1.24.2012

1st Saturday Women's Fertility Groups

Welcome!  You've come to the right place for more information on the 1st Saturday group fertility retreats. Below is the general information as well as a list of upcoming topics. I hope you will join us!


What: Group fertility support and acupuncture treatments with top twin cities fertility acupuncturist and experienced speaker Nicole Lange Lic.Ac.
When: The FIRST Saturday of each month 9am - 11:30am
Where: Carondalet Center St. Paul (1890 Randolph Ave.)
Why: To provide community, support, and acupuncture for women struggling with 
all stages and aspects of fertility challenges (ALL are welcome!)
Cost: $35 per participant per session
Other Details: Each session will include a holistic fertility discussion/support topic, self care lesson (journalling, movement, acupressure, guided visualization, self massage, etc.) as well as a retreat style acupuncture or acupressure treatment (your choice). 

Please pre-register at nicole@lifehealinglife.com  at least 2 days in advance as space is limited.  

Bring blanket/yoga mat, pillow(s) and wear comfortable clothing (you will be on the floor or seated on a chair for treatment - your choice). Feel free to bring snacks, morning coffee or tea, etc.

LHL patients and non-patients are equally welcome! 

For more info on Nicole & her practice see lifehealinglife.com

2012 Topics:
January: Gratitude & Abundance in our daily lives
February: Mindfulness for ruminating minds
March: Feeling like a Failure - the shame of feeling so bad
April: Hard to tell a story when you don't know the end (talking to others about fertility struggles)
May: S-E-X & Intimacy from Natural conception to Adoption & IVF - Why it matters
June: Transformations through the journey of infertility
More TBD...

Life Healing Life Acupuncture for Women’s Health & Fertility  telephone: 612.423.9986 

1.09.2012

Being a bell

This lovely blog post was sent to me by a dear friend who said it made her think of me.  I am so grateful and touched more than I can say by this as I found the piece moving and completely in line with the way I think of the world. It is about being a human not a patient, it is about being a compassionate healer not a practitioner, it is ultimately about being present to and for others. This is where my clinic name comes from... I come to each interaction with the intention and belief that what I do is so much more than a practitioner and a patient.  It is truly Life Healing Life!

http://www.37days.com/2009/10/stepping-stone-sunday-be-someones-silver-bell.html

12.23.2011

February Acupuncture Retreat

Below is a preview of February's focus for the mini acupuncture retreat I'm leading :)  Thanks for reading & sharing where you see fit! - Nicole Lange Lic. Ac. MAOM Life Healing Life Acupuncture Clinic
“Feelings come and go like clouds in a windy sky.” -Thich Nhat Hanh
Have you ever thought: There is no WAY I could ever meditate, my mind is too busy, crazy, active and wild. I only feel like I’m failing when I try to meditate. I feel frustrated just thinking about it!...  Many people imagine meditation as sitting completely still with one’s mind clear from thoughts. but the February retreat will prove that this is simply not true! 
The February 4th Life Healing Life support group & acupuncture retreat will offer a good ‘ole Minnesotan smorgasbord of meditation options, from moving, walking, eating, cooking and cleaning, to body & breath awareness and quieting the mind.  In addition to receiving acupuncture, you will spend time trying several of the many many options out there and will discover which work best for YOU & how to incorporate them into your daily life to reduce stress, promote fertility and feel more focused, balanced and calm.
I hope you will join me, share your experience, feel support and community, and take some time to nourish your body, mind and spirit!  It is a great way to start your weekend.
Space is limited, please email Nicole (nicole@lifehealinglife.com) to reserve your space by Noon on Friday, February 3rd. 
There is still room for the January 7th retreat on practicing gratitude, email if you’d like to attend 
Wear comfortable clothes and bring a blanket and/or yoga mat and pillow as well as a journal if you wish (not required).  ALL stages of the journey are welcome.  TTC naturally, with ART, 3rd party, adopting, unsure what your next step is... acupuncture pro or newbie... you will be supported and at home here!
Details: First Saturday of each month (February 4th) 9-11:30am @ Carondelet Center 1890 Randolph Ave. Cost $35 per person or $25 each if you bring a fertility friend (Hey, and why not go out to lunch after class!?) Feel free to bring your morning coffee, tea, snacks, etc.  Be sure to eat something before receiving acupuncture!  

9.01.2010

Testimonials, Success Rates, Etc.

I want to take the time to share my very personal views on testimonials and the overt use of success rates, etc. on websites, blogs, etc. specifically when it comes to fertility.

While I by no means want to put down anyone who makes the choice to feature these things, I want to be clear in why I do not...

I work very hard in my life, in my practice and in my interactions with the women I work with to stress the importance of holistic balance, living right now, not putting their life on hold, not looking for a magic bullet, and not thinking more is better.  In short, I try to get to a place with each and every woman where she feels as in balance and in the moment as possible, pregnant or not, and then trust that fertility will come from that place of moderation, mindfulness and balance.  This is not to say a woman should or even needs to get to some place of complete peace or zen and let go of her desire to have a child... quite the opposite in fact, infertility is hard and it is unrealistic to expect a woman not to care deeply when it is perhaps her deepest desire and the most personal struggle she has ever faced... it is just to say there is some balance and moderation within this very charged and difficult place. And there is support.

To put testimonials on my website or a big success rate in bold print on my blog seems, to me, to be in direct conflict with these goals.  I don't want someone reading my blog and saying, "well if Jane Doe with an FSH of 35 got pregnant with Nicole's amazing needles and three months of Chinese Herbs... sign me up!"  Nor do I want someone to say, "Wow, a success rate of X%... I like those odds, I'm going to take my chance and hope I'm in there too!"

What I do want is women want to see me because they...

Feel like they are ready to start feeling better right now instead of feeling worse and worse with each passing month or failed cycle...
Feel like what they've been doing doesn't feel right want to honor that and make a change to something that does...
Feel like they are ready to get back to the life they put on the back burner while they were ttc... back to enjoying life, their partner, the things they have put off and then grow their family from a renewed & balanced place...
Feel like taking care of themselves is appealing...
Feel like they want to be proactive and listen to what their body is telling them instead of trying to override it...
Feel like feeling rotten isn't fertility promoting and I don't want to feel rotten anymore...
Feel like they want to go to the root of their concerns and be proactive and empowered...

I want people to see me for THESE reasons.  I want their decision to come from where they are and what they feel on their own, not with the enticements of a success rate or wanting to be someone else from a testimonial.

And so I do not publish these things.  I do however, when appropriate, share stories of hope, success, and triumphs one-on-one, when I feel they serve a greater purpose more individually and specifically.

Beyond initial motivation, using these things also seems to me to have the potential to be hurtful in the long run.  The fact of the matter is that no matter how high a success rate is (unless it's 100% and believe you me, when I get to that I'll post it everywhere!) or how many happy testimonials of, "bliss with our baby we might never otherwise have had."  There are going to be some women who do not become pregnant.  And the truth is these women might be a success in a WAY different way than they initially imagined or hoped.  Perhaps they are blissfully happy with their newly adopted child, perhaps they move to other third party options they never thought they'd accept and have their child only then, perhaps they come to some closure and decide to live child free or with only one child (in the case of secondary infertility), and these are just the three most obvious examples of what I would argue really are successes.  But these aren't the stories in success rates and testimonials. And those women and families might feel like they didn't succeed or have a success story, even when they might actually have some of the sweetest, most amazing, beautiful stories of all.  And I do not want to contribute to that perception.

So, if you are scouring my website for moving testimonials or amazing success rates and questioning why you aren't finding them, I hope you will also come across this explanation.  And I hope it will make you take pause and think about what you are really looking for. If I still feel like a good fit, it will be an honor to work with you and I know we will do some amazing work together!

Nicole

8.31.2010

Practitioners & Providers

I recently sent out an email to past & present patients asking for their feedback on the practitioners or providers they love... or like a lot!  I specifically asked for those who were open-minded and supportive of a more holistic view.  I hope this list will grow and grow and welcome your feedback!

All quotes are taken directly from feedback I received from patients....

OBGYN/MIDWIVES
Dr. Andrea Flom (Haugen Associates in Edina): "very nice, woman.  Good for general OBGYN.  Not aggressive in telling you what to do / not to do."
Dr. Jennifer Ramsey (Fairview-Riverside Women's Clinic) Midwife "Did an awesome intake and is a big fan of holistic/alternative medicine."
HCMC Midwives - The WHOLE group :) "An awesome group of women dedicated to great births.  This group also does group prenatal care "centering groups" which is a wonderful way to connect and feel supported throughout a pregnancy."
Dr. Mainguy (Women's Health Specialists in Minneapolis) "I've enjoyed all the practitioners in this group.  They really know their stuff especially when it comes to 'high risk' pregnancies."
Dr. Judith Stark (southdale Obstetrics & Gynecology Consultants) Mpls St. Paul Magazine and MN Monthly top doc.  Very open-minded!

GENERAL PRACTITIONERS
Dr. Mirtha Nesheim (HCMC South) "She has a more global view of Western medicine which translates to being an amazing practitioner.... she listens, explains, never talks down, is thoughtful in her approach, knows her stuff, but isn't quick to push intervention or medication when there are equally effective and less risky alternatives."
Dr. Mary Cady (Allina in W. St. Paul) a GP who specializes in OB & peds She is very open minded about holistic healing, "I believe she goes to an acupuncturist herself and always has holistic/herbal ways to treat things other than antibiotics and other meds."
Dr. Brett Adams (Highland Park Fairview) "Respects my opinion about my own health, always takes more than enough time to answer all of my questions, talk about diagnosis, etc."
Dr. Kevin Kelly (Riverside Family Physicians) "more than your average doctor he prescribed me an autobiographic book - after I came to him with questions about breast cancer."

PEDIATRICIANS
Dr. Susan Goodale (Central Pediatrics) A mother of 4 daughters herself, she is open minded "She will give you both the Mom answer and the doctor answer!"
Dr. Sonja Hinrichs (Southdale Pediatric Associates) "The mother of twins who strives to find the best balance for her own family, life and career, she is definitely passionate about helping other parents (especially of multiples!)"

PERINATOLOGIST
MN Perinatal Specialist:
Should you make the difficult decision to have an amnio:
Dr. Bendel @ MN Perinatal Specialist is very experienced, has done thousands and in his semi-retired state it is almost exclusively what he does!


HOLISTIC HEALERS
acupuncture
Lindsay Long (maple grove)  Has a passion for musculoskeletal concerns... aches, pains, injuries and the like!  "If you're in pain, Lindsey can work wonders!"
Sarah Larson (Langford Chiropractic St. Paul) for personal injury, auto accident, workers compensation injuries, Sarah can be seen alone or as part of a team (acupuncture, chiro, massage and more) she is "a caring and compassionate practitioner who always makes my day a little brighter, Sarah is just one of those people who is a joy to be around."
Amy Theis (Heal OM Minneapolis, MN) Amy has worked closely with me (Nicole) and cared for my patients while I was on my own maternity leave.  She is an amazing person, skilled practitioner and is the very best resource in the twin cities when it comes to her two areas of extra interest: GLBT reproductive and fertility concerns and choice moms
Senia Tuominen (Healing Insight St. Paul) If you like the education, patient focussed care of Life Healing Life but are not trying to conceive or pregnant Senia is a wonderful resource.  With a special interest in digestive concerns and food therapy. "Senia has so much knowledge, drive and passion for the work she does."

bodywork
Chandler Yorkhall (Minneapolis Massage) Pediatric and adult body work, shiatsu, qigong teacher
Liv Sulerud (Bodywork by Liv in S. Mpls) A great general massage therapist with a lovely space and training and experience in pregnancy massage
Autumn Compton (Riverpath Clinic in Longfellow neighborhood of Mpls) Tui Na (chinese massage) Shiatsu (Japanese massage) therapist, with training and experience in pre and perinatal massage, also an artist, dancer and qigong enthusiast.
Spark Clinic A HOLISTIC walk-in clinic!!!  What a concept!  For all your acute needs... think colds, earaches, bumps bruises, and much much more.  You can get homeopathic remedies, acupuncture, bodywork and much more.  Now offering tai chi classes too!
Adagio Massage & Mayan Abdominal Massage An amazing resource for body work that can scope from completely blissful pregnancy massage to specific work to realign the reproductive organs for improved fertility, better periods and more.  A very talented group of practitioners that each brings something unique and wonderful to each experience.

chiropractors
Stacy Meschbesher (Meshbesher Chiropractic Center, Minneapolis) Located in the same building as Life Healing Life, "Stacy is all of the best things a chiropractor could be, helpful, effective, knowledgible, skilled and none of the things that give chiropractic care a bad name, sales-y, pushy, aggressive. After having some pretty rotten chiropractic run ins she made me see it isn't always that way!"
Virginia Kampmeier (Langford Chiropractic St. Paul) "works with each patient individually and definitely doesn't just do a one size fits all approach."

YOGA
Jennifer Colletti With a passion for supporting and improving fertility through holism and yoga, Jen has a passion and drive to make the world a better place! "Her enthusiasm is contagious and her energy amazing."
Blooma Now with TWO amazing locations, Blooma is the twin cities most thriving pre and perinatal yoga studio.  With classes, massage, merchandise, and more... not to mention a mission to bring safer births to other parts of the world.

BIRTH/BREASTFEEDING
Sara Pierce pregnancy/birthing classes (Amma Maternity) "Teaches three classes, one for each trimester... she's a former labor/delivery nurse, a certified lactation consultant and has had 3 vastly different birth exeriences herself ranging from completely blissful... to bedrest/emergency surgery/12 week NICU stay."

WESTERN SPECIALISTS
breast health:
Dr. Madeline Gartner (Breast HealthCare in Plymouth & Edina) Breast Health expert and surgeon
endocrinologist:
Dr. Rebecca Mattison "A total big picture gal and one of only four female endos in the midwest!!?"

PSYCH PRACTITIONERS
Ivonne Nelson PsyD (Enliiven in Hopkins) "She's incredibly intuitive and uses holistic Ayurvedic medicine to provide lifestyle support for her patients... more than just a talk therapist."
Kristin Schreier (A Better You Hypnotherapy) "Great for deep-seeded issues, weight loss, and smoking cessation."
Jeanette Truchsess  Jeanette is a woman with a passion for assisting people in building families. She teaches Alice Domar’s Mind//Body Program for Fertility and helps the classes build community. She loves teaching clients meditation and supporting people to cope with the grief and roller coaster of emotions along the journey to parenthood. She is the consultant for CRM’s donor program and is starting a Resolve Donor Family Support Group soon..
Krista Post (St. Louis Park) "primarily sees women perinatally... and mostly postpartum as changes (or conflicts) in identity, work-family, marriage/relationship occur. She uses a collaborative approach, engages each woman's own intuition and body experience to help name what is true or right for her, and build toward that." Krista also plays an active role in the third party fertility community around the Twin Cities, and is a great resource for those thinking about third party fertility options.
The Staff at the Center for Grief Loss and Transition (St. Paul) Sometimes grief, loss and transition is obvious, sometimes it is the subtle kind such as with fertility struggles the practitioners at this center are wonderful wonderful resources for dealing with both (and anything in between), compassionate, understanding, and not focused on medications.  "They understand that many of the intense emotions are situational and valid, not something to be medicated away, but to be unfolded and worked through."

A Note:  "But Why NO reproductive endocrinologists?" Fertility work being my area of expertise, I feel that I have a lot of much more in depth knowledge as to the styles, personalities, preferences, etc. of the reproductive endocrinologists in the twin cities (and some elsewhere too).  Where I do not have a handy knowledge base of many of the above categories (with the exception of the more "alternative" folks).  If you are interested in learning more about REs, I welcome direct communications as I feel like I can give more nuanced and custom suggestions once I know what each woman is looking for. I get feedback from my patients all the time and am happy to share their feedback!