About 5 years ago I was introduced to Abdominal Therapy. Also known as Fertility Massage, Arvigo Therapy or Maya Abdominal Massage.
The ‘AHA” moment for me was realising that all the things I’d assumed were fixed and permanent, like fallopian tubes being blocked, or having a retroverted uterus, or the permanency of scar tissue and adhesions…all the things i’d taken as my lot in life having severe endometriosis…MAY NOT BE THE FULL AND ONLY END OF THE STORY AFTER ALL.
It really has been like someone turning on a light.
Could something really as simple as massaging this area of our bodies help bring about profound changes in blood flow, and how well our immune and detox systems are able to support us?
Can it really make a difference with fertility?
Doing the work as an Abdominal therapist has been fascinating…
Seeing clients move from having no period for months to having cycles again and becoming pregnant
Seeing clients in their 40’s being able to collect more healthy eggs than on previous IVF cycles, and fertilisation rates being good
Seeing cycles become more regular and periods feel more balanced and healthy, with less clots and brown blood at the start and end of the flow.
Working alongside IVF protocols and seeing previously unsuccessful rounds of IVF result in beautiful healthy pregnancies
Seeing clients with pelvic pain, and pain around period time, notice less discomfort and get through periods without needing painkillers.
Witnessing people feeling more in tune with their body and their cycle, and feeling more empowered as a result.
Seeing scar tissue from previous surgeries gently become softer and more pliable, and causing less tension and pain
In my own personal experience, I’ve also seen the techniques help my body to reabsorb and clear a hydrosalpinx, a fluid build up in one of the tubes, that was preventing an IVF cycle from proceeding. It took time and lots of patience but it worked and I’m quite sure that the treatments and self care practice are what made that possible.
So, the answer for me is YES, it really does feel it can be supportive for many aspects of fertility.
How does it work?
The treatments work on several levels…
Massaging the lower belly, over the uterus, ovaries and tubes helps to promote blood flow to this whole area. Increasing circulation helps to bathe the ovaries and eggs in the nutrients and hormones that are so needed to boost egg health and fertility generally. (The same is true for men too, helping to support sperm health)
The way the techniques are designed also gently guide the pelvic organs in to their optimal positions, which can help to ease the pockets of congestion and inflammation that can build up as a result of pressure from mis-alignment.
“Just a few extra ounces sitting on blood and lymph vessels can cause havoc throughout the different systems in the body. By shifting the uterus back into place, homeostasis, or the natural balance of the body, is restored in the pelvic area and the surrounding organs. Toxins are flushed and nutrients that help to tone tissue and balance hormones are restored to normal order.”
(The Arvigo® website)
Massaging the upper belly also helps to support digestion and gut health which is the very corner stone of fertility, and ensures you’re able to absorb all the nutrients you’re taking in through your diet and supplements. It also eases any tension in the diaphragm and opens up the breathing, helping to bring in fresh energy along with the oxygenated blood flow too.
The treatment works over your lower back as well, helping to nourish the ligaments that support the uterus and the position of the hips and pelvis.
It feels like re-connecting the parts of you that fertility conditions and issues often disconnect.…and it’s just such a beautiful antidote to that awful feeling that everything is STUCK.
That your life and your dream to have a baby is “on pause”, or worse still, in limbo. Where you’re trying SO hard but nothing seems to be shifting, and it doesn’t feel like there’s control or power over any of it.
What’s involved?
Having 2-3 full treatments can really help to get the ball rolling but the best part about this is being able to teach you the self-care routine that enables you to do this for yourself at home for 10 minutes every day.
It feels like it gives back some of that sense of control and empowerment, and puts it in your hands.
I think what I’ve realised the most, is that as women, it’s where we hold so much of our emotion and power too, and when you get that moving and flowing freely, important things happen!
If it feels like it might be for you, feel free to take a peek at the Abdominal Therapy Collective website and the Arvigo® website as it tells you much more and gives you a full list of all the practitioners in the UK and abroad.
https://abdominaltherapycollective.com
https://arvigotherapy.com/
There are also a couple of good articles here that explain a bit more.
https://www.christinemathesonnd.com/blog/arvigo-abdominal-massage-benefits-for-women
https://www.baby-magazine.co.uk/specialised-massage-help-conceive/
Or if you’d like to chat with me, please don’t hesitate to get in touch any time and we can talk it through and see if it feels like the right fit for you.
With love and wishes,
Cath x x x
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