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Acupuncture

Fertility Myths: Separating the Truth from Fiction

Friends, family, and the internet are full of well-meaning advice meant to help those trying for a child. However, much of this information is, at best, a well-meaning half truth. We took a few of the most common fertility myths we come across and tried to break them down.

You have to wait one year to see a fertility doctor:

This advice encouraging couples to wait one year assumes they are under 35 and that the female partner has regular cycles. If you have irregular cycles, are over 35, have a history of endometriosis, PCOS, etc please contact your doctor sooner than one year. We’ve seen so many couples wait the “recommended year” while they only have 2 periods in a year, etc. Early testing and interventions can reduce months of heartache and get you on the correct treatment path sooner. When in doubt, check with your doctor to see what they might or might not recommend. One caveat, there are some insurance companies that will not pay for fertility testing until the couple has been trying for a year, so do your due diligence to avoid an unexpected medical bill.

A fertility clinic will always recommend IVF

There is such a stigma around seeking help from a fertility clinic. This stigma, fortunately, is a huge myth! Going to a see a reproductive endocrinologist (aka fertility doctor) will ensure that you get the best testing at the right times to get to the root of your issue. Once you have arrived at your diagnosis, a treatment plan will be presented to you that might start with monitoring a cycle, medication (while trying on your own at home), surgery, IUI, and in some cases IVF. You’ll have the opportunity to discuss this plan with your partner, doctor and even get a second opinion to make sure you’re getting the best care possible. There are so many treatment options prior to IVF for most couples.

We believe knowledge can empower your treatment decisions and know that it can help us determine what acupuncture can and cannot do for you. In addition, once you are pregnant, fertility clinics will monitor your blood levels immediately and re-run those tests frequently to address any issues as early as possible and give you peace of mind during the often stressful first few weeks of pregnancy.

If you are under 35, you won’t have fertility issues

Yes, fertility declines with age and women see a biggest drop after 35. Men also see a less pronounced decline in fertility with age. If you have been having unprotected sex for over a year, have irregular cycles, or other concerning symptoms or relevant medical history, please seek out the care of your OB/GYN or make an appointment with a reproductive endocrinologist. On the flip side, being over 35 does not mean you don’t have a chance of getting pregnant. Many of our patients are over 35 and many go on to become pregnant.

Infertility is the women’s fault

First off, I hate the word fault. We’d never use that word to describe any other health condition, so let’s throw that out right now. Secondly, male factor infertility accounts for 1/3rd of all infertility cases. Female factor accounts for another 1/3 and a combination of male and female account for the other 1/3. In fact, one of the first tests your doctor will (or should) run is a semen analysis. A full diagnostic workup by a reproductive endocrinologist can help pinpoint your issues and guide appropriate treatment.

Ovulation always happens at cycle day 14

It is often assumed that ovulation always occurs at cd 14, but this couldn’t be further from the truth. Ovulation can vary from woman to woman and even from cycle to cycle. Medications, stress, illness, etc can change the timing of ovulation as well. We recommend tracking your cycles with one of the many apps on the market and using ovulation predictor kits to determine when your ovulation occurs. Timing intercourse at the wrong time can be a reason a couple isn’t becoming pregnant.

If you just relax….

Stress DOES NOT cause infertility. We always tell our patients that if stress caused infertility, no one going through fertility treatment would become pregnant. What is true is that infertility causes stress. It is also linked to higher rates of depression and anxiety. This journey can be long and tough. It is important to take care of yourself so you can be your best self throughout the ups and downs. Acupuncture can help to reduce stress, which we see as a way to support our patients on this journey. We also recommend seeking the support of a therapist who specializes in infertility to help you navigate this time in your life.

When Should I Start Acupuncture for My IVF Cycle?

Acupuncture and IVF: When to start treatment

As you know by now, acupuncture makes a great compliment to an IVF cycle and can help improve pregnancy rates, and reduce miscarriage rates. But is there an optimal time to begin treatment? Short answer is yes, but the timing will vary based on cycle type and patient diagnosis.

Let’s back up and talk about dosage:

Acupuncture is a therapy based treatment, so it is usually done in a series of treatments to treat various symptoms. Much like exercise, it is best done regularly and frequently. You probably won’t get a six pack by hitting the gym once a month…. Acupuncture is the same way.

Another way to think about it is through the concept of dosing. Say you have a major headache and your doctor recommends 400mg of a medication to relieve it and you only take 50mg. You still have your headache. Does this mean the medication didn’t work? No. Any treatment has a proper dosage for maximum effectiveness and acupuncture is no different. In acupuncture, the dosage is the frequency of treatment. The more severe the symptoms, the more frequent the acupuncture to treat it.

In fertility, the concept of dosing is used to provide maximum benefit during specific times throughout the cycle with consideration for each couple’s situation and type of cycle.

Type of cycle and acupuncture start recommendations:

Retrieval Cycle

4-12 weeks prior to cycle.

The three month window of preconception acupuncture is recommended in cases of low ovarian reserve, poor egg or embryo quality. This window represents the full life cycle of the egg so we consider this an optimal time to use holistic treatments, dietary changes, and lifestyle changes to support your egg health.

One month is typically adequate for other diagnoses like endometriosis, male factor, polycystic ovarian syndrome, etc.

Frozen Embryo Transfer

4 weeks prior to the cycle start. In a frozen embryo cycle, 8-11 treatments before transfer is ideal to optimize results.

Natural Cycle IVF or Mini-stim IVF

4 weeks prior to the start of the cycle.

We refer to these treatments as preconception acupuncture. The treatments are designed to improve blood flow, regulate hormones, and reduce stress in advance of your cycle.

Here is a great Q&A session with the doctors at Long Island IVF and their acupuncturist going over the benefits of frequent treatment leading up to an IVF cycle.

Acupuncture During the Cycle

Once your cycle begins, we will increase our treatment frequency to twice weekly until your retrieval or transfer. For our purposes we consider the “start” when you begin ovarian stimulation medication, estrogen, or cycle day 1 in a natural cycle IVF.

For embryo transfer cycles, whether fresh or frozen, we will see you around the transfer itself and again 5-7 days after the transfer to support implantation.

All of these treatments work to support your body, help to improve outcomes and keep you comfortable and relaxed during your cycle. In research, these protocols show an increase in pregnancy rates, live birth rates, and a decrease in miscarriage.

For more information or questions on how this might work with your specific cycle, please give us a call, send an email (info@TennesseeReproductiveAcupuncture.com), or schedule an appointment online. We are always happy to help!

Clinic Reopening May 4th!

Thank you for your continued patience and understanding during this time. We are excited to announce that are reopening next week on Monday May 4th!!Now with this excitement we are also putting in place some policies to keep our clinic a safe place for all. Please read the following updates precautionary measures and policies we are implementing to maintain best practices during this time.

Clinic Policies:

1. Please arrive on time for your appointment or wait indoor vehicle instead of coming into the waiting room.

2. Patients are asked to come alone to their visit unless they are accompanying a minor.

3. Patients and guardians are asked to bring and wear a cloth mask during their appointment. Staff will also be wearing masks.

4. Patients and guardians are asked to wash hands with soap and water immediately upon arriving for their appointment.

Upon the arrival your temperature will be taken and you will be asked the following questions:

Have you been in close contact with a confirmed case of COVID-19?
Are you experiencing cough, shortness of breath, or a sore throat?
Have you had a fever in the last 48 hours?
Have you had a new loss of taste or smell?
Have you had vomiting or diarrhea in the last 24 hours?

Patients will not be seen if they:

Answered yes to any of the above questions.
Have a fever over 100.4 degrees.

These precautionary measures are from TN’s guidelines for reopening and will changed as needed to keep everyone as safe as possible as we navigate this next phase. Please be patient with us as we will also be keeping a lighter schedule to ensure enough time to properly clean and create a safe space for our staff and patients.

Keep an eye on our social media pages and connect with us! We will continue to be available via email, social media, phone if you would like to schedule or reach out with questions during this time.

With our hearts,

Sarah and Alex

Infertility and Loneliness

We work with many individuals and couples to support their fertility goals.

Infertility comes with many complex emotions. Dealing with infertility and loneliness can be a double strike. From day to day, minute to minute, emotions can range from excitement and joy at a positive test result, a response to medication, or a particular symptom to devastation, sadness, or anger over another failed cycle, miscarriage, or dead end. Through what can only be described as a rollercoaster, one prevailing feeling often shines through.

Loneliness.

For many of the couples that come for acupuncture at our office here in Knoxville, their support system is very small, or even non-existent. Other than their spouse, support may only come from a very small group of people; a trusted friend, mother, etc. I can’t think of many other stressful life events that aren’t shared, overshared, discussed, laughed or cried about with a larger group of support people.

And nobody brings over casseroles when you’re going through infertility.

Is social media helpful?

Even in the event one does decide to break the silence and share their situation, they’re often met with well-meaning, but not helpful comments like “just relax,” “my friend took this vitamin, you should try it,” “have you thought about adoption?” Or, worse yet, they slowly drop off their level of communication and effectively vanish from their lives.

What about the other areas of daily life?

And this isolation just doesn’t stop at social relationships. It can extend to work or other hobbies. Living through infertility often means playing a game of “what if.”

Constantly wondering if/when treatment might be successful can create situations where women might put off going for a promotion, changing jobs, etc to prepare for what might be.

Infertility itself can even be a reason to put careers on hold. Sometimes a job might be a good fit for the flexibility needed for fertility treatment, or health insurance at a job might even cover treatment.

Finding a connection.

For some, social media is a great outlet where one can even remain anonymous if they prefer. There are countless groups based on diagnosis, clinic, region, cycle, etc. But when they log off, that connection is gone.

Some couples turn to counseling or therapy to work on communication and coping skills. For others, their place of worship plays a vital role.

Be a support.

I don’t have an answer to solve this loneliness (though I wish I did…), but I want you to know that we hear you and our thoughts are with you. The one thing we all can do is learn from this and be that support to other struggling with infertility.

If we are chosen to be that, maybe they’ll have just a little bit less loneliness as they walk their own journey. Hopefully, over time, with advocacy and more openness, this will all be a thing of the past.

Here in Knoxville we are lucky to have many organizations and support groups that are also willing to help with those struggling through infertility and loneliness. Please reach out and let us know how we can support you.

Is Hydration Important For Fertility?

According to research the short answer is: yes!

We hear all the time about ways to increase fertility, especially tips about diet and lifestyle. Many of us don’t think about hydration as being important for fertility but in fact researchers are finding that hydration does play a role.

Along with eating healthy, reducing the consumption of processed foods, getting enough sleep and all the other healthy things we should be doing, hydration is not always considered.

Most of us think about hydration in the summer when your outside hiking or being active. However, all of us should be conscious about our fluid intake no matter the season.

Acupuncture before and after your embryo transfer is a great way to relax and help increase your chances of success!

So how does hydration affect fertility?

In one big way hydration affects the male and female fluid qualities. In females that’s cervical mucus and in males that’s ejaculatory fluid. Researchers are finding that the more dehydrated you and/or your partner are at the time of intercourse the harder it is for the sperm and ovum to meet.

Cervical mucus usually fluctuates throughout the month. If a woman has a relatively normal cycle, the mucus should changes around ovulation time, becoming thinner and less acidic. This change allows sperm to move more easily through the vagina and cervical mucus towards the ovum. Just as in females, if males are dehydrated their sperm could also have a hard time “swimming” within semen as well.

Don’t stress, find balance.

We want to emphasize the importance of balance and not stressing. Yes, water is important but make sure not to over-do it. The general recommendation is half your body weight in ounces but if you are not a big water fan you might need to work up to that slowly. Infertility is hard. We know many out there trying all the things to make it work. We found this article interesting and wanted to share.

Any questions? We’re your resource for Fertility Acupuncture in Knoxville!

If you have any questions about adding acupuncture to your cycle or how we might be able to support your journey, please give us a call or an email. We are always happy to help.

Never Say Never

“You’ll never be able to get pregnant.”

Have you had anyone ever tell you this? These 7 words are one of our biggest pet peeves. So often, I’ve heard this come from other providers without a proper diagnosis and exam or even friends and family members and it is absolutely devastating to the couple involved. Thankfully, Knoxville’s reproductive endocrinologists are careful with their words and would never say such a thing without first doing a careful exam and diagnosis and discussing all the options with you. Much of the time, they are able to present a treatment plan that will eventually result in a healthy pregnancy. We are truly lucky here in East Tennessee, but I digress.

NEVER is such a strong word (assuming, obviously, you have the necessary organs, etc). In my 10 + year career as an acupuncturist, I have been blessed to be a witness to some amazing miracles in women who seemingly have little chance.

My patients hear me talk about this all the time when encouraging them to try while they wait for IVF or during an unlikely cycle (if, of course, they don’t feel it would add undue stress on them). I finally decided to write about never saying never because one of our miracle patients just delivered healthy twin boys. She had been trying to conceive for over 4 years and went through cycle after cycle, IUI, medications, and more, finally deciding to move forward with IVF. During her retrieval cycle, her response was much less than her doctor anticipated, so the tough decision was made to cancel the retrieval and, instead, do an IUI. She agreed to the plan, with hopes of repeating the retrieval with a different medication protocol in a coming cycle, but was understandably not feeling positive about the IUI at all. We used acupuncture and timed her treatments with our standard IUI treatment protocol. Then, on a day I’ll never forget, I got a phone call. “Uh, so, uh, my pregnancy test was positive.” The shock and disbelief was palpable and understandable! After congratulations (and some tears), we started with our prenatal wellness protocol. After 9 healthy months, two sweet baby boys were born.

Do I think acupuncture was the reason this miracle happened? No. Acupuncture, as much as I wish it was, is not magical. Who knows exactly why it happened. She had an excellent fertility team, a healthy lifestyle, had been doing acupuncture regularly, and the right egg and sperm finally met. Everything just came together. Acupuncture can improve blood flow, help regulate hormones, calm stress, and reduce side effects, but it isn’t magical.

Acupuncture makes a great complement to any type of treatment cycle.

Upon reflecting back on my patients over the years, there have been a number of equally miraculous situations:

-A patient with one tube fell pregnant when she had only one mature follicle on the side without a tube (there is evidence that eggs can transfer to the other tube during ovulation).

– A woman with severe diminished egg reserve who became pregnant on her own after multiple failed IVF cycles with some of the most well known clinics in the country. For the record, she was not doing acupuncture when she got pregnant. They had stopped “trying.” She shared the news with me after a healthy 20 week anatomy scan.

-A woman who ovulated a second time after her trigger shot and IUI and became pregnant with that follicle based on the timing of her positive pregnancy test and beta hCG numbers.

– Many patients who’ve become pregnant naturally before moving forward with an IVF cycle, surgery, etc.

And many more whose details have softened over the years. While I wish every patient had this story, we are so happy for those who do.

We often get feedback about how hopeful we are as we walk with our patients on their infertility journeys. We nervously anticipate pregnancy tests, ultrasounds, blood work numbers right alongside our patients and feel the highs and lows of the rollercoaster ride. But our optimism, while sometimes a bit foreign to our patients who’ve been through so much, is rooted in these stories. We encourage our patients to try on their own (when it is possible, of course, and won’t cause too much stress) while they wait for a cycle to begin, surgery, etc. Because, you never know what might happen. Never say never.

If you have any questions about adding acupuncture to your cycle or how we might be able to support your journey, please give us a call or an email. We are always happy to help.

Embryo Transfer Acupuncture

By Sarah Prater
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Acupuncture, Fertility, IVF, Uncategorized

We often get questions regarding acupuncture done before and after embryo transfer and wanted to explore how these treatments can be used to support an IVF cycle, why we highly recommend them, and how to add these to your upcoming cycle.

What the research says:

Research supports the use of acupuncture before and after embryo transfer. In a well known study, acupuncture done before and after embryo transfer resulted in higher rates of pregnancy (42.5% in the acupuncture group versus 26.3 in the control group). This study gave us the well known “Paulus Protocol” that we base many of our pre/post transfer treatments on. Although, we typically add or subtract points depending on each patients’ diagnosis and symptoms.

In research published by our acupuncturist, Sarah Prater, similar results were seen. Patients receiving acupuncture had pregnancy rates for 57.1% versus 45.8% for those not receiving acupuncture. Additionally, this study followed patients a bit longer and discovered that the clinical pregnancy rate (gestational sac seen on ultrasound) was much higher in the acupuncture group: 55.1% versus 34.4% for those not receiving acupuncture. Even better, the overall miscarrage rate for patients who received acupuncture was only 3.4% compared to 22.7% in the non-acupuncture group. It is easy to see how these two simple treatments can have a big effect on live birth rates after IVF.

Embryo transfer acupuncture at our clinic

Pre and post embryo transfer treatments are done as a part of our comprehensive IVF treatment protocol. Beyond the increase in pregnancy rates, some additional benefits include reducing any symptoms from the hormones like headaches, irritability, hot flashes, etc and helping you relax. Transfer day is a big day often filled with a mix of emotions that can range from excitement and optimism to anxiety and even fear. Acupuncture on transfer day can be such a wonderful way to relax and emotionally prepare for your transfer. The treatments are painless and many times patients fall asleep or deeply relax during acupuncture.

Our patients know that we work very hard to time treatments throughout your cycle to help make sure you are getting the best benefit from each and every treatment and pre and post transfer treatments are no exception. We are willing to come in early, stay late, and even come in on weekends to help accommodate your transfer day schedule. We understand that you often don’t get your transfer time until the days leading up to the transfer and have a system in place to handle all the scheduling for your big day.

Serving patients throughout the country

In addition to seeing our own patients before and after embryo transfer, we are proud to serve patients traveling from other cities and states for their cycles. We work with many out-of-town patients doing embryo adoption cycles at the National Embryo Donation Center here in Knoxville or with any of the other local clinics. You don’t need to have previously had acupuncture to take advantage of this service. We are happy to answer your questions and make sure you get a spot on our transfer calendar.

So, if you are planning an IVF cycle in the coming weeks or months, please reach out and we can talk more about adding acupuncture before and after your transfer. We are available via email, phone, or through our website. We look forward to hearing from you and good luck with your cycle!

The Link Between Male Fertility and Recurrent Miscarriage: And How Acupuncture Can Support Male Fertility Naturally

Husband holding pregnant wife — Acupuncture and antioxidant supplementation can be part of a plan to improve male fertility and reduce your chance of a miscarriage.

A Recent study from the UK shed some additional light on an often overlooked cause of recurrent miscarriage. It was found that men in couples with recurrent miscarriage had much higher levels of molecules called “reactive oxygen species” (ROS) in their sperm. Produced naturally in the body, ROS can help protect sperm, but higher concentrations can damage sperm and affect fertility.

High rates can increase rates of infertility can even affect embryo implantation after IVF. It can be a reason for poor IVF fertilization rates, unexplained infertility, failed IVF/ICSI cycles, and/or poor embryo quality. In couples with infertility, up to 80% of men tested showed increased concentrations of ROS. This is a big deal.

Causes of Increased ROS

Increased levels of ROS can be attributed to many causes including:

Genito-urinary tract infection
Prostatitis
Vasectomy reversal
Varicocoele
Cryptorchidism
Chronic disease
Xenobiotics
Chemical pollutants and occupational hazards
Heavy metal exposure
Removal of seminal plasma during sperm preparation for assisted conception
Drugs – cyclophosphamide, aspirin, paracetamol
Smoking
Alcohol
Excessive exercise
Heat exposure
Obesity
Age

How can you lower ROS levels?

After understanding more about how levels of ROS can profoundly affect your fertility and be a cause of miscarriage, the next step is to come up with plan to lower it. Taking a look at the causes, there are probably some things you identify here to work on.

1. Anti-oxidant Supplements and Male Fertility:

Supplementation with an antioxidant has been shown to be helpful in reducing levels of ROS. At our clinic, we recommend Conception XR to our male patients. This supplement contains high doses of antioxidants like selenium, vitamin C, and vitamin E along with other nutrients shown to support male fertility. For men that also experience issues with sperm motility, they make a product with additional supplements specifically for motility.

2. Lifestyle Changes and Male Fertility:

Anything done to improve your overall lifestyle will be helpful for improving ROS levels. Maintaining a healthy body weight through diet and exercise is top on the list. Also, if you are a smoker, developing a plan to quit (acupuncture can help with this too!) and reducing the amount of alcohol consumed.

Avoid exposure to toxins at work and at home If you work in an environment where this exposure is common, consult your supervisor to make sure you are taking the proper precautionary means to prevent or reduce exposure.

3. Pay a Visit to your Doctor:

Since high levels of ROS can be caused by many common conditions, a visit with your doctor to rule some of these things out is a good idea. In many communities, there are urologists who specialize in male fertility. Here in Knoxville, we recommend Dr. Kim at UT Medical Center for our male patients wanting to discuss their options.

4. Acupuncture for Male Fertility:

Regular acupuncture treatment can help reduce inflammation, increase the flow of oxygenated blood to the reproductive system and help to reduce high ROS levels. We recommend all male partners receive acupuncture at least every other week to support healthy sperm production. More about our approach to using acupuncture for male fertility here. Acupuncture can help you ensure your sperm are as healthy as possible

More and more research is pointing towards the importance of healthy sperm. Their role in creating healthy embryos and babies cannot be overlooked in the diagnosis and treatment of infertility. We encourage everyone to discuss this with your doctor and see if any additional testing is appropriate. In the meantime, working towards a healthy lifestyle and changing some of your bad habits can have a big impact on your fertility.

If you have more questions about acupuncture can help support male fertility. Please reach out via email or phone (865)-315-3845. We are always happy to help!

If you’re ready to begin your integrative fertility journey and add acupuncture to your treatment plan, we have online scheduling available at our website.

Sitting the Month: 6 Tips to Help You Navigate Your Postpartum Time

By Sarah Prater
/
Acupuncture, Birth, Postpartum, Pregnancy

Our 6 best tips to plan a restful and rejuvenating postpartum month!

There is a saying in Chinese, “zuo yue zi,” or “Sitting the Month” that refers to the idea that the month following the birth of a baby is a sacred time reserved for rest, regeneration, and bonding with your new baby. After all, birth is an incredibly transformative event, it is rather silly to expect your body, mind, and soul to bounce back to normal activity in a short period of time. In fact, this rush to get back into action quickly is not healthy and can lead to a much longer recovery period.

Unfortunately, our society idolizes women for bouncing back and rushing back into work, life, exercise, and their pre-baby bodies. Celebrities, likely with extreme diet and exercise regimens put forth by their teams of professionals, often are the examples of this unattainable image.

If this isn’t your first child, you know how tough those first few weeks can be. Your newborn is dependent on you for everything and you are working so hard to figure out what each cry means, teaching yourself how to breastfeed or quickly make bottles while your baby gets more and more upset, and, all the while, expected to feed yourself and maybe sneak in a shower. The whole thing is exhausting and can be emotionally draining.

In China, women are encouraged to “sit the month” after birth and remain in bed with baby. Family, partners, and friends take care of the house, cook nourishing meals, and ensure the mother gets the rest she desperately needs. I think we should take a lesson from China and incorporate these theories into our postpartum plans.

During pregnancy, you likely found yourself researching, downloading, and revising your birth plan until it was a perfect vision of what you wanted for your birth. The time after baby comes is often ignored. We should, in fact, be putting at least as much effort into the weeks following baby’s arrival to allow for space for healing and recovery.

Aside from a much needed list of delegated tasks, desires, meal trains etc, a plan should be worked out to allow you to get the rest and recovery you need and the time you want to bond with your new baby.

So here are our tips for navigating your postpartum time:

1. Rest: Your body just went through one of the most single transformative times of your entire life. Give it a break! You nourished and grew a new person, birthed that person, and took on a new role as a mother. This is an amazing feat and it takes time to recover from and get acquainted to your transformed life.

For the month after birth, rest as much as possible. Lay in bed with your baby, sit on the couch with your baby, sit outside with your baby. Spend time staring at your baby and, of course, catching up on your favorite Netflix shows. If you feel like getting up and walking a little, by all means get off the couch, but listen intently to yourself. If you feel any soreness, increased perineal pressure, notice an increase in your lochia (the bleeding you will have postpartum), or have any discomfort back off and get back on the couch.
Spend time skin-to-skin with baby. Skin-to-skin was likely something you remember from your birth plan, but the benefits of this go well beyond the hour after birth. Skin-to-skin can help support good breastmilk supply, help baby regulate body temperature, and facilitate bonding. So, put on a robe or button up shirt, cuddle up, and enjoy!
Limit guests: I know everyone will want to come see the baby, but give yourself a few weeks without a stream of well-intending friends and family. Allow those who will take on a task, laundry, dishes, etc, and tell everyone else to come back later. Entertaining, or feeling like you have to entertain, cleaning your house, and preparing snacks is a lot of unnecessary pressure while you’re becoming familiar with your new role. Additionally, your new baby does not need the exposure to the coughs and sneezes your guests might bring.

2. Eat warm nourishing foods: One very big part of Sitting the Month is proper nutrition to replenish your body and support your recovery. The Chinese recommend a diet of warming foods and herbs. Some examples of things to add to your diet are:

Ginger: Use in soups or teas. Caution: Occasionally ginger can increase bleeding, so if this is the case for you, stop using it.
Wam spices: Use cinnamon, cardamom, chile, etc for cooking.
Bone broth (or vegetarian/vegan bone broth): with added warming spices or herbs.
Mushrooms: you can add these to your soups and broths for benefit to your immune system.
Eggs: These are a great source of protein and are great for pregnancy and postpartum support.
Red raspberry leaf tea: to help regulate hormones and reduce your uterine size back to normal.
Water, water, water! When your milk comes in you will find your thirst increases quite a bit. Combat that by increasing water consumption. This will also help reduce water retention and prevent headaches and muscle cramps.
Avoid cold foods: ice water, smoothies, ice cream, salads, raw veggies/fruits, etc.

3. Perineal Support: Whether you gave birth vaginally or not, you will notice some perineal soreness.. If you’ve had stitches or minor tearing you will definitely have some discomfort or even pain as your body heals.

Say No to Padsicles: We recommend against the ‘padsicles’ you might find on Pinterest. That much cold placed right on tender, healing skin can reduce blood flow, increasing overall healing time. Instead, if you’d like to use something cold to reduce swelling, wrap an ice pack in a towel, so the cold you feel is more cool. Combine with an herbal perineal bath and/or spray to speed healing.
Perineal sitz baths: A sitz bath made from healing herbs can increase healing time and soothe your sore perineum. You can also use these herbs in a bath with epsom salts for extra relaxation.
Perineal Spray: Earth Mama Angel Baby makes a fantastic herbal perineal spray that will quickly become your best friend. The combination of herbs in this spray is soothing, cooling, and can help promote healing. Use every time you use the bathroom or as needed. If you have any leftover after healing, it makes a great after-sun face toner!
Prevent Constipation: Your first bowel movements after baby can be really tough, especially if you’ve had any pain medication or dehydration causing constipation. Taking magnesium or a stool softener in the first week or so can really help make going to the bathroom much more comfortable. Also, make sure you are drinking enough water, as this, of course, will help.

4. Lactation Support: So many women wanting to breastfeed go into it assuming it is a natural and easy process. And, for some, this is absolutely true. For others, it couldn’t be farther from the truth. It is so important to have an ally for your breastfeeding journey. They can make sure you are getting accurate, up to date information. We recommend a prenatal breastfeeding class and a visit from an independent IBCLC in the days after birth to check for tongue/lip ties and check baby’s latch to help support breastfeeding. Check out our resources page for our favorite lactation consultants. Many will do home visits, so you don’t even have to leave your house.

5. Mother Warming Ritual: Moxa, made from the leaves of the mugwort plant, is used to gently warm points along the lower abdomen in mom’s who’ve given birth vagainally or through a Cesarean birth. This is typically done about 3-4 days after birth and promotes healing, milk production, and alleviates discomfort. It is used on an as-needed basis after the initial warming.

This is a great way for partners to help out with postpartum healing.

6. Acupuncture: There are so many benefits to a course of postpartum acupuncture. We can begin work on restoring your body, support healing, and help treat any issues you might be having with breastfeeding, digestion, sleep, anxiety/depression, etc.

Our recommended postpartum protocol is just 3 weekly visits starting at 2-3 weeks postpartum and as needed after that.

We look forward to working with you during your pregnancy and into your postpartum time! Please give us a call at 865-31503845 or contact us via email with any questions!

Can you combine acupuncture with fertility treatments?

Acupuncture can be added to any type of fertility cycle.

Short answer, yes. It is safe and effective to combine acupuncture with any type of fertility treatment including medicated cycles, IUI, IVF, FET, donor IVF, etc. We have worked closely with all of the Knoxville fertility doctors and clinics and even clinics from out of state and have the experience needed to support you throughout whatever cycle your doctor is recommending.

Long answer, there are quite a few reasons why you might consider combining acupuncture with any type of fertility treatment cycle.

1. Increase your chances of success: Acupuncture has been shown in many research studies to increase chances of ovulation, conception, clinical pregnancy, and live birth when combined with fertility treatment.

In IUI cycles, a study showed pregnancy rates for those using acupuncture with their treatment was 65.5% vs 39.9% for those doing just an IUI cycle.
In IVF cycles, women combining acupuncture with their whole cycle have pregnancy rates around 60% in our clinic.
Doing acupuncture only before and after embryo transfer leads to a 42.5% pregnancy rate vs 26.3% in women who did not use acupuncture.
In women doing clomid, femara, injectable or other medicated cycles, one study showed rates of ovulation of 67.8% vs 51.9% and a conception rate of 51.9% for the acupuncture and treatment group, vs 30.4% for the treatment only group.

2. Reduce overall cost of fertility treatment: While there is a cost to receiving acupuncture treatments, adding acupuncture to your fertility treatment plan can reduce the number of cycles needed to achieve pregnancy, thereby significantly reducing costs.

3. Decrease side effects of treatment: Acupuncture is often used symptomatically during a treatment cycle to decrease side effects such as:

Hot Flashes
Mood Swings
Help increase cervical mucous production
Stress
Cramping or pain during cycle

4. Support throughout the cycle: We’ve been working with patients going through fertility treatments for a long time and know the how tough the emotional rollercoaster can be. We also know that it isn’t often a topic discussed with friends and family. So we strive to support you and help answer any questions along the way.

5. Acupuncture can be used to support your doctor’s treatment for conditions such as:

Endometriosis
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)
Male Factor Infertility
High FSH/Low AMH
Premature Ovarian Failure
Low Ovarian Reserve

6. Decrease Side effects of treatment: Acupuncture is often used symptomatically during a treatment cycle to decrease side effects such as:

Hot Flashes
Mood Swings
Help increase cervical mucous production
Stress
Cramping or pain during cycle

When should I begin treatment? In an ideal world, we would see our patients 3 months before the begin any fertility treatment. We refer to this treatment phase as “Preconception.” During these three months, we work to regulate the menstrual cycle, correct any hormone imbalances, and increase blood flow to help your body give the best chance for a good response to treatment.

However, we don’t always live in an ideal world. Often we see our patients at the beginning of their cycle. Of course, we can start treatment at any time throughout your cycle, so it is never too late to receive benefit from acupuncture.

We are always available for questions via phone or email and encourage you to reach out and discuss your situation so we can find an acupuncture treatment plan that is right for you!