You have probably heard that acupuncture is the “go-to” medicine when someone is struggling with fertility. Acupuncture for fertility? How can tiny needles actually help with conception? Let’s take a deeper look at this common issue.
For some people, getting pregnant happens very easily. They try for one month, and it works right away. For other people, the process can last many months or even years. This can be very tiring and it can bring up a lot of emotions and feelings for those who are facing this difficulty. Why is it that for some people, conceiving can be such a struggle?
There are many factors that can get in the way of getting pregnant:
- Decreased ovarian reserve
- Ovulatory dysfunction
- Abnormal cervical mucus
- Gynecological conditions (like uterine fibroids and PCOS)
- Endometriosis
- Hormonal imbalance
- Low sperm count
- Poor sperm quality
- History of STI
Sometimes, there are no answers as to why a person isn’t able to conceive. And yes, acupuncture can also help with those unknown situations.
The Traditional Eastern Medicine Perspective
The irony today is that we definitely have more modern medical interventions to help with getting pregnant, but we see more and more people facing fertility problems. We tend to forget all the other factors that might affect the outcomes in terms of conception, like pollution, modern lifestyle, work exhaustion, and of course, stress! All of these things can impact our ability to conceive.
According to Chinese Medicine, to conceive a baby, we need a few important things:
- Sufficient Kidney energy from both parents (this is the equivalent of genes)
- Strong circulation of Qi in the body (that means no blockages, especially in the uterus / ovaries / gonads areas)
- Enough Qi and Blood (it takes a lot of energy to build a tiny human!)
If you are exhausted from work or other situations, this will affect your Qi (or your energy). This might affect your Kidney energy as well. This could happen if you work or sleep late, and your body doesn’t rest and replenish at night. Exposure to environmental pollution and poor nutrition may also impact your body’s ability to produce and replenish its energy. Finally, stress is one of the main factors leading to stagnation or blockages of energy in the body. It is well known that stress tends to block the flow of energy in our body, causing imbalance and disruption to the natural flow of energy. Additionally, since we are spending so much time sitting in front of our computers, the energy tends to stagnate in our lower abdomen and lower back. This can definitely have an impact on fertility.
What can you do?
Some of the first steps to take when we start thinking about having kids are:
- Establishing a healthy sleep routine
- Eating nutritious foods
- Practicing light exercises such as daily walking or yoga
- Practicing relaxation as part of your everyday life
Working with a registered acupuncturist can also be added to that list (fertility issues or not), to help prevent any discomfort or imbalances during pregnancy. Acupuncture, along with other Chinese medicine modalities like Tuina massage, moxibustion, and dietary recommendations, can help smooth the flow of energy in the body, increase your Qi and Blood, and help with regulating your emotions and your hormones.
Acupuncture For Fertility
If you are having problems conceiving and would like to speak with a registered acupuncturist for fertility issues, feel free to book a consultation or contact me, Roseline Lambert, R.Ac, for more information).