Chinese medicine has a long history of aiding conception. Herbs and lifestyle advice are offered in order to improve health and optimize fertility. This webinar will provide resources for acupuncturists and herbalists wanting to support couples and individuals wishing to have children. We will review factors affecting fertility, assessment, and how to incorporate research into clinical practice. This class is a companion to the Health Concerns Infertility series, which includes the following courses:
Achieving Results in Infertility and Menopause
Endometriosis and Infertility
Infertility Protocols
Infertility Protocols, Part 2
Men’s Infertility
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)
CLICK HERE to download this Infertility Four Phases Chart below.
CLICK HERE to download this Infertility Southern Chinese Fertility Approach Chart below.
Questions and Answers from “Optimizing Fertility” webinar
I have found that those with liver patterns have the most difficult time conceiving and I’m curious about your thoughts on the subject.
There is something to this thought process since stress creates a tremendous amount of disruption to the Qi and blood in the body. Stress also makes sex more difficult, which is just one of a host of related problems. When in doubt, one of the things you can do with acupuncture is treat stress. You can use some auriculotherapy or even massage the ears with some nice oil. Sesame oil can be very, very calming and have an anti-stress effect. You always want to think about liver qi stagnation when you’re treating these cases. Typical formulas to treat such a condition are Shu Gan and Woman’s Balance.
I worry about heavy metals in herbs because of levels of cadmium and lead, which might not be good for fertility.
For this reason, I have never used so-called Asian patent medicines. As a matter of fact, I had to ban them from our clinic even though some of the acupuncturists like to use them. I often found the quality controls in China are just not that good, so heavy metals sometimes find their way into the formulas produced in China. In my opinion, Chinese herbs are good, Asian patent medicines are potentially harmful. I would particularly avoid them in fertility cases because of heavy metal contamination.
Health Concerns tests all formulas for bacteria, heavy metals and pesticides. We test the herbs in China before export, then again once they are stateside. Lastly, we test once more after manufacture. Throughout each phase of the production process, we ensure that each of our formulas are safe, pure, and effective.
What is the best way to increase endometrial lining?
I like fish oil, particularly EPAQ as it not only has EPA/DHA, but also important other factors that make it a very powerful antioxidant. Fish oil and EPAQ also have a way of helping to build up a healthy endometrial lining. Consider using Marrow Plus with blood deficient patients and Fertile Garden over time with yin deficient clients. This is very, very important to help build up the endometrial lining.
Do you use herbs to help patients experiencing habitual miscarriages?
Astra Essence is very close to a classical formula used to prevent miscarriage and I would recommend it in these cases. I do want to take this opportunity to mention that in the United States (in California particularly), we do not recommend herbs during pregnancy. This is mainly out of a concern for liability. In California, one out of three pregnancies results in miscarriage. What that means is if you’re an acupuncturist providing herbs or nutritional supplements for your patients, you might have a one in three chance of being sued. Be very, very careful about using herbs in pregnancy. Some herbs can actually be toxic, although none of these types of herbs are found in Health Concerns products. As a precaution, we recommend that as soon as a patient knows she is pregnant, that she stops using all herbs.
I have a patient who is 48 years old and has not had a period since she was 14. Her doctors told her that her eggs died, but now she is wondering if there is a chance she can become pregnant.
If her eggs truly cannot promote fertility, then the only way for her to become pregnant would be using an implanted egg. Surrogacy is another option. The patient may need to resort to artificial in vitro fertilization or other assisted reproduction technologies. Although my own grandmother became pregnant without medical assistance at the age of 47, the odds of that happening in the year 2015 to a 48-year-old are extremely low.
One of the things I’ve learned during my 30 years of practice is asking the patients for permission to tell them the truth. “Are you really prepared, do you really want me to give my honest opinion?” This simple question is useful because some patients are truly not prepared.
I had a patient in my clinic who was 46 years old, her partner a bit younger. I told them there was no reason they could not become pregnant. I prescribed a balanced exercise program and told them to be very judicious about stress reduction. I told them not to worry about the timing of sex, just to have as much as possible. After a year, the couple did not conceive. They traveled to a fertility temple in the Himalayas, received a blessing, and once the returned home, they adopted a baby. Adoption truly is a miracle treatment for fertility.
What can I tell my patients about the importance of body mass index (BMI) when trying to conceive?
Patients trying to conceive, as well as their partners, should have a very healthy BMI. This means not to high and not too low. Oftentimes, the BMI of athletes is too low a BMI and it affects their fertility. People who are obese or are heavy set also compromise their fertility.
What if a patient is both yin and yang deficient? My client is 46 years old and has good health. She is skinny and slightly cold, but also overworked.
It is important to be honest with patients. With a number of factors working against the odds, you might do well to say, “You know, I think if you’re overworking yourself and you’re 46, you’re going to have to do everything you possibly can to assist the process. I can’t promise you’re going to give birth, but if you are willing to be treated over the next year, we can see if this helps or not.” To some patients, a year sounds like a tremendous amount of time, not to mention costly. However, compared with three or four IVF cycles, it can be considerably more cost effective. Chinese medicine can be very, very profound, but my approach would be to be as honest as possible.
The patient must be willing to commit to a year minimum to know for sure whether or not the desired outcome is possible. I have seen results in 3 months, but that’s rare.
I am in Colorado and here we don’t order hormonal tests. Would you recommend working with a reproductive center or ordering my own tests through an independent lab?
There are a couple of options for practitioners in this situation. One, you may want to find an integrative physician, an M.D. or a D.O. that believes in integrative medicine (preferably one that believes in Chinese medicine) and have them order a full workup. In this case, there’s more of a chance that the insurance companies may give some reimbursement. In certain states, herbalists and acupuncturists can order certain Western tests. The second option, a less ideal one, would be to have the hormonal test be ordered through their family doctor or HMO. Oftentimes, they don’t use very sophisticated testing, so an integrative physician who uses better tests to assess hormonal levels may be more useful. I would like to reiterate the importance of checking your patients’ hormonal levels, particularly if the client is infertile.