From the May/June2005 issue of the Washington Metropolitan Area Resolve Newsletter  

There had to be an alternative….  

This was the thought that continually ran through my head in 1992 – that there had to be an alternative approach to our unexplained infertility, something other than IUI cycles with Clomid or injectible drugs or variations of IVF. I couldn’t believe these were the only options!

We had been through over twenty IUI cycles because that was what was covered by our insurance. Unwilling to give up and unable to move forward with IVF due to financial constraints, we persisted in this state of limbo, with no definitive answers and no effective solution.

The impact of this situation on my life was devastating. I was frustrated, angry and depressed - I felt like I was drowning under a mountain of grief. Through the many years I had spent in pursuit of pregnancy, it was as if a part of me had died. I didn’t feel like the same person anymore. The fear that I would never conceive ate away at me. I was frequently sick with viruses and infections, a sign that stress was negatively impacting my health.

While my reproductive endocrinologist was compassionate and caring, I was frustrated with treatment options that focused narrowly on my physical reproductive organs and endocrine system, as if they functioned independently from the rest of my body. I longed for an approach that was holistic, that addressed me as a whole person, physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually (PEMS). Infertility impacts all PEMS levels, so it seemed reasonable to me that interventions help address all PEMS levels. At the time, I was seeing a body-mind psychotherapist, which helped tremendously with the depression and with working through my issues. But this wasn’t fully addressing the impact of infertility and its treatment on me, so my psychotherapist referred me to a healer.

And so began my odyssey of complementary and alternative medicine ( CAM ) exploration. For the next two years, I took a break from conventional infertility treatment and embarked on a journey of systematically trying every alternative modality I could find. Because alternative therapies are so individualized, and each person’s response is unique, I decided to research by personally experimenting with each therapy and by taking workshops in various manual healing methods, including CranioSacral therapy (CST) and energy healing.

A Life Changed…  

During this time of CAM exploration, I gradually began to feel better in ways I couldn’t have imagined. Seemingly unrelated health issues became resolved, and the frequency of my chronic infectious illnesses declined remarkably. I felt like I had found that part of myself that had died and became a happy person again.

After my experience with CAM , I was no longer afraid that I would never conceive. I felt I could accept whatever direction our infertility journey eventually took. I had never felt such peace and connection. I had recovered the balance I had lost, and felt invigorated and whole. I don’t think many people feel this way after years of unsuccessful conventional infertility treatment!

Unfortunately, as balanced and peaceful as I felt, I still was not pregnant. Then, a miracle happened. Health insurance through my employer began covering IVF. I knew that carriers were dropping infertility coverage, or severely limiting coverage, but I had never heard of a health insurance company actually expanding coverage to include IVF. I was shocked. Now that I was finally able to move on to IVF with this expanded insurance coverage, I went back to my original reproductive endocrinologist for treatment. But this time it was different.

IVF cycles are incredibly stressful, and I won’t say they were easy for me. The difference between going through a cycle of infertility treatment with CAM and one without was like night and day. It wasn’t easy fitting in visits to my therapists during an IVF cycle, but these visits were crucial for my self-care and reducing my stress level. Though the cycles were like riding a roller-coaster, I now had the tools to regain my balance. And through this combination of high-tech infertility treatment and CAM , I achieved what I longed for – a holistic approach to our infertility and ultimately the completion of our family with our long-awaited baby, Jacob.

My infertility experience was the most painful and difficult challenge I have ever been through, but it was the catalyst to heal all of me. The effect on my life of using CAM has truly been transformational. Through my experience, I have learned many valuable life lessons that serve me well to this day. My infertility experience was also the catalyst to awaken the healer within me. I changed my career path from hospital nurse to holistic nurse-healer so that I could help others help themselves.

What is CAM?

CAM includes such diverse therapies as nutritional therapy, herbal therapy, mind-body psychotherapy, alternative medical systems and manual healing therapies. There is a common misconception that therapies that are hands-on are a form of massage therapy. In reality there are over 100 different systems of manual healing, and only a handful of them are massage therapy.

These therapies are grounded in the scientific theories of Einstein and of Quantum Physics. Einstein discovered that previous laws of Physics no longer apply on the incredibly small scale. What scientists are now discovering is that our world is not made up of solid objects composed of basic building blocks of matter. Rather, our universe is better defined as an interconnected web, dynamic and flowing, where the observer’s thoughts directly impact physical reality.  

What are the Energetic Effects of Infertility?

Infertility can be a body-alienating, numbing experience. Conventional infertility treatment can also be painful. Individuals can respond to their infertility trauma by disconnecting from their emotions and body and functioning primarily at the mental level. This mental state represents an imbalance in PEMS levels. Each month that pregnancy does not occur can bring on a grief reaction. The results of cumulative grief and body-disconnection are a contracted energy field, closed chakras and restrictions in the CS system, all of which negatively impact health.

What is CranioSacral Therapy?

CranioSacral therapy (CST) is a gentle method of detection and correction of the craniosacral (CS) system, which consists of the membranes and cerebrospinal fluid that surround and protect the brain and spinal cord. In the brain, the ventricles pump cerebrospinal fluid throughout the system in a rhythm that can be quantified and qualified, and felt with the hands of the therapist at any place on the body. Light touch, no greater than the weight of a nickel, is used to detect and correct imbalances and restrictions, without engaging the natural defensive reaction of the muscles. CST utilizes the body’s natural self-corrective activities and restores normal function of the CS system. A properly functioning CS system is vital to health and linked to the functioning of other body systems. CST can improve overall health, release trauma and reduce stress.

CST can release physical and emotional trauma from infertility and its treatment through a technique called SomatoEmotional Release (SER). Trauma that is unable to dissipate and heal normally can become compacted into a localized “energy cyst.” The energy required to contain this trauma in the body can be exhausting. Energy cysts can be released through “unwinding” the tension pattern in that area. This unwinding can be experienced as a physical and emotional release.

What is Energy Healing?

Another category of manual healing includes those therapies based on energetic principles for restoring balance and harmony to the individual. These techniques work with the human energy field and the chakras, a Sanskrit word meaning “wheel” or energy center.

Energy healing is derived from the ancient laying on of hands. The energy field, or subtle body, surrounds and permeates the physical body and is the essence of life. This dynamic energy field connects us to everyone and everything around us. Using light touch, the hands of the therapist are used to detect and remove blocks and restrictions, and improve the flow and integration by re-patterning the field into a more balanced state. After a session, the field may shift back into the previous pattern, but eventually, the re-patterning can begin to hold. In this balanced state, the body’s own natural movement toward health is restored. Benefits are cumulative and the work deepens with each session.

In addition to the layers of the energy field, the subtle body includes the chakras. Energy flows in and out of the aura through these spinning, funnel-shaped energy centers. In addition to seven major chakras, there are many minor chakras located throughout the body, such as in the joints. The goal of a healing session is for the chakras to each be spinning and connected to the other chakras and the energy field. If they are not, different techniques can be used to correct the imbalance or clear the blockage.

What Happens During A Manual Healing Session?

 CST and energy healing sessions are deeply relaxing and gentle. Many individuals reach a state of relaxation that they have never experienced in their daily lives. Once they experience this relaxation response during a session, they understand on a body level the goal of relaxation techniques. Any number of sensations can be felt during a session of CST or energy healing. The client may experience subtle sensations or change on any PEMS level, either immediately or possibly hours or even days later. These sensations can include heat, cold, movement and vibrations. Breathing deepens, chakras open up, energy flows and the CS rhythm is amplified. The individual may experience visual images, recovered memories, a sense of greater self-awareness or a connection to a higher power. Tension, emotion and grief can be released. Stress and anxiety are reduced and sense of well-being enhanced. PEMS levels are brought back into balance.

CST and energy healing are tailored to an individual’s personal patterns of restriction and individual reaction to their infertility experience. Two individuals given the same medical diagnosis by a physician can present with completely different patterns of energetic restriction, and different degrees of impact on PEMS levels.

What are the Benefits of CST and Energy Healing?

 For an individual experiencing difficulties conceiving, the benefits of therapies like CST and energy healing are numerous. These therapies provide alternative and holistic help no matter where a person is on the path to parenthood. At the very least, these therapies help people learn about self-care practices and ways to improve their health. These therapies can also put one in a better position to handle the rigors of infertility and conventional treatment, or to heal from their infertility experience and pursue adoption or third-party reproductive assistance, or consider the childfree option. At the very best, being in a balanced state could help in clearing energetic barriers to pregnancy and enhancing the effectiveness of conventional treatment, or help one find peace in whatever they choose.

Heidi DuPree, RN is a holistic nurse-healer in practice in Ashburn , Virginia , and a Resolve volunteer. The information in this article is for educational purpose and not intended as a substitute for medical advice and treatment.

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