Fertility acupuncture

For many, the journey to parenthood isn’t a straightforward one - in fact 1 in 6 couples in Australia have difficulties conceiving - and the number is going up, not down. Of these cases, approximately 30% are attributed to female factor infertility, 30% to male factor, and another 30% due to a combination of female and male factors. The remaining 10% are classed as “unexplained infertility” by conventional medicine.

There are sometimes complex medical issues that can impact fertility, but there are also a number of everyday actions that you can take that can improve your chances. Importantly, these things can not only help your chances of getting pregnant – they can also help your chances of having a healthy baby.

CHINESE MEDICINE & FERTILITY
Chinese medicine is commonly used as complementary or alternative therapy to improve fertility - it’s frequently studied in medical journals, endorsed by fertility and IVF clinics, and discussed in online fertility forums. Nearly as old as Chinese medicine is itself, records of fertility treatments in China can be traced as far back as 200 A.D. 

Fertility acupuncturists often have clients come into clinic with conventional medical diagnoses, such as irregular menses, luteal phase defect, elevated FSH (follicle stimulating hormone), and male factor infertility - all of which may benefit from acupuncture and Chinese medicine. We take these diagnoses on board but also zoom out and assess the body as a whole. From a Chinese medicine perspective, fertility struggles are often the result of a series of little imbalances that, taken together, add up to the larger issue. Chinese medicine looks at your symptoms, health history, diet, and lifestyle using a different lens than conventional medicine. This lens can often uncover some of the missing pieces to your health and fertility puzzle.

NOURISH THE SOIL BEFORE PLANTING THE SEED
Like nature, our bodies often require extra planning and preparation before new life can be created. The ‘seeds’ are the blueprint to life, the foundation of your baby’s health, and ultimately form your pregnancy outcome. It takes roughly 90 days for primordial cells to mature into follicles (eggs) and sperm, so your health during this period plays a crucial role in determining their quality. High stress, inadequate nutrition, and insufficient rest during those 90 days all have an impact on this development and affect your fertility. Fortunately the body can be very forgiving, so if the last three months were less than stellar in the health department, you can always take the next three months to focus on rebuilding and putting your body in the best state to conceive.

Following a detailed Chinese medicine assessment we develop a treatment plan tailored to the individual which typically includes:

• Acupuncture
• Chinese herbs
• Supplements
• Diet and lifestyle advice

Together, these components improve fertility by:

• Increasing blood circulation to support healthy development of follicles and sperm, reduce inflammation, and aid embryo implantation. Reduced blood flow in the uterine ​arteries is associated with decreased pregnancy rates, so increasing the blood flow is key. This is even more important for older women as blood flow to the ovaries naturally decrease as part of the ageing process.
• Balancing hormone levels, regulating menstrual cycles, and promoting ovulation.
• Promoting healthy sperm production, improving count, motility, and morphology.
• Reducing stress and anxiety, improving energy, and general wellbeing.

​SUPPORTING IVF/IUI
Studies have found acupuncture alongside IVF to produce significantly better outcomes than IVF alone; the higher success rates are credited to increased blood flow to the reproductive organs and fewer post-transfer pelvic spasms. Acupuncture treatments are scheduled around your IVF/IUI cycle and key dates including prior to egg retrieval and semen collection, and prior to and after embryo transfer or insemination.

Sometimes I see clients for the first time after they have already started or are about to start an IVF/IUI cycle; it is not too late to incorporate acupuncture, nutrition, and lifestyle changes to benefit your outcome.

BRIBIE BABIES
Having worked in highly sought after acupuncture clinics in Brisbane specialising in fertility and pregnancy, we’ve been fortunate enough to be a part of hundreds of journeys that started out with hope and open minds and have resulted in bouncing babies.

Though Bribie Acupuncture is often filled with the usual suspects, such as back pain, since opening our clinic we’ve been honoured to assist many Bribie locals with:

• Preconception health and natural fertility
• IVF and IUI support
• Pregnancy care
• Labour preparation and natural labour induction
• Postpartum care

We would love to assist you with identifying the root causes of your fertility issues and build a customised treatment program to help you become your most fertile self.