My aunt pursued her career into her thirties. At 37, she and her husband wanted a baby but were unable to conceive. She turned to IVF—in vitro fertilization. But the first seven attempts over five years did not work. And it had been a roller coaster ride of high hopes and crushing disappointments.
At this point, the doctors said it was doubtful she could conceive using her own eggs as they had become too tough to penetrate. But that she had an excellent chance if she could find an egg donor.
At 22 and newly graduated from college, I gladly became that donor. On my aunt’s eighth try using my eggs, she conceived and gave birth to adorable twins—a boy and a girl. These “miracle babies” are now 18 years old.
This experience has given me a lifelong interest in fertility. Now, as a natural medicine doctor, I use acupuncture, medicinal herbs and oils and chiropractic adjustments to help my patients improve their chances of getting pregnant.
The CDC (Centers for Disease Control) says that about 10 percent of couples struggle with infertility. But Western medicine-based fertility treatments alone can sometimes be ineffective. The CDC cites research studies which suggest that acupuncture and herbal therapy can help to correct problems of fertility–and increase success rates when used along with IVF procedures.
Acupuncture helps boost fertility by increasing blood flow to the reproductive organs, reducing stress, and returning the body to balance. With age, a woman’s cycle can lengthen from the average 28 days up to 40 days or more. Therefore the egg stays in the ovaries longer and becomes tough. Acupuncture can gradually bring the cycle back to normal. The “younger” egg that is released has the usual softer, penetrable exterior, making it possible to get pregnant naturally.
Herbal Therapy: Adding herbs and essential oils to the treatment plan can further increase fertility success rates. Herbal therapy utilizes specialized formulas of dried herbs and concentrated essential oils made from natural ingredients, such as medicinal bark, root, leaf, flower and plant extracts.
In one study published in the journal Complementary Therapies in Medicine, women who received herbal treatments once a week for about three months were found to be twice as likely to become pregnant as women who did not receive the treatment. In another clinical study, 70 percent of those treated with herbal therapy became pregnant.
Combining acupuncture and herbal therapy can be highly effective for boosting fertility—with or without IVF treatments. Simple lifestyle changes can also help, including eating a healthy diet, getting sufficient sleep and avoiding alcohol, smoking and environmental toxins. Yoga, too, can help reduce stress and increase blood flow, which can help gynecological function.
If you struggle with fertility issues, don’t wait any longer. I am here to help. Contact me for an appointment:
Dr. Julie Reyes, DC, MAOM, LAc
Waters Family Chiropractic
23101 Lake Forest Drive, Suite 110
Lake Forest, CA 92630
Email: DrJuile@DrJulieWellness.com
Call for an appointment or Text to send a message: 949-899-5809
Sources and additional articles:
How Does Acupuncture for Fertility Work?
Herbs for Infertility
Yoga for Fertility
Chiropractic for Fertility
