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“Can acupuncture really help make me more fertile and, if so, how does it work?”

 

This is a question patients ask me all the time and I understand why. It seems so improbable that tiny hair-like needles could have such a profound effect. Most of my clients find out about Roseville Acupuncture because they were referred by a friend or by their doctor. They have heard stories about how acupuncture has helped other people to conceive a baby. However, it’s good to have more than anecdotal evidence about why something works, and fortunately these days there is a growing body of clinical data that begins to explain acupuncture’s effect on the reproductive system.

 

Acupuncture has a normalizing effect on reproductive hormones

 

As explained in a study, which discusses the effect of acupuncture on the Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Ovarian Axis and concludes that acupuncture can regulate abnormal HPOA function.

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2022

Why Roseville Acupuncture

For Fertility, Pregnancy, Postpartum Care

 

  • Treatments are customized just for you

  • Advanced training in infertility, pregnancy, postpartum care

  • Acupuncture is safe and is used along with IVF

 

Evidence suggests that acupuncture has been in use since as early as 300 B.C. Literally thousands of years of research and development have gone into the system we currently have in acupuncture fertility care. Acupuncture is effective in treating all functional aspects of infertility including advanced maternal age, endometriosis, luteal phase defect, polycystic ovarian syndrome, premature ovarian failure, and unexplained infertility. Acupuncture modulated the function of the hypothalmic-pituitary-ovarian axis, normalizing sex hormones. Acupuncture increases pelvic circulation, relieving menstrual cramping and endometrial issues. Acupuncture improves the thickness and structure of the endometrial lining, and may have a beneficial effect on egg quality.

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Aug 2020

Acupuncture can reduce the effects of stress on the body and lower stress-related hormones

 

Stress can impede fertility. Studies show the effect of acupuncture on depression and stress-related illnesses. It concluded that acupuncture is a viable option to relieve stress in women that are undergoing fertility treatment. This is particularly important because it is known that stress plays a very important role in the failure to conceive. A study that was published in Fertility and Sterility in 2001 looked at the state of mind of women going through IVF. It concluded that the women who were most stressed and worried about the procedure were likely to have 20% fewer eggs available for retrieval and a fertilization rate that was 19% less than more optimistic women.

Basic Guidelines to enhance Fertility for woman

 

Coffee

No coffee! It decreases micro circulation, which can affect the uterus blood supply. You can substitute green tea but only two cups a day. Herbal calming teas are a good substitute. .

 

Alcohol/Smoking

This is a no! It is a poison to the liver which can make it harder to make estrogen. No smoking because it alters fallopian tube function which in turn seems to destroy eggs.

 

Exercise

Moderation is the key here. Walking is good. Too much exercise decreases fat stores, which will decrease hormone supply.

 

Diet

This will vary from person to person but some good rules are bone broth every day, healthy fats like olive oil, avocados, and coconut oil. Raw veggies are too cold for most people so cook them. Protein like meat, fish and chicken. Soy is not recommended because it blocks estrogen receptors sites.

Supplements

A food based prenatal with methlat 5 instead of folic acid. Probiotic's that will help with food absorption and some studies show that it also helps to prevent colic, allergies, and eczema in babies.

Thyroid

This is a common deficiency in woman. If basal body temperature drops below 97.5 it may be an indication of thyroid issues. Blood work up including TSH. T3, T4, TPO and TgAB are a good way to determine if you have thyroid issues.

Basal Body Temperature

One good way to track if you are ovulating is by taking the body temperature (BBT). You do this each morning before moving or getting out of bed, at the exact same time and record it in an app, there are different ones on the market and some are free. The BBT will jump markedly higher once the ovulation occurs. Three consecutive days with the temperature at least .4 degrees higher than it previously was generally means that ovulation has occurred. The problem is that it is not possible to know if ovulation has occurred until several days afterward. Ovulation can be confirmed with an ovulation kit, this measures the luteinizing hormone (LH), which surges just before the egg is ready to be released. Most times it is easiest to use the test. The charts are good to keep because they tell a lot about your cycle.

 

Moxa Sticks

This comes in handy if you have been diagnosed with cold in the uterus. This can happen from many different reasons. You want to moxa the lower abdomen for 10mins after menses has stopped up to ovulation. Holding the stick 2inches away from the skin and keep it moving slowly across the lower abdomen. This is a good thing to do during the first trimester. I keep these in the office, remember to ask for one.

 

Preseed

This is a vaginal lubricant that helps with pregnancy, it makes it easier for the sperm to swim up the vaginal canal. It can be ordered from Amazon or Target.

Now that your Pregnant

what's next?

I can say with confidence there are few experiences in life that top the news that your pregnancy is confirmed.

I will continuing to work with you as your body adjust to all the many changes of pregnancy with holistic support.

 

Roseville Acupuncture offers acupuncture along with herbal remedies, dietary guidelines and many other resources as you journey through healthy pregnancy and birthing process.

You may have heard me say things like Qi deficiency Liver stagnation...

So I will clue you in on what they mean and what I look for when working with you through pregnancy.

Qi Deficiency

Fatigue that is worse after exertion and better with rest.

Yang Deficiency

Includes some of the signs as Qi Deficiency along with a feeling of cold.

Yin Deficiency

Fatigue, restlessness and heat signs, like warm flashes or night sweats.

Liver Qi Stagnation

Fatigue that is worse with inactivity and stress.

Liver Blood Deficiency

Fatigue, weakness, dry skin, pail lips and pour memory.

In Labour

Postpartum Care

 

So, you’ve survived 9 months of pregnancy, successfully brought your tiny human into the world, and have weathered the 6-8 weeks of recovery like the superhero that you truly are. Your doctor has given you the good to go....MORE

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Links and Information

The PlacentaMom.com

916-934-3333

You can reach her best through text messaging

Email- Tamara@placentamom.com

Doula Resources:

http://www.capitalcitydoulas.com/birth-doulas

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Aug 2020

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I cannot say enough about Cheryl’s work. I had been struggling to become pregnant for almost two years and at 37 years, I felt like I was running out of time. I was recommended to contact Cheryl by 2 friends of mine. She was eager to help! My first appointment was mid August and after my weekly visits and strictly following Cheryl’s guidelines I became pregnant in just under two months! She is wonderful, her office is calm and inviting. I look forward to seeing her and taking the time to relax while she does her work. I highly recommend Cheryl.

Jan 2021

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What is your cycle saying about
your health

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Postpartum Care

As long as women have given birth, they have struggled with the effects of dropping hormone levels following childbirth. Our approach in treating postpartum recovery is to use herbs, acupuncture, moxibustion, and lifestyle suggestions with warmth and compassion, knowing that this is a challenging transition in a new mother’s life. It has been understood in Asian that a woman sacrifices a great deal of “Qi” (energy) and “Blood” (blood and hormones) during the gestational process and is in a deficient state following childbirth. We understand that the new couple, following the intense joy of birth, may be facing new roles and stresses in the family relationship that add a component to the common list of postpartum ailments, which are as follows:

  • depression

  • anxiety

  • insomnia

  • irritability

  • fatigue

  • confusion and lack of clear thinking

  • rapid emotional fluctuations

  • constipation

  • abdominal pain

  • vaginal bleeding

  • dizziness

  • weight gain

 

How does acupuncture help depression, anxiety, and the other listed problems?

The same way it helps with infertility, menopause, and stress; by stimulating the pituitary, the master endocrine gland, which regulates hormone levels. Hormones and neurotransmitters determine our mood, our energy level, and greatly influence us on the level of perception, thinking, and emotion. Because of the loss of estrogen, progesterone, and other hormones, as well as elevated cortical levels following the stress of childbirth, adjusting in the postpartum transition can be difficult. Acupuncture can provide a safe and effective treatment for this trying time.

Herbs work somewhat differently than acupuncture, in that they directly increase the building blocks, proteins and minerals, that make up the neurotransmitters and hormones, helping to replenish hormone levels. For longer than a thousand years, Asian doctors have used specific herbal formulas and documented their effects on postpartum physiology. Modern clinical experience indicates that the herbs can increase estrogen and progesterone, thereby alleviating depression, raising energy levels and stabilizing emotions. The traditional Asian doctors described this process as the strengthening of “Qi” (energy) and of “Blood” (again, blood and hormones). In contrast to herbal medicine in the west, for example, where red raspberry leaf is used for almost all women in postpartum recovery, the herbs in Asian medicine are so diverse and their effects are known to work best in combination with other herbs. A particular herbal formula, or combination of herbs in concert with each other, might be prescribed for one woman’s post-caesarean section pain, while it would not be appropriate for another woman’s post-caesarian section pain. Based on each woman’s constellation of symptoms, the type and duration of the pain, and the signs the herbalist observes during examination, a distinct, personalized prescription of herbs would be made. This is the tradition in Asian herbal medicine, and it is why we recommend you see a practitioner trained in Asian herbal medicine treatment.

Acupuncture and traditional Asian herbal medicine can help acute and chronic mastitis, as well as lactation insufficiency. Studies have indicated that acupuncture stimulates the pituitary gland to coordinate signaling to the hypothalamus and to the ovaries to regulate the sex hormones, including prolactin, which modulates lactation.

Traditional Asian medicine includes a component of nutrition and of exercise. For the postpartum transition, simple walking is the exercise most frequently recommended. It is considered important that women soon after childbirth avoid strenuous exercise, or over exercising, and that they take a gentle and gradual approach to losing any weight gained in pregnancy. Walking circulates the “qi” (energy) and creates increased pelvic blood flow. We generally recommend walking daily, gradually increasing the length and intensity of the walk according to the health and strength of the new mother.

There are foods used in the Asian medical traditions during the postpartum recovery period. They include chicken, eggs, pork, milk, and beans. Modern nutritional analysis of these foods indicates that their use in postpartum treatment is probably related to high protein and amino acid content. The amino acids, the building blocks of proteins, and cholesterol contained in these foods form new neurotransmitters and increase estrogen, progesterone, and much needed hormones. Those hormonal and neurotransmitter levels are important factors linked to our physical and emotional sense of well-being.

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