Most pregnant women will eat healthier, avoid toxic chemicals and refrain from certain activities in order to have a healthy baby. It’s important to note that a natural holistic approach to fertility can also be helpful, especially for the 7.5 million women in the U.S. who the CDC reports have impaired fecundity (impaired ability to get pregnant or carry a baby to term). There are many natural and effective options to improve women’s fertility; one of these is Mercier Therapy.

Mercier Therapy was developed by Jennifer Merciér, PhD. It’s a soft tissue visceral manipulation therapy technique that is used to help restore health and well-being within the female pelvis. The goal of Mercier Therapy is to decrease adhesions in the abdomen and around the organs, ligaments, muscles, joints and support structures of the pelvis, abdomen, hips and lower back. It increases blood flow and enhances function of pelvic organs. Mercer Therapy is a six-hour regime, which is broken up into various sessions to achieve desired goals. The technique is done abdominally and requires no vaginal work. This gentle and noninvasive technique was created to help women reconnect to their divine feminine and allow the pelvis, a highly emotional space, to open to healing and balance.

Mercier Therapy has been shown to be helpful for women with infertility, anovulation, amenorrhea, pelvic pain, painful intercourse, endometriosis, polycystic ovarian syndrome, blocked fallopian tubes, pelvic scarring or adhesions from previous pelvic surgery and other conditions that cause impaired fecundity.

Mercier Therapy is part of The Shared Journey Fertility Program, which can be used as a stand-along natural therapy or as an adjunct to other assisted reproductive technology.

An IVF cycle can be costly, rigorous, and physically and emotionally draining. There are some who have a medical necessity for IVF/IUI and will need to go through more than one IVF cycle to achieve a pregnancy. The Shared Journey Fertility Program was developed to help limit the number of cycles needed. The therapy protocol is started and finished prior to the stimulation portion of a medically assisted cycle. The goal is to help women enter their cycle with a healthy environment within the pelvis to ensure a successful IVF cycle. Many women choose the Shared Journey Fertility Program as a stand-alone regime because IVF/IUI is costly and/or they prefer an all-natural approach to conception.

The fertility program is unlike other in that it is purely holistic and natural. There are no medications used and no negative side effects. The program also includes education and support in the areas of cycle monitoring, herbs, nutrition, essential oils, exercise and movement, meditation and relaxation techniques.

Patricia Almeida, BSN, LMT, is the owner and director of Mercier Therapy of Connecticut LLC, a wellness center for women specializing in fertility, pregnancy and women’s health, located at 20 Avon Meadow Ln, Ste 230 in Avon. For more information or to schedule a consultation, call 860-987-3823 or visit MercierTherapyofCT.com. See ad, page 31.