PCOS Natural ways treatment to help and improve fertility

   I woke up on my bed screaming in pain could barely walk, my husband carried me from the stairs and called the ER. Got checked and he said it might be PID "pelvic inflammatory disease" usually caused by untreated BV. He wasn't for sure but will send me down for ultrasound tests and more intensive scans. Here I was being scanned and the ultrasound lady said to me "Wow you have so many cysts around your ovaries uterus, somehow they got up in your body seems like they got busted and causing you severe inflammation. Also I see you have  a retroverted uterus -  tipped and causes infertility. I'm not saying you can never get pregnant but it does cause infertility in some women."

    That was the worst fear I ever had like my wall was shattered to pieces. I just lost my job, depressed and sad. Now this just made my infertility struggle much worse. It has been 7 years since my diagnosis and I have been blessed with 2 kids. If you are reading this and suffering with PCOS, don't give up, you will conceive and conquer PCOS.

  So what is PCOS? Polycystic(pah-lee-SIS-tik) ovary syndrome (PCOS), also known as polycystic ovarian syndrome, is a common health problem caused by an imbalance of reproductive hormones. The hormonal imbalance creates problems in the ovaries. The ovaries make the egg that is released each month as part of a healthy menstrual cycle. With PCOS, the egg may not develop as it should or it may not be released during ovulation as it should be. Basically your body is producing more testosterone than it should.

Some of the symptoms of PCOS include:

• Irregular menstrual cycle. Women with PCOS may miss periods or have fewer periods (fewer than eight in a year). Or, their periods may come every 21 days or more often. Some women with PCOS stop having menstrual periods.
• Too much hair on the face, chin, or parts of the body where men usually have hair. This is called "hirsutism." Hirsutism affects up to 70% of women with PCOS.
• Acne on the face, chest, and upper back
• Thinning hair or hair loss on the scalp; male-pattern baldness
• Weight gain or difficulty losing weight due to insulin resistance
• Darkening of skin, particularly along neck creases, in the groin, and underneath breasts
• Skin tags, which are small excess flaps of skin in the armpits or neck area 
• . Many women with PCOS report increased fatigue and low energy. Related issues such as poor sleep may contribute to the feeling of fatigue.
• . Having PCOS can increase the likelihood of mood swings, depression, and anxiety.Mood changes
• Sleep problems. Women with PCOS often report problems such as insomnia or poor sleep. There are many factors that can affect sleep, but PCOS has been linked to a sleep disorder called sleep apnea.  With sleep apnea, a person will stop breathing for short periods of time during sleep.
• Headaches. Hormonal changes prompt headaches.
• . Pelvic pain may occur with periods, along with heavy bleeding. It may also occur when a woman isn’t bleeding.Pelvic pain

MEDICAL TREATMENTS:

 Metformin - Although metformin is not approved by the FDA for treatment of PCOS, many doctors prescribe it for PCOS patients. Metformin is a medicine that makes the body more sensitive to insulin. This can help lower elevated blood glucose levels, insulin levels, and androgen levels. People who use metformin may lose some weight as well. Metformin can improve menstrual patterns, but metformin doesn’t help as much for unwanted excess hair.

Many women who are diagnosed with PCOS are often automatically prescribed metformin. However, it's important to have a reason for taking metformin and not be on it just because of a diagnosis of PCOS. Discuss with your doctor the reason why you are taking metformin and whether it is providing a benefit to you.

Clomid -  Clomid (clomiphene citrate or Serophene) is an oral medication that is commonly used for the treatment of infertility. It is often given to try to induce ovulation in women that do not develop and release an egg (ovulate) on their own. Women who do not ovulate (without drugs) are said to have a condition called anovulation. The most common cause of anovulation is PCOS.

Femara - Femara (generic name is letrozole) is an oral drug which can be an effective fertility treatment for women with ovulation problems, or for those with unexplained infertility.
This medication is in a class of drug called aromatase inhibitors. Femara has mainly been used to treat certain cases of breast cancer.

   Femara is a great alternative for those who tried clomid and they did not conceive or unpleasant side effects.  However, Many physicians will not prescribe letrozole because of concerns from a 2005 report from some Canadian fertility doctors suggesting a possible higher incidence of birth defects in pregnancies from using letrozole.

Injectables - Injectable FSH hormone products are often referred to as injectable gonadotropins or "injectables". Fertility patients with PCOS have usually tried treatment with oral medications as a first-line therapy, and if that is not successful, moving on to injections is an option US brand names for injectables include Follistim, Gonal-F, Repronex, Bravelle, and Menopur. However, because of the high risk for multiple births, particularly the risk of triplets and higher, injectables for PCOS is being used less often.

  

Over 90% of women with infertility and PCOS will be able to develop mature follicles and ovulate with injectables

However, the pregnancy success rate is only about 20% per month

Injectables and then sex at the time of ovulation is more fun, but injectables plus IUI

After 3 months have been tried and failed - the success rate with continuing injectables is quite a bit lower.

NATURAL TREATMENTS:

   Upon my diagnosis, I read a book called "The infertility cure; the ancient Chinese wellness program.." I only adapted her diet recommendation and tips but omitted most Chinese things because I focused on meditating bible scriptures on fruitfulness.

1. Stop drinking cows milk! No cheese, yogurts and creams made with cows milk. Yes as soon as I stopped I experienced less bloating and pain during my cycle. I switched to almond milk and coconut milk best decision I ever made. I still take ice cream occasionally though 😊 .

2. Say goodbye to white carbs and switch to whole grains like quinoa, brown rice, teff, spelt etc. I stopped wheat, white rice, starchy foods and started brown rice. I stopped drinking sodas, juices and sugary drinks. Switch to gluten free foods if you can. Eat green veggies, healthy fats like avocados, nuts, organic fruits(1-2  fruit a day or 1 cup of fruit juice a day!) No greasy foods or junk foods and no alcohol. Drink enough water daily spring water.

3. In her book she explained how some women who are always cold need to add warming spices to their foods, drink more soups, teas, cut back on cold foods, stop eating ice and icy drinks. Warming spices include cinnamon, cloves, a little bit of cayenne all which will enable blood to flow freely and encourage ovulation. In Chinese medicine, they use cinnamon bark (the spice) to warm the interior and nourish yang energy, which must be abundant for fertility.

4. STOP TAKING SOY! Yes I stopped anything with soy in it including popular Chinese foods. The truth is most soy in America is not organic and full of gmo.

5. DETOXIFICATION -

     Detoxifying the body is necessary especially to balance the hormones. You detoxify and then increase blood supply to the ovaries with herbs and foods. The top foods for detoxification are - Dandelion, burdock root (find the root in most Asian grocery stores), basil, ginger and cinnamon. Make a soup with healthy veggies and add those items into your soup.

  You can also purchase the detox tea I take here use code SAVE10 to save 10% off. Dandelion tea can also be purchased at target, amazon or vitacost. Start slowly with detox for once  a week to see how your body responds. Then try twice or 3 times a week. And then every day for 5-7 days. Also check with your doctor before starting any detox especially when taking any medication.

6. OMEGA 3 - This made a significant boost. I started eating wild salmon and raw smoked salmon to reduce inflammation in my body.

7. DO NOT EAT RAW VEGGIES - Steam your vegetables and do not eat them raw - all greens, broccoli, cabbage, cauliflower, kale, collards,  mustard greens, carrots, parsnips, rutabaga, turnips, sweet potatoes. Also do not juice them rather lightly steam. Once I started doing that I felt way better.

8. EMOTIONS:  According to TCM, two of the most common organ systems addressed in fertility are the liver and the lungs. The liver is related to anger, frustration, stress, and desire. So, it’s no wonder why one of the most common TCM diagnoses for infertility is Liver Qi stagnation. The lungs are related to sadness, grief, and holding on. How to get the fertility “chi” flowing? Make sure to find time to calm your mind through meditation. I love reading biblical scriptures and positive thinking. So see your PCOS going away and trust God to see you through. Get a massage, take adequate walks, get moving! Learn how to mentally de stress.

9. CHART: Charting your basal body temperature can help you determine when you’re ovulating, whether ovulation occurs on the optimal day and if your body is at a temperature conducive for fertility. They are great apps now such as Kindara, Fertility friend, Natural Cycles and Clue help with charting on your phone to determine ovulation.

10. WOMENS MASSAGE:

You want to massage the lower part of your belly button lightly anti clockwise including the sides. From where you see the tip of her thumb to the lower parts where her fingers are all that area.

Fertility Massage and Menstrual Cycle

The average length of female menstrual cycle is about 28-30 days.
These entire duration can be divided into four phases which are highlighted below:

1. Menstrual phase (From day 1 to 5)
2. Follicular phase (From day 1 to 13)
3. Ovulation phase (Day 14)
4. Luteal phase (From day 15 to 28)

For women Trying to Conceive,   Fertility massage should not be done during the luteal phase. This is to avoid the risk of miscarriage incase implantation occurs immediately after ovulation. 
The best time for a fertility massage is after the menstrual phase till ovulation phase (From day 6 to 14).  
This is because the egg is produced, developed and released during this time, and self fertility massage can help direct regular supply of oxygenated blood and even distribution of hormone towards the reproductive area.
Women who are not trying to conceive but are only preparing their body can engage in self fertility massage anytime during the menstrual cycle EXCEPT during the menstruation.

Femoral Fertility Massage TechniqueThis type of massage increases the blood flow to the pelvic organ providing extra nourishment to the uterus and ovaries
Massage of the femoral artery around the pelvic region is completely natural and is a technique that women can use without any external aid to boost their fertility and handle their menstrual cycles better.


2ND MASSAGE CALLED "FEMORAL"

1. Press down on the area between your thigh and your lower abdomen around your pelvic region with your both thumbs as shown above
2. Cover the area with the tips of the fingers and hold down with fairly heavy pressure to cease the blood flow in 30 – 40 seconds.
3. The pressure increases and forces the blood back into the pelvic region nourishing the organs.
4. Then in Releasing your fingers (pressure) you will feel a warm sensation run down your legs to the extremities.
5. Repeat on the opposite side.
6. Perform the massage three times on each side, twice a day, from when your period finishes and up to ovulation.

12. Meditate on healing & fruitfulness scriptures. Always stay positive and learn to relax mentally!

I hope I provided enough free resources to defeat PCOS. Feel free to leave a comment below and send me a message.

DEALING WITH EMOTIONS

I know it's been a while I wrote but I felt the need to address the issue of forgiveness and why not forgiving can create a hindrance within ourselves. Choosing to forgive daily does come with a price tag - of getting over hurt, grief, pain and imbalance.  We as humans tend to over up our emotions and push it to the side, while in reality it breaks out spirit within.

Proverbs 17:22 "A merry heart improves the body and a depressed spirit dries the bones.."

Unforgiveness can cause depression and break your spirit. When emotions are blocked they will vibrate to a corresponding organ system. it is important to remember that it is normal to experience the full range of emotions. It is only when a particular emotion is experienced over a prolonged period or with particular intensity that it becomes a source of imbalance. Depression can stem from anger, rage, bitterness, sadness, not feeling loved/wanted. In a more long-term view, suppressed anger or frustration often causes liver qi to become stagnant; this might result in depression or menstrual disorders. Too much thinking or obsessing about a topic can also deplete the spleen, causing a stagnation of its qi. Sadness or grief affects the lungs, producing fatigue, shortness of breath, crying, or depression. A person with this condition may exhibit such symptoms as poor appetite, forgetting to eat, and bloating after eating. A person who worries too much "carries the weight of the world on his/her shoulders,"

When the Qi/Emotions and blood are blocked and not flowing smoothly symptoms such as endometriosis, blocked tubes, blood clots, premenstrual cramping and pain, and irregular menses can occur. The Liver is important in reproduction largely because of its role in menstruation. During the premenstrual period the Liver shifts the Blood flow from other body parts to the Uterus. Right before menstruation, when the Liver is busy directing the body to menstruate, it has a tendency to neglect its other functions of keeping the Qi and emotions flowing smoothly. As a result, the emotions are no longer able to flow freely, and depression, anger, sadness, weepiness, or any combination is experienced. There may be headaches, breast pain, cramps, and a wide variety of other physical and emotional symptoms. Blockage in the Liver system is a most eloquent description of why pre-menstrual tension and its associated symptoms occur. At this time any Liver obstruction will cause Qi and blood to "back up" or stagnate. If the channels remain blocked, the flow of energy to the Uterus will be impeded, and then the menses are associated with pain and cramping. When diagnosing patterns that are preventing conception, it is absolutely essential to assess where there are blockages in the Liver and Gallbladder.
         When the Liver system is not functioning smoothly, the hormonal system is not either. The Uterus itself can become a toxic environment, hostile to implantation. Excess estrogen is not metabolized effectively and can build up, because it is the liver that metabolizes hormones. (It doesn't help that there is a preponderance of synthetic estrogen in our diet, and even in the products we apply to our skin.) Estrogen dominance is implicated in conditions like endometriosis, fibroids, polycystic ovarian syndrome, and cancer. Most women with these diseases are diagnosed with an element of Liver  stagnation.

      During my 4 year wait  of wanting to get pregnant, God began to bring to the surface about forgiveness and letting go. I was sad depressed and cried out to him, then he began to remind me of my unforgiveness. I had been through so much hurt, sadness and pain from the past that I just covered up those feelings without really letting go. I literally broke down in tears and truly forgave the parties. As I began to forgive, I free and finally got a positive pregnancy test but then miscarried. However, since Ihad spent months on forgiving, I refused to allow the loss make me bitter/stop the flow.  Forgiveness is not an easy task and it will never be. You might say hey how do I forgive,where do I start; I have been through rape, abuse, messy divorce, hurtful things said, humiliation and betrayal. Most times we think it would go away but it never really does, you can pretend all is well but it never really is. In many cases of abuse, we can see that depression is merely a cover-up for suppressed anger and guilt. When we are depressed, we dwell on negative thoughts about ourselves or our perpetrators. In turn, those negative thoughts cause further depression. It becomes a downward spiral which we often feel is uncontrollable.
               People who have been emotionally abused usually suffer from depression and anxiety long after they end unhealthy relationships. Many researchers believe that depression and anxiety surface as a result of suppressed anger toward our abusers. From a clinical perspective, depression often occurs when the brain cannot hold onto serotonin, the feel-good chemical that our bodies naturally produce. Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) are drugs that were designed to block this 'leaking' of serotonin from our brains. From an internal perspective, depression is a turning away from the outside world and closing down to everything other than self. I've suffered from depression, and I know how it feels to be so emotionally isolated that nothing seems worth doing anymore. There have been times when I didn't want to eat, sleep, play, or even breathe anymore. I saw myself as a worthless creature, taking up space on a planet where I had become obsolete.
   First step is to start now - Are they any unresolved emotions that you haven't dealt with and placed on the back burner? Is there something from your past that still fuels that anger or depression? Most times we get thoughts/flashbacks and then a sudden rush of emotions. If you do feel anger, resentment, sadness or depressed then you really haven't gotten over it.

1. Deal with unresolved anger, sadness or whatever issues from the past by writing down what it could be. And then ask yourself why you are still feeling such way.
2. Find someone who you trust to talk about the situation - this is crucial because talking about it actually now opens the door to forgiveness meaning if you can talk about it then you can certainly let go of it.
3. Tell God you forgive, ask him to forgive you of harboring such & help you be whole. If you are a believer ask God to show you any unresolved issues, give you the grace to forgive and heal the hurt/pain/grief.
4. If you can talk with who caused such grief & let them know it did cause you pain but you choose to forgive them and move on. This was a very hard step for me but I chose to do it anyways because this would also cause them to reflect on their action & hopefully choose  to act better.
5. Never allow your mind dwell on the hurt anymore, thoughts or flashbacks will happen but the key is refusing to dwell on that emotion and think positive. Act positive, live positive and force yourself to be positive. "I have forgiven them, God has forgiven me and I have moved on."  Say that to yourself anytime your ind tries to play tricks on you.
6. At least twice a week, find ways to destress -  getting a massage, taking a bath, meditating on positive words & scriptures, praying, listening to worship music, talking walks.
7. Live a healthy life - avoiding sugary foods/drinks, refined carbohydrates, refined or junk foods, practice a habit of juicing  especially carrots, beets and apple(carrots are great for detoxifying the liver), Eating small, easily digestible meals - sitting down, chewing thorough, Avoid too much cold foods, drink water - not with meals, Eat frequent, small meals. This keeps the blood sugar levels more stable and inhibits adrenaline release. Use spices that move the flow , like peppermint, rosemary, spearmint, turmeric, and thyme. Most times avoiding drinking milk also helps not necessarily though. Do not overeat. Try to avoid heavy, hard to digest foods like nuts, peanut butter, butter, animal fats, too much meat, and too much bread. Avoid foods with preservatives or chemicals.
8. Avoid harboring anger and resentment. Feelings of frustration and internal emotional tension need to be resolved as soon as possible, as any stagnated emotion can inhibit the Qi mechanism.
9. Laugh often. Watch comedies or funny movies to release any stuck internal feelings.
10. Avoid food with GMOs especially soy foods, I realized I was had too much estrogen & made sure to avoid estrogen foods. And also avoid chemicals like bleach or cleaning products with fumes. 
11. Do light massages with your fingers below the navel- Only for women* this will help improve blood flow and help with any stagnation/blockage. This is also important for anyone that has had surgery as those adhesion's can cause stagnation. 

    And the truth of  the matter is you will always have someone who will try to hurt you emotionally or do things to make you sad. It's part of life and living above anger/sadness/depression/hurt/grief shows maturity.It's most times those that are close to us that say hurtful things but CHOOSE to FORGIVE.