Rooms are set up in the practice of feng shui, soft
music is played and calming surroundings are just the
thing couples need to help ease the stress of conceiving,
thus enabling them to do so. These relaxed settings
are also conducive to romance which allows couples to
reconnect not only sexually but emotionally. The belief
is that a physical dysfunction may not be the only thing
to blame in many cases of infertility.
While Western medicine is still the front runner in
the battle against infertility, millions of dollars
and tests with abysmal results leave frustrated couples
turning to more unconventional, drug free therapies.
Holistic practices drifting in from the East are now
offering a surprisingly steady, growing success rate
and spas are adopting these practices in their establishments.
Many spas are now catering to couples who want to have
children by offering programs such as fertility yoga,
acupuncture and massages (particularly uterine/abdominal
massages that help women whose fertility may be due
to a tipped or unaligned uterus, a surprisingly common
problem) designed to help these wanna-be parents on
their journey.
In a study published in the journal of Fertility and
Sterility, twice as many pregnancies occurred in cases
where acupuncture was used to relax the uterus than
in those who did not undergo the procedure.
Some spas are even introducing hypnosis into their
fertility based programs, citing that by countering
the worry (negative hypnosis) with their positive, encouraging
hypnosis, they can open up the mind with constructive
energy. This is thought to allow the body to open up
as well, setting up an accepting, open environment for
conception to take place. Holistic practitioners are
also introducing herbs such as red clover and raspberry
leaf that are believed to have properties that will
help conception take place. For men, they offer Panax
ginseng, Tribulus and Astralagus, all thought to increase
testosterone and sperm count. But while the use of herbal
supplements to treat infertility is an ancient practice,
it is unregulated by the United States so caution should
be used before embarking on herbal treatments.
According to the National Institute Of Medicinal Health,
women that took part in mind-body support groups had
a higher rate of pregnancies than those who did not.
These types of groups are thought to help lower Cortisol,
the stress hormone that is thought to contribute to
low sex drive and irregular periods, seriously impeding
a woman’s ability to get pregnant.
A few of the many fertility based programs spas now
offer include:
- acupuncture
- meditation
- psychotherapy
- guided imagery
- tai chi
- journaling
The following spas all offer programs specifically
designed for parents who are trying to conceive but
may be encountering difficulty. Their common goal is
one of healing and making the body ready through openness
and relaxation with varying techniques on how to get
potential parents to that place without the use of drugs.
Marco
Island Marriott Beach Resort, Florida
http://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/mrkfl-marco-island-marriott-
beach-resort-golf-club-and-spa/
400 South Collier Boulevard
Marco Island, Florida
34145 USA
Phone: 1-239-394-2511
Their fertility programs are specifically designed
in conjunction with the arrival of the mating season
for their sea turtles.
Martineau
Bay Resort & Spa, Puerto Rico
http://www.martineaubayresort.com/SpaMenu.htm
State Road 200, KM 3.2
HC1 Box 9368
Vieques Island, Puerto Rico
00765
Tel: 787-741-4100
Offers ‘procreation vacation’ programs
that serve pumpkin soups (the beta-carotene is thought
to help improve fertility), massages catered specifically
to couples and romantic dinners.
Spa
Lucky, Slovakia
http://www.slovakiatravels.com/sections/Routes/therme/therme_Lucky-
en.php
Lucky Spa, phone: + 421 44 4392251, 4392451 - 53
fax: + 421 44 4392370
e-mail: kupelelucky@stonline.sk
This spa is more focused on the medical disturbances
of the body that may be impeding the couple’s
ability to have children. Their programs offer help
for genital tract inflammations, menstrual irregularities,
etc.
Hillcrest
Spa and Inn, Port Hope, Ontario, Canada
http://www.thehillcrest.ca/Home-78344.html
Rochelle Larmour, Innkeeper
Tel: 888-253-0065 or 905-885-7367
Email: info@thehillcrest.ca
175 Dorset Street West
Port Hope, Ontario
L1A 1G4,
Canada
Their fertility programs are geared toward managing
hormone imbalances by helping couples transition easily
from hormone treatments to more natural treatments.
They also help with stress relief and using diet to
help increase fertility.
The
Fertile Retreats, North Carolina
http://www.thefertilesoul.com/
The Fertile Soul Institute
26 Glen Cove,
Arden, NC
28704
Toll Free: 1-866-4MYFERTILITY or 1-866-469-3378
Email: coordinator@thefertilesoul.com
According to Dr. Randine Lewis, founder of The Fertile
Soul Retreats and author of the 2004 book The Infertility
Cure, most women who have trouble conceiving are suffering
more from an imbalance than infertility. The Fertile
Soul Retreats follow a regimen based in Chinese medicine
to help couples regain their balance of body, soul and
mind so that they can see their dream of being parents
to fruition.
The
Five Gables Inn and Spa, Maryland
http://www.fivegables.com/SUMMER_SPECS/birds_bees.html
209 North Talbot Street
St. Michaels, Maryland (MD)
21663
TEL: 410.745.0100 FAX: 410.745.2903
TOLL FREE: 877.466.0100
info@fivegables.com
Their ‘Birds & Bees’ couples weekend
packages are available from May To November . Package
includes a couple’s massage, twelve oysters and
wine at a local pub. Rooms are romantically designed
with fireplace, Swedish shower and Barry White music
on the Cd player. If couples return in nine months with
their new bundle of joy, they get fifty dollars off
their stay.
We take for granted that because one of our most basic
functions as human beings is the ability to reproduce,
it will happen when we want. For a growing majority
of couples, this just isn’t that case. So while
western medicine is still the leading choice for couples
on their fertility journey, it’s good to know
that there are other kinds of practitioners that are
joining the fight.
