Complementary Wellbeing Treatments

General Wellbeing and Fertility

At Concept Fertility we know that undergoing fertility investigations or treatment can be stressful. This stress itself may further reduce fertility and so people can get trapped in a vicious cycle. Here at Concept we offer cutting-edge “Western” medicine, science-based, regulated, inspected and licenced by the health authorities. However, we recognise that some people also want to include an “Eastern” element, using traditional holistic treatments to reduce stress and enhance their fertility treatment.

We do not offer these “Eastern” approaches ourselves but, over time, we have received good reviews from patients about certain complementary therapy practitioners, who focus on IVF and infertility, and we have exchanged information with the therapists themselves. Their contact links are in the text below, along with a brief description of some of the services available. This is by no means a comprehensive list; many patients use other therapists and we are happy that they continue to do so. We will support you generally and advise you if any elements, such as excessive exercise or herbal remedies, would be better off suspended whist you are having treatment with us.

Fertility Acupuncture

Acupuncture is a both an ancient therapy and a modern one and is practiced throughout the world. Its foundation is the theory and philosophy of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), an ancient system of natural healing which was also a way of life in China and Japan dating back several thousand years.

It is based on the traditional view that there are meridian channels throughout the body, with acupuncture points which can help balance the body. Whilst acupuncture has been practiced for thousands of years, the very existence of these meridians has not yet been proven to the satisfaction of western evidence-based science. Nevertheless, acupuncture is often approved of in organisations such as the NHS, especially for pain relief, and the mechanism by which it is thought to work is related to the release of endorphins around the needle entry points.

Melanie Hackwell is a dedicated acupuncture practitioner who practices in her own consulting rooms at Ancient Roots Acupuncture and Chinese Massage in Balham. Our patients love her. Click here for more information.

Fertility Yoga

To ‘rest’, to ‘relax’ and to ‘restore’ is essential to everyone, especially in today’s society where stress levels are on the increase. To ‘rest’ deeply is to experience absolute relaxation, where there is effortless stillness, quietness and peace. Restorative Yoga provides bespoke restorative postures, specific yoga based sequences, breath awareness practices and relaxation.

The physical focus of the postures is to create space and ease as well as optimising the blood flow to the muscles and connective tissues in the lower pelvis.

On an emotional level, the benefits of restorative yoga and the haven of a safe and nurturing environment can help both men and women cope with the stress associated with trying to conceive and to increase the ability to self-nurture, deeply relax and accept where they are in the process.

The Putney Clinic of Physical Therapy is located nearby in Putney and has a particular focus on fertility yoga, as well as other services such as cranial osteopathy for fertility and fertility massage. Click here to go directly to their website to see more. If you are not sure which service you would like…ask them, they are there to help.

Hypnotherapy / Psychotherapy / Life Coaching

Hypnotherapy is a treatment that uses hypnosis to alter the way you feel or to change aspects of your life which need improving. Hypnosis is a perfectly natural condition that we experience often, like day dreaming. We sometimes drift in and out of a mildly hypnotic state in our daily lives without ever being aware of it!

Hypnotherapy is offered as a complementary therapy to assist with a variety of conditions and can be tailored to meet each individual’s unique needs.

Depending on your situation, hypnotherapy can help with the following:

• Stress reduction for both partners
• Weight reduction and getting fitter
• Helping clients who are too thin gain weight
• Increasing sexual arousal
• Erectile dysfunction
• Reducing fear of the IVF process (hospitals, needles, injections)
• Confidence boosting and positive thinking
• Support emotionally (some clients just want to talk to someone who is not a friend or relative)
• Clearing out negativity, anger, and/or resentment
• General wellbeing and living in the now

Psychotherapy and Life Coaching sessions take place in a private and confidential setting and can assist you with difficulties you are facing or that are affecting your daily life. Infertility can cause relationship stress and can increase stresses in other areas – work stress, addiction, accidents, loss, trauma etc. Life coaching may also assist you with setting and achieving goals related to your work or personal life.

Click here to visit Marygrace Anderson’s website, MG Hypnosis to read about the kind of services she offers. It’s well worth visiting her if you wish to reduce your stress levels.

Nutritional Therapy

The importance of good nutrition has never been more relevant and today there is a vast amount of scientific evidence to guide us regarding the positive effects of certain foods and nutrients on overall health and reproductive function. The food you eat is your body’s fuel and is used by the organs of the body, including the reproductive organs, providing hundreds of vitamins and minerals at adequate levels to enable them to perform optimally.

Nutritional therapy can assist with natural fertility by advising on the right diet to help your improve chances of conceiving. As part of this treatment we analyse your environment and lifestyle to identify factors that may be adversely affecting your ability to maintain a healthy, balanced diet.

Ann Slevin is a nutritionist who works with us here in the clinic, as well as privately in her own clinic, Nurture to Blossom.

We also work closely with Fleur Borelli who is a fully qualified nutritional therapist. Click this link to visit her website.

Reflexology for Fertility

Reflexology is another form of treatment deriving from traditional Chinese medicine which is becoming ever more popular in the West. It is based on the belief that massaging specific points on the feet (sometimes also the hands or the face) can stimulate a response, a “reflex”, in specific other parts of the body. The Association of Reflexologists states that reflexology does not claim to diagnose or cure conditions but instead works on a holistic basis alongside other medical treatments to restore the body to its natural balance, reduce stress and promote general health. This should then aid the effectiveness of more specific medical treatments. Reflexology practitioners often overlap, or have expertise in, other holistic disciplines such as yoga or life-coaching.