Fertility Treatments
Being in good health before you embark on trying to conceive is important for a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby
FERTILITY
There are many reasons why women have difficulty in falling pregnant. Common examples include poly cystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), endometriosis or fibroids. Another common reason is what is called ‘unexplained infertility’. This could include menstrual irregularities, choosing to start a family later in life, not eating well, work stress or the stress of not falling pregnant easily.
It is important not to forget the part men play in fertility, as it accounts for a third of infertility in couples. No matter what your age or your gender, your lifestyle has an impact on hormone balance and fertility.
IVF SUPPORT
Chinese medicine has been used for thousands of years to improve fertility. Today it is being used more to support western fertility treatments such as in vitro fertilization (IVF) and intro-uterine insemination (IUI).
ACUPUNCTURE AND IVF RESEARCH
Over the past 10 years many studies have been conducted into the use of acupuncture as a support for IVF treatments. While the early systemic reviews (gold standard in evidence based medicine) of research found that evidence for acupuncture’s effectiveness was “unclear” more recent systemic reviews are much more positive.
My years of clinical experience and past studies indicate that acupuncture incorporated into your IVF regime may be useful, although as a member of AHPRA it needs to be stated that evidence is unclear for the efficacy of acupuncture alongside your western medical IVF regime.
HOW CAN I HELP
No matter what your age or gender – everyone is an individual, therefore treatment options and advise are specifically tailored, taking in a holistic approach which could include a course of acupuncture and or Chinese herbs, dietary advice and the importance of sleep, rest and exercise.