TTC: Trying to Conceive
If you are thinking of expanding your family and are wondering if acupuncture and herbal medicine can be helpful in that process, the answer is a resounding YES! There are many factors that impact hormonal health such as diet, lifestyle, sleep patterns, stress levels, and more.
Generally speaking, conception can take three to six months naturally, even without complicating factors. However, as patients get older, it is more important to make lifestyle changes and intervene quickly in order to optimize conception efforts. Working with a reproductive endocrinologist in conjunction with an acupuncturist may also be appropriate. According to in-house studies at VIOS, a fertility center in Chicago, fertility medicine is about 30% more effective when paired strategically with acupuncture and herbal medicine. With very few insurance companies covering fertility treatment, this is extremely significant. If you are trying to conceive and would like holistic support via dietary/nutritional guidance, lifestyle suggestions, fertility focused acupuncture and herbal medicine, and excellent reproductive endocrinology referrals, let us know!
Cultivate good sleep hygiene. Get to bed before midnight and eliminate blue light exposure at least 30 minutes before retiring. Wake around the same time daily. Make time in your morning routine to avoid feeling hurried or rushed.
Add joyful movement into your day. Take a walk in the morning with your pet, do some stretches at your desk, or catch a yoga class after work. All of these activities decrease stress hormone production and promote healthy sex hormone balance.
Limit highly inflammatory foods like gluten, soy, dairy, artificial sugar, and additives. This will help your body to focus on conception rather than diffuse inflammation throughout the body. It will also inhibit gestational diabetes and regulate blood sugar when you become pregnant.
Create some stillness in your busy life to take some deep diaphragmatic breaths, meditate, and be mindful. This will help you more deeply connect to your body, pick up on clues of ovulation, and stay grounded to maintain healthy stress and sex hormone levels.
Track your cycle using an app like Clue. This can help your MD and your acupuncturist know more about your body and inform timing for conception efforts.
Acupuncture can help balance hormones in all bodies, not just birthing bodies. Ask us about support surrounding hormone replacement therapy, transition, menopause, andropause, etc.