Fertility Massage & Womb Therapy in Utrecht
Gentle, complementary support for your fertility journey. With or without medical treatment
Whether you’re just starting to try for a baby, have been trying for some time, or are preparing for or undergoing IVF, ICSI or IUI: every session is tailored to where you are right now. Sessions are held in English, alongside your fertility specialist, gynaecologist or midwife.
At a glance
- Carefully timed sessions around IVF, ICSI and IUI
- Also suitable for natural conception, cycle recovery, PCOS or endometriosis
- Evidence-informed where evidence exists, honest about what’s still evolving
On this page
Personalised support during IVF, ICSI & IUI
Gentle, complementary care alongside fertility treatment
Medical fertility treatments such as IVF and ICSI are highly advanced procedures that place considerable demands on both the endocrine and nervous systems.
Integrative fertility massage can be woven in as a complementary layer at different stages of your treatment, including:
- During the preparation cycle before ovarian stimulation
- One to two days before egg retrieval
- Around embryo transfer
- During the luteal phase before implantation
- Between treatment cycles, to support recovery
If you’re undergoing IUI rather than IVF or ICSI, sessions can be carefully timed throughout your cycle instead.
Depending on your needs, sessions may draw on fertility reflexology, womb therapy, moxibustion and other complementary techniques, always adapted to your medical protocol and cycle timing.
Every session is coordinated with your medical care and is never intended to replace it.
This is for women who want to prepare their bodies for IVF, ICSI or IUI while supporting their wellbeing through gentle, evidence-informed care.
Book your fertility consultationIf you’ve been trying to conceive for some time, or would like broader support before starting fertility treatment, a longer preconception programme such as A Soft Start may be a better fit — it gives us the space to work with nutrition, lifestyle, nervous system regulation and cycle health over several months before treatment begins.
Natural Support for PCOS & Cycle Irregularities
Specialised guidance for irregular cycles and ovulation
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) can affect ovulation, cycle regularity and hormonal rhythm. Medical care remains a central part of treatment; complementary support works alongside it, not instead of it.
Together, we look at how stress, metabolism, nervous system support and your menstrual cycle interact, explained clearly, without unnecessary medical jargon.
This may be relevant if you experience:
- Irregular menstrual cycles
- Absent or infrequent ovulation
- PCOS while trying to conceive
- Hormonal shifts affecting fertility
Each session is shaped around your individual situation rather than a fixed sequence of steps.
Book your first consultation for PCOS supportIf you’ve been trying to conceive for a longer stretch, the A Soft Start Preconception Programme may offer more comprehensive support through personalised nutrition, lifestyle coaching and fertility-focused sessions over several months.
Restoring Your Cycle & Hormonal Rhythm
Specialised support for irregular periods, hormonal imbalances, and cycle recovery.
Your menstrual cycle is one of your body’s most important vital signs. Changes in cycle length, missing periods or ongoing irregularities are often your body telling you something about stress, hormonal shifts or low energy availability.
My approach focuses on supporting your body’s own rhythms through nervous system support, pelvic circulation, fertility reflexology and personalised cycle awareness.
Rather than a one-size-fits-all approach, every session is adapted to your history and symptoms.
This may be relevant if you experience:
- Irregular periods
- Missing periods (hypothalamic amenorrhoea or post-pill amenorrhoea)
- Very short or very long cycles
- Recovery after hormonal contraception
Because follicles begin developing around three months before ovulation, restoring cycle health takes time. For most women, I recommend working together for at least three to six months to give the body room to respond.
Post-Loss Support: Healing after Miscarriage
Gently reclaiming your body and heart.
A miscarriage or pregnancy loss is a profound experience that affects both your body and your emotional well-being. In the rush of medical follow-ups, the need for physical healing and emotional integration is often overlooked.
My specialized Post-Loss Care provides a safe, nurturing space to:
- Physically Recover: Gentle abdominal and reflexology work to support your womb’s healing and hormonal realignment.
- Regulate your Nervous System: Moving out of ‘survival mode’ or shock and back into a state of safety.
- Emotional Integration: Acknowledging your loss and preparing your body (when you are ready) for a future pregnancy.
Whether your loss was recent or some time ago, this care is about honouring your journey and giving your body the soft landing it deserves.
Natural Support for Endometriosis
Complementary guidance for painful periods, chronic pelvic tension, and inflammation support.
Endometriosis often involves chronic pelvic tension, inflammation and an overactive stress response, all of which can affect wellbeing and, for some women, fertility.
Complementary therapy cannot treat endometriosis itself, but it may help support pelvic circulation, body awareness and nervous system regulation alongside your medical care.
Sessions are always adapted to your symptoms, your medical treatment and your personal goals.
This support may help if you:
- Live with endometriosis
- Experience painful periods or chronic pelvic tension
- Are trying to conceive alongside an endometriosis diagnosis
- Would like gentle, body-based support alongside conventional treatment
This specialised support can be booked as individual sessions or integrated into a longer-term journey for deeper structural relief.
What Is Fertility Massage and What Isn’t?
Many practitioners use the term “fertility massage” for general massage techniques aimed at supporting fertility. My approach is something else.
At Natural Waves, fertility massage sits within a broader, integrative approach to women’s health. It brings together fertility reflexology, bodywork, womb therapy, nervous system support and personalised lifestyle guidance into one tailored process.
Inspired by the work of Belgian fertility reflexologist Greetje Van Den Eede, each session is adapted to your body, your cycle, and where you are in your fertility journey.
Rather than a fixed protocol, treatment works more like a living compass: it adjusts as your cycle gives us new information. Your body isn’t a problem to fix; it’s a source of information, not a fixed identity to diagnose.
My work is evidence-informed where evidence exists, and transparent about what research is still evolving.
An Individualised Approach
There’s no such thing as a standard fertility massage.
Every woman arrives with a different story, medical history and body. Some benefit from a small number of carefully timed sessions around IVF or embryo transfer. Others need longer-term support to help regulate their cycle, prepare for pregnancy, or recover after hormonal contraception or pregnancy loss.
Together, we shape a process around what you actually need, not a predetermined sequence of techniques.
Womb Therapy in Utrecht
The pelvis is far more than a collection of reproductive organs. It’s richly supplied with muscles, connective tissue, blood vessels and nerves: an area where physical tension, emotional stress and protective patterns often gather.
This can be especially relevant after pregnancy loss, during fertility treatment, or when living with chronic pelvic conditions such as endometriosis.
When it fits, sessions may include gentle, therapeutic work on the abdomen and pelvic area , often called womb therapy. This is never routine; it’s only included when it fits your process, and when you feel ready for it.
The intention isn’t to “fix” the uterus. It’s to support the body as a whole, through gentle, respectful, body-based work.
How can fertility massage support fertility?
While this work does not replace medical care, it can offer meaningful support by:
- Improved blood circulation: stimulates blood flow to the uterus and ovaries, which enhances the supply of nutrients and oxygen.
- Relaxation and stress reduction: supports to release tension in the pelvis and abdomen, which can have a positive effect on hormone balance and fertility.
- Hormonal balance: supports natural processes such as ovulation and the menstrual cycle through relaxation and improved circulation.
- Support during medical treatments: can be used as a complementary approach alongside IVF, ICSI or other fertility support.
- Energetic balance: helps release blockages and stimulates the flow of energy in the reproductive system.
Through these combined effects, holistic fertility massage may support creating the best possible conditions for conception, whether through natural conception or as part of a medical treatment programme.
“After 8 IVF transfers, I became pregnant…”
My partner and I went through an ICSI treatment programme for 18 months. By the time I came to see Marise, we’d already had 8 embryo transfers, involving a total of 14 embryos. I had three sessions with Marise, just before our 9th transfer. I particularly appreciated how the sessions allowed me to completely unwind. You don’t have to do anything at all and you get the feeling that you’re ‘doing something good’ by improving blood flow to the area around the uterus, amongst other things. The result of our last transfer was that I’m pregnant! This was our final attempt, so it really was a miracle. Naturally, we’re absolutely delighted and I would recommend these treatments to everyone. — Vera
Are you considering support with your plans to have a baby?
During an initial consultation, we will carefully assess where you are in your cycle and treatment journey, and together we will determine what type of support is best suited to your plans to have a baby.
Specific sessions or an in-depth couples’ journey?
The holistic fertility support can:
- These sessions are used at specific stages and points within standard fertility programmes, such as during egg retrieval or embryo transfer, or to support cycle recovery or in preparation for a medical fertility programme.
- Or as part of the ‘A Soft Start’ preconception programme for couples, a programme that also covers nutrition, lifestyle and mindset in detail.
→ Reserve your initial consultation
→ Dive into the 90-day preconception programme ‘A Soft Start’
A Soft Start: Your 90-Day Conscious Conception Journey
True fertility support goes beyond a single session.
A 3-month programme to prepare for conception with care, clarity and intention.
Fertility is a shared process. This journey supports both partners, integrating body-based work with lifestyle, nutrition and mental preparation.
What to expect:
- Personalised sessions
- Guidance in lifestyle and nutrition
- Support through masterclasses, meditations and a home kit
For whom
For couples who wish to begin parenthood from a place of balance and connection.
Specialised Care for Specific Needs
Which Path is Right for You?
When navigating your fertility journey, you can choose between two forms of support: targeted, personal guidance for specific situations or our deep-dive 90-day couple’s program.
| Feature | Individual Care (1:1) | A Soft Start (90-Day Journey) |
|---|---|---|
| Approach | Focused on the individual | ✅ Duo-start + Individual guidance |
| Preconception Home Kit | Available separately (€145) | ✅ Included as a welcome gift |
| Nutritional Advice | General tips | ✅ 2x Personal plans based on your diary |
| Partner Sessions | None | ✅ 2x Specific balancing sessions for him |
| Women’s Sessions | Targeted interventions | ✅ 6x Deep holistic & therapeutic sessions |
| Community & Learning | Independent | ✅ 2x 3-hour Group Live Masterclasses |
| Mindset Support | None | ✅ Exclusive Meditation audio material |
| Priority Support | None | ✅ Priority Email & Messaging support |
| Total Value | – | € 1.860,- |
| Investment | € 125,- per session | Package Price: € 1.500,- |
Not sure which one to choose?
We’ll look at where you are right now and what is most helpful for your current phase. 🌿 You don’t have to figure it out alone.
Practice Information & Insurance
📍 Utrecht, close to the central station and station Vaartsche Rijn, well reachable by public transport and bike.
⏱ 60–75 minutes per session
📄 Reimbursement may be available through supplementary insurance under “Alternative Medicine”.
For current rates and details of any reimbursements, please refer to the pricing page on the website.
New to Dutch Fertility Care?
If you’re navigating this from abroad, a few things are worth knowing.
In the Netherlands, the verloskundige (midwife) is usually your primary point of contact for pregnancy and maternity care: a different model than in many other countries, where a GP or obstetrician typically leads. I work alongside your verloskundige, gynaecologist or fertility specialist, whichever applies to your situation.
Many of the women I support are doing this without their usual network of family or close friends nearby, and without the language they grew up with. Sessions are held in English throughout.
Complementary care like this is often partially reimbursed through Dutch supplementary insurance (aanvullende verzekering), worth checking with your provider before we start.
If you feel this approach resonates, you are welcome to book an intake or reach out with any questions.
Holistic fertility massages do not guarantee pregnancy. They help the body create the best possible conditions for fertility.
FAQ about Fertility & Womb Therapy in the Netherlands
Targeted 1:1 care is designed for specific needs, such as support during specific stages of an IVF or ICSI cycle. We work goal-oriented on regulation and support for that particular moment. The A Soft Start journey is a comprehensive, multi-month program focused on broad hormonal optimisation and deep preparation for pregnancy for both partners.
Yes. My support is strictly complementary and carefully aligned with your medical protocol. We focus on stress reduction, improving pelvic blood flow, and nervous system regulation without interfering with the medical process.
Absolutely. For PCOS or irregular menstruation, we focus on cycle regulation, stress balance, and hormonal support. We look at your cycle rhythm and potential disruptors such as chronic stress or insulin sensitivity.
Yes. Whether your cycle is too short, too long, or fluctuating after “coming off the pill,” we support the restoration of hormonal balance and nervous system regulation to help your cycle stabilise.
Yes. Support focuses on your specific symptoms, such as reducing abdominal tension, supporting healthy circulation, and calming the stress response. This is always complementary to any medical treatments you may be receiving.
This varies per person. During an intake, we determine the duration and frequency that fits your situation. Personalised care means the sessions are timed according to your body’s needs and your specific cycle phase.
During a discovery call, we explore your history, any ongoing medical treatments, and your goals. Based on that, we decide whether targeted 1:1 sessions are sufficient or if a deep-dive program like A Soft Start would be more beneficial.
To support implantation, it’s crucial to accurately track your fertile window and bring your body into optimal balance. In my Utrecht practice, we map your cycle and plan sessions around ovulation and the early luteal phase. In the A Soft Start program, this is a core focus, including reflection on timing that many couples—despite using apps—often miss.
Data collected by the Association of Reproductive Reflexologists in the UK shows that a significant majority of women tracked in their data became pregnant during their treatment course, with an average of 11 sessions. While these figures are inspiring, they are based on clinical observations and do not guarantee a pregnancy.
In about 30% of cases where couples struggle to conceive, the factor lies with the male partner. It is highly effective to receive body-based work as a couple. My holistic approach can positively support sperm quality. If both you and your partner wish to receive sessions, we can arrange this during the intake.
Most sessions are (partially) covered by Dutch supplementary health insurance under ‘Alternative Medicine. Also, international insurance may cover parts of the costs. See the pricing page for more details.