at the 'normal' age can be a very tough and lonely experience. It seems very understandable that a diagnosis of an early menopause may promote feelings of worthlessness and uselessness and thus ultimately lead to depression.
Although treatment can be challenging, it is also rewarding because acupuncture offers one of the most effective ways to address premature menopause.
Premature menopause brings with it wrenching emotional change along with the physical. Your emotions are already affected by the fluctuating hormones in your body and the reality of your condition impacts on your emotions even more. For most women, facing menopause at the 'normal' age can be a very tough and lonely experience. It seems very understandable that a diagnosis of an early menopause may promote feelings of worthlessness and uselessness and thus ultimately lead to depression.
Although treatment can be challenging, it is also rewarding because acupuncture offers one of the most effective ways to address premature menopause.