Infertility
Infertility can be difficult to diagnose. So much affects our fertility – our general health, our emotional state, what kind of contraceptive we have been using, when and how often we have sex – that there a lot of reasons why conception may take longer than expected. Some couples conceive immediately. Other perfectly healthy couples succeed only after 12 or 18 months – stress itself can have an impact on the reproductive system.
Most physicians will be prepared to start a preliminary investigation if you have been trying to conceive for over a year without success. In the case of prospective mothers in their mid-30’s or who have a history of miscarriage or pelvic infection, a physician may want to start investigating sooner or refer you to a specialist to see if there is any specific reason for failure to become pregnant. These investigations can take some months and involve both partners from the beginning. Most physicians are well aware that fertility is a sensitive topic. Even so, the process of investigation may seem intrusive, embarrassing, and lengthy, and can put a strain on your relationship.
THE ORTHODOX APPROACH
One of the main causes of infertility in women is failure to ovulate properly. This will be investigated only after you have identified your most fertile time and made sure you have had sex during it over a period of months. Ovulation should occur in the middle of your menstrual cycle when the egg is released from the ovary and this is the time you can conceive. Where there are seemingly normal monthly periods ovulation can be checked by using a temperature chart and a basal thermometer. Body temperature falls before ovulation and rises just after as the balance of the hormones change. You can also buy ovulation predictor kits to test your urine for hormonal changes which tell you that ovulation is about to occur. Both these help you pinpoint your most fertile period and you will be urged to make sure you have sex at this point.
If you have been taking the contraceptive pill, however, it may take some months for your cycle and ovulation to return to normal. If you don’t have periods at all (amenorrhea) you will almost certainly not be ovulating. This may be due to underweight, which can suppress hormonal activity, and a healthy diet may be recommended as a first stage to restoring normal periods. But amenorrhea can also be caused by thyroid problems, drug treatments and stress. Over-exercising can affect hormonal balance – many women athletes have amenorrhea.
If there is a problem with ovulation you may be offered fertility drug treatment, either by pill or injection. Clomiphene or cyclofenil may be taken at a certain point in the month to induce a period to start the menstrual cycle to see if it stimulates the ovaries. Ovulation can be checked by the temperature readings.
Even if your periods appear normal it’s possible that hormonal imbalances are preventing ovulation or the successful implantation of a fertilized egg in the womb. Hormone levels can be tested by blood samples taken at certain times in the month to identify which hormones are deficient or overproducing.
If none of this results in ovulation and pregnancy there are other more complex drug treatments that work directly on the ovaries to encourage egg production and hopefully a pregnancy.
Infertility can also result in ovulation and pregnancy there are other more complex drug treatments that work directly on the ovaries to encourage egg production and hopefully a pregnancy.
Infertility can also result from damage to the fallopian tubes through which the egg travels to the womb. Blockages can be caused by ectopic pregnancy, pelvic inflammatory disease, or scars following abdominal surgery. In some cases damage can be corrected with microsurgery which reopens the blocked tubes. But the fallopian tubes are highly sensitive and major damage is unlikely to be successfully reversed by surgery. A laparoscopy (inserting a tube through the abdominal wall under general anaesthetic) will be done to check the state of the reproductive organs. A dye may be passed through the fallopian tubes to check for any blockages. Other investigations will check the state of your uterus and womb – fibroids and ovarian cysts can cause infertility.
Prospective fathers will be offered tests to check sperm counts – in at least 40 percent of all cases the problem is found to be some measure of male infertility. Other tests can be made to determine if there is any problem with sperm production or damage caused to sperm by past illness in the reproductive organs themselves.
In some cases sperm does not move easily through the cervical mucus to the womb. In other cases antibodies in the cervical fluid kills of the sperm once it gets there. An “after sex” test may be done in a clinic or hospital on fluid taken from the cervix to see if this is the problem. If so, artificial insemination – introducing a partner’s sperm directly into the womb to fertilize the egg – will be recommended.
Conventional medicine has limited help for men with low or abnormal sperm. Hormone and steroid treatment has not yet proved successful. But there may be treatment to clear blockages in the male reproductive system that are preventing the sperm travelling normally through the tubes.
If the problem is found to be the amount or quality of sperm, artificial insemination by donor (A.I.D.) can be considered. If there is irreversible damage to the fallopian tubes, assisted conception techniques may be an option. In vitro fertilization (I.V.F.) involves placing fertilized eggs in the womb. In some cases both sperm and egg can be introduced into the fallopian tubes to fertilize naturally.
Investigating infertility is very much a process of elimination and even once they are identified not all fertility problems can be corrected by drugs or surgery. In at least 2 out of 10 cases no convincing medical explanation can be given.
THE HALE APPROACH
If a couple have failed to conceive despite having sexual intercourse at the right time of the month over one year, then initial investigations should take place. These include checking the man’s sperm count and the basic hormone levels of the woman. At this time, and before any invasive investigations such as laparoscopies are performed, complementary treatments should commence. If conception has not occurred after six months on naturopathic treatments, then further investigations through orthodox approaches should be considered.
Complementary medicine can be of great assistance in many cases of infertility, though not all – it cannot help with blocked fallopian tubes, for example.
We would address both the mental and the physiological factors behind infertility. As with most illnesses, it is crucial first of all to consider nutrition. Lack of vitamins and minerals, poor digestion, and elimination can weaken fertility in both men and women. Organic vegetable are important before conception – research in Denmark showed that organic farmers had twice the sperm count of the average man. Contraceptive devices can also impair some women’s absorption of minerals and cause problems with conceiving.
Treatments such as light therapy will considerably boost the systems of both man and woman, which may be the deciding factor between infertility and conception for some couples.
Acupuncture, homeopathy, and Ayurveda are excellent for strengthening the general constitution and particularly helpful in balancing the hormones. Moreover, they can help with the mental/emotional factors which may inhibit conception.
Subconscious fears regarding conception, pregnancy and childbirth can also prevent some couples conceiving. In a study at Queen Charlotte Hospital in London on women who in their conscious minds wanted to conceive and had no medical reason for not doing so, a course of hypnotherapy was shown to uncover and remove subconscious fears about becoming a mother.
For many infertile couples, trying to have a child can put a great strain on their relationship. Counselling and psychotherapy can help them get through this difficult period and derive deeper compassion and understanding from the experience.
HOMEOPATHY
Constitutional homeopathic treatment and nutritional therapy are recommended; some specific remedies may also be appropriate.
For women:
• Where there is a history of miscarriages – Sabina.
• For irregular periods accompanied by a lack of interest in sex, weepiness, and irritability – Sepia.
• Loss of interest in sex accompanied by tender breasts – Conium.
For Men:
• Strong libido accompanied by feelings of insecurity – Lycopodium.
• Weak libido, genitals feel heavy – Sepia. More about homeopathy...
ACUPUNCTURE
Acupuncture has proved successful in treating infertility that is caused by lack of periods, problems with ovulation, and hormonal deficiency and is particularly recommended for older prospective mothers. One therapist says, “I had a recent case where a woman was in early menopause. She had reached the stage where she no periods and was actually getting hot flushes but was desperate to have a baby. The doctors had refused to let her have I.V.F. With acupuncture treatment she managed to achieve a pregnancy”.
Acupuncture concentrates on stimulating and toning the kidney function – in Chinese medicine the kidneys and liver are the main organs that control the hormones and menstrual cycle. It can take several months of treatment to regularize periods, which is often the first step to improving hormonal function. Once that is achieve the therapist may organize blood tests to check hormone levels to see whether sufficient progesterone is being produced to create the right environment in the womb for implantation of a fertilized egg.
Acupuncture is also effective in cases of amenorrhea if periods have stopped completely when a patient has come off the pill or in reaction to some kind of shock or trauma. More about acupuncture...
NUTRITION
Nutritional therapy can help both partners increase their fertility by improving overall health, detoxifying the body, and identifying any mineral or vitamin deficiencies.
Women who want to get pregnant are warned against the effects of smoking and alcohol on the developing foetus. What is less widely understood is that alcohol and smoking have a direct effect on the amount and quality of sperm produced by the man. Male infertility can be treated with mineral supplements – zinc, for instance, may be prescribed. And high levels of toxic metals such as lead, cadmium, aluminium and mercury which have been shown to affect sperm quality can be identified and reduced by taking Vitamins C and B and other antioxidants.
Unexplained infertility in women has often responded to nutritional supplementation, which corrects vitamin and mineral imbalances caused by poor diet, pollution, and the contraceptive pill. There may be a shortage of zinc, which affects successful implantation of the fertilized egg in the womb. Other mineral supplements that may be given include chromium, selenium, manganese, and magnesium. Essential fatty acids (E.F.A’s) and Vitamin E may also be given to help balance hormones.
Anyone who has been on the pill or used a copper I.U.D. contraceptive or had problems with previous pregnancies should have their mineral status tested before attempting to become pregnant.
Nutritional therapy to address vitamin and mineral imbalances can be particularly effective in achieving a pregnancy where there seems to be no medical explanation for the failure to conceive. More about nutrition...
PSYCHOTHERAPY
“There are a huge number of emotional issues involved in fertility; or the lack of it“, says one counsellor. “That’s why couples who have any kind of treatment involving assisted conception are advised to consider counselling, as the procedures can be immensely stressful for both partners. Clinics which offer assisted conception usually have to ensure that counselling is available.
Counselling – or psychotherapy – can be a great support for couples facing an initial problem with fertility, prolonged and invasive investigations, and treatment or – because infertility treatments are not always successful – the realization that they may be permanently childless.
Counselling for individuals or couples creates and environment where the issues of guilt, recrimination and failure, which can be felt by one or both partners with fertility problems, can be openly expressed and dealt with. Many couples find it difficult to talk to each other – they may feel that they have let their partner down or feel resentment towards their partner, for instance. These suppressed emotions may eventually corrode the relationship, although the problem can also bring couples closer together. It may affect their attitude to the rest of the world around them, their friends and families. The role of the therapist is to help individuals and couples to identify their ambivalences, and then help them work through their emotions so that they can come to terms with their situation. But therapy also aims to help both individuals and couples find ways of helping themselves cope with the inevitable stress and emotional rollercoaster that the problem and its treatments cause.
Finally, in those instances where there is an emotional block causing fertility problems, such as bad experiences in the past, fears about coping with a pregnancy or childbirth, or worries about the future, counselling, psychotherapy and particularly hypnotherapy may be able to help the client identify such blocks within themselves and then resolve them.
The normal length of a session is about one hour, with the number of sessions varying both with the nature of the difficulty and with how individual therapists work. More about psychotherapy...
HYPNOTHERAPY
In the U.S., infertility is said to affect around 10-15 percent of potential parents and approximately 20 percent of those trying to resolve this concern show no apparent medical reason for the problem. For such parents, conventional medical treatments have proved far less successful than the norm.
Major causes of non-definable medical infertility appear to be acute shock, extreme anxiety, or chronic stress. Courses in hypnotherapy and stress management, either on their own or alongside conventional medical treatment, show positive findings. A recent study of 40 infertile female patients undertaking such courses showed 26 achieving successful full-term pregnancies, with nine of them having also received additional medical treatment such as I.V.F. More about hypnotherapy...
SUPPORTIVE TREATMENTS
Maya Abdominal Massage
A non-invasive massage technique that specialises in treating gynaecological and digestive conditions. It improves organ function by relieving congestion, enhancing blood supply; increasing lymphatic drainage and aiding nerve supply to the pelvic and reproductive organs. Further Details
Chi Kung
This ancient Chinese system of breathing and movement includes exercises to regulate and balance the flow of energy in the lower abdominal area.
Healing
Where there is no physiological reason for the failure to conceive, healing works to relax the patient and make the body more open to fertilization. It can also help to balance the hormones.
SELF-CARE
Nutrition
A poor diet high in sugar leeches minerals from the body. Filtering drinking water will remove lead, excess copper and pesticides. The optimum diet is to vary foods by choosing each day from the four main groups – cereals, dairy produce, vegetables and fruits, and proteins, all of which should be organically produced. Fertility can be improved for both partners by a determined effort to eliminate toxins as far as possible.