Acupuncture for Fertility Support
A simple, accessible, and affordable way to boost your fertility is through acupuncture. During your treatment, we will be able to address the root cause of infertility and help you determine what could be inhibiting your fertility, rather than simply focusing on the reproductive system as a singular unit.
We will treat you comprehensively and in doing so, will help to effectively increase your fertility, balance your hormones, and help your reproductive system flourish.
The Benefits of Acupuncture
It Addresses the Whole Body
Because the body systems all work together, a problem with one system can affect the other systems, including the reproductive system. Acupuncture is holistic. By its very definition, the word holistic means the treatment of the whole person.
Acupuncture treats the whole person and can help remedy issues with other bodily systems that may be affecting the reproductive system.
It Helps Manage Hormonal Fluctuations
Hormones are key when it comes to fertility, and if your hormones are off, it is very likely that everything else is off. The hormonal system is a delicate one and optimal fertility comes when each hormone is balanced so that they can all work cohesively to help you conceive. Acupuncture can help regulate your hormones and help maintain that necessary balance.
It Helps Manage Stress
Stress is damaging to the body in almost every way, especially when it comes to fertility. The body responds to stress by increasing cortisol levels. Stress and fertility are like oil and water. When your body is in a constant state of stress, your reproductive system suffers.
Through acupuncture, you can find stress relief so that your body is free from the need to handle stress and can focus instead on operating all of your bodily systems to their full potential.
Stress and Fertility
Stress has been shown to directly affect the reproductive system. For women, it can lead to uterine spasms that interfere with implantation. It can also cause the body to stop ovulating entirely for a period of time. For men, stress can alter sperm count and can cause impotence. Acupuncture can help manage stress by:
- Reversing the effects of cortisol
- Releasing endorphins in the brain
- Increasing blood flow to the reproductive organs
- Improving the chances of getting and staying pregnant
- Regulating the female menstrual cycles
- Helping women maintain a reliable ovulation schedule
- Helping relieve the stress that comes from worry and stress
Who Is a Candidate?
What once may have been considered “granola” is now becoming a widely accepted and effective treatment by couples from all walks of life. Acupuncture for fertility support can help treat a wide range of fertility issues for couples in different situations.
As an added benefit, acupuncture can also address other health issues that aren’t your primary concern but affect your daily life, such as digestion and sinus-related issues.
Couples Going Through IVF
IVF is an extensive fertility treatment that takes a toll on the body, physically, mentally, and emotionally. One of the benefits of acupuncture for fertility support is that it can help promote the body’s ability to conceive naturally in couples going through IVF.
Acupuncture can also help increase your chances of successfully conceiving through IVF, whether you are in the middle of treatments or you are taking a break from treatments.
When You Are Unfit for IVF
If you have gone through multiple rounds of IVF but have not been able to successfully conceive, acupuncture for fertility support can help you find success.
If your medical history disqualifies you from undergoing IVF, you most likely will qualify for acupuncture, and it may be the missing link that successfully increases your fertility and helps you find the success you may have thought was impossible.
Couples Who Want a Natural Approach
While some people make IVF their first choice when experiencing infertility issues, others want to do everything holistically possible before they consider an alternative option.
If you are having trouble getting pregnant but you are not ready to commit to assisted reproductive technologies, also known as ART, acupuncture for fertility support can serve as a supplemental therapy that can help increase your fertility.
Couples Who Want to Boost Fertility
Sometimes those who are in good health and are not concerned about infertility still want to do everything possible to ensure an easy conception.
If you are beginning to think about starting a family in the near future and have the time to prepare your body so that you are as healthy as possible when you eventually choose to get pregnant, acupuncture can help. It will serve as a long-term approach to improving your reproductive health.
What Happens During a Treatment?
After consulting with you about your health history and your concerns, your acupuncturist will talk to you about the body systems and energy that may be unbalanced in your body, causing your fertility issues.
You will then lay down and hair-thin needles will be inserted into the points of the body that correlate to the systems requiring treatment. Once the needles are inserted, you will barely even feel them and can spend the rest of your time relaxing and let the needles do their work.
Ways to Add to Your Acupuncture Results
Avoid Hormone Disrupters
There are many things that we come into contact with daily that work against fertility and disrupt hormones. These are called endocrine disrupters, and they are hidden in plain sight.
Endocrine disrupters can be found in pesticides, household cleaning products, ingredients in certain cosmetics and products, synthetic ingredients in food and beverages, and even your tap water.
Do Your Research
Do your research and find out which foods and items in your household may contain these harmful ingredients and do your best to avoid them. Try to replace common household items containing endocrine disrupters with more natural, hormone-friendly ones.
Overhaul Your Diet
A healthy diet supports reproductive health in both men and women and it affects fertility in many ways. A diet filled with chemical-laden, processed foods, and foods high in sugar and simple carbohydrates will work against your attempts to boost fertility. If you want to boost your fertility, look at the foods you are eating, evaluate their ingredients, and make a change.
Add Whole Foods to Your Diet
Start by reading the ingredient labels of everything you buy. If the label has ingredients that you can’t pronounce, they are most likely preservatives and you should not be eating them. Whole, fresh foods are those in their natural state.
When possible, choose as many organic foods as you can to keep yourself from ingesting any added hormones or pesticides. Some foods that you can add to your diet to boost fertility include but are not limited to:
- Green, leafy vegetables
- Greek yogurt
- Berries
- Healthy fats (avocados, olive oil, nuts)
- Lean proteins (fish, turkey, chicken, trimmed beef)
- Salmon
- Plant proteins
- Asparagus
Begin an Exercise Routine
It’s no secret that the body needs exercise to function optimally. For beginners, aim to move your body for at least 30 minutes a day. Take a brisk walk in the morning or after dinner. Download a fitness app and try an at-home workout.
Do something that gets your heart rate up daily. Find activities that you enjoy because when you enjoy exercise, you are far more likely to commit to it than if it’s something you dread.
Beware of Over-Exercising
Over-exercising has an adverse effect on fertility because it increases cortisol levels. When cortisol floods the body, it negatively affects the reproductive system, along with the other bodily systems as well. This applies to both men and women, as excessive exercise can affect both ovulation and sperm count.
Try Seed Cycling
Seed cycling is a simple way to boost fertility among women. It involves monitoring your menstrual cycle and eating different seeds at different times of the month. From day one to day 14 of your cycle, add pumpkin and flaxseeds to your diet, preferably one tablespoon of each daily.
From day 15 to 28, switch to eating sesame and sunflower seeds. This is an easy way to boost fertility, especially if you are already monitoring your cycle. You can add seeds easily by:
- Adding the seeds to a daily smoothie to make things easy
- Adding your seeds to a salad at lunch or dinner
- Planning meals that incorporate these seeds as primary ingredients
Benefits of Seed Cycling
There are many benefits to seed cycling and no side effects. It is a completely natural, affordable, and manageable way to help boost your fertility. After a few months of seed cycling, you may begin to notice your hormones regulating.
By eating different seeds at different times of the month, you will add the essential vitamins and minerals to your diet that your body requires to flourish during the different times of your cycle.
Evaluate Your Weight
Balance and hormones go hand in hand when it comes to maintaining optimal fertility. This necessary balance applies to your body weight as well. Being overweight can be catastrophic to your fertility, but so can being underweight. Talk with your doctor about what is the healthiest weight for your body and take the necessary steps to reach that weight and maintain it.
Body Fat Matters
Body fat percentage plays a significant role in your fertility. Hormones are stored in fat, so if you don’t have enough body fat, your hormones will be affected.
Studies have shown that infertility and low body fat are directly related. However, a high body fat percentage leads to the production of excess testosterone, which can inhibit the ovaries from releasing eggs.
Body Fat Affects Male Fertility
Body fat also affects male fertility. Too much body fat can lead to a decrease in testosterone production and an increase in estrogen, which affects sperm quantity and quality. Acupuncture can assist with weight loss by addressing the bodily functions related to weight gain, such as hormones, digestion, and appetite.
Support Your Fertility Through Acupuncture
If you want to relieve stress and increase your chances of a healthy pregnancy, we can help. Through acupuncture, you may find a solution to some of the health issues that are affecting your fertility, your reproductive systems, and your entire body. Contact us today at 1st Choice Acupuncture & Integrative Medicine in Bellevue, WA, and schedule your initial acupuncture consultation for fertility support.
