Full Latin name: Sepia officinalis.
Source: cuttlefish ink.
If uterus problems accompany infertility:
Aurum muriaticum 6c: Use this remedy if your uterus feels swollen and painful, or if you feel spasms or contractions in your vagina. Take one dose four times daily for up to three weeks.
Full Latin name: Aurum muriaticum.
Source: gold chloride.
Calcarea iodata 6c: Use this remedy if you have had small fibroids accompanied by yellowish vaginal discharge. Take one dose four times daily for up to three weeks.
Full Latin name: Calcarea iodata.
Source: calcium iodide.
Fraxinus 6c: Use this remedy if you have painful cramps during your periods and thin, brown discharge from your vagina between periods. Take one dose four times daily for up to three weeks.
Full Latin name: Fraxinus americanus.
Source: white ash (bark).
Kali iodatum 6c: Use this remedy if you experience uterine cramping or squeezing during periods. Take one dose four times daily for up to three weeks.
Full Latin name: Kali iodatum.
Source: potassium iodide.
Silicea 6c: Use this remedy if you tend to have heavy menstrual flow and spotting between periods. Take one dose four times daily for up to three weeks.
Full Latin name: Silicea terra.
Source: flint.
HIS
Agnus 30c: Use this remedy if you cannot achieve and maintain an erection, or if you experience an overall lack of energy. Take one dose every twelve hours for up to one week.
Full Latin name: Agnus castus.
Source: chaste-tree (ripe berries).
Conium 30c: Use this remedy if you cannot achieve and maintain an erection and you experience cramping and coldness in your legs. Take one dose every twelve hours for up to one week.
Full Latin name: Conium maculatum.
Source: hemlock (fresh plant when in flower).
Graphites 30c: Use this remedy if you have lost interest in sex, if you experience premature ejaculation, or if you cannot achieve ejaculation. Take one dose every twelve hours for up to five days.
Full Latin name: Graphites.
Source: black lead from finest drawing pencils.
Lycopodium 30c: Use this remedy if you have a strong desire for sex, but the experience is thwarted by insecurity and anxiety about failure. Take one dose every twelve hours for up to one week.
Full Latin name: Lycopodium clavatum.
Source: wolf’s claw club moss (spores).
Nitric acidum 30c: Use this remedy if you have little or no interest in sex; you may also feel irritable, self-castigating, and very sensitive to criticism. Take one dose every twelve hours for up to five days.
Full Latin name: Nitricum acidum.
Source: Nitric acid.
Nux 30c: Use this remedy if you experience ejaculation problems; you may also feel short-tempered and impatient. Take one dose every twelve hours for up to one week.
Full Latin name: Strychnos nux vomica.
Source: poison nut tree (seeds).
Phosphoric acidum 30c: Use this remedy if you have little or no interest in sex. Take one dose every twelve hours for up to five days.
Full Latin name: Phosphoricum acidum.
Source: phosphoric acid.
Sepia 30c: Use this remedy if you have no interest in sex and feel a “dragging” sensation in your genitals. Take one dose every twelve hours for up to one week.
Full Latin name: Sepia officinalis.
Source: cuttlefish ink.
FERTILITY CHECKUST
HERS
Consider using one of the following homeopathic remedies:
Causticum 30c
Conium 30c
Ignatia 30c
Lycopodium 30c
Phosphoric acidum 30c
Pulsatilla 30c
Sabina 30c
Sepia 30c
Aurum muriaticum 6c
Calcarea iodata 6c
Fraxinus 6c
Kali iodata 6c
Silicea 6c
HIS
Consider using one of the following homeopathic remedies:
Agnus 30c
Conium 30c
Graphites 30c
Lycopodium 30c
Nitric acidium 30c
Nux 30c
Phosphoric acidium 30c
Sepia 30c
6
Acupressure: Hands-on Healing
For more than five thousand years, healers have relied on the soothing touch of acupressure to balance the body’s energy and correct ailments and illnesses, including sexual dysfunction, gynecological complaints, and infertility.
The ancient healing arts of acupressure and acupuncture involve the use of either fingertip pressure or fine needles to activate a network of key pressure points, promoting muscle relaxation and increasing blood circulation. Healers have refined the techniques over the centuries, as they have observed and recorded the relationships between healing and touch at various points on the body.
The points used for acupressure and acupuncture are the same. Studies have demonstrated that acupuncture has been successful in the treatment of infertility. According to The Shanghai Journal of Acupuncture, acupuncturists stimulated key fertility points for thirty to forty minutes every other day, beginning on the tenth day of the menstrual cycle. Fully 57 percent of the women in the study had conceived within two courses of treatment. Of course, acupuncture offers a more intense form of stimulation than acupressure, but you may be able to evoke a healing response on your own by practicing acupressure at home. If you would like to consult an acupuncturist, see pages 189-191 for information on finding a qualified professional.
UNDERSTANDING ACUPRESSURE
Acupressurists and acupuncturists use two types of pressure points: local points (pressure points located where the pain occurs) and trigger points (pressure points located far from the site where the pain occurs). Trigger points stimulate a response in distant parts of the body because they lie along a network of electrical channels (called meridians) that run throughout the body. Ancient Chinese healers have identified twelve major meridians, each named after or corresponding to a different organ, such as large intestine, small intestine, or bladder.
The meridians connect the acupressure points in what can be considered an invisible wiring system for the flow of bioelectrical impulses or the body’s “essential life energy,” known as chi or qi in Chinese. Traditional Chinese healers believe that chi comes in two opposite but complementary forms, yin (passive energy) and yang (active energy). When these two types of chi are balanced, the body is in harmony and in good health. When someone suffers from an injury or illness, however, chi falls out of balance. To correct an imbalance, you need to stimulate one or more of the appropriate pressure points.
Western healers may not accept the traditional explanation for how acupressure works, but the evidence shows that it does. Research shows that acupressure stimulates the release of endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers and mood and immune-system regulators. In fact, studies have shown that endorphin levels in the brain double thirty minutes after a session of acupuncture. The evidence is compelling enough that the U.S. Food and Drug Administration approved its use in the treatment of several medical problems.
Skeptics have argued that the benefits attributed to acupressure and acupuncture should be attributed instead to the placebo effect, or the ability of a patient’s expectations to influence his or her reported experience of healing. However, studies have shown that acupuncture proves effective in pain control 55 to 85 percent of the time, much more than can be explained by the placebo effect alone.
While not intended to replace conventional medical care, acupuncture (in the hands of a trained professional) or acupressure (as a method of self-care) may help to boost your fertility.
GETTING TO THE POINT
To the beginner, acupressure can seem complex and intimida
ting. But once you begin to experiment with the technique, it will become very natural, and you will be able to enjoy its relaxing and healing benefits.
To help you get to the point—or more precisely to each of the body’s 365 named and numbered acupressure points—experts have developed elaborate maps of the human body, using joints, muscles, and indentations in the bones as physical landmarks. The body is symmetrical, and most acupressure points are bilateral, occurring on both sides of the body. Except when an acupressure point falls on the midline of the body, acupressure should be applied to points on both sides.
When practicing acupressure, you’ll know you’ve found the correct point (also known as tsubo) if you feel a tingle, “charge,” or electrical impulse when you apply direct pressure; the point may also feel tender. In most cases, these points are located along the bones or beneath the major muscle groups.
After locating the correct spot, you will use your thumbs, middle fingers, palms, or the sides of your hands to apply firm, steady pressure. Your finger should be held at a right angle to the body. Start with a gentle touch and gradually push harder, until you feel a deep, even pressure, but not pain. Remember that fleshy parts of the body can withstand firmer pressure than bony areas. During an acupressure session, work the points on both sides of the body to maintain balance and harmony in your body.
Three to five minutes of steady, firm pressure works best, but as little as one minute can begin to promote healing and quiet the nervous system. At the end of an acupressure session, you should feel relaxed and invigorated, but don’t expect that the pain will subside and your symptoms will disappear immediately. Acupressure isn’t a matter of pressing a button and exacting a “cure.” For the best results, plan on spending fifteen minutes or so working through your acupressure points two or three times a day.
HINTS FOR HANDS-ON HEALING
Before starting your acupressure session, take a few minutes to relax and get focused. If possible, settle into a quiet, warm, and well-ventilated room. Start with some deep breathing to help you relax.
If you are practicing acupressure on yourself, some points will be difficult to press without straining. To reach points on your back, place a soft tennis ball on a carpet and smoothly roll over onto it while supporting most of your weight on your elbows. If this is impossible to do without discomfort, either skip the point or ask your partner for help.
Keep your fingernails short to avoid scratching or poking your skin.
Make sure to smoothly and gradually increase the pressure, and smoothly and gradually release the pressure. Avoid sharp pokes or jabs.
Remember that acupressure should not hurt. If a point feels painful to the touch, gradually release the pressure and move to another point.
Avoid contact with areas that have been burned, bruised, cut, sprained, or infected. If the surrounding area is not too tender, consider applying pressure to the points near the injury to stimulate blood flow and to promote healing in the area.
If you feel particularly stiff or tense before a session, consider soaking in a hot bath or applying a hot water bottle or heating pad to the affected area before beginning treatment.
If possible, wait at least an hour after eating before practicing acupressure. Also avoid scheduling your acupressure sessions during times when you feel particularly hungry.
HERS
To help boost your fertility, use one or more of the following acupressure points.
Conception Vessel 3
Apply pressure on the midline of the lower abdomen, about one hand width below the belly button and one thumb width above the top of the pubic bone. In addition to improving fertility, this point helps to strengthen the reproductive organs, regulate menstruation, and reduce vaginal discharge.
Governing Vessel 23
This point is located along the midline of the scalp in line with the top of the nose and about one finger width inside your hairline. In addition to improving fertility, this point helps to tone the uterus and balance the hormonal system.
Large Intestine 4
Apply pressure to the end of the crease made when the index finger and thumb are pressed together. In addition to improving fertility, this point helps to ease abdominal pain and cramping and relieve constipation and other gastrointestinal complaints.
Spleen 6
This point is located on the inside of the leg, four finger widths above the tip of the ankle bone and just inside the tibia (the leg bone). In addition to improving fertility, this point helps to regulate menstruation and ease genital pain.
Spleen 8
Apply pressure on the inside of the lower leg four finger widths below the knee in the depression underneath the bone. In addition to improving fertility, this point helps to remove blockage in the lower abdomen and regulate menstruation.
ACUPRESSURE POINTS ON THE FACE
ACUPRESSURE POINTS ON THE HAND
Spleen 10
This point is located on the inside edge of the top of the knee, where you can feel the muscle move when the knee is flexed. In addition to improving fertility, this point helps to improve blood circulation and relieve menstrual pain.
HIS
To help boost your fertility, use one or more of the following acupressure points.
Kidney 1
Apply pressure on the center of the sole of the foot, at the base of the ball of the foot, between the two pads. This point helps to relieve impotency.
COUPLES
To help boost your fertility, use one or more of the following acupressure points.
Bladder 23
This point is located on the lower back at waist level (in line with the belly button), two finger widths away from the spine. In addition to promoting fertility, this point helps to relieve lower-back pain and ease fatigue. It also helps with impotency and problems with ejaculation in men, and helps to regulate menstrual periods and reduce vaginal discharge in women.
ACUPRESSURE POINTS ON THE BOTTOM OF THE FOOT
Bladder 32
Apply pressure at the base of the spine, level with the second holes of the sacrum. In addition to improving fertility, this point helps to improve blood flow in the uterus, relieve lower-back pain, and regulate periods in women. It also helps overcome impotence in men.
Conception Vessel 4
This point is located on the midline of the abdomen, four finger widths below the belly button. In addition to improving fertility, this point helps to strengthen the abdominal muscles and tone the reproductive organs in men and women. It also helps to regulate menstruation, reduce vaginal discharge, and relieve incontinence in women. It helps to relieve impotence in men.
Conception Vessel 6
Apply pressure on the midline of the abdomen, two finger widths below the belly button (just above conception vessel 4). In addition to improving fertility, this point helps to strengthen the abdominal muscles and tone the reproductive organs in men and women. It also helps regulate menstruation, reduce vaginal discharge, and relieve incontinence in women. It helps to relieve impotence in men.
ACUPRESSURE POINTS ON THE BACK OF THE BODY
ACUPRESSURE POINTS ON THE FRONT OF THE BODY
Kidney 3
This point is located in the back of the ankle, midway between the inside ankle bone and the Achilles tendon. In addition to improving fertility, this point helps to relieve sexual tension and fatigue. It also helps to reduce semen leakage in men and to promote menstrual regularity in women.
Spleen 12
This point is located in the pelvic area, in the middle of the crease where the leg joins the trunk of the body (along the underwear line). In addition to improving fertility, this point helps to relieve menstrual and abdominal cramps in women; it also helps to relieve impotence in men.
Stomach 36
Apply pressure four finger widths below the kneecap, one finger width outside the shinbone. (If you are on the correct spot, a muscle should flex as you move your foot up and down.) In addition to improving fert
ility, this point helps to build overall vitality and ease fatigue. It also helps relieve impotence in men.
ACUPRESSURE POINTS ON THE INSIDE OF THE FOOT
FERTILITY CHECKLIST
HERS
Conception vessel 3
Governing vessel 23
Large intestine 4
Spleen 6
Spleen 8
Spleen 10
HIS
Kidney 1
COUPLES
Bladder 23
Bladder 32
Getting Pregnant Naturally Page 7