Pre-Conception Reflexology in Leighton Buzzard

Pre-conceptual care is preparing body, mind and spirit for the miracle of conceiving, developing and birthing your baby. I have a special interest in this area since my Maternity Reflexology training and I am a Certified Fertility Reflexologist with the Fertility Reflexology Network.

Sub-fertility or infertility is a term used if conception has not occurred after 12 months of trying to conceive. Medical tests may have shown that there is nothing wrong with either you or your partner (unexplained infertility) or you may already have a child (secondary infertility). The ability to conceive depends on many different factors, but it is essential that both of you are in optimum health to enable this to happen. Some of those factors can include:

long working hours
poor diet or 'convenience', processed foods
high alcohol consumption
too much or not enough exercise
smoking
lack of sleep
stress

Repeated stress disrupts your hormones and is a common factor in affecting your ability to conceive. When the body is stressed the adrenal glands release adrenalin which is the hormone that prepares your body for 'fight or flight'. Adrenalin increases your heart rate and effects muscles and metabolism. At the same time the blood and nerve supply to the bladder, intestines, reproductive system and immune support is decreased. The continued effect of stress leaves our bodies thinking they are always having to fight or flee for survival - not an ideal environment for conception and so it protects the body against conception until the danger has passed.

Pre-conception reflexology aims to ease away stress and tension. Relaxation through reflexology may make you feel more positive, relaxed and sleep better. Other recommendations for helping to deal with stress are regular exercise, (circuits & interval training are preferable to aerobic exercise) - allowing your body to run off the excess adrenalin, massage, yoga, meditation or just simply making some regular time for you.

It is essential to consult your GP or consultant for any symptoms you may have, reflexology is complementary to conventional medicine and is not a replacement. It cannot guarantee a pregnancy, unblock fallopian tubes, treat chlamydia or cure endometriosis. It can however create a relaxed environment for a possible pregnancy to occur by reducing stress levels, improving sleep patterns and encouraging a general feeling of well being.

Before starting a treatment I would ask you a few questions about your lifestyle, medical history and menstrual cycle which can be completed in advance of your reflexology treatment so as not to impact on the treatment length, just let me know when you book your treatment and I will email it to you. Below I've included some recommended websites and resources to help on your fertility journey along with some general guidelines which you should consider as well.

Reflexology Treatments - 45 mins - £35
Course of 5 reflexology treatments - £150

Wherever possible avoid hormone disruptors such as lack of sleep, prolonged stress, alcohol, caffeine, fizzy drinks, smoking, drugs, high levels of additives & sugars in processed foods.

If you have a high BMI consider a low GI diet avoiding processed sugars, refined white products, low fat dairy in order to control your blood sugar.

If you have a low BMI you may need to gain weight to optimise your cycle, introduce more good quality proteins and carbohydrates into your daily diet.

If you have fertility issues consider fertility supplements rather than pre conception supplements as these are more specialised at ensuring your body has what it needs in order to conceive, I recommend those by Dr Marilyn Glenville.

Manage your stress levels! Stress can have an impact on your reproductive system and there are lots of areas to consider whether its complementary therapies, mindful meditation, positive thinking & visualisations, EFT and more ......

Consider fertility charting and understanding your menstrual cycle better to make sure you aren't missing your fertile time. Also make sure that any medical tests you are undergoing match your cycle and not a 28 day cycle if yours is different, otherwise the test results may be wrong!

Assess your current position both medically and holistically, then put a plan into place and stick to it for determined length of time, don't hop from one quick fix to another every few weeks. It may take a few months for you to see and feel the impact of any lifestyle changes you make and it takes approximately 12 weeks for both eggs and sperm to mature so allow any diet or supplement changes at least 4-6 months.

What changes would you make to your lifestyle if you were pregnant?   Make them now to help you get pregnant.