The AFA Blog

An Alternative Solution - Herbs and PCOS - How to use them to improve your fertility.

By Stacey Roberts, BSPT, Q Herbalist, Natural Fertility

 Rachel came to me after trying to have a baby for 4 years.  She was at her wits end.  She tried IVF but had hyperstimulated and was unsure of whether to try again.

 She had not had a menstrual cycle in 3.5 years no matter what medication she was on.  Rachel used a variety of medications to try to get her ovulating but nothing helped.

 After six months on an herb formula, Rachel began to spot.  She called me, very excited.  I was actually getting a little despondent myself after six months and nothing happening.  I asked her to send in her charts so we could see what was going on and lo and behold, she wasn’t going to have a period.  She was pregnant!  Rachel has now had 2 beautiful little girls while utilizing the herbs.

 What happened?  How did Rachel conceive when she was told it couldn’t happen?  Afterall, she wasn’t even having a period.

When a woman is dealing with Polycystic Ovaries it is important to remember that this syndrome is a symptom of an imbalance in the system.  Polycystic ovaries commonly occur when a woman is experiencing insulin resistance, a precursor to diabetes.  So the very first step in addressing this syndrome naturally is through the diet. 

Step 1:  Optimize your Eating Plan

• Remove white flour products and other high glycemic foods. 
• Choose carbohydrates that are low glycemic
• With each meal make sure you have a protein and or a good fat to slow dose the glucose response in the blood.  This helps to take stress off the system.
• ELIMINATE sugar.  Sugar and sweeteners are major enemies of women with Polycystic Ovaries so get them out your the diet. 
• Eliminate empty calories from soft drinks and alcohol that also disrupt your sugar levels.

 Step 2:  Optimize a Supplementation Program

• Use a broadspectrum of antioxidants and minerals to help improve cellular health and address the underlying issue with glucose and insulin.

• Besides Vitamins A, B, C, D3, E and folic acid (a type of vitamin B) it is also important for women to have appropriate amounts of selenium, zinc, chromium, and iodine in their diet and supplementation program to improve their situation. 

• Herbs such as Gymnena (not to be taken with drugs that are used for resistance eg. Metformin and others) and Cinnamon have been shown to help support optimal glucose metabolism.

• With Rachel it was also helpful to take herbs that support her thyroid such as Withania and Bacopa. 

• Other herbs to support ovulation are Peony and Agnus Castus (Chaste Tree).

• When dealing with herbs always consult a qualifed herbalist to assess your situation otherwise you may be taking too much or too little of the necessary herbs.  And the supplementation program including herbs must only supplement the diet.  With PCOS, diet is number 1!

Step 3: Minimize Toxins

• Exposure to voluntary toxins from smoking and excessive alcohol consumption, and chemically laden skin care products, improper use of plastics (i.e. heating food in plastic containers, etc) and even air fresheners and cleaning products can impair your fertility according to various studies.

• Always use “green” products when you can and avoid products whose ingredient list is full of scientific names you cannot pronounce.

• Herbs such as St. Mary’s Thistle (Milk Thistle), Schisandra, and even Bladderwrack are herbs that can be used to help the body properly remove toxins from the system

 Step 4:  Appropriate Exercise Program

• A balanced exercise program including cardiovascular fitness and resistance training can help make the body more insulin sensitive and along with an optimal diet can reverse insulin resistance in some individuals.  Polycystic Ovaries have been reversed when hormone balance returns to normal.

• Seek out a qualified personal trainer or physical therapist to help you set up the best program for you.

 Step 5:  Support the Mind Body Connection

• Several studies show that addressing stress and the mind body connection has helped women with ovulation disorders such as Polycystic Ovaries.  In a study performed at Emory University, 80% of patients who previously were not ovulating spontaneous ovulated after hypnosis sessions. 

 Rachel knows the importance of addressing all of these steps at one time versus trying one thing for a while and moving on to the next without appropriate guidance.  But now after addressing her situation by following the five steps above perhaps Rachel can help her little girls avoid the difficulties that she experienced trying to conceive as well as the other negative consequences that women with Polycystic Ovaries can face, i.e. high blood pressure, diabetes, thyroid issues, and autoimmune diseases.

 It is important to note that all treatments should be done under the auspices of a trained professional.

Stacey Roberts, PT, MH, Phd-C is a leading herbalist and internationally recognized expert on complementary medicines. She is the owner of Sharkey's Healing Centre and resides in Melbourne, Australia.  She is a guest contributor to The American Fertility Association's online library, directory, and blog.

 

 

The Gift of the Present Moment

By Brenda Strong

I have a confession to make.  I have been stressed out lately.  Yes, even yoga teachers can let life circumstances get the best of them.

The Holidays can be a challenging time for most of us.  We all long for closeness of family, warmth and an intimacy that may resemble our favorite memories from childhood.  If our childhood memories of family don't fill us with warmth, we may seek out a fantasy of what we think family could be that it wasn't. Either way, the holidays can fill us with a mixture of feelings that may be difficult to navigate; and unfulfilled expectations can leave us feeling lonely, especially if the family we long for isn't created yet. 

For many of us going through reproductive difficulties, it may be a time filled with sadness, longing, isolation and stress.  How can we navigate through this time without having a nervous breakdown or going into a depression?  The key is found in a word that is tossed around the holidays a lot.  Presents.  But instead of the kind that are tied up neatly in a bow with beautiful paper, the kind I'm talking about is free and available to us at all times.  Presence.  It is learning to be present, that allows us to receive the greatest gifts in life, the ones that touch our hearts, give us hope and connect us to ourselves, our bodies and each other.

How does one become present?  It's simple.  The quickest way to become present is through our breath.  Simply observing the breath as it passes through us, and watching it, brings us fully into this moment. When we watch the breath and are present, the body does a miraculous thing.  It opens.  And when our bodies open, our monkey mind slows down and so does our heart rate, and we become aware. When we become present to what we are feeling, we give these sensations an opportunity to release their power over us.   When we are in the presence of pure awareness, there is an opportunity to release the baggage of the past and the fearful projections of the unknown future.  There is just NOW.  And inside now, there is nothing to resist or grasp at, there is just what is.  There is a simplicity of BEING.  From this short time of connecting to our breathing, we are able to de-stress the body, release anxiety and receive the gift of this moment.  As we do this, we can start to string those moments together, and before we know it, we are on the other side of our feelings peacefully.

So this Holiday Season, as you gather together your presents for others, don't forget to give yourself the gift of the PRESENT moment. 

Someone once said, “The past is history, the future a mystery, and the present moment is all we have...that is why it is called a 'gift'."

Just remember, to receive the gift of life all you have to do is take it one breath at a time...  :-)  

Na "mama" ste

Brenda Strong is a certified 500hr E-RYT who created the Strong Yoga4Fertility program to help women worldwide.  She is the first national spokesperson for The American Fertility Association as well as a member of the board of directors. Her day job is playing “Mary Alice Young” on DESPERATE HOUSEWIVES.

The assumptions we can make of those with fertility challenges

by Maria Portella

One life lesson that I always seem to never quite learn is that you should never make assumptions about others, because you can realise how wrong you are if you do so without asking any questions or getting the facts.  I was very recently reminded of this all over again.

We were talking about someone that we actually don't know, who we had heard was having fertility challenges, and who we were told had said did not want to do IVF.  The assumption made was that the person had investigated this with fertility specialists before coming to that conclusion. But it then transpired we may be wrong and I felt very bad.

Here's the thing - even those of us that battle with fertility issues can forget that everyone's experience is different.  We shouldn't assume anything.  We cannot assume to have an idea of what that person's feelings and thoughts are, and we shouldn't even for a nanosecond pretend to try and second guess.  This whole situation certainly made me think a little more about the issue of fertility challenges.

• It can cause a great deal of anxiety and we all react to it in a different way.  In someone like me who is such a 'do-er', it translates into wanting to do all the investigation and steps I can to work out what I can do to increase the chances of a successful pregnancy.  In others that anxiety can have a paralyzing effect.  And there are others who are very relaxed about their chances of success and feel that there is nothing which they need to do.  Some of us may need help however, to relax, some of us may need someone to lend us a hand to help us out of our 'mind fog' and some of us may need nothing more than a friend or someone to be there.  The biggest challenge is for the person themselves to work out which type they are and for others to help them in this process - this sounds easy but it can be very hard.
• There is an assumption that the cure to all fertility issues is IVF.  Because it is so popular nowadays, we take for granted that this is the only way to go in order to deal with fertility issues but actually that is not the case.  There are some fertility specialists who are of the view that people move on too quickly to IVF before trying other things first.  And if someone feels that IVF is not for them, for whatever reason, they really shouldn't feel there is nothing they can do.  There are certainly lots of things people can try besides IVF which can be helpful and many promote natural fertility remedies.  My personal view is that the two can be complementary - you can pursue traditional medicine and also do natural things like reduce toxins, for example eat organically and do acupuncture to maximize your chances; but you should be open with your practitioners as to what you are doing to be sure the two do not clash with each other.  And we should never criticize someone if they don't want to do IVF - it is a personal choice, we should remember to be supportive to alternative things they may wish to try.  In my opinion, people can sometimes be too quick to dismiss natural and alternative remedies.
• We should never forget to stretch out a hand to others - you can never make someone come to you for help, but you can extend a hand and say you are there if they need to speak or point them in the direction of someone who can help.  Even if you don't know the person, be there for them, particularly if you know what it is like to be there yourself.   
• I realized how lucky folks in the US actually are.  There are many wonderful organizations such as The AFA that are there to help support folks through their family building experience.   These organizations are truly active, enthusiastic and progressive.  Speaking with counterparts back in the UK,  I realize how much more the help and support in that country is ad hoc and just not on the same level - it is changing and getting there, but not quite yet.  (If any UK person is reading this and doesn't agree I apologize - this is just my personal view.)

 So where does this all take me?  Well probably not very far.  But if nothing else it underlines to me how difficult and challenging dealing with fertility issues is.  Nobody should ever underestimate this and assume that everyone reacts the same way.  Stretch out a hand and seek to understand the person.  This isn't about you - it is about them.       

Maria Portella is originally from the U.K. and now resides in the West Indies.  Her special interest is promoting better education about fertility amongst working women.  She reached out to The American Fertility Association because she wished to share her story.

Photo: Courtesy M. Portella