Hatfield Practice Acupuncture for infertility will help you safely improve your health before conception. We provide a professional, personal, sensitive approach to treatment. Research suggests that Acupuncture helps your body wind down and relax by stimulating endorphins and improving blood supply to the reproductive system. We will provide you with Basel body temperature charts and thermometers to work out when you are most likely to conceive. This is often very different and dependent on age, genetics, medical history and, of course, lifestyle. You have the best chance of conception and potentially problem-free pregnancy and a healthy baby if you follow a few simple guidelines: Firstly, try not to get too stressed and serious and of course, have fun while trying to get healthier for your baby, perhaps set small goals and reward yourselves when you reach them. Some tips..
Always try to organise your pregnancy care early.
- Good care before and during pregnancy is essential to your baby’s health. Organising your care early means you’ll have months to build a good relationship with your Acupuncturist, Osteopath, midwife or doctor, ready for the birth.
Eat really well. You really are what we eat.
- It is important to eat a well-balanced, healthy diet. Ask your Acupuncturist, midwife or doctor for diet advice, particularly if you find you no longer want to eat certain foods during pregnancy.
Be careful about food hygiene – read up.
It is better to avoid eating certain foods during pregnancy as they may be health risks for your baby. For example:
- Some types of soft cheese
- Undercooked or raw meat/shellfish etc.
- Unwashed vegetables and salads.
- Undercooked poultry and raw or soft-cooked eggs
Ask your nutritionist, Acupuncturist or midwife or for more information about foods that are safe to eat in pregnancy.
Take folic acid supplements and eat more fish.
- Folic acid (also called folate) is essential in pregnancy to help prevent spina bifida and other disabilities in babies. All women planning a pregnancy are advised to take a daily supplement of 400mcg of folic acid during the first three months of pregnancy. Folate is also found in vegetables and some breakfast cereals.
- Oily fish (such as herring, mackerel, salmon or sardines) is good for your growing baby, but the government recommends that you do not eat it more than twice a week. However, you can eat other types of fish as much as you like. If you don’t like fish, oil supplements are available but check the brand is suitable for pregnant women.
Exercise as regularly as possible – your body will feel young and fresh again.
- Exercise can give you the strength you’ll need to carry the weight you gain during pregnancy and to handle the hard work of labour. It will make it easier to get back into shape after your baby is born. Exercise can also boost your spirits and help ward off depression in pregnancy. Try gentle exercises such as walking, swimming or yoga. You can talk to our Physiotherapist for advice.
Try doing Pilates or pelvic floor exercises.
- It’s common for pregnant women or those who have had children to have a small amount of urine leak out when sneezing, laughing, or exercising. You can help stop this from happening by doing regular pelvic floor exercises starting before you get pregnant or during pregnancy. Ask our Physiotherapist, midwife or doctor for more information.
Try to limit your alcohol intake.
Since any alcohol you drink quickly reaches your baby through your bloodstream, you may decide to cut out drinking alcohol completely. If you decide to drink, limit yourself to one or two units of alcohol, no more than once or twice a week. One unit of alcohol is approximate:
- half a pint of ordinary strength beer, lager or cider
- half a glass of 12 per cent strength wine
Women who drink heavily (more than six units a day) regularly during pregnancy are at greater risk of giving birth to a baby with problems ranging from learning difficulties to more serious congenital disabilities.
Acupuncture | Hatfield Practice
Try to cut out all caffeine.
- Coffee, tea, and cola drinks contain caffeine which affects the way the body absorbs iron. High levels of caffeine have been linked to poor birth weight and miscarriage. Up to four cups of coffee (or six cups of tea or eight cans of cola) a day won’t hurt your baby, but it does make it difficult to conceive, affects your periods and leaves you tired and dehydrated, especially in colder weather. However, it is advisable to cut out caffeine altogether. Try decaffeinated coffee, tea, redbush tea, fruit juices or a glass of mineral water with a twist of lime or lemon.
Stop smoking.
- Women who smoke increase their risk of miscarriage, premature delivery, stillbirth and cot death. It is best to give up smoking before you even try to conceive, but any reduction in the number of cigarettes you smoke each day will give your baby a better chance. Hypnosis is wonderful.
Get some proper rest, rejuvenate your mind, body and spirit.
- Have regular Acupuncture for health, educational and emotional support. Our stress clinic at the Hatfield Practice is an ideal way to start. Take time out to really unwind; this factor is hugely underestimated, especially for the conception phase. The tiredness you feel in early, and late pregnancy is your body’s way of saying “slow down”. A nap in the middle of the day is good for you and your baby. If you can’t sleep, put your feet up and catnap or relax for 30 minutes or more.
