Speaking of spring...it's mating season! Perhaps you have your mind attuned to this too...
Spring is a time of re-birth. Everything is beginning to burst forth and bloom.
If you are feeling this too, know that you are not alone. You are perfectly attuned to nature. Congratulations.
Of course, there are many factors these days impacting our fertility and posing challenges to conceiving a baby.
If you are in this situation, it can be very hard trying to conceive without some luck and assistance. You may have even tried your hand at, or thought about, IVF.
Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) can help with fertility.
Personally I have worked with many couples on their fertility journey. Here are some things that you may find useful to know/remember:
✔️ You are not alone. Often couples suffer along in silence because they may feel some stigma around 'failing' at conceiving. This could be especially the case if you have people around you getting pregnant so easily (it seems). But it’s important to remember and really get - you are not alone AND there is hope.
✔️ It’s important to have the man’s/inseminating partner’s sperm checked. Often the focus is on the woman’s/birthing person's fertility but the former can (and increasingly have been experiencing) have low sperm counts which will impact ease of conception.
✔️ In TCM we are placing more emphasis on the woman because hers is the body that will create and grow the child. Also she is the one with the ‘biological’ clock so the imperative will be to ensure that everything within her is prepared and working well to create this new life in the time given.
✔️ Given the awareness of this clock, what I encounter the most often, and find the most impeding to conception, is the STRESS. Under these circumstances, demands, and a need to control, it can be very hard to conceive.
And yes, it’s not enough just to say ‘relax.’ But if everything is fine physically, this is a key aspect to address.
We’ve all heard the stories of people, or known them, who have surprised themselves and conceived after they stopped trying.
Why?
Because they released the stress around trying to conceive. They could relax and actually, ahem, enjoy sex and find it pleasurable without worrying about an end goal.
Doesn’t that sound much better?
Acupuncture can help with fertility and is a less expensive and less physically challenging option than IVF.
Of course, it can also be employed alongside IVF treatments.
In practice, I have found that Chinese herbs can work really well but there is generally reluctance to take on that protocol as it can typically take up to 3 months and let’s be honest, the teas don’t taste that great.
The teas do work well to increase blood flow to the uterus and strengthen the kidney and liver. In other words, the teas will make you healthier. So definitely a worthwhile investment.
Men can also get customized herbs to drink as tea specifically tailored to increase sperm count and vigour, and achieve stronger and longer-lasting erections.
If you are interested in addressing your fertility concerns in a wholistic way with acupuncture or TCM, please get in touch. I would love to hear from you.