Margaret uses the Complementary Therapies Aromatherapy, Reflexology, Herbal Medicine, Hypnosis and NLP to help women with issues around reproductive health & wellbeing

Margaret has an interest in Women’s Reproductive Health & Wellbeing, ranging from menstrual difficulties through fertility problems to pregnancy & childbirth and on to menopause.

Her holistic approach enables her to combine many therapies to provide an optimal outcome.

Menstrual Problems

For many women their monthly periods mean monthly discomfort.

Pre Menstrual Syndrome is a cluster of symptoms, comprising physical and emotional changes, associated with the second part of the menstrual cycle.

Symptoms begin about one week before and remit within a few days of the onset of menstruation and may include bloating, breast tenderness, water retention, constipation, food craving, irritation, forgetfulness, insomnia, lack of energy.

About 85% of couples conceive naturally after one year of unprotected sexual intercourse, so if you have not conceived after one year, you should visit your GP. If you are worried about your fertility, or you are a woman over the age of 35, then you should visit your GP sooner, after 6 months.

Fertility testing and investigation can be a lengthy process, and female fertility decreases with age, so it is best to make an appointment early on. Your GP will be able to give you advice about what to do next, and will also carry out an initial assessment to look for factors that may be causing your fertility problems.

It is estimated that one in seven couples in the UK have difficulty conceiving; about 20 –25% of all fertility issues are said to have an unknown cause.

So what affects fertility?

Stress ……

The hormonal response to stress is antagonistic to fertility:

Stress causes changes in the body’s biochemistry and rhythms. It upsets the body’s natural balance and over time can lead to chronic health problems. The hypothalamus regulates both the stress hormones and the sex hormones. Excessive stress may lead to complete suppression of the menstrual cycle and in less severe cases will lead to anovulation or irregular menstrual cycles.

Adrenaline is released by the adrenal glands during conditions of stress. Adrenaline helps us to escape from danger but it also inhibits the production of progesterone, thus impeding fertility.

Prolactin, usually released by the pituitary gland to stimulate lactation in preparation for nursing, inhibits a woman’s fertility so she won’t conceive during nursing. During times of stress the pituitary emits high levels of prolactin.

After prolonged stress the Sympathetic Nervous system can become hyperstimulated. A hyperstimulated nervous system sends less blood to the uterus thereby impairing their optimal functioning.

The immune system is weakened by depression, which will affect fertility.

Depression may be associated with abnormal regulation of lutenising hormone, which plays a major role in conception.

If a woman is clinically depressed she is unable to care for herself, let alone a baby. Infertility may be nature’s way of postponing pregnancy until the mother is psychologically capable of raising a child.

Diet and lifestyle can also affect fertility.

Once you are pregnant, Margaret is able to help you have a more comfortable and relaxing pregnancy and labour.

There are herbal remedies which can ease “morning” sickness, constipation, cystitis, heartburn and many other discomforts of pregnancy. Raspberry leaf tea taking during the later stages of pregnancy will help your body prepare for the birth of your baby.

Headaches are common during pregnancy, and may involve tension headaches or migraines. Tension headaches tend to feel like a dull ache on both sides of the head and around the neck area. They are often the result of stress, exhaustion, dehydration or allergies. Approximately twenty percent of pregnant women, however, will suffer from migraine headaches.

Indian Head Massage is very relaxing and can help with headaches and migraines.

Massage in pregnancy is a wonderful experience. It helps a woman relax, supports her body during a period of physiological change and helps prepare the whole body for birth. Generally the more relaxed a mother feels during pregnancy, the more relaxed her pregnancy and birth are likely to be.

Pregnancy can put a strain on the body and massage can help to relieve aches and pains and other common health problems experienced during pregnancy.

Towards the end of pregnancy many women find that there is plenty to do preparing for baby’s arrival but it is an important time for women to relax and enjoy the last weeks of carrying their baby. Massage provides a special time for the mother to be to unwind and helps her to focus on her body and her baby.

Massage is good for baby too. Research has shown that the unborn baby can be affected by the stress levels experienced by its mother. Massage has an indirect relaxing effect on the baby as the mother releases oxytoxcin and prolactin as a result of skin stimulation.

The massage is carried out with the woman in the comfortable side lying position, well supported by pillows. Aromatherapy oils will be used as desired.

Benefits of Reflexology in Pregnancy

• Provides a sense of well-being and helps prevent problems from starting.
• Reduces swelling in feet and ankles
• Relieves tired, aching feet
• Improves sleep quality
• Aids digestion
• Creates a sense of well-being for the foetus
• The mother feels supported mentally, physically and emotionally throughout pregnancy.
• Reflexology during labour can intensify contractions and shortens labour as a result.

 COST: A reflexology treatment takes one hour and costs £35

A course of four weekly treatments costs £120

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Margaret Silander can facilitate a more natural childbirth, using the Hypnobirth method, devised by Fertility2Birth. This is a three session programme for you and your birth partner (or you can do it on your own) which includes information about pregnancy and birth, and techniques of relaxation and hypnosis designed to allow you to be in control of your baby’s birth.  Clinical research has shown that confident, relaxed and positive mothers have better birth outcomes

Females commonly fear giving birth from an early age and males often have very little idea of what will happen at the delivery of their baby. It is also the case that the birthing partner has very little input at the birth and often feels quite useless.  The HypnoBirth programme aims to remove all of the fears associated with birth and turn the feelings into enthusiastic anticipation.

You will receive all course material, which includes an abundance of things for the birthing partner to do prior to the birth and during labour. This does not mean that the birthing partner has to participate; if you choose to use the HypnoBirth program on your own this is also fine. Margaret provides you with two CDs that can be used daily and many other special tricks that you can use alone

It is amazing how our brain and body can work naturally. Due to evolution and because we are so clever we have forgotten how to use our brain the way animals do. Did you know that if an animal senses danger it can stop its labour? It will move to a safer place and start the labour again.

Amazingly it is the same process, known as the ‘fight or flight’ response that causes humans to have prolonged labours that may result in medical intervention. The only difference is we are not in danger so there is no need for us to go into this natural response.

We do it unknowingly. We no longer need this natural response in the same way animals do. We have lost the ability to control our body’s natural responses. In fact many of us do not even know these responses exist let alone how to stop them.

Massage After Birth

Postpartum massage is designed to help restore your body to its pre-pregnancy condition and to address the stress of carrying and caring for a newborn. In the postpartum period, you may suffer from fatigue, soreness from overused birthing muscles, and may be in need of attention and pampering. Massage can help with both the physical and psychological recuperation process. Just some of the benefits of postpartum massage include:

Help in returning the body to the pre-pregnancy state;

Assists in restoring the abdominal muscle wall;

Realigns the body to reflect nonpregnant weight distribution;

Reduces and alleviates muscle tension and stress associated with mothering tasks;

Provides emotional support;

Aids in the recovery of Cesarean delivery

Reflexology

In the postnatal period Reflexology can help balance the hormones, to ease discomfort in the vaginal and rectal areas, to relieve gorged breasts and encourage milk supply as well as helping with any postnatal depression.

Menopause

Menopause means the last menstrual period. Ovaries naturally fail to produce oestrogen and progesterone when they have few remaining egg cells. Periods stop because the low levels of oestrogen and progesterone do not stimulate the lining of the womb (endometrium) in the normal cycle.