Fertility Path: How Chinese Medicine Enhances Fertility

Women’s Fertility

At the heart of our lives, especially conception and fertility is our connection to life, our deepest knowing of ourselves and our experience.

Welcome to Your Path of Fertility and Wellbeing

For more than 20 years, fertility, pregnancy, childbirth and parenting has been a focus of my work and an ongoing passion. In preparing to become mother you want an approach that supports and nourishes your innate fertility and extends that into all aspects of your daily life. My approach begins with a preconception program of establishing health and balance. Together we nourish and support health and balance through all stages of conception, pregnancy, and childbirth while working to resolve imbalances or issues that need to be addressed.

This integrative approach uses fertility acupuncture, herbal medicine, diet and nutrition, meditation, and mind body therapies to effectively treat and resolve many fertility imbalances while benefiting wellbeing and increasing fertility at the same time.

For centuries Chinese medicine has been aware of the unique, diverse patterns of balance and disharmony affecting women’s lives. In depth examination reveals what factors may be preventing you from becoming pregnant or sustaining a pregnancy. Regardless of the diagnoses you may have such as poor responder, high FSH, unexplained infertility, or frequent miscarriages, together we will find out why. And work to resolve the underlying conditions.

When working with IVF/IUI these principles are integrated with the procedures. This includes working with all stages of IVF, IUI, naturally assisted cycles and natural cycles. As part of your team I work together with you and your doctors (fertility specialists, Ob/ Gyn) to help guide you in your fertility path and support your choice of treatment options and care which best resonds to your needs and who you are.

I work with IVF doctors who are open and responsive to acupuncture, herbal medicine and meditation because of the effective outcomes.

Acupuncture and herbal medicine are both effective and safe in fertility treatments well as being compatible with IVF medications. The outcome is not only to get you pregnant but to help you have a healthy baby and a healthy life. A life that is vibrant, vital and engaged with meaning and purpose.

Examples of what conditions are treated:

PCOS
Endometriosis
Thin Lining
Luteal Phase issues
Fibroids
Miscarriage
Elevated FSH
Egg Quality
Male Infertility
Stress

At the heart of fertility and pregnancy is vibrant life, our deepest selves. Through healing imbalances while restoring your innate fertility we become balanced in body, mind and spirit. Able to become healthy parents.

Preparation

How Acupuncture and Chinese medicine Enhance fertility

Stimulates production of sperm
Regulates menstrual cycles
Regulate hormones by reducing stress
Regulate hormone by balancing the HPA
Regulates thyroid hormone
Improves ovarian function; encourages production of follicles; enhances their quality
Improves blood flow to ovaries and uterus
Reduces miscarriages
Enhances immune system
Lessens uterine contractions after embryo transfer
Improves thickness of uterine wall lining
Lessens side effects of medications
Improves sperm parameters (takes 3 mos.)
Improves quality of oocytes (takes 3 mos.)

Why Three Months?

“Everything in its’ own time. Not too much. Not too little”

— Circle and Bloom

When asked by eager patient’s “why do you strongly recommend 3 months?” I answer“because it follows the rhythms of nature which are responsible for determining the quality of both egg and sperm.” Three months of treatment, awareness, change in habits and restoration of your health increases likelihood of healthy conception.

Three months prior to the release of an egg your body selected a follicle to ripen to be ready when you decide to conceive. That follicle is influenced by everything that was happening inside and outside of you at the time. It’s important to understand that this environment changes. Chinese medicine understands that the body and mind of each woman is always adapting. If there are imbalances or obstacles it provides time and opportunity to allow the body restore its natural fertility.

It works! Whether natural or assisted cycle Turning Point Center is following a whole systems approach 3 month approach because research shows a 53% to 73% increase in pregnancies for both natural and assisted cycles.

Four factors most strongly affecting fertility:

Hormonal balance and regulation
Nutrition and diet
Navigating stress and emotional reactivity
Connection to your natural body mind spirit

Fertility Path
Preconception Program

Whether the first pregnancy or another new beginning, whether naturally enhancing your fertility or needing assistance set your heart’s and mind’s intention with a life affirming view which is inviting a new life to come

When preparing to become a mother,and starting a family are you seeking natural approaches that will strengthen and nourish your innate fertility, health and well being? Ones that are easily integrated into your daily life? A Turning Point Center is here to support and nourish your healthy conception your healthy pregnancy, and healthy child. I’m delighted to help and partner with you offering Chinese Medicine, acupuncture, nutritional recommendations, and contemplative practices that can help give strong support, restore balance to your system, and will help you help you change unhealthy habits and make lifestyle changes.

Many women who come to the clinic want to be as naturally healthy as possible before conceiving because healthy parents make healthy babies.

Others come in need of support to conceive. Whatever stage of conception: just starting to try or those coming after miscarriage, failed natural cycles or failed IVF I offer skill, experience and compassionate care.

Whether the first pregnancy or a another new beginning, I recommend a three month preconception plan ( shown to enhance your fertility see Why 3 months ?below) to get in the healthiest state possible for you to conceive. begin with a full health history and a comprehensive diagnosis, Together we create a unique treatment plan that reflects your needs and lifestyle. It is designed to nourish and increase your chances for healthy conception and pregnancy.

Treatment plans frequently include:

Acupuncture (Fertility)
Chinese herbal formulas
Counseling and advice for emotional concerns fears, reactivity emotions.
Creating an exercise plan or adjusting your plan.
Diet and nutrition assessment for your constitution and lifestyle needs
Hormonal balancing and regulation
Lifestyle changes, some simple as resting or taking breaks in your day.
Lifestyle changes regarding your sleep patterns and reducing reactivity to stressors
Learning/ discovering more about your body’s rhythm and timing for improving conceiving
Reducing toxic stress levels. Navigate the ordinary challenges. Meditation, Music Qi Gong contemplative practices help.
Adjusting or changing prescribed meds, OTC meds and cosmetics that frequently interfere with fertility.

This comprehensive assessment and diagnosis will be assisted by your own reflections and answers to questions of what is working for you and what isn’t in your body and lifestyle. Doing this gives you an opportunity to become aware of, recognize and understand your body’s signs and symptoms and natural rhythms: how they affect your constitution and your fertility. You’ll be able to focus on what is most relevant and important for your fertility

There are always options to enhance and nourish your fertility no matter what your needs or choices. For some women all they need is optimizing and balancing support.

Other women may encounter obstacles to conceiving related to imbalances in their systems which interfere with conception. This is challenging emotionally, physically and to the spirit. Feelings of worry, disappointment and other difficult emotions may arise. Support helps to work through these issues. I regularly offer individual sessions and suggest support groups as another healing tool

Chinese medicine is helpful in addressing these concerns. It has treated women’s imbalances for centuries. As a process medicine, it treats the underlying imbalance rather than the symptoms alone. Its’ view is that given the right resources and time the innate abilities of the body can be renewed and restored.

Regulation of hormonal systems, with acupuncture, Chinese medicine and herbs, nutrition, combined with meditative exercises become a foundation for addressing the underlying causes. Many clients’ experience has been that by taking time (several months ) to increase awareness of their cycles and rhythms; make lifestyle changes combined with regular treatments that their fertility is restored and their children are growing.

For other women, a helpful choice is to combine the best of Eastern and Western medicines in a more comprehensive program.

When working with assisted cycles acupuncture and Chinese medical treatments c integrate well with the procedures. This includes working with all the stages of IVF/IUI/Donor and natural cycles. I work with IVF doctors and gynecologists who are open and responsive to acupuncture, herbal medicine and meditation because of the effective outcomes.

Regardless of what choice you make, you’ll receive support and care throughout your procedures.