How to Balance Your Body & Get Pregnant
By: Laurie Morse, L.Ac.
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has been treating fertility successfully for over two thousand years, long before Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART) was a glimmer in anyone's eye. Since more and more couples are encountering the very emotional and frustrating road-block of infertility, it's important to understand the three organs that play a major role in fostering a healthy, fertile body.
In TCM, your body, mind and spirit are an integrated system. Thus, you are a whole unit. In your body, all of your organs operate together as a system. Yes, you have individual organs that have specific functions, but the overall function of any organ is to support a healthy, vital system. When you balance the Liver, Kidneys/Adrenals and Spleen/Pancreas you provide your body or system with the healthy equilibrium it needs for accessing fertility.
Let's look at each of these organs in this way:
- What the organ does in the body (the primary function according to TCM vs. Western Medicine:
- How to recognize symptoms of imbalance
- How to correct imbalance
- Why the corrections are important to enhance fertility
Liver
Function: The Liver is responsible for the smooth flow of energy and blood throughout the entire body. The Liver is also responsible for detoxifying everything that goes through the body (food, liquid, toxins, emotions, pollutants...everything!) The Liver also plays a key role in digestion, hormone balance, and normal menstruation.
Symptoms of imbalance: Endometriosis, fibroids, ovarian cysts, painful menstruation (cramps, PMS, blood clots), irritable bowels, headaches, restless sleep (especially between 1:00 and 3:00am), irritability, anger, frustration, impatience, stress.
How to correct imbalance: The Liver responds well to a balanced diet free of chemicals, toxins, and overindulgence. The Liver is able to smooth out your energy flow with regular stress reduction opportunities (deep breathing, body movement, fresh water, castor oil packs, cleansing, acupuncture, meditation).
Why important: The energy in your reproductive system must be flowing for conception and birth to happen. Your inner terrain must not be a toxic waste dump or new life will have a difficult time growing. As well, all the nutritional supplements you might be taking, work inefficiently in a toxic environment.
Spleen/Pancreas
Function: The Spleen and Pancreas is a combined organ TCM. The Spleen is responsible for receiving food, transforming the food into nutrients, and transporting the nutrients via your blood to your entire system. The Spleen is responsible for ample blood supply in your body.
Symptoms of imbalance: Poor appetite, afternoon fatigue, sugar/carbohydrate cravings, loose stools, lethargy, obsessive or over thinking, feeling stuck.
How to correct imbalance: The Spleen thrives on regularity, is greatly burdened by overeating, is weakened by improper foods (most especially excess carbohydrates) and needs a balance of macronutrients to support healthy function in the body.
Macronutrients are: Proteins, Carbohydrates and Essential Fats. Micronutrients, or vitamins and minerals, are then extracted from our intake of macronutrients.
Why important: The Spleen is the organ that nourishes your entire system. Equally as important as not allowing your inner terrain to be a toxic waste dump, is giving your inner terrain healthy nutrients from which to function. If your Spleen is burdened with excessive blood sugar and/or insufficient nutrition, then your hormone balance suffers. This directly affects your body's ability to conceive.
Kidneys/Adrenals
Function: The Kidneys and Adrenals are also a combined organ TCM. The Kidneys are responsible for reproduction and birth. The health of the Kidneys determines egg quality and sperm quality. The Kidneys support the Liver and Spleen. The Kidneys are the battery pack of your system. An unhealthy Kidney function (according to TCM function), renders conception difficult.
Symptoms of imbalance: Lower back pain or ache, tired or injured legs/knees/ankles, frequent urination, lack of vitality, easily cold or hot flashes, frequent feelings of fear, stress, overworking, decreased sexual desire.
How to correct imbalance: The Kidneys absolutely need enough sleep, preferably uninterrupted. Balancing work with rest is vital to the Kidneys. Explore ways to re-direct excess feelings of fear to feelings of trust, hope and inner peace.
Why important: It is during sleep that your body regenerates repairs and revitalizes. Getting enough uninterrupted sleep is a direct contribution to your fertility. Not overworking gives the Kidneys a chance to recover from the energy it requires to work. The adrenal glands are unbelievably overworked by having to secrete adrenaline hormones to counteract your responses to stress all day long. Finding ways to respond to your life with more calm and less "fight-or-flight" will take the burden off the adrenals, which in turn, supports the balance of your entire hormone system.
There are 12 main organ systems in TCM, yet you have plenty to focus on with just these three. If you will diligently begin supporting these three organs, you will do quite a bit to get yourself closer and closer to your wish of being a parent. I wish you a successful fertility journey.
Remember...
The biggest secret of all to successful conception & pregnancy is the one you are least likely to learn from your primary care provider, conception specialist, or even CAM provider!
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Laurie Morse, L.Ac., is the author of the revolutionary e-book "7 Strategies to Fertility Success," providing skills and exercises to help women turn their fertility switch on by "pulling their weeds," optimizing their terrain and planting pregnancy seeds with their intentionality. She is the director of Holistic Health Services in San Diego CA , where she has successfully treated fertility for the past decade. In addition, she provides workshops and tele-classes on fertility success. For more information go to: http://www.myfertilitysuccess.com