Think that fertility care just involves medications and IVF? Dara Havemann, MD, our fertility doctor with many years of experience, believes that it’s also important to consider the mind-body connection to fertility. “The physical fertility treatments are important tools to help women and men overcome infertility, but it’s equally important to pay attention to lifestyle factors and the mind-body connection,” Dr. Havemann says.
The importance of the mind-body connection to fertility
As part of her approach to patient care, our Dallas fertility doctor works with patients to explore how nutrition, physical activity and stress reduction can enhance fertility treatments. “The medical community has long known that physical and emotional wellness are connected, but not all physicians discuss this connection when they care for their patients. My goal is to address this gap when I treat my own fertility patients.”
Exploring the mind-body connection to fertility, which some people refer to as holistic fertility care, can look different for each patient. For some hopeful parents, this may involve exploring acupuncture, meditation and yoga as practices to reduce stress and enhance fertility. In other cases, Dr. Havemann may recommend that a patient changes his or her diet and physical activity in order to reach a healthy body mass index (BMI).
“When starting the fertility treatment process, many patients only think about what happens when they visit their doctor. However, hopeful parents can make changes in their daily lives to enhance fertility and wellness. This is what the mind-body connection to fertility is all about,” Dr. Havemann explains.
Exploring a comprehensive approach to fertility care
Rather than viewing the mind-body connection to fertility as a luxurious add-on to treatment, our fertility doctor sees it as a necessary component of comprehensive care. According to Dr. Havemann, “If I didn’t address these physical and emotional issues with my patients, I wouldn’t feel like I had done my job as a fertility doctor. We have a duty to care for the whole person, not just their infertility.”
Want to learn more about care that incorporates the mind-body connection to fertility? Contact us to schedule an appointment with Dr. Havemann or any of our fertility doctors.