Fertility

menstrual health & fertility

Many people don’t realise it takes approximately 120 days for your body to mature one egg and 90 days for sperm to reach maturity. Understanding this significance and allowing this time for any changes you make to completely take effect, is essential for positive fertility results, as your health, diet, stress levels and environment all have a critical impact on the health and vitality of your eggs and your partners sperm.

Your menstrual cycle is distinctive to you, a healthy menstrual cycle is an important aspect of your physiology, it reflects the proper functioning of your reproductive organs and hormones. Each phase relates to a dynamic change within your body. Your menstrual cycle is essential to helping you learn, plan for and make choices about your fertility health & wellbeing.

Chinese Medicine is often helpful in treating infertility when conventional medicine is unable to explain why you may be struggling to conceive. “Unexplained” infertility is often the manifestation of an imbalance of your organ system.

Regulating menstrual cycles ought to proceed with at least 2-3 normal cycles before trying to conceive. Its essential to use this time to focus on nutrition & lifestyle during this period leading up to conception, as this time determines the health of the egg that will become your embryo, however we prioritise your individual needs and timeline according to where you are on your TTC journey.

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) can play a supportive role in addressing various aspects of women's health and fertility, including IVF support, PCOS, Endometriosis, painful periods, pelvic pain, irregular cycles, “unexplained” infertility, hormonal disorders, male factor infertility, and luteal phase defect.

Here's how TCM can be beneficial for each of these conditions:

Endometriosis + Adenomyosis

Endometriosis commonly has both an immune and hormonal component. It can reduce fertility as it impacts egg quality and endometrial receptivity. In Chinese Medicine, endometriosis is seen as a pattern of combined hormonal imbalance and blood stagnation in the ovaries and uterus. Chinese Medicine utilises acupuncture points that aim to regulate blood flow in the uterus and ovaries and that reduce pain and inflammation. It often combines acupuncture with Chinese herbal medicine, which aims to address the underlying hormonal imbalance.

Our treatment can be beneficial for each of these symptoms:

  • Pain Management: Acupuncture and herbal medicine in TCM aims to alleviate the chronic often debilitating pain associated with Endometriosis and also improve blood flow and circulation.
  • Reduce inflammation and modulate immune responses.
  • Hormonal Regulation: TCM aims to help balance hormones, potentially reducing the growth of endometrial tissue outside the uterus.

PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome)

PCOS is a disorder that is well described in terms of clinical symptoms. Both PCOS as a condition and irregular cycles are caused by underlying hormonal imbalances. Chinese medicine aims to regulate the hormones, increase regularity of ovulation and menstrual cycles, and reduce other associated symptoms.

Our treatment can be beneficial for each of these PCOS symptoms:

  • Hormonal Regulation: To regulate hormones implicated in PCOS, like insulin and androgens, often through both herbal prescriptions and acupuncture.
  • Ovulation Induction: TCM aims to regulate and promote ovulation in women with PCOS, improving their chances of conceiving.
  • Weight Management: TCM often includes dietary recommendations and acupuncture for managing weight, a key factor in PCOS and insulin resistance management.

Irregular Cycles and Unexplained Infertility:

  • Hormonal Balance: Our individualised and targeted treatments aim to regulate hormones, by addressing the underlying cause that is leading to your irregular menstrual cycles and addressing “unexplained” infertility.
  • Hormonal Regulation: TCM aims to correct hormonal imbalances that can affect fertility and overall health that may manifest as anxiety, insomnia, acne and autoimmune disorders.

Luteal Phase Defect:

  • Hormonal Balance: TCM promotes an extended luteal phase by using both herbs, acupuncture and supplementation to balance hormonal fluctuations that can cause luteal phase defects, with the goal to improve implantation.