April’s Journey to Fertility: Miracles are Happening – Part II

April is a CNY Fertility Center patient and has been on her journey to fertility for approximately three years. April will share candid stories and a unique perspective on the fertility challenges many women and couples face. CNY Fertility Center has locations in Syracuse, Albany and Rochester, NY.

Week 62: Miracles are Happening – Part II (Read Part I here if you missed it)
After Julie’s  four and a half years of unexplained infertility and then a surprise pregnancy, I asked what she thought made the difference in being able to achieve a natural pregnancy after all of the failed ART attempts. She clearly stated she did not stop thinking about getting pregnant nor did she lose track of when to have timed intercourse, but she did begin enjoying life again. She stopped following strict dietary rules and indulged once in a while. She attended yoga regularly because she felt physically and emotionally healthy after she exercised and focused her mind. She began to laugh again, and she allowed herself to focus far less on conception and much more on having fun. Most importantly, Julie stopped being so tough on herself because her body was not doing what she wanted it to do or because she had not felt 100% hopeful about each cycle. She also began to see a therapist who helped Julie realize the importance of validating and recognizing her own feelings. Instead of thinking about how she should think, Julie acknowledged what she actually did feel, learning to leave the guilt over her feelings behind.

The lesson of learning to leave behind this internal conflict over how she should feel versus how she actually felt seems to be the most critical lesson that emerged from Julie’s four and a half year journey. She distinctly remembers often feeling guilty for not being positive enough. When she would receive the dreaded negative-pregnancy-test call, she would think that she had not been hopeful enough or that she doubted a positive outcome too much, and that was why she was not pregnant. In the end, Julie forgave herself and let go of the guilt.

After the years of hopefulness and hopelessness, Julie’s story is truly a tale of triumph on both an emotional and physical level. Julie never said she knew conception would happen for her, although her husband says he always believed it would. If you ask Julie what finally worked she will tell you the right sperm met the right egg. She will tell you not to be hard on yourself for having doubts, but she would also tell you not to lose hope either because miracles are happening!

I cannot wait to attend this baby shower!!!

In anticipation of happy surprises,
April all Year

Click here to read all of April’s previous blog articles on her journey toward fertility.

Video: CNY Fertility and Maya Abdominal Massage

Hi!  I’m Lisa Stack, your CNY Fertility Support Coordinator.  In my words of Support and Encouragement this week I mentioned Maya Abdominal Massage.  We are just getting it in our Albany office.  If you’re interested in trying it, please call CNY Healing Arts Center and they will get you in.  I wanted to share my experiences with you.  I tried Maya Abdominal Massage a few months ago because it was something new to the office that we were trying and we were recommending it to our patients.  I wanted to try it so I could give you my personal experience as opposed to just saying try this out, I’ve done it.  So I made an appointment with Erica.  It was very easy, very simple.  I answered just a couple of questions about just my medical and social history.  She also asks you loads of questions, so it’s similar to an acupuncture appointment.  You talk about not only your fertility, but your diet and just overall well-being.  They do a whole general assessment.  She asked a lot of questions pertaining to what I was eating, what my stress level was like, and any GI problems that I’ve noticed.  She really just took a whole-body assessment, and then utilized that then through her massage.

Once you go over the very beginning intake, you get on the table for a regular massage.  Instead of doing the whole body, she really focuses on the abdomen.  It’s really just from your chest down to your pelvis.  She goes through this very nice and deep, almost tissue massage, focusing around your belly button.  It may feel a little strange because in reality, they’re moving your organs and they’re aligning them right to where they should be.  You may feel a little pressure in some areas or a little bit of tightness, but that’s normal.  It’s kind of weird to have those sensations in the beginning because you’re not necessarily used to it, but know that it is working and that it is normal.  I noticed while she was doing the massage certain sensations in areas around my ovaries.  I asked her, “What are you feeling there?” because she kept moving over that spot.  Then she said that she could feel pelvic adhesions.  So, she was working through those adhesions and trying to loosen them up and realign them.

With Maya Abdominal Massage, the goal is to realign the abdomen.  Your energy there, your internal organs, just your whole digestive and reproductive system, we want to get it back to where it should be.  A good way that I do it–imagine that this is your uterus [demonstrating with fist].  Normally the uterus is tilted (sorry) this way in your pelvis. It sits in your pelvic region, and you have your pelvic muscles surrounding it, your ovaries are up here.  This is how your uterus is.  Sometimes, your uterus can get tilted forward or it can be backwards, or curved a little this way or this way.  So, Maya Abdominal Massage slowly works and gets your uterus back to where it should be, seated right in the pelvis and really just nice and snug, so that it’s not tilted one way or another, too far forward or too far back.  It really keeps to getting it snug right there where it should be.  It also works on any of those adhesions around that you hear are endometriosis that may get close to your uterus and impact your fertility.  It also works with your intestines and your colon to help you realign those and to help any digestion problems that you may have.  A lot of people that suffer from IBS, reflux or any of those GI problems notice some improvement after utilizing this. It is also important to note that it is for men and women.  It’s not just the females, because a lot of stuff is going on in the males as well.  It can help with reproduction and GI problems with men at the same time as with women.

So you have the massage, she’s going through, she’s doing the massage on you herself, and then at the end, she teaches you how to do it.  You do it for her so she can check and make sure you’re doing it the right way.  So what you’re really doing is utilizing your hands in certain motions to help drive home, really do the massage every day and take time to realign all of those muscles and those great organs and energy in your abdomen.  Now, some of our patients have had great results from this. They find it relaxing, they find it nice to spend ten minutes a day just working on their abdomen and focusing on it and sending it some good, positive energy and love down there.  I’ve kept up with it and I really enjoy it.  I’ve found that I don’t notice those adhesions as much, I’ve noticed GI help from it, and just overall I really enjoy doing it.  I find it very soothing; andI find it very comforting to do.  If you have any questions, please let me know.  I’d love to go more into my experience with it.  Any of our practitoners can also help you out with it, if you have any questions.  We recommend Maya Abdominal Massage for just about everyone.  It is good to do at any time up until the point where you may be pregnant.  So that would be transferIUI, timed of course.  If you may be pregnant, then of course, it’s the time to stop because you don’t want to be putting too much pressure down there and moving things around.  Up until that point, feel free to use it.

If you have any questions about your particular cycle or your medical history with the Maya Abdominal Massage, please feel free to ask.  Don’t ever feel like you’re in the dark, or that you’re doing this on your own.  This is another great tool, I hope you try it.  Good luck!

Lisa

Lstack@cnyfertility.com

315-744-8073

Words of Support and Encouragement Week of August 30, 2010

Autumn is just around the corner, and with this beautiful season comes great cooking ingredients!  Local farms and orchards are overflowing with apples, squash, and late season greens.  This is the perfect time to experiment with some healthy stews, roasts, and desserts.

One of my favorite ways to celebrate the season and also kick the PCOS sugar craving is to bake some freshly picked apples.  This is incredibly quick and easy to do – and still healthy!  There are a few ways to do it, but here are two of my favorites:

-Slice a few apples and place in your slowcooker/crock pot with a bit of cinnamon and a just wet the bottom with water.  If you are really in need of some sweet, add a little honey or maple syrup!  Then…wait!  Once the apples are tender, take them out and enjoy!

-Core the apples and stuff with raisins, walnuts, and cinnamon (again – honey or maple syrup if you really need the sweet!).  Place in a baking dish with about ¾ inch water, and bake at 350 until tender.  Very simple!

The key to this dessert is: not too much sweet, and plenty of cinnamon.  The cinnamon helps to regulate your insulin level, and not adding too much sugar/honey/maple syrup keeps it on the healthier side.

PCOS girls – enjoy!

If you have any diet questions, call CNY Healing Arts to schedule an appointment with Heather Neely, RD, our registered dietitian by calling 315.671.5755.

Lisa

Lstack@cnyfertility.com

315-744-8073

April’s Journey to Fertility: Miracles are Happening – Part I

April is a CNY Fertility Center patient and has been on her journey to fertility for approximately three years. April will share candid stories and a unique perspective on the fertility challenges many women and couples face. CNY Fertility Center has locations in Syracuse, Albany and Rochester, NY.

Week 61: Miracles are Happening – Part I
I have a friend named Julie whose pregnancy story is a miraculous tale that may inspire us all to be a little more forgiving of ourselves and little more hopeful as we continue on the quest to parenthood.

Julie went through fertility treatment for over four years and tried everything she could in order to increase her and her husband’s chances of conception. She sought treatment from four different doctors, tried a multitude of diets, engaged in a variety of complimentary alternative medicine techniques and incorporated stress reduction activities into her lifestyle.  She went through approximately 12 IUIs and three IVFs. And for four and a half years nothing worked. The doctors noted she did have a diminished ovarian reserve, but she still stimulated fairly well each time she underwent treatment and even had beautiful embryos. Yet, Julie did not conceive and she and her husband were heart broken!

Before Julie and her husband began their third and final IVF, they had already attended adoption seminars and filled out the necessary applications. Like so many of us who have undergone multiple procedures, Julie knew she could not handle the physical and emotional exhaustion of fertility treatments any longer and needed to follow a path that would absolutely lead to parenthood.

The entire time she and her husband were going through the adoption process which included attending classes, applying for grants and completing a home study (all of which cost money), she did not forget about her desire to have a biological child and still timed intercourse, which she notes became a habitual process – she simply couldn’t lose track of when she ovulated. And while Julie admits the desire to conceive was there, she also admits that her hope that it would actually ever happen was gone. “How many times can you bolster yourself up only to be let down,” she commented as she was telling me her story.

Shortly after the intense home study the adoption agency required and six months after Julie had stopped undergoing fertility treatments, she realized she was five days late and took a pregnancy test. In fact, her period was due on a Tuesday but she waited until the weekend because, although she had never been late, she just did not think she was pregnant. After so many failed IUIs and IVFs Julie just thought conception was not possible. She was wrong! She bought the pregnancy test brand name that she had on her vision board collage and took the test. Julie was pregnant at last!!!

Many of you may be thinking that because Julie finally stopped thinking about conception that is why happened, but as you will see in next week’s article, Julie learned many lessons along her journey to motherhood and that was not one of them. Next week, we will look at the lessons that emerged from Julie’s incredibly long and emotional journey to motherhood. Her story of tears and triumph continues to amaze me!

Feeling inspired,
April all Year

Click here to read all of April’s previous blog articles on her journey toward fertility.

Video: CNY Fertility Encourages Meditation to Decrease Stress

Hi! I’m Lisa Stack, your CNY Fertility Support Coordinator. I wanted to upload a quick video to tell you a little bit more about our new meditation program that we’ve been using, Circle + Bloom. Circle + Bloom is created by an outside company, and we found that we really enjoy and appreciate the time, the energy, and the care that they put in to creating this wonderful, mindful meditation. Circle + Bloom is specific to each type of cycle; whether you’re doing a natural cycle, or an IUI or an IVF. They have programs for a healthy pregnancy, and just general energy and empowerment. What they’ve done, especially with the IUI and IVF cycle, which I’ll be speaking about specifically, they take every two days of your cycle, and give you a different meditation to utilize. So, they are about 15-20 minutes long, and you can download it on the computer, you can throw it on your iPod, your iPhone, however you can access it. It walks you through a great meditation. Joanne, the woman’s voice is just so soothing and calming and very steady. She walks you through great visualizations, she lets you get in tune with what’s going on in your body right at that moment, what you should be thinking about, what you should be visualizing or working towards. It helps you to just relax.

I know that I sometimes find it challenging to just slow my mind down and slow down those thoughts—this takes away that pressure, it takes away the energy that you need to use sometimes to really meditate and focus, and slow down because she does it for you. All you have to do is listen, imagine the visualizations, really just place yourself in a comfortable position, and she takes care of the rest. I really feel that this would be beneficial to just about everyone’s cycles because we all need to relax a little bit more. Knowing that it is catered specifically to each of thosedays, really is important. She really caters it to where you are. It’s not just you should be relaxing because you’re getting ready for this cycle or you should be getting ready to relax for this cycle for a transfer of an IUI, she takes you through a visual of a representative of exactly what is happening in your body. I especially recommend the meditation for your transfer. She recommends it before and after the transfer, which I completely agree with. I think it’d be great to just welcome those beautiful embryos or the sperm for your IUI into a nice, calm, welcoming environment and a warm, loving, nurturing environment. This will help place you there, especially when you are in the busy office and it’s hard to relax. You’re still in a medical practice, even though we try to make it as warm and welcoming as possible, there still is some anxiety that can arise. So, if you can bring this on your iPod or however you can listen to it, if you can bring this to the office or listen on the way there or listen to it in the waiting room, this will help you zone everything else out, get rid of all the other distractions and the worries and just focus on the self. Enjoy the experience of the IUI transfer and then at the time when we have you’re just waiting for the 15-20 minutes before you get up and leave, listen to it again. Let it help you focus and center and really get in touch with what’s happening with that inner self, inner voice, and inner quiet.

If you have any questions, or would like to hear any more about it, please let me know. I really do recommend the Circle + Bloom. There is a minimal fee that you can go on, you can also go on and download the sample. I will be writing an article about it, so I’ll have all the information there and a link to the website. I hope you try it out. I hope this will be a good meditation for you because it helps guide you, as opposed to just prompting you to meditate on your own. So, let me know what you think. If you have any questions or if would like to get in touch with Circle + Bloom, let me know and I can help put you in touch with Joanne and the other great people there. I hope you enjoy it. Happy meditating!

Lisa

Lstack@cnyfertility.com

315-744-8073

Chinese Medicine and Male Infertility

Male infertility comes in several forms and has several causes. This is a condition that can benefit very much from Chinese Medicine. Several common types of male infertility are Tetratospermia (abnormal sperm morphology), Asthenozoospermia (reduced sperm motility), Oligospermia (decreased number of sperm), Azoospermia (absence of sperm cells), Spermophlebectasia ( varicose vein ) and antisperm antibodies. These common conditions are very treatable with Chinese Medicine. Causes such as trauma, radiation and drug use may need the assistance of a western medical approach.

The goal of Chinese Medicine is to maintain reproductive energy while treating the symptoms related to the infertility. Acupuncture, Chinese Herbal Formulations, Diet and Lifestyle all play a major role in promoting fertility and reversing infertility. After a brief medical history to determine the cause of the infertility a course of treatment may be as simple as lifestyle changes or as involved as lifestyle changes with Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Formulas.

Chinese Medicine has been used for hundreds of years to correct the imbalances causing infertility. A select group of acupuncture points can redirect Qi (energy) to key points in the body to help assist the smooth flow of blood to the penis and scrotum. Treatment plans range anywhere from 3 to 10 visits depending on the severity of the condition. A Chinese Herbal Formula may be recommended for 2-3 months before conception and taken throughout the first trimester of pregnancy to increase volume, motility and morphology.

Lifestyle changes can have a dramatic role in treating male infertility. Simple steps can be taken to increase the health of sperm.  Try to limit the frequency of masturbation and avoid tight fitting underwear. An increase in testicular temperature can have adverse effects on sperm production. Exposure to environmental toxins, smoking, high levels of stress, lack of sleep, certain types of medications and recreational drug use all lead to abnormal sperm cells. Regular exercise, Yoga and meditation can help balance the stress of daily life. Studies have shown that just 30 minutes a day of meditation or yoga help lower blood pressure and increase libido.

The first and most essential step in increasing fertility is through diet.  A diet rich in fruits, vegetables and lean meats all support healthy immune function and sperm production. Organic and free range foods have the least exposure to environmental toxins. Try to eat seasonally. When eating seasonally the body can acclimate much easier to seasonal stress’s such as the heat of summer, dryness of the fall, cold of winter and dampness of the spring. Try to avoid too much caffeine, refined sugars, fried foods and hot sauce. Remember, moderation is the key to health and longevity.

Change takes time. It takes a sperm cell between 50-70 days to mature. The sooner lifestyle changes are made the sooner sperm will benefit. It is important to understand that when trying to get pregnant, treatment may be necessary through the first trimester of pregnancy. If a pregnancy loss was to occur, healthy sperm needs to be available for conception. Take the time to find local resources. Talk to an acupuncturist in your area, visit farmers markets or join a Yoga class. Making small daily changes will lead to large life changes in time.

~~~

Donald J. Clarke is an Acupuncturist at CNY Healing Arts. He specializes in Male and Female Fertility. He will be giving a talk at Syracuse CNY Healing Arts on October 9th from 1:00-2:00 on the topic of male fertility.  For more information please call 315.671.5755.

Words of Support and Encouragement Week of August 23, 2010

Taking time to nurture yourself is important, and a great way to relieve stress!  While you are trying to conceive, Maya Abdominal Massage is both calming, and helpful!  This particular abdominal massage is intended to realign and nurture the abdomen.  It is very simple to do each day, and facilitates a good 10-15 minutes of quiet time – just for you!

Look for a video to be posted in the next few days.  I will be talking about my personal experiences with this unique massage.  I have worked with Erika Lutwin in our Syracuse CNY Healing Arts Center, and I highly recommend giving it a try!

Also, the Latham CNY Healing Arts Center is holding a Maya Abdominal Massage workshop this Thursday, August 26^th.  Check here for more information: Calendar

And here is more specific information about this special massage: Maya Abdominal Massage

Best of luck!

Lisa

Lstack@cnyfertility.com

315-744-8073

Support Your Fertility with Guided Meditation

Hi!  I’m Lisa Stack, your CNY Fertility Support Coordinator.  In addition to my Words of Support and Encouragement this week, I wanted to give you a supplemental video to talk about some of the main topics that I hit on.  This week, I want to talk about meditation.  We’ve talked about mantra and yoga and all these great ways to relax; meditation is really wonderful at getting the mind, getting the body, and getting the heart back to center.  Many of our patients have said, “I’ve had a challenging time in meditating on my own and to get myself to that quiet state that’s easier to do in a class or it is easier to do when it is guided”.  So, we’ve been working on reviewing a new program.  I’m going to have a more in-depth review of the program this week, but it’s called Circle+Bloom.  This program is really wonderful because it’s staged for each step or each two days of your IUI cycle or also during pregnancy, or just overall energy and empowerment.

If you go to the website, it’s posted in this article and also my weekly article.  It is for purchase, so you do have to pay a minimal cost, but you do get this great meditation.  Every two days you have 15-20 minutes where they walk you through the meditation and visualization of the day.  The voice is very calming, it’s very clear and concise and it’s very relaxing.  I’ve done it myself and I really enjoyed it.  I found it very accessible.  It really does helps you get to that point where maybe if you had a lot going on, or you just had a busy day, and you just can’t get to that quiet, meditative state on your own, this is a wonderful supplement.  So, take a look this week because I will have a much more in-depth review of Circle+Bloom,and I will give you my experience with it.  It will be good for your cycles.  Please, if you have any questions or comments, let me know or send me an email, or upload a comment on our website.  Thanks!

Stress Reduces a Woman’s Chance of Conceiving

CNN’s Dr. Sanjay Gupta reports on a study supporting a belief that stress reduces a woman’s chance of conceiving.

Visit this YouTube link to watch the video.

Yoga, Meditation, Acupuncture and Massage can assist in reducing stress. At CNY Healing Arts Center Dr. Rob Kiltz has created a space for you to explore what feels right to you. Make time to stop, breathe, relax and reduce stress. Visit one of our CNY Healing Arts Centers today to learn more. Contact information here.

April’s Journey to Fertility: Our Emotions

April is a CNY Fertility Center patient and has been on her journey to fertility for approximately three years. April will share candid stories and a unique perspective on the fertility challenges many women and couples face. CNY Fertility Center has locations in Syracuse, Albany and Rochester, NY.

Week 60: Our Emotions
More than once in the last week, the idea that we need to acknowledge our feelings as they arise has come up in conversation. During Kristen Magnacca’s recent tele-workshop titled The Dog Days of Fertility Treatment she discussed how we simply need to recognize and name our emotions. By naming our emotions we  allow ourselves to feel the emotion and can eventually move forward.

When my most recent IVF cycle was canceled due to the fact that the stimulation wasn’t going well, I told my husband and a few friends that I was “fine.” Basically, I lied in hopes that denying my true feelings would make me feel the way I wanted to feel. By the next morning, when I had two meltdowns in the time span of about three hours, it was clear that I was not okay. Instead of recognizing how I felt and discussing those feelings with my husband or even just allowing myself to have those feelings, I tried to pretend like the fact that my IVF cycle was just canceled after six days of stimulation – the IVF that followed a five month break, the IVF after the cycle where my egg retrieval yielded no mature eggs and the IVF that was supposed to be all done before I began teaching again, was not a problem.

Well, ladies, canceled cycles are a problem, and so are failed cycles and any other devastating news we get along the way. I know we try to put on our “big girl pants” and push through, but sometimes we need to allow ourselves to be sad or angry or afraid. We need to simply recognize that our feelings are normal and healthy, and we need to give ourselves time before we move onto the day’s next activity. And for goodness sake, when our husband’s ask us how we are, we should really try to spare them a delayed-out-of-nowhere meltdown (I believe mine was over making the bed) and discuss our feelings as we have them.

In the end, an allotted meltdown in the privacy of our own car (yes, sometimes that is as far as I get before the tears begin streaming down my face) or home is okay, even natural and healthy. Just remember though, the fertility process can take a long time (as we all know) and we cannot spend the whole time being sad. Let it be our intention to recognize and name the emotion, feel the emotion, discuss the emotion as necessary, and then move on with our day.

Recognizing my emotions,
April all Year