Preparing for Pregnancy Program

The health of your eggs before they meet the sperm is impacted by the environment they occupy during their maturation process within the ovary. We look to ensure this environment provides them with; a good blood supply, the right nutrients, correct hormonal signalling and the capacity to supply adequate energy to the embryo. This is an important consideration for eggs coming from those of us with somewhat older ovaries and possibly impactful for eggs coming from anyone diagnosed with PCOS. We look to utilise our thorough Acupuncture and Nutrition program to enhance delivery of the right nutrients to the developing egg and enhance its capacity to create energy. Eggs respond negatively to a toxic environment and poor diet and equally they respond positively to a healthy environment and good diet.

In Chinese medicine, Blood deficiency is one of the many causes of infertility. If a deficiency condition in your body is recognised/observed during your initial consultations eg. Anovulation, scanty periods, thin endometrium lining, lack of energy or low iron, Acupuncture treatments, herbal formulas and a good Nutrition Plan will be very helpful to build up the endometrium.

It is now widely accepted that auto-immune issues are on the increase. The immune system has long been implicated in failure to conceive and with recurring miscarriages. Research also shows that a compromised immune system can result in a reduced rate of embryo implantation during IVF treatment. Your Preparing for Pregnancy program will consider any diagnosed or underlying acute or chronic immune system issues and tailor both your Nutrition recommendations and your Acupuncture treatments as appropriate to support your system in the time leading up to conception.

The impact of stress on your fertility is an important issue to be addressed. Stress produces a “fight or flight” response where the body perceives that there is danger. This causes a release of stress hormones called Cortisol and Adrenaline which negatively affects fertility. The right foods are proven to impact significantly on emotional and mental health; mood, focus and clarity of mind. Stress can delay or prevent ovulation and may affect implantation of the embryo. Acupuncture is considered to influence the hormonal regulation centre in the brain and autonomic nervous system (the hypothalamic pituitary axis) to help balance hormones over time. Acupuncture is renowned for its tremendous ability to relax the nervous system, quieten the mind, raise endorphin levels and reduce stress hormones.

 Alongside your regular treatments we will help you to identify your unique fertile window by getting to understand your menstrual cycle and your body secretions as this important time of your cycle may be misidentified.

A properly functioning digestive system and healthy gut microbiome cannot be underestimated in Preparing for Pregnancy. It is essential that the right nutrients are absorbed and utilised by the body. Digestive issues such as bloating, reflux, cravings or bowel disorders and inflammation will be addressed as part of your comprehensive treatment plan with your Nutritionist. Many reproductive disorders are associated with Inflammation such as Endometriosis and Pelvic Inflammatory Disease. Inflammation may also impact on implantation and Immune System issues.

Women may be advised by their trusted medical practitioner to lose or gain weight to give themselves the best chance to conceive. While it may be obvious that a Nutritionist will have the tools necessary to educate you on reaching a weight that is right for you, it might be interesting to learn that Acupuncture appears to have an effect on reducing the levels of hormones which impact your appetite and metabolism. A shift in your metabolism in the direction of burning off excess fat stores can improve both egg and sperm quality and stimulate ovarian activity. On the other hand, being underweight can also affect ovarian function. In this case our Nutritionist can help to regulate your dietary intake in order to achieve a proper BMI for pregnancy to occur.

Men respond well to correct nutrition, improving blood flow and sperm quality as well as reducing inflammation. It is well documented that acupuncture is one of the safest and most effective ways of improving overall sperm profile, together with good nutrition.  Acupuncture will help balance the nervous system, alleviate anxiety and stress and improve blood flow to the pelvic area.

Ideally the program should begin at least three months before pregnancy to allow time to nourish the egg and sperm before conception or before IVF to improve the success rate and have a quality embryo.Achieve optimum weight

Women may be advised by their trusted medical practitioner to lose or gain weight to give themselves the best chance to conceive. While it may be obvious that a Nutritionist will have the tools necessary to educate you on reaching a weight that is right for you, it might be interesting to learn that Acupuncture appears to have an effect on reducing the levels of hormones which impact your appetite and metabolism.

A shift in your metabolism in the direction of burning off excess fat stores can improve both egg and sperm quality and stimulate ovarian activity. On the other hand, being underweight can also affect ovarian function. In this case our Nutritionist can help to regulate your dietary intake in order to achieve a proper BMI for pregnancy to occur.

We recommend that you have regular acupuncture treatments during this time, ideally coming on a weekly basis. If this is not achievable, twice a month, before and after ovulation is preferable. Acupuncture treatment lasts one hour and you will feel very relaxed and refreshed afterwards.

At each session we keep up to date with your progress and you will have a chance to discuss any concerns that you may have. We use electro-acupuncture to stimulate blood flow around the uterus and ovaries.

You will also be advised on the importance of rest, relaxation and balance techniques to introduce into your everyday life. We will teach you a technique to relax and bring down stress levels that you can do for yourself at home.

The sooner the better! Roughly three months preparation pre-conception is recommended as this is the length of time it takes for eggs to mature. The sooner you begin nourishing your body with Nutrient dense whole fresh foods, as advised for your specific needs by our Nutritionist, the sooner you begin replenishing your system with correct nutrients to support a healthy conception. Nutrition status prior to conceiving will have a lasting effect on both your health and that of your baby. You have the ability to positively, directly influence your child’s lifelong susceptibility to disease & give them the best chance of optimising their brain function and their overall health throughout your pregnancy, at birth and over the course of their lives.

Dependent on your individual requirements, your initial nutrition consultation will look to identify and manage any underlying factors that may contribute to delays in becoming pregnant. If it’s a case you have been medically diagnosed with certain conditions prior to your consultation, we seek to further delve into your nutritional and lifestyle factors that may be contributing to your diagnosis.

During your personalised ‘Preparing for Pregnancy’ programme at The Crane Clinic, our registered nutritionist will provide you with a nutrition and lifestyle plan, diligently tailored to not only ensure you are receiving the best nutrition to prepare for conception, but also ensuring the plan is a fit for your current life circumstances.

You will have two further nutrition consultations to ensure you are on the right track, with the addition of further health & wellness strategies as applicable.

Our nutritionist will educate and empower you to take (back) control of your health and move towards a more balanced lifestyle. This allows you to be pro-active in caring for yourself, your body and your reproductive system in between your therapeutic acupuncture treatments.

It takes two for the magic of conception to happen and this oftentimes stressful journey is made easier when both partners make those lifestyle changes together, supporting each other. If it is unexplained infertility, male factor or ovarian issues, focusing on improving general health & the health of the gametes on both sides often provides the solution when nothing else is working. Many of the couples we have treated have voiced an appreciation of the emotional and psychological benefits they experienced while doing this program. Among the feedback we are most grateful for and humbled by at The Crane Clinic is that all our practitioners show an immense amount of compassion and care for everyone who has done this program.