Acupuncturist Ross J Barr on the most common fertility issues he sees

Struggling to conceive and thinking that your stress levels might have something to do with it? Ross J Barr, London’s leading Acupuncturist, whose clients include Meghan the Duchess of Sussex, discusses some of the most common fertility issues he sees…

How stress affects fertility

“It depends on the type of stress but in short cortisol consumes progesterone and the more stressed we get, often the more adrenaline and cortisol our body releases to enable us to deal or confront the threat or annoyance. So if we’re in a state of fight or flight caused by too much adrenaline then our body is in some ways distracted from doing the job we want it to do and fertility will often be a luxury our body can ill afford. People of course conceive in war zones and during very stressful periods but not as commonly as they do when on holiday”.

How sleep affects fertility

“Sleep is the original medicine for us humans. It replenishes and restores us in so many ways. I always look at it in terms of capacity with conception. And together with a patient, try and analyse whether or not they have the additional capacity needed to conceive and grow a baby on top of what they are already asking of themselves. Often the answer is no. And one of the main reasons can be that they just aren’t getting enough sleep to fill up the tank needed for fertility. If we’re sleeping well, our body will be able to restore itself to our default settings.

How acupuncture helps fertility

“Acupuncture is brilliant at improving the efficacy of the organs. And as a result, you will often get better secretion of fluids, improved lining, blood flow and egg quality. Equal to that, it’s wonderful at recalibrating our endocrine system and putting us into that ‘holiday style’ state I mentioned earlier, which provides a much better flatbed for fertility”.

With over a decade of treating infertility, women’s health expert, Acupuncturist and herbalist, Ross J Barr has released a range of supplements to boost fertility and support the pre and post natal phases. Shop here.

Image: Shuttershock

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