austin-moms-blog-infertility-alternative-medicine

Like all scientific means to find remedy –from prescription medicines to surgical procedures– there is not much else you can do from a medical perspective but wait and see if your effort was a success. During infertility treatment, the emotional weight of your potential future child’s life hanging in the balance can foster feelings of helplessness & hopelessness. Did your body choose to respond to this round of Clomid? Did your (what one doctor called my) “angry” ovary decide to cooperate this month? Did your uterus play nice and provide a good environment for the embryo to attach?

During my year under the care of a reproductive endocrinologist, it felt like my hands were tied. I kept asking the doctor, “What else can I do?” As a strident purveyor of Western medicine, there really wasn’t much else she suggested. Of course they dolled out the typical notes: cut out caffeine, abstain from alcohol, take prenatal vitamins, etc. However, with my doctor’s consent, I began a supplemental practice of alternative healing and I swear they made my first embryo transfer via IVF a success! Here’s my shortlist of non-prescription aides to explore when undergoing fertility treatment:

Acupuncture:  This is my top recommendation and the only ‘alt-medicine’-type process that’s actually scientifically proven to help. I would suggest finding a clinic with a marketed, routine infertility treatment plan. Although it was my first time getting acupuncture, it really felt like these practitioners were specialists in this specific area. They had a whole system in which they advised me coming in: once a week regularly, a few days before and immediately after embryo transfer (like, don’t even go home, come straight to the clinic afterward!) I walked out of that last appointment never feeling more relaxed & at peace…I just know it helped that little embryo hang on!

Yin yoga:  Before egg retrieval, your super-stimulated ovaries go from the size of almonds to peaches. During some forms of exercise, apparently they can flip-over and twist off their blood flow — painful scary-sounding stuff! There gets to be a point in the process where doctors advise keeping away from cardio: no spin class, no jogging on the treadmill, and even no Bikram (hot) yoga. I am kind of a yoga devotee and had to find a form beyond Restorative that felt like ‘work.’ Prenatal yoga would’ve been perfect for me at the time but I just couldn’t bring myself to take one of those classes without actually being pregnant. Yin yoga was the answer — a type that works the connective tissue, lower back/hips, and most importantly, the mind. Somehow, quieting my thoughts while holding a weird posture for five solid minutes while my muscles let go of control was quite healing.

Visualization:  OK, I know this one is a little out there but I find strength in the whole “mind over matter” mantra when it comes to physical challenges. To me, visualization is just an extension of that notion. While I’d never been able to do the whole meditation thing, visualization felt more like something I could embrace. It wasn’t until I heard about professional athletes using the technique before a big competition that I decided to give it a try. At that point in treatment, getting pregnant meant receiving my personal version of an Olympic gold medal, after all. Walking through the steps in my mind, over and over, helped tremendously during both my IVF and eventually in the hospital delivery room! Now, I lean on it almost as an anti-anxiety technique before any huge life events.

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