Abdominal Therapy for Natural Fertility Enhancement

Abdominal Therapy can be beneficial for your fertility. A professional treatment from your

practitioner - plus YAM, castor oil packs, and perineal steams - all work synergistically to

promote fertility health. Together, they help normalize your menstrual cycle and increase

blood flow to and from your uterus.

Ideally, you’ll have the opportunity to prepare for three cycles before you begin trying to

conceive. Eggs and sperm take three months to mature. Your actions today affect the

health of eggs and sperm which will be mobilized for conception almost three months from

now.

In the Preparing to Conceive For 3 Cycles program, we optimize reproductive health for

you and your partner and help create a fresh and healthy home for the embryo to grow in.

When you’re avoiding conception for three cycles, you can do YAM throughout your

cycle…clearing and cleansing your abdominal organs and tissues every day. In this case,

you must take measures to prevent conception. If conception is suspected however, it’s

best to revert to the Intending to Conceive During This Cycle program.

Regardless of the reproductive health benefits of taking a three cycle rest before

attempting to conceive, your situation may be such that you choose not to wait. If this

applies to you, please refer to Intending to Conceive During This Cycle.

If you’re actively trying to conceive in the current cycle, you shouldn’t massage your lower

abdomen after ovulation, just in case there’s a new egg nesting that needn’t be disturbed.

All dietary recommendations remain the same, regardless of which cycle program you’re

following. The difference is in the timing of practitioner sessions, modifications for YAM, and

alterations to supportive therapies.

The next section describes all the elements of our Natural Fertility Enhancement program. A

table at the end summarizes recommendations for Preparing to Conceive For 3 Cycles and

Intending to Conceive During This Cycle programs.

Abdominal Therapy Sessions

Initial Session: This can include both you and your partner for the initial consultation,

treatment, and YAM instruction. This appointment should happen during the first few days

after menstrual bleeding has stopped.

Follow-up Sessions: These will include your treatment and plenty of time to discuss your

home practices of YAM and other fertility enhancing guidelines you’re following. You may

consider bringing you YAM Journal along to share your findings with your practitioner.

Baseline Reproductive Health Analysis

Chart your cycle with a Fertility Awareness Based Method (FABM).

A FABM is an evidence-based practice of observing and keeping track of easily identified

reproductive cycle signs (such as bleeding, cervical mucus, cervical position, basal body

temperature) to determine fertile and infertile times during a menstrual cycle.

Using a FABM to chart your cycle signs will help you be aware of your optimal fertile days.

You will also be able to identify if and when you’re having ovulatory cycles. Many people

rely on fertility Apps to predict their fertile time; however most Apps do not reflect your

individual cycle information and the prediction of your fertile time is very often inaccurate.

Knowing where you are in your reproductive cycle is important because it’s best to avoid

deep massage to your lower abdomen when there’s a chance of pregnancy. Specifically,

you need to identify your fertile days, if you’ve ovulated, and if you’ve had intercourse

during your fertile time. After you ovulate during a cycle in which you’re trying to conceive,

pregnancy is indeed a possibility, and YAM should be modified.

We advise working with a qualified Fertility Awareness Educator in the initial stages of

learning the FABM of your choice. In this way, you’ll become fully competent and

confident at using your method.

For more information about FABM’s and to guide you to a certified Fertility Awareness

Educator (FAE):

• Fertility Appreciation Collaborative to Teach the Science (FACTS):

https://www.factsaboutfertility.org/

• Association of Fertility Awareness Professionals (AFAP):

http://www.fertilityawarenessprofessionals.com/

Here are some excellent books to support your learning about FABM’s:

• Taking Charge of Your Fertility – Toni Wechsler

• The Fifth Vital Sign – Lisa Hendricksen-Jack

• The Garden of Fertility – Katie Singer

Semen Analysis

Male reproductive health is an important factor when intending to conceive. Suboptimal

male sperm is responsible for almost 50% of subfertility situations. Research has shown that

sperm quantity, motility, morphology, are all important when evaluating the health of male

sperm. Semen analysis is the laboratory method for assessing male fertility and is

recommended.

Your Abdominal Massage - YAM

You should be diligent at incorporating YAM into your daily practice to promote circulation

in your body. Improved NAVEL (Nerve Arterial Venous Energetic Lymph) flow, relaxation,

and connection are all benefits of a consistent YAM practice. Positive results increase

significantly for those who YAM daily.

Castor Oil Packs & Heat

These can increase the circulation of blood and lymph throughout your abdomen and

sacrum. They also help detoxify your body, helping to cleanse and support your liver

function.

Castor oil with heat may increase uterine contractions. For this reason, its use is

contraindicated during pregnancy.

Perineal Steams

Gentle steam, seated over warm water and herbs, helps clear your uterus of congestion

and lay the foundation for a healthy new uterine lining. Imagine preparing a brand new

fluffy receiving blanket for your baby. This gentle steam also helps relax the pelvic floor and

increase circulation to the prostate, contributing to sperm health.

Some herbs and steam are meant to clear the uterus. For this reason, once pregnancy is a

possibility, perineal steams are NOT recommended.

Rainforest Remedies Herbal Formulas

Female Tonic: This formula helps nourish, cleanse, and clear the uterine lining. It’s a uterine

lavage which ultimately encourages optimal endometrial development. Its use is

contraindicated during pregnancy and during Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART).

Female Tonic should be taken on its own, away from any other herbs, medications or

supplements intended to affect hormones.

Male Tonic: An effective tonic that clears the vas deferens and urethra. It allows those

‘swimmers’ easy access to the outside world!

Sleep

Get enough of it! We know that sufficient sleep is essential for general wellness. The

healthier you are, the more likely you are to conceive.

Sleep deprivation can affect hormone production. If you don’t get enough, your body

may produce less of certain hormones and too much of others. The same part of the brain

that regulates sleep-wake hormones (like melatonin and cortisol) also regulates

reproductive hormones. Insufficient sleep may signal to the body to produce more stress

hormones. This is bad for overall health and can upset the balance of estrogen,

testosterone, and other reproductive hormones.

Low level ambient light in the environment can be detected by the retino-hypothalamic

tract during sleep. When we’re exposed to light during what is meant to be a completely

dark time, normal hypothalamic function is disrupted. Interfering with the hypothalamus in

this way can potentially affect your production and function of female reproductive

hormones. This can then affect your menstrual cycle and fertility.

Some common night-time light sources are hallway and bathroom night lights, light

reflecting into the sleeping area from porch or street-light, and digital clocks. It may be

near impossible to create a sleeping environment of complete darkness. Since this ambient

light is primarily detected through the eyes, wearing an eye mask is the easiest way to

prevent these light sources from affecting your menstrual cycle and fertility.

In a nutshell, we recommend that you get at least 8 hours of uninterrupted sleep each

night and that you wear a sleep mask.

Diet and Nutrition

Indulge in a diet of fresh, whole foods - fruits, vegetables, and plenty of protein. Limit or

omit caffeine, alcohol, sugar and processed foods, tobacco, and recreational drugs.

Flax seeds and fish oil are known to support fertility in both partners. The Omega-3 fatty

acids they contain have been shown to increase ovarian reserve, reduce anovulatory

cycles, and help lengthen people's luteal phases. They’re good for sperm health as well.

You can have one tablespoon of ground flaxseeds (in a smoothie, soup or added to a

salad) each day plus 1000mg of high-quality fish oil. Other food sources of Omega 3's are

nuts (especially walnuts) and dark, leafy greens.

Exercise

Engage in mild to moderate exercise daily. Walking and hiking, swimming and yoga are

excellent forms of exercise for fertility support. Refrain from intense or high-impact exercise -

no marathon training!

Minimize Stress

Connect with yourself and your partner. Have Fun! How can you include more fun and joy

into your life?

As much as our environment has changed over the millennia, our biology has not. In earlier

times, an experience of stress meant I'm not safe… there's a tiger out there. Why would a

body want to conceive a baby if the environment felt unsafe in some way? Many of our

modern-day stressors are not life-threatening, but our bodies and the primitive parts of our

brains that regulate their functions don't know this.

Cortisol and adrenaline - the fight or flight hormones - are made from cholesterol.

Reproductive hormones - estrogen, progesterone, and testosterone - are also made from

cholesterol. When you experience stress, cortisol production is prioritized, and the

cholesterol available to produce reproductive hormones is limited.

Stress chemically impacts your reproductive hormones. It can also affect your availability to

yourself and your partner. Fertility challenges create their own relational tension and stress.

When you are in fight or flight mode, connection seems like a luxury. In fact, it's quite the

opposite. Your relationship with your inner world, with your body, and with your partner is

essential to a fertile state of being.

Assisted Reproductive Technology – ART

Follow Preparing to Conceive For 3 Cycles program until insemination or transfer of an

embryo.

Only YAM upper abdomen after insemination or transfer.

No Perineal Steams and Castor Oil Packs to be used after insemination or transfer.

Do not use Female Tonic during ART.