by Alex Phillips | Nov 16, 2023 | Fertility
The posterior uterus and fertility Is a retroverted uterus stopping you from getting and staying pregnant? The female body is truly amazing. When your uterus is positioned optimally in the centre of your pelvis, it allows for pain free periods and ovulation, easy peeing and pooping, pregnancy when you want to expand your family and no less important: a well balanced and centred feeling. Unfortunately, things don’t always go as we planned and it could be that your uterus is posterior – sitting closer to the back of your body than the front. When your uterus leans back towards your spine, it can interfere with peeing and pooping, cause lower back pain, digestive issues and period related issues like pain, recurrent miscarriages, difficulty conceiving and more. For many women, their main concern is the effect of a posterior uterus on their ability to get pregnant and carry their baby to full term. Here are some of the fertility problems that are attributed to a posterior or retroverted uterus. Painful periods Painful ovulation Irregular menstrual cycles Dark, clotty and/or smelly menstrual blood Hormone imbalances Low back pain during menstruation Constipation before or during your period Endometriosis Ovarian cysts/polyps Fertility challenges Miscarriage(s) Unexplained pelvic pain Do all women with a posterior uterus suffer from these issues? Many women have a posterior or retroverted uterus without even knowing and for many of them it’s not a problem at all. However, if you suffer from any of the symptoms of a posterior uterus then the important thing to know is that it is possible to treat it. My experience has been that women are often told they have a posterior uterus when they are investigating fertility issues yet no solution or treatment is suggested. I only learnt about the profound impact the posterior or retroverted uterus can have on a woman’s fertility, health and wellbeing when I began my studies with Rosita Arvigo and her teachers. Rosita studied for many years with the well known shaman Don Elijio Panti in Belize and combined his healing practices with her knowledge of anatomy and physiology from the world of naprapathy (an offshoot of osteopathy). How does a posterior uterus cause fertility issues? Ovulation issues: When your uterus is leaning way back in your pelvis, it could be affecting the blood supply to the uterus and ovaries. In simple terms that can impact on your ability to ovulate or produce good quality eggs because of the reduced blood supply to the ovaries. Miscarriage: Sometimes, ovulation may be unaffected and you get pregnant easily but the uterine position prevents the pregnancy from progressing once the foetus reaches a certain size. Painful periods and ovulation: Periods and ovulation can be painful, too and while that doesn’t mean you can’t conceive, it generally indicates there is some kind of imbalance. Hormonal balance: Hormonal balance is essential for healthy conception. There is an intricately timed orchestra of hormones rising and falling all month long making sure an egg is produced and ripened for ovulation and that your uterine lining is thickened and prepared for a potential pregnancy. Hormones are transported around the body via your blood. If the reproductive hormones released by your endocrine system can’t transport the hormones to where they need to go, it can stop any of those processes from happening. Some signs of hormonal imbalance are irregular cycles and painful or unpleasant physical and emotional changes throughout the menstrual cycle. How can we treat a posterior uterus? Firstly, it can help to know that it’s possible to encourage the uterus back to a better position and relieve many, if not all of the related symptoms because the underlying issue is the adhesions and lack of good flow in the abdomen. Using abdominal massage, we can improve the blood flow to the area allowing the body to release waste products and improve function of all the organs in the pelvis. When the uterus and fallopian tubes can move more freely we usually see an improvement in overall fertility, improved egg quality, less painful periods and less back pain. Sobada abdominal massage also helps relax the diaphragm in order to improve the blood flow to the abdomen and allow the hormones to get to the organs they need to get to. One of the causes of a posterior uterus is scar tissue or adhesions on the ligaments holding the uterus in your pelvis. By gently relaxing the scar tissue and making the tissue and adhesions more flexible, your uterus is more likely to move to a better position. In general, improving blood flow to the area improves the flexibility of the uterine ligaments and allows the uterus more mobility. I’m a holistic therapist and I am here to help you! I love helping women to overcome their fertility challenges and other issues related to your cycles, pregnancy, periods and/or anxiety. I treat women with abdominal and womb...
by Alex Phillips | Nov 15, 2023 | Pregnancy
Closing the bones ceremony The experience of pregnancy and birth is one that changes a woman forever. What better way to mark the intense emotional and physical changes than a ceremony that helps calm and ground you and reestablish a sense of self. What is the Closing the Bones ceremony? After a short ceremonial washing of your feet and hands with scented water, you will lie on a massage table and be wrapped in approximately 7 rebozos (traditional mexican scarfs that are used for everything from repositioning the uterus during birth, baby-wearing and ceremonies such as Closing the Bones). The wrapping of the rebozo scarves help contain you and assist the process of change. What are the benefits of the Closing the Bones ceremony? Physically, a woman’s pelvis opens and changes during pregnancy and birth and the ceremony supports the process of the pelvic bones reforming after the birth. Realigning the pelvis after birth helps promote pelvic stability and the long term health of your pelvic floor, fertility, urinary and digestive health. However, it’s a lot more than a physical process. The Closing the Bones ceremony allows a safe and supportive place to release emotions associated with giving birth and motherhood (and other transitions and life cycle events). It can help you find closure around your birth story and help you find your center again while giving you confidence in your newly changed body and your new role as a mother. When should you do the Closing the Bones ceremony? The earliest I suggest is a few weeks after birth when your bleeding has stopped. However, many women find that a little early and wait several months until they feel like they are out of the intense newborn phase. My last birth is a distant memory, can I still participate in the Closing the Bones ceremony? The ceremony can be profound and powerful even if you are several years after a birth. I first experienced the Closing the Bones ceremony about six years after the birth of my youngest child and the experience was extremely profound and an experience I won’t forget. Other times the Closing the Bones ceremony can be suitable: Birth is essentially a transitional experience when a woman becomes a mother yet there are other experiences in life when we feel that we transition and are reborn and the Closing the Bones ceremony can be a beautiful way of honouring your experience and setting the intention to move to a different place. Closing the Bones ceremony can be useful at other major transitions or periods of growth in life like menopause, after ending a significant relationship or job, moving to a new city or country, a significant birthday, after an accident, trauma or illness or if you have a scattered feeling and want to feel more grounded. “Birth” can also be about creativity and creating something other than a new baby. This ceremony is deeply healing after a miscarriage, the loss of a baby, a hysterectomy, or where fertility problems present themselves. The hips and pelvis are areas of the body that hold trauma and unresolved emotions especially connected to the sacral chakra and our creative energy. The Closing the Bones ceremony helps release the unwanted energy stored in this area while preparing you for moving into a new situation physically or figuratively. Where did the Closing the Bones ceremony originate? The ceremony originated in Mexico and the original intention was about helping a woman after birth ground and stabilise herself. It is well known as a Mexican postpartum ritual amongst traditional midwives in the area. Similar ceremonies exist in other traditional cultures, too. What is a Rebozo – traditional Mexican scarf? The rebozo is a traditional Mexican shawl or scarf that is used to: keep warm carry things support the pelvis and belly during pregnancy encourage good positioning during birth carry and rock babies In recent years, the practice of using a rebozo during pregnancy and birth has become more well known as birthworks spread the skills learnt from traditional Mexican midwives. How long does it take? I like to allow an hour and a half for the ceremony. This allows time for a conversation before beginning the ceremony, plenty of time for you to experience being wrapped in the rebozos during the ceremony and time to slowly come back to earth after the experience. What should I wear for the closing the bones Ceremony? Where loose comfortable clothing preferably without buckles, zips and belts. I’m a holistic therapist and I am here to help you! I love helping women to overcome their fertility challenges and other issues related to your cycles, pregnancy, periods and/or anxiety. I treat women with abdominal and womb massage techniques known as Sobada (formally the Arvigo Techniques of Maya Abdominal Massage) and reflexology. I’m also an Advanced EFT Tapping practitioner and I work with women in particular issues around anxiety, depression, stress levels. I teach Fertility...
by Alex Phillips | Nov 15, 2023 | Fertility
Womb Massage and your fertility Womb massage is a relaxing, nourishing, non-invasive and highly effective set of massage techniques that is performed on your abdomen and back. After a brief chat about your medical history, I begin the treatment with a gentle massage over the abdominal area of the reproductive and digestive systems to encourage hormonal balance, improve your digestion and promote an overall feeling of wellbeing. This unique type of massage will help you to connect with your heart and the womb and although it is often used to improve fertility and menstrual cycles it is therapeutic and enjoyable at any stage of your life journey. Womb massage is a gentle but deeply moving therapy that can enhance natural conception success, for IVF and ART preparation as well as support any gynaecological concerns you might have like painful periods, irregular periods, heavy periods, the absence of your period, PMS, lower back pain, endometriosis, adenomyosis, painful intercourse, ovarian cysts and vaginitis. Why is womb massage so much more than a regular massage? I hope that every woman will experience a womb massage at least once in her life. Most regular massage therapists avoid the abdominal area and I have to admit I also did this before learning these powerful techniques. The abdominal area is a place where we store many of our emotions and experiences. When difficult, negative or stressful feelings are not processed, we can hold that experience as tension in our abdomen leading to a blockage of the free flow of blood and other fluids around the area. As a result this affects the organs in our abdomen – mainly related to digestion and fertility. So while I am a huge fan of regular full body massage, I’ve come to appreciate the added benefit of abdominal massage especially if you’re trying to get pregnant. When the organs in your belly are functioning at their best, you’ll feel more energy and vitality. 10 benefits of Womb massage for your fertility Increases circulation and promotes blood flow to the uterus – when you’re trying to conceive, much of the focus is on your womb. It needs to allow implantation of the embryo and grow and support the growing baby during pregnancy. Hormonal Balance – By gently working on the abdomen, the massage releases oxytocin, balances hormone levels and regulates your cycle. Prepares the body for conception – the massage increases blood flow to the uterus and ovaries which supports egg production and healthy ovulation Regulates the menstrual cycle – a healthy cycle should involve pain free ovulation and menstruation on a regular basis. Womb massage helps regulate your cycle by balancing your hormones, releasing tension in your diaphragm and reducing pain. Reduces period pain – womb massage helps to reduce painful periods by helping reposition your uterus to an optimal healthy position, relaxes the uterus which reduces uterine spasms that may be causing period cramps as well as supporting the entire menstrual cycle. Massaging your belly increases heat in the area which is well known as a way to reduce menstrual pain Reduce scar tissue – womb massage helps to break up scar tissue and adhesions from pelvic injuries, Caesarean sections or other abdominal surgery. The removal of adhesions is also effective in treating blocked fallopian tubes as well as for endometriosis and adenomyosis. Move stagnation in the abdomen – if you’ve ever felt heavy and sluggish you’ll love the feeling of lightness and flow after a womb massage. This wonderful relaxing massage helps improve blood circulation and flow to the womb area and all the surrounding organs: the liver, spleen, intestine and bowels. This means improved digestive and elimination of waste products which leaves you feeling lighter and less bloated. Reduces stress level – stress affects us on so many levels. Massage is well known as a therapy that lowers stress and improves your mood. Abdominal massage also relieves stress and tension in your digestive tract to improve digestion and enhance feelings of wellbeing Improve your immune system: Abdominal massage works on the digestive system and gut health which in turn strengthens your immune system and ability to protect yourself and recover from illness. Cleanses the uterus – unfortunately, the uterine lining is not always fully released during your period and the old blood can collect over time causing spotting before and after your period and other issues. Rosita Arvigo always says “ We would never put a baby in a dirty crib” and in the same way, we want to use womb massage to encourage the cleaning out of the uterus during your next period so it can build a healthy new uterine lining in order to welcome an embryo. Womb massage and fertility treatments Regular womb massage is a highly beneficial complementary therapy to the IVF process. While you are trying to conceive and preparing your body for conception or undergoing IVF, I can support you...
by Alex Phillips | Nov 14, 2023 | Fertility
Castor oil packs for healing after a caesarian section You may be recovering from a caesarean birth and not thinking about more than just healing from the surgery and looking after your newborn baby. However, there are several complications from caesarean birth that can be avoided if treated early on. Possible complications from caesarean birth: Pain and discomfort around the incision Fertility issues Placenta may attach to the uterine scar in a future pregnancy and cause complications Higher risk of miscarriage in future pregnancies The most likely cause of these complications is scarring and adhesions. Since adhesions affect most people who have had abdominal surgery it makes sense to take preventative steps to avoid problems and discomfort in the future. It’s important to note that the external physical appearance of the scar doesn’t give any indication to the level of scarring or adhesions internally. What are adhesions and scar tissue? Adhesions are thin sheets of scar tissue that join two pieces of tissue that normally would not be joined. Adhesions can attach to other tissue and organs in the lower abdomen, including the bladder, intestines, bowel or anywhere in the pelvic bowl causing pain, urinary or bowel dysfunction, fertility challenges, and other disorders in the pelvic floor. In addition to Sobada abdominal massage based on the work of Rosita Arvigo and traditionally called Maya Abdominal massage or womb massage, castor oil packs are a great way of treating scarring and adhesions and preventing future complications. Why use a castor oil pack? Castor Oil helps to: breaks down scar tissue and adhesions reduces pain and inflammation encourages the growth of new tissue assists with digestive and reproductive health issues stimulates the lymphatic system to activate the immune system and flush excess fluids out of the body supports the liver and gallbladder in your body’s detoxification process How often do you need to use castor oil packs? You will get the best results from using castor oil packs regularly as their impact is cumulative. Two months of use several times per week can have an enormous impact and although it’s a commitment to do it, it’s well worth it. You can feel the healing effects of castor oil packs after the first time you do it but the benefits will accrue over time. How does castor oil heal scar tissue and dissolve adhesions naturally? The fatty acids in castor oil are deeply moisturising to the skin. They help to soften adhesions and allow new skin cells to regenerate. Castor has been used for centuries in traditional medicine as it improves the flow of lymph in the body. Lymph is responsible for removing pathogens and waste products from the body. Your body’s immune system is activated which leads to healing. How soon after a caesarean can you use castor oil packs? Ideally you want to wait 6 weeks after a caesarean surgery and to make sure the scar is fully healed before starting castor oil packs. Note: If you’re breastfeeding, watch your baby carefully to check your castor oil packs don’t affect his/her bowel movements. If you think it’s affecting your baby then stop the castor oil packs until your baby is older and then you can try again. What else can help prevent issues after a caesarean birth? Abdominal massage is one of the best ways I know to nurture yourself after pregnancy and birth but especially caesarean birth. As well as treating my clients with Sobada abdominal massage, I teach my clients how to massage their own bellies at home to continue to receive the many benefits of abdominal massage. The massage helps to break down scar tissue and adhesions and improve blood flow to the area which supports healing. You can learn the self care massage techniques in a private treatment with me or in a group class. You can find all the details on how to use a castor oil pack here. I’m a holistic therapist and I am here to help you! I love helping women to overcome their fertility challenges and other issues related to your cycles, pregnancy, periods and/or anxiety. I treat women with abdominal and womb massage techniques known as Sobada (formally the Arvigo Techniques of Maya Abdominal Massage) and reflexology. I’m also an Advanced EFT Tapping practitioner and I work with women in particular issues around anxiety, depression, stress levels. I teach Fertility Awareness to help women better know their bodies and improve their chances of conceiving or prevent pregnancy naturally. I live in Modi’in, Israel and that’s where I spend my days helping women during their fertile years, pregnancy, menopause and other hormonal conditions. Bodywork sessions (massage and reflexology take place in my clinic in Modi’in but EFT Tapping sessions and Fertility Awareness education can take place online or in person). Learn more about working with me here. Send me a WhatsApp message...
by Alex Phillips | Nov 14, 2023 | Fertility
Tempdrop review Fertility Awareness is an amazing tool for learning more about your fertility and your cycles. However, anyone who has been practising it will tell you that taking your temperature every day first thing in the morning and after at least three hours of continuous sleep can be a challenge. Throw in a baby or child who still wakes at night or the need to go to the toilet during the night and a challenge becomes a huge obstacle to overcome. Never fear, you are not alone in facing this challenge and an Israeli company has developed a solution. Tempdrop is an armband with a thermometer that you wear on your upper arm while you sleep that measures your temperature throughout the night, learns your sleep patterns and determines your waking temperature using an algorithm. How does tempdrop work? In practice, you place it on your upper arm before you go to sleep and then in the morning or anytime in the next three days you sync it with your phone. Iphone and android phones are supported and the app stores three days worth of temperatures. Essentially, Tempdrop replaces the traditional method of basal body temping and really reduces a lot of the stress out of cycle charting. Advantages of using Tempdrop: Relax about taking your waking temperature: the biggest advantage to using tempdrop is not having to think about taking your temperature first thing in the morning. Getting an accurate temperature first thing when you wake up means you can’t move, talk or fall back asleep while you stick a thermometer in your mouth and for many it’s not easy. Especially if your baby or child wakes you up, you either get up for them or miss taking your temperature accurately. Uninterrupted sleep: Even if you don’t get three hours continuous sleep during the night, you can get an accurate waking temperature. This is key if you’re the type who needs to get up to the toilet or children during the night. Tempdrop is also a good solution for shift workers who have unreliable sleep patterns No need to wake at the same time: Reduces the importance of having to wake up at the same time every day in order to get an accurate waking temperature Fits all sizes: The Armband is now available in a larger size as well as the standard size and both armbands are adjustable and fit a range of sizes within their category. Long Lasting: while some tech solutions stop working or become obsolete within a year or two, I’ve had my tempdrop for four years and it’s still going strong. Although there have been developments and improvements along the way, the main one is not with the sensor but with the algorithm and the way your data is used. Use any Fertility Awareness App of your choice: Although Tempdrop now has an app that allows you to track all the signs associated with Fertility Awareness for an additional monthly fee in order to determine your fertile window, you don’t have to use the App. Personally, I sync my data to the Tempdrop app and then I pull the data in with the click of a button in the Read your Body app (my choice for tracking Fertility Awareness). The integration with Read your body is very convenient and I like determining my own fertile window based on the data rather than relying on an app. Note: I am only talking about using the Tempdrop wearable device and not the accuracy of the Tempdrop app for tracking Fertility Awareness in particular for avoiding pregnancy. I recommend you learn FAM and use Tempdrop to determine your waking temperature and make your own calculations on a paper chart or in the app of your choice rather than relying on the Tempdrop app or any other app to tell you when you are fertile or not. Disadvantages of the Tempdrop Maximum three days data storage: You need to sync your data within three days otherwise you’ll lose it. Three days of data is the maximum the device can store. Armband issues: There were issues with the armband initially but the company has worked to fix those issues and now the small holder in the arm band that holds the device is much stronger and less likely to break and there are different armband options and two different size options. Getting used to wearing the Tempdrop device: It can take a little time to get used to sleeping with the armband. Personally it didn’t take me long at all and I don’t find it intrusive at all but I have heard from some others that it can be annoying. Price: It’s not cheap (current full price is US$215 but there is a 15% discount which reduces the price to US$179) especially if you compare it to the price of a regular basal body thermometer but I have had mine for several years so the cost per day is minimal at this stage. If you plan on using Fertility Awareness to achieve or avoid pregnancy it’s worth the investment especially since it lasts for many years and is so convenient. At this point it would be VERY challenging for me to go back to using a regular thermometer. Overall, I highly recommend Tempdrop for taking your waking...
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