Pulling Down the Moon

New Continuing Education in Fertility Massage Broadens PDtM’s Reach to Support Fertility Clients

Apr 04, 2019

Fertility massage is a cutting edge field, with far-reaching benefits that are still being explored. At Pulling Down the Moon, we’ve developed specific techniques for working with the body after seeing thousands of fertility clients for nearly two decades. We’ve striven to be pioneers of this emerging healing art, blending the best of ancient modalities with cutting edge massage techniques. Our programs have reached thousands of women across the Chicagoland and the DC area, have been purchased by Shady Grove Fertility, the largest Reproductive Endocrinology Center in the United States, and Pulling Down the Moon has been recognized by the NCBTMB

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as a provider of continuing education in the field of fertility massage. The American Massage Therapy Association (AMTA) also recognized our Massage Director, Meredith Nathan, with the 2018 Pioneer Award for the development of this protocol.


After struggling with our inability to support people struggling with infertility who lived outside of Chicagoland and the DC area for years, PDM is proud to be launching Continuing Education in Fertility Massage for the first time since it’s inception. Now Massage Therapists across the country with a passion for women’s health and fertility can receive training in our exclusive techniques, and as a result, couples hoping to be parents around the U.S. can receive the benefits.


Moon Massage Level 1 consists of 3 online modules, each ranging 90 minutes to 2 hours in length, a hands-on techniques review video, and a final exam.  It will include an overview of reproductive anatomy, both natural and assisted fertility cycles, contraindications for fertility clients, common fertility challenges and ways massage can support these issues, specific fertility massage techniques, and a 30-minute basic fertility massage protocol that can be used with all fertility clients, both male and female (at the appropriate time in their cycle).


This webinar will lay the foundation for a series of hands on courses, ultimately leading to training in our exclusive Fertility Enhancing Massage Protocol™, a training formerly available only to PDtM staff. This level 1 training is your first step toward certification in the FEM Protocol.


Testimonials

“I believe wholeheartedly the FEM Protocol will complement the therapies I treat my patients with and enhance their success, while hopefully decreasing the stress level they are facing as they undergo the difficult and arduous treatments we prescribe. – Dr. Melissa Ann Esposito MD FACOG
“I thoroughly enjoyed the Moon Massage level 1 Module training series. Meredith is an amazing instructor with an infectious personality. Her enthusiasm for the subject matter, her vast knowledge, and the way she expresses the concepts so clearly make it highly enjoyable to watch as you learn. It is filled with so much practical information, and though it is highly technical, it is presented clearly and with a review section in each segment. All aspects of fertility and IVF are well covered, and the hands on portions really illustrate the techniques clearly. It was one of the best presented and well designed continuing education classes I’ve taken. Thank you so much. – Deana Burrows, LMT

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Therapeutic Yoga for PCOS?

By Beth Heller • 13 Sep, 2024
There are many reasons that a therapeutic yoga program may benefit women with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome. PCOS presents very differently in different women but the syndrome as whole is associated with infertility and other adverse health conditions including obesity, diabetes and heart disease. Women with PCOS may also have higher levels of chronic inflammation and elevated levels of circulating stress hormones. The good news is that more and more research suggests that lifestyle intervention including lifestyle intervention including diet and exercise may be the best way to manage PCOS. In addition, new research is showing the benefit of Traditional Chinese Medicine to treat the hormonal imbalances, symptoms like hirsutism and acne, and menstrual irregularity that is associated with PCOS. Another element of PDtM’s PCOS “Action Plan is yoga. Yoga has been shown to lower levels of stress hormones and women with a regular yoga practice have been show to have a “healthier physiological response to stress". Yoga has also been shown to reduce markers of oxidative stress and blood sugar control in people with diabetes as well as improve blood pressure and cholesterol levels in heart disease patients (1). Some of the goals of a therapeutic yoga practice for PCOS include: Standing and seated yoga asana that create an invigorating, but not exhausting, exercise session Twisting poses, which in yoga physiology are believed to help decrease abdominal fat Postures that bring blood to the thyroid gland, an important endocrine gland for metabolism Stimulating agni, the digestive fire, that supports complete digestion and metabolism of foods Mudras (hand yoga) that stimulate different physiological and energetic systems Breathing exercises that induce the relaxation response While lifestyle changes can be very helpful with PCOS, they are not enough on their own. Working in partnership with you physician or Reproductive Endocrinologist and ensuring they are kept up to date on any holistic treatments you may be using is the smartest approach for PCOS management. Yoga for Fertility to support PCOS is available at Pulling Down the Moon in-center starting on Sept 21st and virtually starting on Sept 30th . If you would like to learn more about PDtM’s PCOS Action Plan to manager your PCOS Action Plan with holistic health treatment ( Acupuncture , Massage , Nutrition , and Yoga ) then contact us at 312-321-0004 or email info@pullingdownthemoon.com to get started today! (1) Field, T. Complementary Therapies in Clinical Practice 17 (2011) 1e8
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Pregnancy Passport: Relaxed Mommies Make Healthier Babies

By Beth Heller, MS RYT • 15 Aug, 2024
As I’ve said before, it took me seven years and five pregnancies to get two kids. So, while pregnancy was a joyful time for me on some levels, it was also a time of stress and sleepless anxiety. In fact my business partner Tami will often joke that my pregnancies were some of the most stressful times of her life. Honestly, though, without yoga, massage and acupuncture I think I would have bitten my fingernails to the quick waiting for Jackson and Calvin to arrive safely. What I didn’t know then was that seeking relief for anxiety through holistic means was also good for my boys. A growing body of clinical evidence now suggests that prenatal stress, depression and/or anxiety is linked to adverse health outcomes for both moms and babies including preterm birth, preeclampsia and even future risk of chronic disease and obesity (1). Women, especially women who have struggled to conceive, may feel guilty about experiencing anxious emotions during this “blissful time". Yet preparing for a new baby, no matter how hard one had to work to get it, can be stressful. Changes in the body during pregnancy, including the strains of a growing belly and nighttime muscle cramps, can also disrupt sleep, which increases stress. Rather than worry about worrying, we suggest you take the bull by the horns and enjoy a 360 degree self-care program during pregnancy. And honestly, it will never again be as easy to justify self-care like acupuncture , massage and yoga as it is when your efforts are a “double-dip – good for mom and great for baby. Here are several strategies for decreasing maternal stress and improving overall well-being during pregnancy: 1. Get acupuncture. A 2010 study in Obstetrics and Gynecology found that acupuncture treatment alleviated symptoms of stress and depression in pregnant women and women experiencing infertility (2, 3). Acupuncture has also been shown to be effective at managing morning sickness, back and pelvic pain and labor pain. Make sure, however, that you see a practitioner who is experienced in treating pregnancy. 2. Do prenatal yoga. Compared to controls, women who did prenatal yoga experienced significant reductions in physical pain from baseline to post intervention compared with women in the third trimester whose pain increased. Women in the yoga group showed greater reductions in perceived stress and trait anxiety in their third trimester than women from the control group (4) The same women also experienced better sleep and less wakefulness (5). 3. Get prenatal massage. Research shows that women who received prenatal massage reported decreased depression, anxiety, and leg and back pain. Cortisol levels decreased, which decreased excessive fetal activity; the rate of baby prematurity was also lower (6). 4. Seek expert prenatal nutrition counseling. There are specific nutritional strategies for managing weight gain, avoiding conditions like Gestational Diabetes and Pre-eclampsia and improving digestion (less heartburn, avoid constipation). At Pulling Down the Moon we target our prenatal nutrition consults based on trimester. Get your passport to pregnancy relaxation by getting started today with prenatal care in Chicago , Highland Park , or virtually ! Gift certificates are also available at our online store shop.pullingdownthemoon.com . 1. Entringer S et al. Prenatal stress and developmental programming of human health and disease risk: concepts and integration of empirical findings. Curr Opin Endocrinol Diabetes Obes. 2010 Dec;17(6):507-16. 2. Smith CA. 1. SMith The effect of acupuncture on psychosocial outcomes for women experiencing infertility. J Altern Complement Med. 2011 Oct;17(10):923-30. Epub 2011 Oct 6 . 3. Manber et al. Acupuncture for depression during pregnancy: a randomized controlled trial. Obstet Gynecol. 2010 Mar;115(3):511-20. 4. Beddoe AE et al. The effects of mindfulness-based yoga during pregnancy on maternal psychological and physical distress. J Obstet Gynecol Neonatal Nurs. 2009 May-Jun;38(3):310-9. 5. Beddoe AE et al. Effects of mindful yoga on sleep in pregnant women: a pilot study. Biol Res Nurs. 2010 Apr;11(4):363-70. 6. Field, T. (2010). Pregnancy and labor massage therapy. Expert Review of Obstetrics and Gynecology , 5, 177-181.
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