What is infertility (or sub fertility) and can reflexology help with fertility?
If you have been trying to get pregnant for 12 months or more whether naturally (unassisted) or through a process such as IVF, IUI etc and you’ve still not enjoyed a successful full-term pregnancy, then you are officially suffering from infertility. If you have already conceived once and carried that baby through to full term, then you’re suffering with secondary infertility.
Understanding Reflexology for Fertility
Reflexology, a form of therapy involving the application of pressure to specific points on the body, has been used for centuries as a means to promote overall well-being. When it comes to fertility, reflexology aims to optimize the body’s natural balance and functions. By focusing on the feet, hands, and ears, reflexologists believe they can influence the reproductive system, potentially aiding those facing fertility challenges.
This ancient practice, rooted in both Egyptian and Chinese traditions, is thought to unblock energy pathways, thereby supporting the body’s healing processes. For individuals and couples facing the complex journey of conception, incorporating reflexology into their routine is often seen as a complementary approach, alongside medical treatments and healthy lifestyle changes. Understanding the principles and potential benefits of reflexology can offer an alternative avenue for those seeking to enhance their fertility.
Reflexology, rooted in ancient healing practices, offers a holistic approach to addressing modern fertility challenges
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Karen Botha MAR
Your Association of Reflexologist’s Therapist
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Questions & Answers
The Role of Stress in Fertility
In the modern world, stress is an omnipresent factor that can significantly impact one’s health, including fertility. High levels of stress can disrupt the delicate balance of hormones necessary for ovulation and sperm production. Reflexology, with its potential to reduce stress and promote relaxation, may offer a natural way to mitigate these effects. By focusing on specific pressure points associated with the reproductive organs, reflexology sessions aim to relax the body and mind, thereby reducing the levels of stress hormones.
This relaxation response can create a more favorable environment for conception, highlighting the importance of managing stress when trying to conceive. Incorporating stress-reducing practices like reflexology into one’s routine could be a valuable component of a holistic approach to fertility.
Managing stress through techniques like reflexology could potentially improve fertility outcomes
Anecdotal Success Stories and Research
While the scientific community continues to explore the effectiveness of reflexology for fertility, numerous anecdotal success stories and some research studies suggest potential benefits. Individuals and couples who have turned to reflexology as a complementary approach to fertility treatments often share positive experiences, citing improvements in hormonal balance, reduced stress levels, and even successful conception.
Reflexology for fertility has gained attention as a complementary approach to conventional treatments.
Although the evidence is still emerging, these stories contribute to the growing interest in reflexology as a supportive therapy for those facing fertility challenges. By examining both the anecdotal and research-based evidence, individuals can make informed decisions about incorporating reflexology into their fertility journey.
Expert Opinions on Reflexology for Fertility
The field of reflexology boasts numerous practitioners who specialize in fertility treatments, each with their own unique approach and techniques. Experts in the field often emphasize the personalized nature of treatment, with tailored sessions designed to meet the specific needs of each individual or couple. By integrating reflexology into a comprehensive approach to fertility that includes medical treatments, nutrition, and lifestyle changes, practitioners aim to support the body’s natural processes and enhance overall well-being. Seeking advice from experienced professionals who specialize in fertility can provide valuable insights and strategies for those exploring reflexology as a complementary therapy.
Incorporating Reflexology into Your Fertility Journey
For those interested in exploring reflexology as part of their fertility journey, there are several steps to consider. First, seeking a qualified reflexologist with experience in fertility treatments is crucial. Additionally, discussing this complementary therapy with your healthcare provider can ensure that it fits seamlessly into your overall treatment plan. Incorporating reflexology into your routine involves regular sessions, ideally tailored to your specific fertility challenges and goals. Alongside reflexology, adopting a holistic approach that includes a healthy diet, regular exercise, and stress management strategies can enhance your overall well-being and potentially improve your chances of conception.
What is fertility reflexology?
People have been using reflexology as a natural fertility treatment for as long as 3,000 years. It’s a proven traditional holistic therapy that has successful historic links that improve infertility. Fertility reflexology has been helpful in boosting fertility in ladies dealing with endometriosis and PCOS polycystic ovary syndrome) amongst other barriers to natural fertility. Reflexology and fertility work well together because getting pregnant needs your body to be balanced. Reflexology helps this process.
Advantages of fertility reflexology
Fertility reflexology does not involve the high cost of IVF, nor is it an exhausting procedure of medical egg collection. It is often the first step couples take on their path to boost their natural fertility journey.
One of the significant advantages of reflexology for infertility is that not only does it boost natural fertility in males and females, but it also reduces stress levels. Just an hour long treatment on your feet reduces blood pressure, settles the nervous system, cools the body and promotes relaxing sleep. All of this aids conception and ultimately a successful pregnancy.
Clients come out of a fertility reflexology session feeling rejuvenated and more-able to take on the world. This is critical when improving your natural fertility and your chances of conception as your body doesn’t feel the need to use energy fighting the world, and so can then refocus this strength on enhancing your natural fertility.
About natural fertility and stress
One major contributing factor that affects your successful journey to a successful pregnancy is stress. This can be physical or emotional tension because during either your body exerts energy dealing with its effects.
This means that because your energy reserve has 100% capacity, the more it uses on unnecessary issues such as stress, it ‘forgets’ about less critical aspects of life, including natural fertility. Stress therefore has a massive negative effect on your ease of conceiving resulting in so many ladies finding themselves unable to conceive, resulting in them struggling to become pregnant. this often results in them having IVF, IUI, taking clomid, artificial insemination and so on.
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Conditions that may respond well to reflexology for infertility*PMS (pre-menstrual syndrome)
*General stress
*Hormonal imbalances
*Menstrual cycle problems e.g. irregular and heavy periods, interrupted or non-existent cycles
*Blocked or damaged fallopian tubes
*Previous ectopic pregnancy
*Endometriosis
*Cervical problems e.g. over production of mucus and blocking
*Polycystic ovaries (PCOS)
*Adhesions (scar tissue) from surgery
*Pelvic inflammatory disease inc. infection of any part of the female reproductive tract
Barriers to natural fertility
Stress. Even if we think we strive on stress, our body still needs to process its effects. Don’t underestimate how much stress affects your ability, as a couple, to conceive. Stress drains us. We’ve all had a busy day at work, after which we need to down a glass or two of wine to relax.
We can’t use the energy that deals with stress a second time. it can’t be used elsewhere. This in turn affects our fertility health because our body knows we don’t have enough resource to run a successful pregnancy.
But the issue is that stress wastes resource.
Plus, wine or cocaine (for example) is a toxin we’re adding into the mix which needs even more resources to process.
This will be your journey. And I will tailor it to your needs. No judgements.
At Essential Feeling, Karen, your reflexologist, understands this. She will guide you through the process either alone or as couples fertility treatments. It’s not about giving everything up – it’s about working towards achieving a balance right for you. She’s been there, had a crazy life and career herself, so knows that some more easy to recommend solutions, such as eating healthy meals from scratch, often increase the amount of anxiety you have to process because you’re already at your limit without piling on more time intensive suggestions to your day. She’ll find ways that fit within your life.
Can reflexology for infertility help men with this problem?
Yes, and that’s important because research shows male infertility affects around 25% of sub fertility couples. We have a complete section on male infertility issues and solutions.
What are the fundamental causes of infertility?
These causes of infertility are many, but here is a list of the most common fertility problems that we see at Essential Feeling:
*PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome)
*Hormone imbalance that affects ovulation
*Endometriosis
*STI’s and other infections/ growths
*Age
*Unhealthy body weight
*Stress
Why am I having a hard time getting pregnant?
This isn’t something that we can answer. Reflexology won’t diagnose. We can work with what your doctor/ clinic tells you, even if they say it is unexplained (no official reason) but we will never claim to diagnose.
However, by targeting specific pressure points, reflexology aims to unblock energy pathways, supporting the body’s natural healing process. The goal of reflexology is to restore the body’s natural balance, which is essential for optimal fertility and reflexology is increasingly recognized as a valuable complementary therapy for individuals and couples facing fertility issues.
What can affect fertility?
The list above are the major causes for infertility that we see at Essential Feeling so I could say these are the issues that affect fertility.
However, besides answering ‘Can reflexology help with fertility?’ it’s also important to note that we should never underestimate our lifestyle choices, should never in how they affect our fertility. Incorporating reflexology into a comprehensive approach that includes healthy lifestyle changes can enhance fertility.
You wouldn’t expect a car to run well if you never had it serviced. Or if you gave it diesel instead of petrol fuel. Our bodies run similarly.
For instance, sleep is massive when you’re trying to create a baby. Because this is when our body fixes itself, so if you’re not getting a minimum of 6 hours unbroken sleep a night, then you’re not allowing your body enough time to do its MOT.
Likewise if you don’t move enough, or sleeping too much, then you don’t have enough movement to activate your lymphatic system which is a key component of our ability to detoxify.
Life is a balance and we’ll help you find yours.
Is there a best time to come for fertility reflexology?
Karen, your reflexologist will adapt your treatment according to where you are in your cycle and your personal fertility barriers. So, there isn’t a good or a dangerous time to come for a treatment. Before ovulation, she’ll be working to stimulate this post ovulation she’ll be looking to increase your chances of successful implantation with a more soothing treatment.
Finding a qualified reflexologist experienced in fertility treatments is a crucial step for those interested in this complementary therapy. Adopting a holistic approach to fertility, including reflexology, nutrition, and stress management, can support overall well-being and this is where Karen can really help as she is more than a reflexologist.
How long does it take to see the results?
Each couple or individual are on a unique fertility journey. This means the time it takes for results to manifest also differ. Most people respond to fertility reflexology within 3 to 6 weekly sessions. This is the point that Karen, your fertility reflexologist, can then move beyond general lifestyle imbalances and address more severe imbalances.
Reflexology appointments to improve your success of conception are a minimum of an hour to ensure that you get a full treatment with the level of reinforcement for you to see the best holistic results. If you’d like a couple reflexology session, then we’ll work with you one after the other so there’s no genuine need for you to come together although it can be helpful for the initial consultation.
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What is reflexology?
First, there is no magic wand, but when you’re answering the questions, ‘Can reflexology help with fertility?’ there are a few important points. Fertility reflexology works to balance your system, your hormones. This makes it as easy as possible for your body to behave as it should without the external pressures of modern life which assists your natural fertility.
Reflexology for infertility works similarly to acupuncture except that reflexology uses gentle massaging techniques on pressure points on your feet (acupressure), whilst acupuncture uses needles throughout your body. Both work by clearing the channels that your body uses to connect points from A to C, making sure they go via route B, not drifting off to N then back to C (if that makes sense).
Imagine your body as a network of roads
If your body uses a road network system so that messages arrive from one one area to a different one, a landslide on a neighbouring hill that falls onto one carriageway will block the route. Until they have cleared it, there is a traffic jam during which cars and their passengers (hormonal messages) are stationary and don’t move forward.
We remove that landslide so your hormonal messages stay on the move without needing to stagnate or take lengthy and time consuming diversions. This is how we work on improving your natural fertility, giving you, as a couple, more chance of becoming pregnant.
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Checklist
What are the signs of infertility in females?
Other than the causes listed above, there are some symptoms to look out for which could give you a heads-up that you will struggle with conceiving naturally.
*painful sex
*heavy, long or painful periods
*dark or light menstrual blood. It should be bright red.
*Irregular periods
*hormonal changes, e.g. weight change, acne, facial hair
*underlying medical conditions
Can infertility be cured?
Approx 15% of couples who struggle with fertility issues go on to be successful. But, because people don’t talk about it much, we feel alone.
Sometimes it can be reversed, or we can minimise your symptoms to allow conception, either naturally or via assisted reproductive intervention.
But there are no promises. Everyone’s body, circumstances and lifestyle are different. You’re on the right track just by being here, because by looking up reflexology for infertility. By researching fertility reflexology, you’re doing something positive to take back control.
The potential connection between conception and reflexology continues to be explored by both practitioners and researchers.
I’m having IVF. Can reflexology help improve its success?
If your fertility issues mean you’re having assisted conception, such as IVF, IUI or ICSI, then having reflexology treatment alongside this will help your body balance and in our experience, reflexology from a specialised reflexologist, such as Karen, will boost your chances of conception. Some clients come as couples, others prefer to come alone. Either is fine. It’s important to note that Karen, your reflexologist, will support you differently throughout your cycle.
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Who will do my sessions?
Karen is our specialist in fertility reflexology. She is a trained counsellor so will listen to all of your thoughts in ultimate confidentiality and without judgement. Karen is also a trained nutritionist so during your session we can also talk about what is best for you to eat to improve your overall natural fertility, but also at specific times within your cycle. Reviews about her are on our reviews page.
How long have you been offering fertility reflexology at Essential Feeling in Essex?
Karen has been treating fertility clients since 2012. Not only does she have the fertility reflexology qualifications, but she also has a wealth of experience from working full time as a specialist in this field. Where you’ll find many therapists only working around another job, Karen specialises in working with women struggling with conception issues.
To read more about fertility issues and how reflexology can help browse our blog.
Can reflexology be used to support medical procedures?
Yes, Reflexology supports medical procedures including IVF as it prepares you physically and emotionally by ensuring your body is in the best condition to optimise the chance of a successful pregnancy.
As a couple we’ve been told we have ‘unexplained infertility’ can Reflexology for infertility help this?
If medical tests have shown no reason for you being unable to conceive successfully as a couple then this is unexplained infertility. Fertility reflexology can assist this by ensuring that both you and your partners are in optimum condition. We do this by re-balancing areas that medical tests may not have detected.
This contributes towards improving your natural fertility.
I’ve already had a child and yet I’m being told we’re now infertile?
They call this secondary infertility and can be common because of our bodys react to changing external stimuli. Fertility reflexology may therefore be very effective for secondary infertility as it re-balances the body and realigns those things which were once in place, helping to restore you to the position you were in when you conceived before.
What does 2nd degree infertility mean?
This is the same as secondary infertility described above.
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If you would like to book a last-minute appointment, please text us on 07757 946023 and we’ll try our best to sort something out within 24 hours.
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We’ll send over everything you need including consultation form and directions.
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