Make Way for Baby

When my husband and I were ready to start a family our life wasn’t, and we knew we were going to have to wait another year before we tried to get pregnant.  Luckily, however, being the Acupuncturist that I am, I knew this was an excellent chance to work on my fertility so I spent the year getting regular Acupuncture treatments, ironing out some irregularities in my menstrual cycle through herbs and supplementation, working on stress management and improving sleep, and by golly when our lives opened up I was ready. 

We conceived on our first try which is highly unusual - on average it takes a couple 3-6 months of actually trying to conceive (not “not trying” mind you).  Certainly genetics play a role in this, but I firmly believe that my focused preparation did too.

Acupuncture has an excellent track record in improving women’s health, treating menstrual irregularities, improving fertility and increasing the success rate of IVF treatment especially.  A study in 2002 showed a 50% increase in success rates for women undergoing IVF who included Acupuncture treatment before and after as compared to the women who did not.  I have personally worked with many women undergoing IVF, IUI and trying to get pregnant naturally with great success!

Even without Acupuncture, however, there are simple steps you can take to improve your fertility and increase your chances of having a healthy successful pregnancy.

---

Improve Fertility with These Simple Steps

1. Exercise - Exercise improves blood flow, decreases stress (a BIG detriment to fertility), improves immunity and increases your sex drive - all important essentials when trying to grow your family!
2. Acupuncture - Acupuncture can also decrease stress, improve regularity of your menstrual cycle, improve fertility and improve immunity.  It is recommended to get Acupuncture every 2 weeks to work with the body’s natural hormonal shifts as you work on conceiving and through your first trimester to decrease chance of miscarriage.
3. Hydrate - in the early months of pregnancy your blood volume will double! That means you need all the fluids you can get.  Try to drink ½ your body weight in ounces per day as a minimum.
4. Supplement - there are many herbal supplements and fertility supplements out there and it can be quite overwhelming to navigate them all.  A good quality prenatal vitamin, vitamin D and a prenatal DHA are your minimum necessities for a fertile body and a healthy pregnancy, but there are a few more of interest worth considering below.

Supplements for Fertility

Through my fertility preparation and pregnancy I took a number of supplements, namely chinese herbs during preconception, then probiotics, DHA, vitamin D, a high quality prenatal multi, Standard Process whole food supplements to support ovarian and uterine health, and elderberry syrup for immunity.  It sounds like a lot but I now have two beautiful healthy children to show for it and I wouldn’t have it any other way. 

Quality is very important when it comes to herbs and supplements for pregnancy.  Here, therefore, is my short list of supplements to consider.  All of these are available through my Virtual Dispensary online or in the office with consultation:

Integrative Therapeutics Prenatal Forte: This high potency Prenatal Multi contains probiotics along with your requisite daily dose of Folic Acid, high dose calcium and more. I took this through my pregnancies and I highly recommend them.

---

Integrative Therapeutics Probiotic Pearls: probiotics innoculate the gut with good gut bacteria which promotes healthy digestion and optimal nutrient absorption, an important must during pre-conception, conception itself and pregnancy. These probiotic pearls are shelf stable (no refrigeration necessary) and 1 pearl per day is all you need!

---

Nordic Naturals Prenatal DHA: DHA comes from fish oil and is essential for healthy baby brain development.  Hormones are also fat soluble, so during fertility treatment good fats help support a healthy hormonal balance.

---

Metagenics Wellness Essentials: this Prenatal Multi is a top of the line packet including your DHA/Fish oil, Folic Acid and more.  Very high quality, easily absorbed, simple pre-packaged dosing!

---

Bu Zhong Yi Qi Tang: this formula has been used for thousands of years to help improve fertility and decrease miscarriage in China. It is a Spleen tonic which helps the body lift and hold the fetus energetically.  It is typically used for 3 months prior to conception, and can be used through the first trimester as well especially if there has been a history of previous miscarriage.  Chinese herbs should be prescribed by a licensed practitioner who can assess your personal herbal needs, however.

---

Liquid Vitamin D: Vitamin D is essential for bone health and immunity, very important during pregnancy.  It is recommended to take 4,000IU per day while pregnant, and the Seroyal brand liquid vitamin D makes it very easy. 4 drops per day, and it is naturally sweetened to taste like a creamsicle!

---

Ready to Make Way for Baby? Acupuncture Can Help!

I can say from both personal and professional experience that the combination of Acupuncture and specific supplements for fertility and pregnancy can improve your chances and increase your success as you seek to increase your family.  Safe, natural, and easy these fertility supplements and acupuncture for fertility treatments do not interact negatively with any other fertility treatments or tools you might employ!  If you or someone you know is trying to start a family and needs advice or help, think about sending them in for some Acupuncture and herbal consultation - I bet they’ll thank you for it!

Until Next Time,
~Rebecca