Traditional Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture for Fertility
Cute little baby animals are the quintessential symbol of spring, especially here in Toronto. Perhaps you are thinking of making your own little bundle of joy and being in an optimal state of health is the best plan to start your potential family. Ideally, you can seek care before you embark on trying to conceive, as being in optimal health creates the best material and environment for conception- you are trying to create a new life! We can consider both the sperm and egg to be material for conception while the womb is the physical environment to house the growing embryo, fetus, baby.
If you may recall basic sex education, there is an 85% chance you will become pregnant within one year of having unprotected sexual intercourse. The basic definition of ‘infertility’ is also the same, if you have been having unprotected sex for a year and have not become pregnant. Fertility issues seem to be more commonplace than ever with 1 in 7 couples experiencing difficulty conceiving and 30% being of unexplained cause. Every journey is unique and it is of utmost importance to develop a positive mindset and outlook to prepare for various outcomes. Finding the right practitioner who can educate and support you in this process is extremely helpful in navigating this journey.
With such a large portion of difficulty conceiving being idiopathic (unexplained), less invasive forms of treatment are ideal, especially at the outset of trying to conceive. This way, you can make the necessary lifestyles changes to optimize your chances and should these lifestyle adjustments not work, you are well informed to try further interventions. Often minor hormone imbalances are difficult to detect with regular medical testing, so Traditional Chinese Medicine Acupuncture and or Naturopathy can help you balance and optimize your hormonal function.
Another sexual education reminder- women ovulate once a month and men produce sperm daily. Your body is regenerates daily, so what you eat is crucial for your health and for reproduction, especially for men, since sperm is made daily. Women are born with all their eggs, so a healthy lifestyle and diet supports the healthy maturation of the egg and preparation of the uterus. Healthy sperm and egg is needed to fertilize and create a baby, so it is ideal for both of you come in for treatment. Yes, men can benefit from naturopathic and TCM acupuncture treatments for fertility- so come on in gentlemen
What is involved in optimizing fertility treatment?
- Thorough lifestyle history and intake
- Guidance on nutrition, exercise and mindfulness practices
- Lifestyle recommendations
- Stress management
- Acupuncture for optimal health
- Cycle monitoring (required reading- Taking Charge of Your Fertility by Toni Weschler and start charting cycles)
- Referral to other health practitioners, such as naturopathic doctors if needed
How can I increase my fertility naturally?
Here are some tips you can get started on right now:
- Keep your feet, ankles low back and belly warm. These are areas that linked with the reproductive organs in the TCM map of the body and keeping these areas warm improves circulation.
- Chart your fertility cycle and monitor temperature and vaginal fluids throughout the cycle to learn your fertile window https://www.tcoyf.com/chart/ and read Taking Charge of Your Fertility.
- Prioritize quality sleep. The body repairs and regenerates itself during sleep, so getting high quality sleep is the best natural way to be in optimal health.
- Manage stress with meditation practice, yoga, exercise, learning coping strategies, any mindful approach that helps you adapt to your circumstance in a positive way
- Have fun with the baby making process and enjoy sex, it takes the pressure off
- Minimize or eliminate your alcohol and drug intake, as you are aiming to make a baby. Booze and marijuana are not ingredients for a baby, although it is known to happen
- Eat unprocessed, whole foods that is the right mix of fat, carbohydrate and protein for you. Basic measure of a healthy diet is feeling energized and having healthy digestion along with easy elimination.
- Further reading on boosting fertility: https://drhyman.com/blog/2015/10/14/7-strategies-to-reverse-infertility/