Overview
Many women have spent a portion of their adult lives preventing pregnancy, waiting for the right moment. Ideally we want to be optimally healthy when we are ready to conceive. We want to make sure our bodies have all the essential vitamins and minerals at the cellular level, and we want to regulate our menstrual cycles by balancing our hormones. This program helps women and men to conceive whether they are attempting to get pregnant with or without reproductive technologies. It is for those who want to be at their best for pregnancy.
For Women Coming Off Birth Control Pills or Who Have Irregular Menstrual Cycles
If a woman has been on the contraceptive pill for many years there can be a number of reasons other than birth control. Many Doctors will prescribe the pill to a woman for bad menstrual cramps, irregular periods, heavy bleeding, no bleeding, endometriosis, acne, recurring cysts, and others. In fact, the pill is the only tool besides other drugs and surgery that allopathic Doctors give to manage a woman’s cycle.
When a woman wants to have a baby and goes off the pill the underlying issues need to be addressed. For example, irregular periods need to be regulated. If a woman isn’t ovulating, this needs to be fixed. If a woman is on the pill for just birth control then when she goes off the pill her own body’s hypothalamus/pituitary/ovarian axis needs to be re-established. Simply speaking, her body needs to turn on.
Chinese Medicine offers wonderful ways to regulate a woman’s cycle. Herbs, nutritional supplements, acupuncture, lifestyle changes are all ways to help achieve pregnancy. The above tools can help regulate a woman’s cycle and help turn on her body.
Making it Happen
There are women who have not taken the pill and are having trouble conceiving. Everything seems to be working fine but pregnancy doesn’t occur right away. This can create a lot of anxiety and fear. A woman will often say,” what is wrong with me that I can not get pregnant?”. In this situation there should be a thorough evaluation from an OB-Gyn or reproductive endocrinologist.
In some instances the Doctor will recommend IUI’s (Intra-uterine-insemination) or IVF’s (Invitro fertilization). Even with ART (Assisted Reproductive Technologies), this Preganancy Preparation Program can help increase a woman’s chances of conception and delivering a healthy baby.
90 Days
It is important to allow 70-90 days (3 cycles) to prepare the body to conceive.. Why? Because it takes about 90 days for your ovaries to make the follicles that contain your eggs. Your egg quality today is a reflection of the follicles health 3 months ago. The stresses, diet and lifestyle you had 90 days ago will be reflected in today’s eggs. Many women over 40, even when preparing for IVF, do not want to waste any time. They want to be pregnant yesterday. As any good farmer knows, in order to have a good harvest you must start with good quality fertilized soil. The seeds must have the proper soil to germinate. The same is true for pregnancy. We must prepare properly. That is why it takes approximately 90 days. This time frame may vary if a woman has a complicated case.
What About Men
According to the National Institutes of Health, male infertility is involved in approximately 40% of the 2.6 million infertile couples in the United States. Research has shown that acupuncture, Chinese herbs and nutritional supplements can significantly improve sperm quantity, motility and morphology.
Sperm maturation averages 70-90 days. Therefore, It is essential for men to receive treatment (herbs, supplements, acupuncture) for at least 3 months prior to starting a family.
There are a number of important steps to consider for every couple to optimize conception and the health of their baby:
•Reevaluate health and lifestyle. For example, stop smoking and reduce caffeine consumption
•Maintain a healthy weight
•Detoxify when appropriate to reduce the effect of pollutants
•Eating organic foods particularly meats, and reducing/eliminating processed foods
•Take a good quality prenatal vitamin
•Take nutrients and herbs to maximize sperm production