“It is such a wonderful thing to help those struggling to have children finally see little ones in their life,” says Dr. David Pollack, of Pollack Wellness Institute, in Commack. “I have had many patients over the years, even with complex health issues, achieve success with conception and their pregnancies.”
A general trend Pollack says he has noticed is the disregard of the body’s overall health status when considering fertility status. “I find many women coming to my office with multiple health issues having gone through multiple IVF/IUI cycles wondering why they are not working,” says Pollack.
“Many of those women have irregular menstrual cycles. How can one get pregnant if their cycle is out of balance? I say this to save many time, grief, and often speed up their ambitions of having children and a successful, easier pregnancy.”
It is important to first acknowledge that “common” is not “normal,” explains Pollack. “While it is ‘common’ that many women have heavy periods, irregular cycles, clots and mood swings, I implore you that this is not how it is supposed to be. A normal menstrual cycle should be 28 days every time. Not 30, not 26. The bleeding should last four to five days without any spotting afterward or in the middle of the cycle. Blood should be bright red, never rusty or blackish, and without any clots (congealed blood). Also, despite common acceptance, it is not normal to have significant mood swings, anxiety, sadness, anger, short temper, etc.”
According to Pollack, if these basics of the menstrual cycle are not in order, the chances of pregnancy significantly drops. “There are great ways to balance and normalize the menstrual cycle naturally,” he says. “Using dietary changes; the appropriate supplements; Chinese medicine therapies, such as acupuncture and moxibustion; and chiropractic therapies, one can normalize the function of the reproductive system as well as the body in general.”
In addition to focusing on the menstrual cycle, Pollack said it’s important that the digestive tract is functioning optimally to process and absorb nutrients sufficiently to support the fetus. He also says to consider postural imbalance and muscle tightness prior to pregnancy, which could result in more pain during and after.
“Pregnancy is a complex event for your body physically, chemically and emotionally,” says Pollack. “The whole process could be significantly improved if the body is in the best shape possible before pregnancy. Why is it that my patients have few complications, little morning sickness and rare premature births? When the body is healthy, it functions better. Pregnancy is not an illness or disease, it is a normal process and should not be a curse or nightmare. It is a beautiful process and should be treated as such. There are many factors involved in the chance of getting pregnant—our overall health can be an amazingly important factor. Normalizing the menstrual cycle, optimizing digestion and preparing the body for the pregnancy process may significantly change one’s chances of fertility.”
Source: Dr. David Pollack. Location: Pollack Wellness Institute (formerly Creating Wellness Center) is located at 66 Commack Rd., Commack. For more information, call 631-462-0801 or visit CreatingWellnessLI.com.
