When you’re planning for a baby and looking to maintain your wellbeing, improve your chances of getting pregnant, and prepare for a healthy baby, acupuncture is a great way to improve your entire experience. But how does acupuncture help fertility in the first place?
We love to help couples with preconception care for couples who have loosely been “trying” to get pregnant for over 6 months and still have not conceived. We are Doctors of Chinese Medicine who have advanced knowledge and clinical skills, and who have passed the boards for the TCM Board of Reproductive Medicine (ABORM) If you are not in the Portland area, find a board certified practitioner through ABORM, we are all over the world!
We start with a thorough health history discussing your past reproductive health patterns to design a treatment plan specifically for you. You will see the lasting results of your menstrual cycle as we regulate your hormones for optimal fertility – the proof is in the changes you will see from one cycle to the next. We address diet and nutrition, stress reduction, how to learn your fertility cues, all with the goal of nourishing healthy eggs, healthy sperm and a receptive uterine lining. We hope to be the first place to come when you have concerns, not the last resort after many months of frustration and sadness.
Especially if you’re using IVF, studies show that a treatment plan of three months of acupuncture (it takes 90 days to make an egg!) before an egg retrieval can increase pregnancy rates of IVF.
At Willow Tree Clinic, we offer a natural approach for any couples looking to prepare for a baby and improve their fertility. Read on to learn how acupuncture helps fertility by working with your body to prepare for pregnancy, and book a consultation with us today to learn more.
Improved Blood Flow
Healthy blood flow promotes a healthy pregnancy because your uterus needs it to build a thick endometrial lining. Along with moderate exercise, acupuncture is a great way to increase your blood flow, particularly to your pelvic region.
Because acupuncture stimulates your peripheral nervous system, it activates your body’s parasympathetic responses. Similar to when you’re digesting food, these responses move blood to your internal organs, including the uterus.
Especially if you’ve been feeling stressed about your fertility, acupuncture is a great way to relieve any “fight or flight” responses you might not even know your body is experiencing. These responses tend to move your blood more toward your muscles and away from internal organs, highlighting how acupuncture helps fertility by resetting and regulating your blood flow.
Reducing Stress
When your mind and body are feeling stressed, it can affect everything from your blood flow to your hormone production, and it can even affect your ovulation. Telling yourself not to stress–especially when you’re facing such a big moment in your life–isn’t always successful, and that’s where acupuncture comes in.
Acupuncture can stimulate endorphins, which help induce feelings of relaxation and wellbeing throughout your body. These are the same chemicals that your body releases after you work out, so you’ll experience similar sensations of rest and reduced pain.
With targeted acupuncture treatment, you can also reduce the physical symptoms of stress on your body, like muscle tightness and tension. Overall, your treatments will work to balance your nervous system to help you feel your best for pregnancy. This is another way how acupuncture helps fertility by ensuring your body is in the best possible state to conceive.
Regulating Hormones
Because acupuncture helps relieve stress, it’s also working to regulate your stress hormones. By calming the nervous system, it can reduce your cortisol levels while improving your progesterone, estrogen, and testosterone.
For pregnancy, estrogen and progesterone are especially important for regulating your menstrual cycle and uterine conditions. The hormone prolactin can also inhibit ovulation if your levels are too high, which acupuncture can also help regulate.
When you’re starting pre-conception care, it’s also important for men to make sure their testosterone levels are regulated, which are critical for sperm production.
Improving Your Immune System and Reducing Inflammation
Regulating your stress, nervous system, and blood flow through acupuncture help improve your immune system. Acupuncture also stimulates your white blood cells and lymphatic circulation.
With an improved immune system, your body is stronger and healthier, providing the best environment for a pregnancy. You’ll increase your chances for successful implantation, reduce your risk of miscarriage and infection, and reduce the risk of other complications like preeclampsia, gestational diabetes, and preterm labor.
A stronger immune system also means less inflammation throughout your body, which helps aid a healthy uterus and fetus. If you’ve been searching for answers to how does acupuncture help fertility, one major benefit is its ability to create the ideal conditions for conception and a healthy pregnancy.
Wrapping Up: How to Get Started With Acupuncture for Your Fertility
Acupuncture works throughout your body to holistically target a variety of factors that influence your fertility. Through recurring sessions, you can count on reduced stress, increased blood flow, regulation hormones, and a stronger immune system.
At Willow Tree Acupuncture Clinic, we offer both fertility acupuncture as well as a comprehensive fertility enhancement program that includes traditional Chinese medicine.
We recommend starting your pre-conception care at least three months before starting to conceive, but we’re also here for couples who are struggling with fertility and seeking natural remedies at any stage of their pregnancy journey.
We’re with you every step of the way to ensure your experience is healthy, happy, and as stress-free as possible! Book your initial consultation today to get started and learn about the options that are available.
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