Beth and Tami

a blog by Beth and Tami of Pulling Down the Moon, Mar. 9, 2010

This month, a study released in the Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology revealed acupuncture may be useful in treating depression in pregnant women. Depressed pregnant women have a higher incidence of postpartum depression and their children have been shown to have poorer cognitive and emotional development. Additionally, there may also be a link between depression and lower birth weight in babies. These are some of the reasons why appropriate mental health treatment cannot be overlooked during the TTC period.

We are often asked about holistic therapies that might help women get off their anti-depressants while they are trying to conceive or once they achieve pregnancy. Many patients express concern about birth defects or that medications will potentially inhibit their ability to conceive or carry to term. On the male side, patients have read studies that suggest SSRI anti-depressants can decrease erectile function and ejaculation and may cause a major increase in genetic damage to sperm. For those couples experiencing anxiety over the anti-depressant meds/TTC dilemma, this new study offers patients a compelling option.

If you are thinking about quitting your anti-depressants and are interested in moving toward acupuncture to help treat your symptoms of anxiety or depression, we recommend you follow this basic primer:

Treating Depression With Acupuncture While You're TTC

1. Talk to Your Doctor

First -- and most importantly -- make sure you speak to your doctor or mental health provider regarding your interest in quitting medication and moving toward holistic options. Your doctor may have very specific reasons why you need to stay on your medication so make sure you listen to his or her recommendations.

2. Do Your Homework in Finding a Practitioner

If you are given the green light by your health care provider to go off your meds, do your research and find an acupuncturist who has extensive experience in treating both infertility and depression and one who is willing to have a regular dialogue with your doctor on your progress. You might start the process by asking friends, or your doctor for a referral. You can also visit acufinder.com for a listing of licensed providers.

3. Integrate Your Care

Our philosophy is, “You can hop on one leg to get to your destination or you can run on two.” Make sure your doctor and your acupuncturist are talking to each other. You should explain to both providers your desire to have an open line of communication regarding your treatment and to help you identify any issues or work through bumps in the road that may surface. We can’t emphasize enough the importance of working as a team through this process and truly integrating your care. Ultimately, we believe, it will help you decide how best to manage your own course of treatment and allow you to feel as though you are getting closer to your final destination of a healthy mind and body in preparation for pregnancy. If your acupuncturist isn’t open to talking to your medical doctor or vice versa, find another provider.

4. Commit to the Process

Our experience is that acupuncture and any natural healing takes time. While some patients may see immediate results, others may see gradual improvements over time. Starting and stopping acupuncture or giving up after a week or two should not be an option. Decide whether or not you truly want to use holistic therapies in treating your depression and then commit to a course of treatment specifically planned out for you by both your medical doctor and your acupuncturist. In most cases, your acupuncturist will want to see you at least once if not twice weekly for eight to 12 weeks. Here's more info and FAQ’s regarding acupuncture and fertility.

5. To Herb or Not to Herb

If a patient is simultaneously undergoing medical fertility treatment, we do not recommend any herbal supplements be taken as there is not sufficient information to determine how the herbs might interact with fertility medication. On the other hand, if you are not taking fertility medication and your acupuncturist thinks herbs might be an appropriate course of treatment once you are off your anti-depressants, you might want to consider it. Traditional Chinese Medicine and herbs to treat physical and emotional imbalances have been around for centuries and can achieve excellent results when used appropriately and under the supervision of a trained and licensed provider.

6. Supplement Your Treatment

It is wise to supplement your acupuncture with other forms of stress and anxiety reducing therapies such as yoga, meditation or a regular support group.

7. Get Your Partner In Too

If you have unexplained infertility, recurrent miscarriage or a partner who is also on anti-depressants, get them into acupuncture treatment too!

We believe most people who commit to a regular protocol of acupuncture and holistic therapies will see great results in treating their depression.

Remember, though, individual results may vary and it may not work for you. Don’t feel as though you are a failure if it doesn’t work. Be honest with yourself and ask a loved one for their trusted opinion on your progress. Going back to your anti-depressants might be the best and smartest thing you can do for yourself, your family and your peace of mind. We’re pretty confident, however, that you won’t be sorry you tried and you just might be wowed by the power of traditional/natural healing in the process.

Be present, be positive, be peaceful,
Tami Quinn

a blog by guest blogger Breea Johnson, MS RD LDN, Pulling Down the Moon Nutritionist

When someone is dealing with infertility, they often scour the world for answers. Many women never figure out why they have unexplained infertility or experienced a miscarriage. But for others, the answer may lie in a simple blood test to measure thyroid function as low thyroid function and thyroid autoimmunity are both associated with infertility and miscarriage.

Consider Ann*, a 32-year old, normal weight woman who had two miscarriages with no explanation. After going to a miscarriage specialist, she was found to have hypothyroidism (low thyroid function) and with thyroid medication was successfully able to get pregnant and carry the baby to full term.

The thyroid gland, one of the largest endocrine glands in the body, is shaped like a butterfly and is located on the front of the neck below the Adam’s apple. While it is very small (only 2 inches across), it affects our entire body, as the hormones it produces and secretes regulate metabolism, growth and development.

A well-functioning thyroid gland is pivotal for a healthy body and to conceive a healthy child. There is a direct interaction between the thyroid gland and the reproductive organs (the testes in men and ovaries in women). Hypothyroidism (low thyroid function) influences ovarian function by decreasing levels of sex-hormone-binding-globulin (SHBG) and increasing the secretion of prolactin. Prolactin, the hormone which stimulates milk production for breastfeeding, also affects ovulation and menstrual cycles. Prolactin inhibits Follicle-Stimulating Hormone (FSH) and gonadotropin releasing hormone (GnRH). With high levels of prolactin, which can be caused by hypothyroidism, ovulation is not triggered and a woman cannot get pregnant. Additionally, in men, low FSH and GnRH caused by elevated levels of prolactin can prevent the maturation of sperm.

Another common disorder affecting fertility is Thyroid Autoimmune (TAI) disease (Graves Disease and Hashimoto’s Disease). It’s the most common autoimmune disorder and affects between 5-20% of women of childbearing age (Poppe, 2008). This group of disorders involves both the endocrine and immune systems. Interestingly, there is double the rate of miscarriages in TAI-positive women and TAI has also been found to be increased in women with endometriosis. In one study, researchers found a 75% reduction in miscarriage among TAI-positive women who received levothyroxine (a drug used to treat low thyroid function) during gestation and pregnancy. Subclinical hypothyroidism also may be an issue, as women with TAI show moderately high TSH (Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone) levels before pregnancy, although often within the normal reference range. There has been discussion among endocrinologists to move the limits of TSH (used to measure TAI) to 2.5mIU/l but that is not in effect yet.

We asked Dr. Christopher Sipe, a Reproductive Endocrinologist and one of our doctor partners at Fertility Centers of Illinois, whether he thinks thyroid disorders go undiagnosed early in the fertility journey when a woman is still with her OB.

“Because thyroid disorders are so common,” says Dr. Sipe “there are many women walking around who are undiagnosed. Thyroid hormone levels fluctuate in our daily lives and can be affected by diet, exercise, supplements, weight changes, medical conditions and seasonal changes. Therefore, a woman can be normal once, but 6-12 months later have an abnormal level. Pregnancy also causes a shift in the normal range of thyroid hormones, further making diagnosis of a thyroid disorder more difficult. It is for this reason that diagnosis pre-pregnancy is ideal and screening should be recommended to any woman considering pregnancy.”

Dr. Sipe recommends woman have her TSH checked when she is considering becoming pregnant, when she has an irregular menstrual cycle, if she has a family history of thyroid disorder or if she exhibits symptoms of a thyroid disorder. Symptoms of thyroid disorder include inability to lose weight, dry skin, dry hair, depression, fatigue, constipation or muscle aches and pains.

In the case of a woman who is trying to conceive, testing the thyroid early may save valuable time.

“Treatment can take three to six months before a steady hormone level is achieved, and then pregnancy can be attempted,” concludes Dr. Sipe.

*Name withheld for confidentiality reasons.

a blog by Beth and Tami of Pulling Down the Moon, Feb. 9, 2010

Detox . . . . Cleanse . . . . Purify . . . .

These are holistic buzz words, sure, but the process of trying to conceive can leave physical, emotional and even spiritual debris. Is there truly a way to get "rid" of this negative stuff? Or protect ourselves from collecting more?

From a holistic perspective, there are strategies for detoxifying the physical body through good nutrition, yoga and sleep. The mind and spirit are also able to release negativity, but we must give them permission. But what about this second question, is there truly a way of protecting ourselves from negative baggage? Can we somehow create a shield around ourselves that keeps the disappointment from "sticking" and ruining our positive outlook?

Interestingly, Dr. Roger Pitman, a researcher and physician at Harvard University, has shown that the stress hormone adrenaline, the same adrenaline that stimulates our "fight or flight" response, actually serves to cement memories of trauma. Adrenaline, says Pitman, acts directly on the amygdala region of our brain, the area concerned with fear and memory. In this theory, the stronger the adrenaline reaction to an event, the stronger and more lasting the resulting fear and aversion – and the memory of the event.

While Dr. Pitman's research was conducted on Post Traumatic Stress Disorder patients, there may be something of use here for fertility challenges. Studies have shown that women undergoing IVF have stress and anxiety levels equal to women with cancer. Failed cycles, money matters, miscarriages, late-term losses, high-stakes disappointments and devastating diagnoses - these experiences are accompanied by huge levels of stress hormones. It's inescapable!

Or is it? According to the Harvard research, it’s our response to stress rather than the actual stress event that causes residual problems. Certainly the disappointments and traumas of infertility are painful in and of themselves, but what if we learned to modulate our response?

One of the fundamental teachings of yoga is learning how to calm and relax the body and mind. Stretching releases the physical patterns of dis-ease created by past physical and emotional trauma. Deep, calming breath helps lower levels of stress hormones circulating in the body, making us less "reactive" to stressful circumstances. The yoga practice of learning to observe our thoughts helps us identify and control patterns of negativity that allow routine events to spiral wildly into "worst-case" scenarios in our heads. In our opinion, the simple, inexpensive techniques of yoga - stretching, breathing and meditation – really do create a defense against the onslaught of the stress response, and potentially, associated traumatic stress.

Speaking from personal experience, yoga breathing in moments of trauma is of enormous benefit. The mindfulness we practice “on the mat” jumps into action when trauma arises, reminding us that no matter what is happening externally, we have an inner peace that is unshakable.

I can remember specific moments in my journey – during and after my stillbirth, through my other miscarriages, during the few weeks that both my boys spent in the Neonate Intensive Care Unit – when I was able to remind myself that the world was bigger than the immediate trauma I was experiencing.

So, as we enter 2010, a year that promises its share of ups and downs on all fronts, perhaps it's time for you to put on the "protective armour" of the yogi. A relaxed body, a calm mind and a peaceful spirit are within reach in a local yoga or meditation class.

Be Present, Be Positive, Be Non-Stick!
Beth

a blog by Beth and Tami of Pulling Down the Moon

I’ve never before watched the Giuliana & Bill reality TV show, but the title of last week’s episode caught my eye as I was scrolling through the cable guide: “Operation Ovulation.” Could they possibly be talking about ovulation as in “having a baby” or was this some sort of new real estate term Bill learned as Donald Trump’s apprentice? I just had to watch to find out.

Indeed, it appears as though the happy couple have decided it is time to start a family. Giuliana lives in Los Angeles and Bill in Chicago but they try to see each other at least a few days each week. Knowing what it takes for gals to get pregnant, I started to wonder exactly how this immaculate conception might take place. Luckily, Giuliana is being treated by Dr. Elias Sabbagha, a well-known and respected doc in Chicago who just so happens to be my doctor as well. I was glued. Dr. Sabbagha took good care of me on my own fertility journey with five or six rounds of clomid, a nice mixture of trigger shots, and an IUI for good luck. After my miscarriage we both agreed it was time for the big guns and I was sent off to a fertility doc. Happily, I returned to Dr. Sabbagha for the birth of my twins not too long thereafter.

While watching the show, Bill made a few light-hearted jokes about his wife’s “old eggs.” I learned she is 36 and, while certainly not old, it is a fact that her chances of remaining childless double from 15% to 30% after the age of 34. Bill also revealed that Dr. Sabbagha secretly pulled him aside and suggested Giuliana gain a few pounds to enhance her fertility.

It was also mentioned that Bill’s “swimmers” could be a bit more plentiful in number which he seemed to take in stride. You gotta love a man that isn’t ego-attached to his sperm count.

This got me thinking. I don’t know exactly how Bill and Giuliana will resolve their fertility issues, perhaps they’ll take a break, do more medical tests, move onto ART or come up with Plan B, but I wondered if they ever considered doing holistic treatments at this crossroad in their journey.

They seem to be the perfect candidates. While Giuliana did pull out a Yoga for Fertility DVD in one of the shows, she didn’t seem to be too committed to the practice. She laughed with her assistant that she wasn’t sure how this would help her reproductive organs nor “open the canal” as the instructor discussed in the video.

So, I decided to write a virtual holistic prescription for the little love birds just for fun and thought some of you FertilityAuthority readers might also benefit if you can relate to any aspect of Giuliana and Bill’s story.

Holistic Rx:

• Step 1: Fertility Nutrition
Studies show that being both underweight and overweight can affect hormone levels in the body and have a corresponding effect on ovulation. While Giuiliana may have periods every month, she might not be ovulating. A good fertility nutritionist will review her diet, come up with good eating strategies, suggest fertility friendly foods and work together toward achieving an optimal weight for fertility.

Studies also show that certain conditions like Celiac, inflammation and dietary allergens could also affect fertility. Again, a fertility nutritionist might recommend something like the ART Prep and Recovery Program which evaluates all of these issues to insure the patient’s diet is not contributing to her infertility issues. Together with her nutritionist Giuliana could explore things like a gentle fertility cleanse or temporarily eliminating certain foods from her diet.

• Step 2: Fertility Acupuncture
Acupuncture increases uterine and ovarian blood flow, potentially improving the endometrial environment. Acupuncture treatment done pre/post IVF embryo transfer has also been shown to increase pregnancy success rates and may help increase sperm count in males. This is something Giuliana and Bill could do together since there are benefits for both men and women.

• Step 3: Yoga for Fertility
Now about that Yoga for Fertility DVD . . . Bill and Giuliana seem to live very busy lives and I’m betting it can be a bit stressful . While not all doctors believe that stress causes infertility, infertility does cause stress and more clinical data points to the fact that stressed or depressed women have lower IVF success rates. In addition to reducing stress, Yoga for Fertility induces the relaxation response, opens up tight musculature around the pelvic area and increases blood flow to the reproductive organs.

Perhaps one of the most compelling reasons to take yoga is to enter into community with other women who are experiencing a similar struggle. Sometimes the very idea of feeling supported and not-alone can be healing. Even though a yoga DVD is a great start, it's not a substitution for a bona-fide yoga for fertility class whenever possible.

• Step 4: Massage for Fertility
Everyone loves a stress reducing massage but not everyone may know that massage can be used therapeutically to enhance fertility. Through this process of self-discovery you can begin to release tensions, emotions and stresses that were previously unconscious. Practical benefits of massage therapy may include detoxification of body tissues, decreased stress response, improvements in sleep and digestion and increased over-all well-being.

• Step 5: Commit
There’s no research to back this next statement but, in my (and Beth's)experience, it seems woman struggling with infertility fare far better when they mentally and physically commit to having a baby. The mystics would say, energy follows intention, and we often see women in our practice who say they want a baby but unconsciously they are conflicted by marital issues, financial stressors incurred through the process, or even a successful career.

For those of us who are not Fertile Myrtles, the act of getting pregnant can be hard work and while gaining 10 pounds, giving up caffeine and alcohol , slowing down our pace, de-stressing or going to bed early may seem trivial, it all makes a world of difference when you commit to the process both mentally and physically.

The beautiful thing about holistic medicine is that it does no harm and can help in so many ways!

Even if Giuliana has structural issues such as blocked fallopian tubes, holistic therapies can be used to reduce anxiety if surgery is required or support her should she experience pain, discomfort or side-effects from her medication or treatments.

So, for all of you who can relate to Giuliana and Bill’s story or are at a crossroad in your fertility treatment, we encourage you to find your own holistic prescription early in the process. We wish Giuliana and Bill much luck on their journey and will extend an open invitation for them to stop by Pulling Down the Moon on their next jaunt through Chicago. In the meantime, perhaps our paths will cross in Dr. Sabbagha’s office.

Be peaceful, be positive, investigate your holistic Rx,

Tami

a blog by Beth and Tami of Pulling Down the Moon

For those of you who don’t know my “back-story,” it took me seven years and an awful lot of pregnancies – two miscarriages, a full-term stillbirth, and two healthy pregnancies – to achieve my two fabulous little boys. During those seven years of my life I lived with a lot of grief. My first miscarriage was a shock. I had just jumped on the path of yoga and was certain that I had found the magic fertility bullet. So, when the pregnancy ended early, it was definitely not part of the plan. But my new love of yoga and the hustle and bustle of “trying again” helped me heal pretty quickly from that first loss. After another year and a half I conceived again, but sadly after a wonderful pregnancy my little girl, Georgia, died just before her due date.

After that, I didn’t know what to do. Getting back into the “trying to conceive” mindset was awful. I clung to my yoga practice for sanity, but off the mat my life was plagued with a sense of emptiness. Even more devastating, I felt a desperate need to hold on to Georgia. Trying for another child seemed so disloyal – like I was abandoning her. I can remember looking at the tiny can of ashes that came back from the funeral home and thinking that the poetic thing to do would be to scatter her over Lake Michigan. But I couldn’t let go. My mother-in-law even gave me a lovely jar to put her ashes in, but in the end even that didn’t feel close enough. In the end she landed in my husband’s sock drawer. Don’t laugh. It was safe and snuggly in there – and we saw her every day.

It was clear that grief had a complete hold on me. Everything around me was like a string that pulled me back to this sense of emptiness. I knew that time would help me heal, but in the interim I needed to move forward and have another child. I needed to somehow cut the strings of grief.

The real breakthrough came when one of my friends gave me a gift certificate for a session of Reiki. I’d never experienced energy healing before and frankly it sounded a bit woo-woo. I arrived at the appointment expecting something like a massage but, instead of manipulation, the practitioner used light touch on different points of my body. Within minutes I was in the deepest state of relaxation I’d ever experienced.

After the session, the practitioner explained that Rei is the Japanese word for “Universal” (the Energy that is available for everyone) and Ki (chi in Chinese) is the Japanese word for “energy.” A Reiki practitioner has been attuned to this life energy and can help direct its flow in others. My practitioner described how painful emotions and life experiences can remain in our body and act as a drain on our vitality. In my case, I wanted Georgia to live so badly that I was keeping her alive the only way I knew how – through pain and grief.

As “out there” as all this sounds, at the time I had an intuition that the practitioner was absolutely, completely right.

I created an in intention right then and there that I would allow Georgia to stay with me, but not through grief and suffering. Reiki became a weekly event in my life and as my comfort with treatment increased, my sessions deepened. Often visions, colors and insights would arise during a session. At other times I would feel rushes of energy and changes in body temperature that signaled a release or rebalance of energy. I could feel myself filling up with life again.

During this period of Reiki treatment I started to feel my connection to Georgia changing. In my outside world I began to create again, and each creation felt like a gift from her. During this time, Tami and I started Pulling Down the Moon and shortly after I became pregnant with my son Jackson. As I held Jackson there was no guilt or abandonment. I had learned to let Georgia be what she was, and still is, a precious spirit that has brought many gifts into the world.

I don’t really know what brought this into my mind today. I think perhaps it’s because I currently have several students who are struggling with similar grief and loss. Grief was a major transforming force for good in my life and the way I learned a few simple things:

1. We think we need to work our grief out alone, that there’s nothing anyone else can do to help – but that wasn’t my experience at all. In fact, I found that healing touch allowed me to heal much quicker and more completely that I could have on my own.

2. The ties of grief that keep our loved ones “alive” for us are no stronger that the ties of joy and remembrance that can replace them.

3. Ancient traditions of ritual and healing exist because they help us heal and transform. If you’re struggling with grief, explore some of these traditions – get an astrology reading, a sage ceremony, go to a gong bath. These rituals create turning points that are designed to empower us to let go of grief – and move on to honor the dead by being alive again.

Be present, be positive . . . and don’t be afraid to let your losses transform you.

Beth

P.S. And, in case you’re wondering, Georgia is still in the sock drawer, almost within arm reach. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

a blog by Beth and Tami of Pulling Down the Moon

It’s that time of year again when the New Year brings about a renewed sense of energy to get rid of bad habits, shed those few extra holiday pounds, or perhaps commit to a fertility-friendly exercise program. No matter what your resolution, the New Year allows us to turn the page from all that went wrong or all that we found frustrating in 2009.

For those trying to conceive, the stress from the process can often make us feel as though we have lost our sense of self and our resolution might be to bring a sense of peace, contentment and self-love back into our lives. Luckily, if this is one of your resolutions, meditation and the mighty Tiger can help you get there!

Meditation is a self-directed discipline that aids us in getting past the “thinking mind” and into a greater state of relaxation and consciousness. It is not a way for us to “get things,” rather a technique that should be used to help us “get rid of things that do not serve us.” Research shows that meditation can lower heart rate and respiration, decrease stress, regulate mood and potentially aid in treating illness and disease.

There are literally hundreds of different mantras, techniques, visualizations and breathing exercises that can be incorporated into a meditation practice and the most effective are those that work best for the meditator.

So how do you know if your technique is working? Don’t expect to find yourself one day levitating, having an out of body experience or communicating telepathically with the dead.

The best way to know if a meditation practice is working is because your personality softens and you’ll find yourself generally feeling happy.

It’s as simple as that.

The National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine at the National Institute of Health states there are four key elements most meditation practices have in common:

1. A quiet location.

2. A specific, comfortable posture.

3. A focus of attention.

4. An open attitude.

While most of these seem pretty self-explanatory, let’s spend a bit of time understanding exactly what is meant by the third item, “A focus of attention.” In yoga, it is believed that by focusing your attention on a mantra, your breath or a specific symbol, you take on the characteristics of that action. For example, focusing on the mantra “peace” will allow the characteristics of peace to enter into your consciousness. Focusing on a specific symbol can also have the same effect.

We’d like to suggest a powerful symbol that you can use this year as part of your New Year’s resolution to find greater happiness, peace and contentment during this TTC time: a tiger.

In Chinese Astrology, 2010 is the year of the Metal Tiger. The Tiger is a symbol of courage, strength, vehemence, self-reliance, hopefulness and resiliency. The energy of the Metal Tiger will arm you with the ability to more clearly determine your goals and then to do what is necessary to achieve them. By meditating on the Tiger this year, you bring the energy of that symbol into your life (which might come in handy as you negotiate the ups and downs of finding your path to parenthood.)

So, find a quiet spot, get comfortable, close your eyes and visualize the Tiger. Look into her eyes, feel her coat, touch her teeth with your mind’s eye, listen to her breath and sense her strength and courage. If you are so inclined, find a picture of a Tiger and paste it on a wall at home or at work to be a reminded that you too have the “eye of the Tiger.” Better still, purchase a Tiger Eye gemstone and hold it in your hand while meditating or carry it in your pocket during the day. This stone is believed to bring clarity and insight to the one who holds it.

Do these simple, meditative techniques everyday for at least five minutes and we promise you’ll turn from growling to purring in no time at all.

Be present, be positive, be a Tiger,
Tami

a blog by Beth and Tami of Pulling Down the Moon

Yoga poses are a mystery in my book. We go to yoga class, stand on a mat in our bare feet and proceed to bend and twist our bodies until we take on a completely different shape. What are these shapes? Why on earth do they make us feel so good? Why are they such a gift when we are experiencing life and health challenges such as infertility?

There is a lot of information about the physiological benefits of yoga. Clearly, yoga postures are good for our bodies. Stretching tight musculature improves our posture, strengthens our digestion and makes our muscles strong and supple. Hip opening postures feed blood to the uterus and ovaries, backbends stimulate our nervous system and free our respiratory system from chronic tension, and twists “wring out” toxins and stale fluid from body tissues. But aren’t postures just physical exercise? The answer is yes, and no.

In his master work Light on Yoga, renowned yogi B.K.S. Iyengar explains that names of yoga poses are significant and symbolize the process of evolution. There are poses named for plants (tree, lotus), poses named for insects (locust, scorpion), poses named for fish, reptiles and higher mammals like dog and camel. Some are even named for legendary Hindu heroes and even gods.

The point, Iyengar says, is that while we perform yoga asana we assume many different forms, from the lowliest to the most exalted, and recognize the Universal Spirit that runs through them all. Mr. Iyengar asserts that it is this unspoken presence of the divine that begins to work on the body of the yogi, causing new discipline and spontaneous healing to occur in diet, cleanliness and character. What a fascinating thought – and how nice to think that tapping into something greater than ourselves is just a down dog away?

Over tea last week, Joyce, a fellow yoga teacher and friend, was discussing her yoga practice when she added another dimension to my musing.

“The postures,” she said, “are the constant and I am the variable. When I move into a yoga pose that I practice regularly, the pose is the same but depending on my state of mind, what I ate for dinner the night before and my present mood it’s a unique experience every time. When I am tense, my down dog is rigid. When I am sad, I am reluctant to do backbends. Because the postures encourage me to breathe and reflect, I see how my life affects my body.“

So, while in some ways these insights make the mystery even deeper, my appreciation of yoga asana is ever expanding. These insights remind me that while yoga for fertility is trendy and hip openers are indeed great for fertility, the roots of this practice run far deeper than we will ever imagine. And for this I am truly grateful.

Be present, be positive,
Beth

To Wheat or Not to Wheat may be the question.

a blog by Beth and Tami of Pulling Down the Moon

You may be surprised to think of your digestive system as part of your immune system, but our gut actually functions as our body’s first line of defense – eliminating bacteria and other bugs before they can infect our internal environment. When the digestive system is challenged, by such conditions as stress, illness or food sensitivity, inflammation can result. Frequent bouts of diarrhea, constipation, intestinal bloating/cramping and heartburn can all be symptoms of an inflamed digestive tract. Chronic inflammation of the digestive tract can impair our body’s ability to break down and absorb the nutrients in the food we eat. In addition, gut inflammation may affect other organ systems, including the reproductive organs, which are in close proximity.

These factors, taken together, are why we take a very close look at digestion, and symptoms of food sensitivity, as they relate to fertility.

Celiac disease, a condition in which an individual cannot tolerate gluten (a protein found naturally in wheat and used as an additive in many foods), is the classic example of a food sensitivity that is associated with infertility. Population studies suggest that about 1 person in 100 has celiac disease, but studies also suggest that celiac is also under-diagnosed and may be three to five percent more prevalent in women with unexplained infertility.

In people with celiac disease, dietary intake of gluten (a protein found in many grains) causes a two-fold attack in the small intestine. Antibodies first attack the gluten protein and this attack triggers an autoimmune response in which antibodies attack the endomysium, a smooth muscle component in the small intestine, and damage the tiny, fingerlike protrusions on the wall of the small intestine that serve to absorb nutrients from food called villi. This leads to the most likely link between celiac disease and infertility – the malabsorption of nutrients.

New research is emerging that suggests that there is a spectrum of gluten sensitivity and that celiac disease gluten sensitivity can cause symptoms similar to Inflammatory Bowel Disease which may negatively impact nutrition status and quality of life in ways similar to Celiac Disease. Other common food sensitivities besides gluten sensitivity include eggs, soy, peanuts and dairy.

Symptoms of food sensitivity are diverse: diarrhea, constipation, rashes, gas and bloating and headaches – just to name a few. At the Moon, in cases of repeated miscarriage, multiple failed ART cycles, unexplained infertility and/or Irritable Bowel Syndrome our nutritionists will often recommend our ART Recovery/Preparation Program, an ultra-healing diet that eliminates common allergens from the diet and track any change in digestive function and other symptoms.

Remember, though, that we do not want to throw the baby out with the bath water. Potentially allergenic foods, like dairy and soy, are also important sources of vitamins, minerals and dietary protein. They should never be removed from the diet without a solid nutrition plan. Studies have also shown that one side-effect of a gluten free diet can be a reduction of healthy gut flora.

As we’ve written before, healthy gut bacteria is critical for optimal digestive function and hormonal regulation, so any plan to eliminate gluten must support the gut. Don’t forget that any elimination diet should also include a strategy for reintroduction and symptom assessment as the goal of any elimination diet is to determine which foods are causing problems.

If you suspect food sensitivity may be part of your fertility issues, we highly suggest you seek out treatment with a trained fertility nutritionist. Eliminating foods from the diet can be hard work, and is not necessary for everyone. However, we’ve seen that for some patients the potential benefits may indeed be worth the inconvenience.

Be Present, be positive, be aware of your body.

Beth

a blog by Beth and Tami of Pulling Down the Moon

The holidays are upon us and if you stuffed the turkey along with yourself on Thanksgiving, shopped ‘til you dropped on Black Friday and let your fingers do the bargain hunting on Cyber Monday, you could be exhausted already.

A nice benefit of the holidays is that it provides a bit of a distraction from the world of TTC. On the other hand, the holidays are a time when a lot of women feel the stress and pressure of family gatherings where you’ll be expected to explain to your mother-in-law why there’s no “bun in the oven” just yet, or have the mental burden of knowing your fertility doctor is planning his vacation and will be relatively unreachable for two-weeks. Stress is a way of life around the holidays and more clinical evidence is pointing to the fact that stress is not the best thing for those trying to conceive.

While a lot of attention is given to various stress reducing techniques this time of year, one is often overlooked and that’s the value of a good, old-fashioned, spoil-me-rotten massage. While you may be familiar with some of the various < strong>fertility-enhancing massage protocols like the FEM (Fertility Enhancing Massage), Maya Abdominal Massage (MAM), and the Wurn technique, a regular relaxation massage from your local practitioner can also have a great deal of value for your health, your sanity and even your libido.

We like to call a general relaxation massage “a quickie” because the benefits can be profound and felt in the mind/body almost instantaneously. An added bonus is that very little time or effort is required on your part so you get all of the pleasure and none of the guilt of a more regimented holistic protocol.

Massage relieves muscle aches and soreness, stimulates circulation and increases blood flow throughout the body. It can also help the body’s natural cleansing process and help eliminate toxins which maybe especially useful if you have recently finished an unsuccessful fertility cycle. Massage decreases adrenaline and cortisol and can increase endorphins which are the body’s natural pain killers or opiate.

Don’t just go for a one-hour massage; take your quickie all the way with a full 90-minute session. A good massage therapist might even be able to use this bit of extra time on some abdominal work which could help bring fresh blood flow into the pelvis and reproductive organs or she could spend it on your feet, another body part that could use a little bit of TLC this time of year.

Of course the best part of a holiday massage quickie is that no long-term commitments are required.

You can love ‘em and leave ‘em and be back to decking the halls in no time at all.

Tami

a blog by Beth and Tami of Pulling Down the Moon

For optimal health and vitality, traditional chinese medical teachings recommend eating seasonally and locally. Traditional systems teach that foods and people in the same geographical area have “similar energy.” This may be true in the sense that plants and the people living as neighbors share the same weather, air, soil and “roots.” Whether indigenous or adoptive species, plants that thrive in particular areas are there because they are well-suited and have established harmony with their surroundings. When we eat foods that exist in harmony with our surroundings, it’s believed we take some of that harmony into our own bodies.

Yet as we enter deep fall, some of the most touted fertility foods, like berries and melons, are heading out of season. But that’s no reason to panic.
Instead of spending a fortune this winter on raspberries that have been shipped from half-way across the world, take a deeper look at your flora. Farmer’s markets are an obvious way to explore what’s locally and seasonally available in your area. In addition, many larger grocery chains have begun to label produce as locally-grown when applicable.

Here are some tips for reaping the best of Fall’s fertility bounty:

1. Think slow, think stew. Fall and winter vegetables tend to be tougher and heartier than the delicate sprigs and tender fruits of spring and summer. Kale, collards and sweet potatoes hold up well to slow-cooking methods like stewing or braising. The benefit of stews and one-pot-meals is that the veggie cooking liquid is consumed as part of the dish, thus preserving nutrient content.

2. Turn on the oven. Cruciferous vegetables, including cauliflower, cabbage and Brussels sprouts release a caramel sweetness when slow roasted in a hot oven. These vegetables are fertility “must eats” and contain compounds that help regulate our body’s hormone levels.

3. Experiment with beans. Bean soups and chili are nourishing dishes that contain fiber that promotes healthy digestion and elimination.

4. Squashes and sweet potatoes are anti-oxidant powerhouses. Slow roasted or mashed, they can also quench a sweet tooth.

Be present, be positive . . . be seasonal, fresh and local!

Beth