Sara had been trying to conceive for two and a half years. She had been pregnant about a year and a half prior, but unfortunately she lost the baby in the 8th week, they tested the tissue and found no genetic issue. Her and her husband had been trying to conceive naturally since then. They had also recently considered seeking out a reproductive endocrinologist to discuss intra-uterine insemination (IUI) or in vitro fertilization (IVF).
Sara came to Tao to Wellness to get her body back into balance and to support her fertility, whether naturally or alongside Western support through IUI or IVF. Like most of our fertility challenged patients, she was healthy overall, but there was some minor things that needed balancing. She ovulated monthly, but her cervical mucus didn’t match up with ovulation and her periods were a little short at 25-27 days, our aim is 29 days. She experienced some low back pain, some slight digestive discomfort once a week, a little fatigue, stress and sleep problems; she woke in the middle of the night with her head spinning with thoughts. In Chinese medicine, each symptom we experience is a clue for the practitioner and tells us what organ system might be out of balance, which can cause a barricade around the door to fertility.
One organ system that needed support was her Liver. Almost everyone has some degree of Liver imbalance and each person displays that imbalance with a different set of symptoms. For Sara, it caused tightness and impeding circulation into her uterus, which was compromising implantation. So often, we believe that a patient is conceiving, but implantation is where the issue lies.
Sara’s prescription was acupuncture treatments focusing her Liver and uterine environment twice a week, a Chinese herbal prescription administered orally three times a day and a set of relaxation techniques to do at home. Sara got pregnant in 6 weeks, she is now in her 27th week and everything is going smoothly.
Both acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine were mandatory for her and patient compliance was of the utmost importance. She also discontinued coffee and her excessive bootcamp workouts for the time being to create a vessel where pregnancy can occur. Essentially, we needed to relax the body allowing her to become more grounded in her lower abdomen and uterine environment, which would enhance circulation to the area. Her treatment plan also provided her with positive side effects like increased energy, deeper sleep and digestive harmony.
If you are wondering if acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine can support you in conceiving, please don’t hesitate to reach out, we’d love to see how we can support you.
