Dear Annie 1/12
Editor’s note: Annie Lane is off this week. This column ran in 2020.
Dear Annie: My heart goes out to “Bitter,” who wrote about failed in vitro fertilization treatments and her bitter feelings toward her husband’s brother and wife. They had encountered similar difficulties, and yet, knowing “Bitter” and her husband’s struggle, they made a sudden announcement of a pregnancy.
I, too, had difficulty getting pregnant, with my only pregnancy ending in miscarriage. The medical profession gave up on me. In fact, one day I happened to see my record and the diagnosis, “hostile environment.” It broke me.
Not long afterward, I started working for a chiropractor and discussed my history with him. He took X-rays and found that I had a subluxation (vertebra out of place), where the nerves left my spine to control my reproductive organs. He said he felt that with regular adjustments to get my spine back in line, I could become pregnant within a year. Given that I was 39 years old, I had my doubts but kept them to myself. Five months later, I was pregnant. Three other patients in the practice who had difficulties getting pregnant were also able to become pregnant. We were quite a club! At the age of 40, I gave birth to a wonderful, healthy baby girl!
I’m not saying this is the answer for everyone, but after all the trials and suffering we went through, chiropractic seemed such a simple answer, and in my case it was: Due to a slight misalignment in my spine, my brain couldn’t deliver messages to my reproductive organs in order to sustain a pregnancy. Once the spine was aligned and stayed that way, well, the proof is in my 27-year-old daughter! – Grateful
Dear Grateful: Whatever works. You sound like a wonderful mother and person, with a remarkable success story. Thank you for sharing your experience. I am printing your letter because it is important for everyone to know that there are many ways to boost fertility. There is some evidence that a healthy diet filled with fresh fruits, vegetables and lean meats and fish can increase the chances of conception. Yoga and acupuncture are great things to try as well.
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