Holistic Health

Holistic alternatives like acupuncture and some herbal remedies can have positive effects on people’s overall health and well-being, and ability to cope with fertility-related concerns. Acupuncture in particular, is a very popular naturopathic adjunct to fertility treatments like IVF. Many women find that doing acupuncture during a treatment cycle makes them feel more relaxed and less stressed. But whether acupuncture or other naturopathic remedies can enhance fertility or the success of fertility treatments remains to be determined.

There are a number of different naturopathic treatments available. Ultimately, they are going to work differently for different people. However, there isn’t any evidence that these treatments can extend fertility. Basically once fertility has started to decline, there are currently no technologies or treatments that can stop the aging process. What’s important is that naturopathic treatments can’t change the quality of a woman’s eggs – her eggs are as old as she is, no matter what type of holistic treatments she uses – or the quality of a man’s sperm. The age of a woman’s eggs and of a man’s sperm will affect the ability to become pregnant, to carry a pregnancy to term, and the health of the child.

We know that meditation and relaxation can decrease stress and anxiety, and that stress and anxiety may have an effect on sperm quality and on a woman’s ability to get pregnant. Research indicates that daily meditation and deep relaxation practice for even15 minutes a day, as well as relieving mental stress and tension, can reduce blood pressure and strengthen your immune system. Some research also suggests that mind/body relaxation can reduce your risk of heart attacks.

So we know there are definite benefits to incorporating deep muscle relaxation and meditation practice into your life. But we don’t know enough about how meditation and relaxation affect your ability to get pregnant. Given that getting pregnant can be quite stressful for some, integrating practices like meditation and relaxation can be beneficial, even if they don’t directly result in a pregnancy. And once pregnant, these techniques can only add to your overall health and well-being.

Learn more about meditation from Jon Kabat-Zinn, a leading researcher and practitioner in mindfulness meditation by clicking here. 

Click here for a guided meditation by Jon Kabat-Zinn.

Click here for another example of a guided meditation