A game of snakes and ladders - exploring fertility
December 2006 Filed in: Fertility
It is estimated that 150,000 or 1 in 7 couples in
Yorkshire and the Humber are having difficulty
conceiving (see HFEA website). Though the
majority of these couples will become pregnant
naturally given time, a significant minority
will not.
Of 100 couples trying to conceive naturally:
The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) define infertility as failing to get pregnant after two years of regular unprotected sex. Infertility is the commonest reason for women aged 20-45 to see their GP, after pregnancy itself.
“It's like a game of snakes and ladders”, claimed one patient. “At the start of the cycle I try to make myself feel positive and reassure myself that this month it could happen. I eat well, try to stay relaxed. We have sex knowing it’s ‘baby-sex’ mid-cycle but still I try to inject some enthusiasm into it. All the time my hope is building, like climbing a ladder in snakes and ladders. Then, I go to the loo on day 30 of my cycle and see a small spot of blood. I sit there and feel a crushing wave of disappointment. Another month wasted. Another slide down the ladder. All the hope evaporates”.
Couples trying to conceive can quickly feel isolated, despondent, frustrated, sad and confused. NHS services can seem confusing and standards of care vary enormously between establishments. Just when a couple have decided the time is right for them to raise a child, they can experience frustrating NHS waiting times and can feel that they are wasting precious time. A diagnosis of subfertily or infertility can be devastating, leaving partners feeling guilty, hurt and angry. It can put a strain on a relationship as one partner feels more responsible or is more active in trying to resolve the issue or as pressure to conceive mounts.
Acupuncture can be one way in which couples can support themselves whilst going through this process. It can help by:
Some couples choose to have acupuncture before trying to conceive naturally to optimise their fertility health. Others may come once they have received a diagnosis for subfertility or infertility or are due to have IVF. Acupuncture can help to support people at all stages of the fertility process. Some of my patients who have had successful pregnancies are willing to talk to others who are thinking about whether to have acupuncture treatment – please ask if this would be useful for you.
Other ways of supporting yourself through this time can be by using support groups or accessing online support.
A recent study of women who had not ovulated for six months or longer due to amenorrhoea showed that when offered 20 weeks of cognitive behavioural therapy to identify and resolve sources of stress in their lives, 80% of the women started to ovulate again, compared to 25% of women randomised to a no-treatment control group (reported at the 22nd annual conference of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology in Prague, June 2006 and highlighted in The Journal of Chinese Medicine No 82, Oct 2006). Women interested in following this up are advised that currently waiting times to receive CBT on the NHS in Leeds stand at 12 months. However, Maria Law, Accredited Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapist, now offers private CBT sessions on Saturdays at Wetherby Osteopaths. Contact her on 07971 529365 for more information.
Read this article from The Observer describing the modern day phenomena of IVF.
And ’26 symptoms, one syndrome’ written by Naava Carman for Company magazine about polycystic ovaries. Naava is a registered acupuncturist and Doula (Doulas support women from pregnancy to birth).
hfea.gov.uk
A guide to all facilities both NHS and private offering fertility treatment. Includes statistics from 2004 of successful births so you can compare clinics. Displays latest HFEA inspection reports on fertility clinics. Offers a very clear and extensive FREE guide to fertility services, explaining which treatments are available, what to expect etc. recommended.
britishfertilitysociety.org.uk
Website for the organisation that represents providers of assisted reproduction services.
bbc.co.uk/health/fertility
Includes details of ‘A Child Against All Odds’ series and features video clips of procedures, details of what to expect from services and raises ethical questions concerning fertility.
verity-pcos.org.uk
Group set up by women with polycystic ovaries. Offers FREE downloadable booklet on PCOS. Can pay to join group and access various booklets etc. Caitlin also has copies of these people can borrow.
endo.org.uk
Site geared for those with endometriosis and includes details of support groups. Nearest to Leeds is Harrogate.
ivf-infertility.com
Site written by health professionals. Includes fertility calendar and ovulation predictor.
carefertility.com
Very busy bulletin board and chat room run by Care, one of the top private clinic providers. Recommended by patients of Caitlin who have found it very supportive.
ivfconnections.com
Another bulletin board with live chat room. Features pre-IVF questions that include a useful list of all the tests you will normally be asked to have pre IVF.
Download the Paulus report on IVF and acupuncture, which demonstrated that acupuncture raised successful IVF pregnancy rates from 26% to 42%.
Of 100 couples trying to conceive naturally:
- 20 will conceive within one month
- 70 will conceive within six months
- 85 will conceive within a year
- 90 will conceive within 18 months
- 95 will conceive within two years
The National Institute for Clinical Excellence (NICE) define infertility as failing to get pregnant after two years of regular unprotected sex. Infertility is the commonest reason for women aged 20-45 to see their GP, after pregnancy itself.
“It's like a game of snakes and ladders”, claimed one patient. “At the start of the cycle I try to make myself feel positive and reassure myself that this month it could happen. I eat well, try to stay relaxed. We have sex knowing it’s ‘baby-sex’ mid-cycle but still I try to inject some enthusiasm into it. All the time my hope is building, like climbing a ladder in snakes and ladders. Then, I go to the loo on day 30 of my cycle and see a small spot of blood. I sit there and feel a crushing wave of disappointment. Another month wasted. Another slide down the ladder. All the hope evaporates”.
Couples trying to conceive can quickly feel isolated, despondent, frustrated, sad and confused. NHS services can seem confusing and standards of care vary enormously between establishments. Just when a couple have decided the time is right for them to raise a child, they can experience frustrating NHS waiting times and can feel that they are wasting precious time. A diagnosis of subfertily or infertility can be devastating, leaving partners feeling guilty, hurt and angry. It can put a strain on a relationship as one partner feels more responsible or is more active in trying to resolve the issue or as pressure to conceive mounts.
Acupuncture can be one way in which couples can support themselves whilst going through this process. It can help by:
- Promoting relaxation and releasing endorphins
- Regulating the menstrual cycle to make it more regular
- Promoting a menstrual bleed (e.g. in cases of amenorrhoea, having no periods, common after coming off the pill)
- Preventing painful, heavy periods (and aiming to reduce endometriosis)
- Promoting ovulation and physical signs that this is taking place e.g. slippery cervical mucous
- Regulating LH and FSH levels
- Increasing sperm mobility, motility and count
- Aiming to improve the success rate of IVF by 1/3 (Paulus 2002 research)
- Helping the foetus to embed and stay in place
- Minimising morning sickness
- Turning a breech baby
- Helping to induce a baby naturally at full-term
Some couples choose to have acupuncture before trying to conceive naturally to optimise their fertility health. Others may come once they have received a diagnosis for subfertility or infertility or are due to have IVF. Acupuncture can help to support people at all stages of the fertility process. Some of my patients who have had successful pregnancies are willing to talk to others who are thinking about whether to have acupuncture treatment – please ask if this would be useful for you.
Other ways of supporting yourself through this time can be by using support groups or accessing online support.
A recent study of women who had not ovulated for six months or longer due to amenorrhoea showed that when offered 20 weeks of cognitive behavioural therapy to identify and resolve sources of stress in their lives, 80% of the women started to ovulate again, compared to 25% of women randomised to a no-treatment control group (reported at the 22nd annual conference of the European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology in Prague, June 2006 and highlighted in The Journal of Chinese Medicine No 82, Oct 2006). Women interested in following this up are advised that currently waiting times to receive CBT on the NHS in Leeds stand at 12 months. However, Maria Law, Accredited Cognitive Behavioural Psychotherapist, now offers private CBT sessions on Saturdays at Wetherby Osteopaths. Contact her on 07971 529365 for more information.
Read this article from The Observer describing the modern day phenomena of IVF.
And ’26 symptoms, one syndrome’ written by Naava Carman for Company magazine about polycystic ovaries. Naava is a registered acupuncturist and Doula (Doulas support women from pregnancy to birth).
Useful Links
hfea.gov.uk
A guide to all facilities both NHS and private offering fertility treatment. Includes statistics from 2004 of successful births so you can compare clinics. Displays latest HFEA inspection reports on fertility clinics. Offers a very clear and extensive FREE guide to fertility services, explaining which treatments are available, what to expect etc. recommended.
britishfertilitysociety.org.uk
Website for the organisation that represents providers of assisted reproduction services.
bbc.co.uk/health/fertility
Includes details of ‘A Child Against All Odds’ series and features video clips of procedures, details of what to expect from services and raises ethical questions concerning fertility.
verity-pcos.org.uk
Group set up by women with polycystic ovaries. Offers FREE downloadable booklet on PCOS. Can pay to join group and access various booklets etc. Caitlin also has copies of these people can borrow.
endo.org.uk
Site geared for those with endometriosis and includes details of support groups. Nearest to Leeds is Harrogate.
ivf-infertility.com
Site written by health professionals. Includes fertility calendar and ovulation predictor.
carefertility.com
Very busy bulletin board and chat room run by Care, one of the top private clinic providers. Recommended by patients of Caitlin who have found it very supportive.
ivfconnections.com
Another bulletin board with live chat room. Features pre-IVF questions that include a useful list of all the tests you will normally be asked to have pre IVF.
Download the Paulus report on IVF and acupuncture, which demonstrated that acupuncture raised successful IVF pregnancy rates from 26% to 42%.