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IVF - FAQ
How can Traditional Chinese Medicine Address Fertility Imbalances and What Methods are Used?
Traditional Chinese medicine is based on the fundamental idea that every element of our body is interconnected, and in order to address a disturbance in this “ecosystem,” we must treat the entire system rather than just one part. The health of our reproductive system is based on this same concept; we are not made up of an isolated hormone or organ, but instead depend on dynamic systems to work in a balanced manner for health and fertility to occur. This system of medicine is focused on improving a couple’s overall health and balance, thereby increasing fertility in order for pregnancy to occur naturally. Treatments are based on identifying the underlying imbalances or blockages in the body that are causing the reproductive system to function incorrectly. These treatments include acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, diet and lifestyle changes, and mind-body relaxation methods.
What Types of Couples Use Traditional Chinese Medicine to Improve Fertility?
There are typically two different types of patients that
come to my office seeking acupuncture for fertility: those who are seeking
acupuncture and herbal medicine as their sole treatment method and those looking
to combine acupuncture with ART (Assisted Reproductive Technology) in order to
improve their odds of success.
These two groups can be further broken down into:
Couples who would like to use TCM (traditional Chinese medicine) as their primary means of getting pregnant:
- Those who have been trying to get pregnant for some time (1-2 years) but are not feeling ready to try techniques such as IVF (In Vitro Fertilization). Some of these couples become pregnant with the help of TCM and some move on to try ART.
- Couples who feel firmly about just using TCM as their sole treatment because of their philosophy or belief system about healing the body naturally.
- Couples who would like to work on a particular health issue (such as low sperm count, irregular periods, or chronic women’s health issues), before they seriously start trying to get pregnant.
- Patients for whom IUI/IVF has failed or is not appropriate.
Couples who would like to use ART as their primary means of getting pregnant:
- Couples who are preparing for IVF or IUI’s, or who are taking a break from these therapies and would like to improve their health in the meantime.
- Couples who like to try as many methods as possible to improve their success rates.
- Couples who just receive acupuncture before and after embryo transfer.
I enjoy working with couples during any or all of these stages, and respect whatever path feels right to them. For more information about acupuncture and fertility, take a moment to read some of these research articles and informational writings on the topic.
How Does Traditional Chinese Medicine Enhance Fertility?
The first and primary goal of traditional Chinese medicine is to enhance and balance your body’s overall health and well-being; this allows the inborn ability of conception to take place. A healthy, more balanced body will conceive more naturally. Some of the other benefits of traditional Chinese medicine include:
- Regulating menstrual cycles (amenorrhea, dysmenorrhea, irregular cycles, premenstrual syndrome, imbalanced follicular or luteal phases)
- Reducing stress and increasing relaxation
- Improves ovarian function; encourages production of follicles; enhances their quality
- Improves blood flow to ovaries and uterus
- Enhances immune system
- Lessens uterine contractions after embryo transfer
- Improves thickness of uterine wall lining
- Lessens side effects from hormone treatments
- Improves sperm counts, motility and morphology
- Improves quality of oocytes
- Reduces miscarriages and improves live birth rate
Remember that our overall goal is to not only see you pregnant, but to see you and your baby healthy. This means carrying a healthy baby to term, without complications and with a smooth postpartum period.
