Manipulations

I was recently given details for new wonder doctor who has helped several women get pregnant – women who have been thru failed IVF cycles.

Yeah, yeah heard it all before, but I got the details anyway.

Turns out I didn’t get a name but a number and told was that what he did was called Chiropractic Pelvic Manipulation – his practice is based at one of the ritzy beach suburbs – more than an hour out of the city.

I ummed and arrrred about this for a couple of days, then thought – could this really be that specialist?

I’ve chased down all these recommendations in the past – and as with CFG have ended up forking out big coin, and while I’ve felt really healthy, well the bottom line is I’m still not pregnant.

This year I want to streamline this stuff, so it's not so consuming of my whole life. So I did my own investigations into this field, I mean I researched ‘my field’ - chiropractors who have clinics around where I work.

I found a lady that whose clinic is very close to work and gave her a call.

She was honest right off the bat. She has gotten a few women pregnant (long term infertiles), but she’d done most of her research for her own purposes, she had her first baby at 40, and has had a couple of miscarriages since. But what about this special technique ‘pelvic manipulation’? It’s all the same techniques, she said and most of the women I’ve helped get pregnant have had chronic lower back pain.

I’ve had lower back pain for years, it's worse when I have my period.

Since it was so close to work – and since she charges $60 I went and saw her.

I went over my history and she decided that she had a couple of herbal tonics for me Sepia 200 (5 drops every second day except when I’m menstruating), and Cramp Bark – since I’ve had serious spasms every time I’ve been checked out (when I had my laparoscopy/hysteroscopy they couldn’t get any dye into my tubes, so I had to have the HSG – then they could only get the dye into one). She thinks this is my body’s response to stress, and most likely I have those same spasms thru my cycle = not good prospects for an embryo to implant. Phew.

Then it was time for my manipulations.

I had to take everything off except bra and knickers and put a smock on open at the back except for a tie at the neck. Her assistant came in and gave me a massage to warm me up – she found all the knots in my shoulder – ahhh bliss.

The manipulations were classic – at first she just pushed down on my lower back then between my shoulders. I got the classic neck crunch, then a couple of side contortions that clicked my back. Then came the pelvis. She made me move my legs around and lift my arm pushing against her while she prodded my pelvis. I’ve always had a problem and am unbelievably sensitive particularly on my right hand side (you should see me when I’m getting a bikini wax!). I nearly leapt off the massage table.

‘I’m going to freak out’ I said
‘I’m going to grab a big pinch of your skin on this side of your uterus and pull it up’ she said

My whole body is fighting this manipulation. Somehow she managed to get it done, then re-checked and my sensitivity wasn’t nearly so bad.

‘You’ve got a torque’ (I think she said). ‘You’re twisted around, I’ll keep working on it’.

She said that this wasn’t any real earth shattering revelation, but that it is probably the reason why I’ve always been so sensitive to being touched on that side (even by D).

It’s funny I told her, but that’s the side that they couldn’t get the dye in because of the spasms.

She also told me about a product called Juice Plus. She takes it and says she feels fantastic, she has more energy than she’s had in years. She says it’s expensive – around $75 a month, but she’s having such great results herself that she’s recommending it to some of her patients (some that are getting over serious illnesses).

As I was paying and booking my next appointment I asked her if it was normal to feel abit funny afterwards – yes she said, the manipulations make you feel abit strange for a while – like I'm away with the fairies? I asked her, Yep. Well I guess I'm normal then.

So while we’re heading into donor eggs, we won’t be actually be at that point for some time. In the meantime I want to get myself in good shape. Let's not forget we've still got that 1% chance ourselves every month!

Egg quality issues aside, I want my uterus to be ready to take these young embryos and give them the best possible chance to implant and grow.