Getting Ready – Preparing for Pregnancy
Preconception support gives you both the chance to optimise your health before getting pregnant.
Ironing out nutrient deficiencies, balancing hormones, regulating your cycle and improving sperm and egg quality in the 3-4 months before you are ready to start trying to conceive has huge benefits.
It increases your chances of getting pregnant, reduces miscarriage risk, makes sure you have a healthier pregnancy and has long-term health benefits for your baby.
It takes 116 days for sperm to fully develop and 90 days for an egg to mature and be ready to be released and fertilised – giving you a wonderful window of opportunity to work on your health.
Hanna was a godsend. She helped me with my stress, thyroid and adrenal issues. Her support and kindness was tremendous. I then fell pregnant very quickly. Her care and guidance through the pregnancy was invaluable. I am so grateful to her.”
~ Samantha Bell
Fertility – PCOS/Endometriosis
PCOS or Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome is a common fertility issue which responds well to a combination of acupuncture and nutrition. The aim of acupuncture sessions and dietary and lifestyle changes are to reduce insulin resistance, support weight control and regulate and stimulate ovulation.
Other reasons for an irregular or absent cycle like Hypothalamic Amenorreah can be due to over-exercise and stress, especially in women who are underweight. Rebalancing hormones and resolving stress with dietary support and acupuncture can bring periods back.
If you used to have regular periods before going on the Pill it is likely you are suffering from Post-Pill Amenorreah which can also be helped with the right support.
I suffer from PCOS and had nine rounds of Clomid and IUI before seeing Hanna. Amazingly, my tenth round worked! The only thing I’d done differently was to have acupuncture.”
~ Catherine
Endometriosis is a complex inflammatory condition which can be genetic. It can also be missed as a diagnosis for infertility – as some women will not have a history of period pain. So if you have unexplained infertility make sure you raise this as a possibility.
Both acupuncture and nutrition help weight control, hormonal balance, egg quality, support a healthy womb lining and significantly reduce inflammation and period pain.
I had severe endometriosis and had been unable to conceive. Acupuncture significantly reduced the pain and improved my energy levels. Then when I felt ‘normal’ again and ready to start IVF she supported me all the way through. The odds were against us but it worked first time.”~ Jodie
IVF Help
Hanna supports women with regular acupuncture treatments plus diet and supplement support in the weeks leading up to IVF.
Sometimes she will have been working with a couple for a few months before they feel ready to start an IVF cycle.
Acupuncture and nutrition can improve egg and blastocyst quality, fertilisation rates, ovarian blood supply, ovulation rates, cycle regularity and boost IVF success.
Acupuncture during IVF, especially at the beginning of ovarian stimulation – leading up to egg collection, focuses on reducing drug side-effects, increasing blood flow to the ovaries and lining, improving ovarian response – size of follicles and quantity of eggs, as well as reducing stress, deepening sleep and helping you cope with IVF.
In the days between egg collection and embryo transfer acupuncture treatments focus on preparing the womb lining for implantation, reducing stress and helping you sleep.
Pre and Post embryo transfer acupuncture treatments on the day of transfer can also improve pregnancy outcomes.
Hanna will then usually see you for a couple of sessions in the two week wait before taking a pregnancy test when women often feel the benefit of some gentle supportive care.
I am only 35 years old but was diagnosed with unexplained early menopause. I hadn’t had a period for 18 months before I came to see Hanna. MY FSH was sky high and I was getting hot flushes. After six acupuncture treatments I had a period then one every 28 days again.”
~ Kirsty
Male Fertility
Sperm can be easily damaged by a bad diet, stress, too much alcohol; smoking and being overweight. Although sperm is vulnerable because it is made from scratch every 72-76 days it can also be easily improved with better food and lifestyle choices.
Eating plenty of fruit and veg – a rainbow of 7-10 a day. Having lots of good fats from avocados, nuts, seeds, olive oil, and oily fish plus beans, lentils and swapping processed sugary foods for whole foods makes a massive difference to the vitality, quantity and ability of sperm to reach and fertilise the egg.
Giving up smoking, cutting right back on alcohol, coffee and fizzy drinks and really addressing underlying stress and fatigue increases fertilisation rates, time to pregnancy and significantly reduces miscarriage rates.
Acupuncture helps reduce stress and improve sleep quality quickly and can reduce local inflammation, improve blood flow and improve overall sperm parameters.
As well as making the time to get the right nutrition and supplement support and advice men also need to get their sperm properly tested.
Just having average sperm might be enough to achieve a pregnancy but the future health of our children depends on how we prepare for parenthood. How we look after ourselves in the months leading up to conception helps our children have healthier lives.
Subclinical problems may be missed with a basic sperm test. If fertility is unexplained a full thyroid profile, vitamin D test, a DNA fragmentation test, check for varicoceles, sperm auto-antibody check and tests for infections like HPV, Strep B and mycoplasma can be ordered and checked.
Thanks so much for helping me – we really appreciate the part you played in a difficult and emotional process. You’re time and energy were a much needed positive influence in the seemingly endless quest to get our son into our lives.”
~ Dan
Fertility acupuncture and nutrition appointments are available both in London and Lewes, or as online consultations. Contact Hanna to find out more about improving your fertility naturally, reducing stress at this important time, and taking the next steps in your journey to conception.
