Author: Steamy Chick
Published: February 16, 2017

More and more women who are having difficulty getting pregnant are diagnosed by their doctors with “unexplained infertility.” The vast majority of women with such a diagnosis tend to have something I call old residue buildup in their uterus–a factor that gynecologists don’t screen for but which can be the main reason preventing conception.

Let’s take a closer look at the problem with old residue.

Once a month, the uterus is supposed to clean it’s contents out during the period. Specifically, the uterus sheds its mucus lining (or endometrium). Blood is used as the agent to flush out these contents.

If the period cleanse functions as planned, the uterine walls remain clean and healthy. If the period cleanse doesn’t function as planned (which commonly happens if the blood circulation is too low to properly flush out the uterus) then the uterine contents may not shed entirely and can get stuck. The blood that’s supposed to flush them out often gets stuck in the uterus as well. This buildup is what I refer to as old residue–it’s stuff that was supposed to clean out on it’s own but didn’t.

Old residue is easy to identify if you know what to look for.

Signs of old residue include:

1. Brown or black menses at the start of the period.

This means that there was old blood in there from last month.

2. Brown or black menses at the end of the period.

This means that there is old blood that didn’t clear all the way out during this period.

3. Brown or black spotting that occurs mid-cycle.

This is another sign that old blood that didn’t clear all the way out during the last period.

4. Blood clots in the menstruation.

This is a sign that the circulation is too slow and the blood is congealing and possibly getting stuck in the uterus.

5. Menstrual Cramps

This is a sign that something is stuck in the uterus and the uterus is trying to help push it out by contracting.

6. Ovulation (or other mid-cycle cramping)

This is also a sign that something is stuck in the uterus and the uterus is contracting to help it move.

7. Fibroids.

This is a sign that the uterine lining (which is mucus) has been building up over time into a congealed mass of phlegm.

8. Endometriosis and Adenometriosis

This occurs when the uterine lining starts growing in the wrong place in the body (i.e. the outside of the uterus, the lungs) which can cause painful periods and other symptoms. Because these cases always present themselves when there is a lot of old residue buildup in the uterus, my theory is that the uterine lining starts growing elsewhere.

9. Heavy bleeding (when accompanied with other signs of old residue)

Remember that menstrual blood occurs in order to clean the uterus out? When there is old residue in the uterus the body might send additional blood to try to flood the old residue out. This is often accompanied with large clots. I refer to this as flood-bleeding.

10. Missing periods that were accompanied with brown or black menses before they went away.

This is a sign that the uterus may have become so packed with old residue that the blood can no longer get into the uterus.

11. Blocked Fallopian tubes

One reason this occurs is when the uterus is packed with old residue that starts to back up into the fallopian tubes creating blockages.

12. Long Menstrual Cycles (31 Days or Longer)

The menstrual cycle is supposed to last 28, 29 or 30 days before the period returns. The length naturally fluctuates every month to mirror the moon cycle which is the same length of time. Once the cycle gets to day 31 it is a sign that the period is late. It may be late because the uterus is packed and the blood is trying to break through or, alternatively, because there isn’t enough circulation to send blood down to the uterus to initiate the period.

If someone has any or all of the above signs of old residue it can interfere with conception in several ways.

A. The follicle might get fertilized but not be able to implant in the uterine walls due to old residue hanging out on the uterine walls where the follicle needs to implant. If old residue uterine wall buildup is preventing proper implantation conception will be impossible (even through IVF) until the old residue is cleared off the uterine walls.

B. When there is old residue in the uterus it can cause long menstrual cycles or missing periods. In both these situations the ovulation timing becomes difficult to predict the right time for insemination and sometimes the ovulation stops altogether.

C. If the old residue is so backed up that it’s filling up the entire uterine cavity neither the follicle or sperm have much room to travel into the uterus and fertilize if they can even get into the uterus at all.

As long as there is old residue in the uterus common reproductive approaches and technologies will not work. All reproductive medical approaches focus on bringing together the follicle and the sperm or enhancing them. Even if the sperm and follicle meet and fertilize an embryo has a small chance of implanting in the uterine wall without problems arising if there is old residue buildup. Even more tragic is when the embryo implants but later the pregnancy fails.

The best chances of conceiving naturally or with reproductive assistance is to work on cleaning all old residue out of the uterus first. Once the uterus is entirely clean–4 days of fresh red menses without any cramps, brown blood or clots–the uterine walls and fallopian tubes are clear and ready for both fertilization and implantation.

This is where vaginal steaming shines. Steaming increases blood circulation and warmth to the uterus and loosens up old residue for a more efficient period cleanse. Addressing old residue using steaming is most effective when tailored to meet the needs of the individual client but will commonly involve 6-10 steam sessions per month for 3-6 cycles in a row. Usually, the first month the client will see an increase in old residue coming out during the period. The second month there is usually less old stuff that comes out. And somewhere between the third to sixth month the period is usually clean with only fresh red blood.

And the results? Successful pregnancies.

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About the Author

Keli Garza has a Masters degree in International Development graduating cum laude. She is the owner of Steamy Chick and the founder of the Peristeam Hydrotherapy Institute.