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The psyche of infertility

A healthy, peaceful mind is very important to conception, and just as crucial (from pregnancy to birth) for the baby to also be healthy of mind, body and spirit.

by Dr. Steven Cooner — 

Most of us would agree that the mind and body work together. The emotional and psychological factors/forces involved in infertility can be dealt with by talking with a health care professional or by using the body to help heal the mind and emotions and aid fertility. A healthy, peaceful mind is very important to conception, and just as crucial (from pregnancy to birth) for the baby to also be healthy of mind, body and spirit. This is often overlooked by many of us.

There are optimal times for conception. When a couple is planning a family, they both should make sure their health, and their psyches and emotions are well balanced for the time of conception.

Psychological factors around infertility can be worked through by talking them out, as well as by using the body’s wisdom, to help eliminate interfering emotions that make fertility ineffective or complex. Fear, for instance, is often a factor in infertility for the woman — fear of pregnancy, weight gain, delivery, stretch marks, responsibility for a baby and child, and illness related to pregnancy or the fetus. Expressing these fears is a first step; talking about them is another step to discovering ways to shed these fears. The next step is fixing the part of the body that produces and supports this fear.

The part of the body or the organ responsible for our fear is the kidney. The kidneys are also physiologically responsible for reproductive capacity and capability. If the kidneys are strengthened, balanced and energized, they will increase their reproductive capacity and capability, while reducing the underlying fears around reproduction, thus increasing fertility. This is a great example of the body and mind working together.

Infertility often comes with a fair amount of worry and over-thinking. Once again there is an organ responsible for this: the spleen. In Oriental medicine, the spleen is of utmost importance to the woman’s gynecological health and well-being, as well as her reproductive functions.

Talking with a health care professional can help reduce worrying and over-thinking, along with strengthening the functioning of the spleen. This, in turn, can increase fertility.

When the mind and body work together and are balanced, we flow energetically, physically and emotionally, eliminating blockages and obstructions, thereby enhancing fertility and allowing reproduction to happen. For this to occur, some couples need help.

Acupuncture, Oriental medicine, tai chi, qi gong and diet changes will help heal and balance the body’s organs and systems (e.g., endocrine, reproductive), increase circulation of energy and blood flow, while reducing obstructions and blockages.

 

Drs. Steven Cooner, O.M.D., Ph.D., L.Ac., L.M.T., and Helene Cooner, O.M.D., L.Ac., L.M.T., are doctors of oriental medicine, state licensed acupuncturists and licensed massage therapists. They are located in south Scottsdale.  602-625-6612 or www.coonerwellness.com.

Reprinted from AzNetNews, Volume 27, Number 4, August/September 2008.

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