Pathway to Fertility Method
Improving Fertility With Steps Designed For Your Body, Mind and Heart.
You might be feeling as though there is no garden pathway for you. Or your footing is so uncertain.
With the pathway method, I recognize three key components in your fertility garden - the physical fertility, the mind fertility and the heart fertility. Yes, your fertility is much more than your ovaries!
Let’s flesh out the three key components to improve, support and care for your fertility and help you on the pathway.
Physical Fertility
What’s interacting with your ovaries and uterus? Everything in your body. Your digestion, sleep, body temperature, bowel movement, the amount of energy you have for your day, the way you sense being thirsty, allergies, getting up in the night to pee… and much more in between.
Your body’s function affects hormones. Hormones impact your ovaries and follicular growth. The two are deeply woven together in Chinese medicine.
By treating your whole well-being, we have an opportunity to potentially maximize egg quality, improve IVF outcomes and support fertilization/implantation.
Exploring your full physical health is crucial to understanding your overall well-being and how it might be impacting your fertility. At the first session, you and I will discover all the nooks and crannies to start improving your fertility.
Think I’m full of it? Research is just starting to explore the topic.
Let's look at one component, a common one - poor sleep patterns (https://www.fertstert.org/article/S0015-0282(20)32188-9/pdf). Though more studies are need to research the topic, it appears poor sleep affects fertility. Clinically, I see a correlation between poor sleep patterns and early/late ovulation.
Here’s the big question for your treatment process: How is your physical well being affecting your fertility?
Mind Fertility
The mind component is the logical thought process dedicated to getting pregnant. All the mental thinking, the analytical part, the process of sorting, figuring out the right steps to take, the “best treatment” thoughts. In short, the desire to figure it out or try harder, searching for the right answer.
You may have noticed the mental component can easily lead to hamster wheel thinking. Around and around you go through your thoughts. Talk about frustration!!! Stuck, going nowhere thoughts. It makes you tired, creates stress headaches, leaves you feeling overwhelmed. Maybe you clench your jaw or your shoulders are tight as the swirling thoughts lead to nothing? These symptoms are indications of stress.
Now, research is mixed about how and if stress affects fertility (https://www.fertstert.org/article/S0015-0282(11)00852-1/fulltext). But I can confidently stand up and say infertility stress can pull and stretch your life to the breaking point.
It’s a big test of courage and willpower to be fertile, when life is challenging all your beliefs and it feels as though you are infertile.
Here’s a question: Does all the analytical thinking make you feel there is even a bigger hole in your life?
Heart Fertility
The heart component is EVERYTHING you feel in your heart, in your cells. The calling to be a mom, creating a family with the person you love, the dreams you had since childhood about having a baby, what it would be like to care for a child - watch them grow up. It’s all the profound deep emotions you experience - the sadness in seeing babies everywhere, blaming yourself for waiting, lost in the mixed bag of jealousy/happiness when a friend gets pregnant.
You might find yourself wanting to give up, throw in the towel and yet, the Heart calls to keep going.
The Heart component contributes to sadness, depression, questioning of identity, shifting of how your dream will unfold, consolidating your hopes and desire to the presenting reality.
Unfortunately, this part of the journey is not recognized. Research clearly documents depression and anxiety for clients going through IVF (https://www.fertstert.org/article/S0015-0282(14)01392-2/fulltext). Women (and men) receive little to no support.
Here’s a question: How do you cultivate the internal strength and courage to continue on the fertility journey when your body speaks no but the Heart screams YES?
Body. Mind. Heart Come Together in Treatment
Here you are.
You never thought in a million years you would be here in the moment - facing the challenge to have a baby. Here in this moment, how do you create a life that provides abundance when everything tells you there’s barely a chance?
How does your body, mind and heart come together? How does all of woowoo stuff make you fertile?
Body
First, you and I sit down and have an in depth conversation (about 60 to 80 minutes) about your health. I want to discover what your menstrual cycle is telling us about your hormones. We will discuss your hormonal issues which might be impacting egg quality. Then we discuss key physical systems in your body - digestion, bowel movement, urination, appetite, heart health, sleep and other minor systems.
From this information, I will build a personalized treatment plan to optimize your physical fertility.
This includes:
A personalized diagnosis in Chinese medicine (treatment of the pattern of disharmony) for acupuncture treatment.
Appropriate supplement suggestions
If appropriate - customized Chinese herbal formula
MIND
Second, we want to explore all the analytical questions you have. Let’s start removing as much “what is this?” thoughts. Ask me all your questions. We will discuss all the information your body is telling you about your fertility. Discovering what your cycle is telling us about your hormones. We can explore all the IVF questions floating around. And don’t forget all the weird questions, which get discounted as nonsense.
I want to provide you with as much solid information as possible to stop googlitis and over researching. You will get all your questions answered and relieve all those exhausting niggle thoughts. No more searching for a nugget of elusive gold on the internet. Start experiencing an eased mind.
HEART
Third, I’m here to assist you in all the emotional cornucopia of feelings which become stirred up. Our sessions are a safe place to cry, be disappointed or mad. You are not alone. If you need to be heard, you will be heard. If you need to release emotional thoughts, I have techniques to help you let go. Your emotions can be experienced without destroying the fabric of your life. You can minimize fertility stress, have a life apart from conceiving, be surrounded by supportive relationships and make love with joy. Please note: I am not a Licensed Therapist nor do I provide therapy. If you need a therapist, reach out to me for a referral. I have an amazing therapist who understands the fertility journey.
This is whole body fertility. A focused approach to increase your fertility over the three areas. Intertwining the components together for you to be as healthy, grounded and clear about your journey. When you are in balance, your fertility has been optimized. A journey to improve your ovulation, egg quality and who you are while being faced with profound choices. To live a beautiful life which allows you to stay the course while creating a baby.
