Fertility

Preconception care (up to 6~ 12 months prior to pregnancy)

Our practitioners are providing the preconception care program up to 6-12 months prior to pregnancy. It has the purpose of promoting optimal health and balancing body and mind condition for mom-to-be. In Traditional Oriental Medicine, woman's fertility has been compared with fertilized organic garden. Prudent gardeners know the importance of preparing, tilling and fertilizing the soil long before they plant their crop. Once your body and mind are filled with great energy for baby, it is easy to carry a baby to full term and then breast feed, nurture a child.

This program includes 5 main goals with nutritional counseling, exercise and lifestyle modification, along with acupuncture, moxibustion and herbal formula.

1. Body Detoxification

Detoxification of the body, or detox, is considered essential these days because there are so many chemicals and toxins in the environment and in our food. Pesticides, engine exhaust, alcohol, nicotine and the list goes on Most of us have some toxins which can interfere with fertility and health condition due to the daily activities in these environments.

Reset diet can help to make for a healthier environment for your baby.

2.Nutritional enhancement

More research is showing that food and healthy nutrition are tied to fertility health. There are nutritional needs for both men and women.

Begin making healthy changes 6 months to a year before you conceive. The evidence shows that healthy nutrition and fertility is linked for both men and women. Choosing organic, nutrient dense, whole foods will provide your body with a good foundation, and supplements can be used as needed.

3.Stress management

Stress has been linked to delayed or missed periods which can cause difficulty tracking ovulation and getting pregnant. Limit your amount of stress as much as possible. Meditation, abdominal breathing and relaxation can help to reduce stress level.

4.Acupuncture and Moxibustion Treatment for underlying disorders

We can help to identify overt diseases as well as subtle imbalances, and then work with you to optimize your chances of conception.

5. Balancing Body and Mind

Acupuncture / Infertility

Many studies have been showed a significant increase in pregnancy rates from IVF in women who received acupuncture at the time of embryo transfer. Pleasant Hill acupuncture clinic provides this treatment for IVF patients.

Acupuncture had a positive influence on increasing blood flow to the uterus, therefore enhancing uterine receptivity for implantation. In our protocol, acupuncture treatments were administered twice a week during the 9 weeks prior to egg retrieval. Following recent researches, acupuncture may help improve the success rate of IVF with these reasons.

Union Square Acupuncture clinic provides 2 plans for IVF in prospective mom for 12 weeks.

• Plan 1
• 9 week program for before IVF
• Plan 2
• 6 week program for after IVF

Two treatments per week for six weeks before egg retrieval (optimal) plus treatment at the time of embryo transfer

http://rscbayarea.com/about/doctors/mary-hinckley
 

Reported benefits from published clinical studies

• Increases blood flow to the uterus, thus thickening the uterine lining, which improves the chances of an ovum implanting on the uterine wall
• Reduces anxiety, stress, and hormones secreted during stressful situations - such as cortisol - which significantly decreases fertility (see section on Stress below)
• Normalizes the systems that regulate ovulation, especially in women with Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)
• Positively affects the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis, which plays a major role in fertility
• Regulates the menstrual cycles
• ----------Researchers from Weill Cornell Medical Center in New York

According to recently published clinical studies, acupuncture can:

• increase the success rate of in vitro fertilization (IVF) by 42%, with pre & post transfer acupuncture
• relieve stress related to infertility and its treatment
• improve the production and quality of ova
• normalize the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis and menstrual cycle 3
• reduce the risk of miscarriage and ectopic pregnancy
• provide an alternative treatment for patients who are intolerant, ineligible, contraindicated or simply cannot afford conventional infertility treatment