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Home-made Bone broth helps Infertility

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As practitioners of Traditional Chinese Medicine, many of us are treating infertility patients. Some of us have treated only a few patients who are trying to conceive; some of us solely focus on the treatment of infertility.

 

As my practice has matured, it has become more and more focused on women’s health and infertility. And, although I always treat based on TCM pattern diagnosis—I also find it extremely important to incorporate lifestyle and dietary modifications into the treatment plan of my patients. One of the most important dietary additions that I feel should be incorporated into such treatment plans is the daily ingestion of homemade bone broth.

As students of our medicine, we know that the Kidney energy is strongly associated with infertility. We need an abundance of Kidney Qi, Yang and Yin to be able to reproduce. As well we know thatJing is the basis of Kidney Qi. If Jing is lacking, one will age faster, have a weaker constitution and their ability to reproduce will diminish.

So, as I was taught (and, I’m sure you were too) the main treatment principle for all infertility cases is the boost the Kidney energy. Whether the patient has in conjunction Heart Qi stagnation, Liver blood deficiency, Spleen Qi deficiency or a cold uterus—we also always need to focus on tonifying the Kidneys.

In addition to acupuncture and herbal medicine, I recommend that my infertility patients consume one cup of bone broth on a daily basis to boost Kidney Jing and therefore improve their ability to successfully reproduce.

Why bone broth?

As you may recall from anatomy class– the inside of bone contains bone marrow and according to TCM theory, bone marrow is produced from Kidney Jing. So, basically drinking a cup of bone broth daily is like drinking a cup of Kidney Jing.

When one cooks down the bones of an animal into a broth, the bone marrow and its nutrients—namely: fat and protein and some minerals like calcium, potassium and magnesium—seep out into the broth making it a rich, nutrient dense, Jing-rich, fertility boosting concoction.

Clinically, I have seen a dramatic increase in the fertility of my patients who are compliant and drink a cup of bone broth daily. Depending on the case, I may also give them some raw Chinese herbs to add to their broth. I know we were all taught the importance of bone and bone broth in the treatment of Kidney deficiencies, however often times it’s difficult to implement such recommendations into our practice. I am here to urge you to do so. Drinking a cup of homemade bone broth will have a tremendous impact on the health and fertility of your patients.

Beware though: there will be many patients that will moan about cooking a homemade bone broth. However, it is important for you to urge them to do so. Before you ask them to take this task on, make sure you make a couple batches for yourself first. This way you will know the experience and be able to share with them how simple the whole process is. Personally, making homemade bone broth is one of my favorite things to do—in the business of life, it slows me down. It feels nourishing, therapeutic and really, really good for my Kidney Jing.

My favorite bone broth recipes come from the book Nourishing Traditions by Sally Fallon. Check out the book, it’s an amazing resource for those practitioners who focus on nutrition as part of their practice of TCM.

Lastly, there are four secrets to making good bone broth:

  1. Use the highest quality of bones you can find. Bones from grass fed animals is best.
  2. Add vinegar to the water to draw the minerals out of the bones into the broth.
  3. Roast and brown the bones in the oven before adding them to the stock.
  4. Be in the moment when you’re making it—and see the process as a therapy in and of itself.

Happy cooking!

 

IVF cannot turn back the biological clock!

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Working women are leaving it too late to have children because they wrongly believe that ivf clinics can restore their fertility at any age, a leading academic has warned.

Women cannot simply rewind their ‘biological clock’ and easily have a baby later in life, the expert says.

A new study warns that becoming pregnant relatively later in life leaves mature mothers-to-be facing a higher risk of pregnancy loss, birth defects and other complications.

Women may delay pregnancy in their most fertile years for a variety of reasons, such as focusing on careers, lack of financial stability or not having a partner.
They are vaguely aware that fertility decreases with age, but it is only when they experience age-related infertility first-hand that they realise the reality of their situation, according to academics.

Dr Pasquale Patrizio, of the Yale School of Medicine in the United States, said the problem is increased due to images of celebrities who seem to effortlessly give birth at advanced ages

He said: “There is an alarming misconception about fertility among women.
“We also found a lack of knowledge about steps women can take early in their reproductive years to preserve the possibility of conception later in life.”

The research stemmed from the observations Dr Patrizio and colleagues made that more women are coming to the fertility clinic at age 43 or older expecting that pregnancy can be instantly achieved – and are disappointed to learn it is cannot be done easily.

He added: “We are really seeing more and more patients ‘upset’ after failing in having their own biological child after age 43 so we had to report on this.
“Their typical reaction is, ‘what do you mean you cannot help me? I am healthy, I exercise, and I cannot have my own baby?’

Even though the number of women turning to ART {Assisted Reproductive Therapy] has increased, the number of IVF cycles resulting in pregnancy in women above age 42 mostly remained static at nine per cent in 2009.

If pregnancy is achieved at an older age, women then face higher risk of pregnancy loss, birth defects, and other complications.

“As clinicians, we should begin educating women more aggressively. Women should be given the appropriate information about postponing fertility, obstetric risks, and the limited success of ART in advanced age to allow them to make informed decisions about when, if at all, they hope to become pregnant.”

Dr Patrizio said that one of the techniques women should take advantage of is oocyte (egg) freezing, which appears to be the best strategy for women who want to postpone motherhood but really care about having a child with their own genetic material.

Alternative options such as egg donation, which leads to the highest pregnancy rates reported for any ART method, are also available.

He added: “There is an urgent need to educate women that reproductive aging is irreversible and, more importantly that there are options to safeguard against he risk of future infertility.”

These techniques are valid options for women and should not be viewed as experimental.

“Doctors and health professionals must begin the discussion about fertility preservation in their patients and make certain that young women truly understand all their options.”

According to the Society for Assisted Reproductive Technologies, the number of in-vitro fertilisation (IVF) cycles performed for women under age 35 increased by about nine per cent between 2003 and 2009.

During this same time period, the number of IVF cycles performed for women aged 41 and older increased by 41%. But this procedure doesn’t always result in success.

The findings were published in the journal Fertility and Sterilit

Acupuncture for Morning Sickness

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Acupuncture treatment for morning sickness is one of the most effective treatments available in my clinic, and quite often the lady is led to its effectiveness  indirectly – by having had Acupuncture to assist her conception and Fertility!

Its often a surprise to hear that Acupuncture can help her deal with and eliminate the horrors of Morning Sickness.  Quite often the lady WANTS  to experience the Morning Sickness as PROOF that she is actually pregnant, especially if she has been trying for quite some time to enhance her Fertility and become pregnant. But for most women, it is a misery, and thus a pleasant surprise when they learn that Acupuncture can cure their Morning Sickness. Obviously for those of you who have experienced it, a pleasant surprise!

Morning Sickness occurs in about half of all pregnancies, and most often between the 6th and 16th weeks, with weeks 8 to 12 being the worst, although it is possible in the unlucky few for Morning Sickness to carry on for most of the pregnancy!

The degree to which symptoms present and their severity varies from person to person. For some it can be slight queasiness, or nausea which occurs at different times throughout the day (Morning Sickness??)! For others, symptoms can be very severe with violent vomiting, and an inability to digest any food however small, and in most cases not even water. Obviously this is quite critical, as it can lead to severe dehydration, and in some cases may require hospitalisation. This is a condition known as Hyperemesis Gravidarum, and is obviously very distressing for the mum to be. But the good news is, that despite the severity of the vomiting, the growing baby is not harmed in any way. Nature has put a Bypass in place, and it still stays snug and nourished in the mums womb!

But dont just take my word for it that Acupuncture can help Morning Sickness! Obviously Im biased!! But thankfully several scientific studies have shown that Acupuncture is very effective in treating Morning Sickness, as indeed I have found this to be the case in my own practice.

“Here comes the science”…as a well known add used to say!

A study undertaken in an Adelaide Maternity Hospital, Australia in 2002 was undertaken on 593 women who were less than 14 weeks pregnant, and experiencing nausea or vomiting. They were randomised into 4 groups: Traditional Acupuncture, Pericardium 6 (P-6) Acupuncture, (P-6 is an Acupuncture point which is the basis for the commercial “sea bands”. It is located approx 2 inches above the wrist crease between 2 tendons), Sham Acupuncture, or no Acupuncture (control).

Results showed that women receiving Traditional Acupuncture or P-6 Acupuncture, demonstrated less nausea and less dry retching, than those receiving Sham Acupuncture or no Acupuncture.

They concluded that Acupuncture for Morning Sickness treatment is an effective procedure for women who experience nausea and dry retching in early pregnancy.

Furthermore, The Journal of Reproductive Medicine 2001, published a study to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of P-6 for the relief of Nausea and Vomiting in early pregnancy. Both this study and a similar one conducted by Dundee et al Evans et al 1993, conclusively showed that proper stimulation of the Acupunctue point P-6 reduced Nausea and Vomiting in patients.

So the proof as they say is in the pudding which you obviously dont have any intention of eating because you are so sick!! But try Acupuncture for your Morning sickness and start feeling well again.

Call me Mairead Fahy, Gorey on   0539483155 or 0876452409 if you have any queries relating to your Fertility and / or Morning Sickness. Ill be happy to talk to you.

Fertility – How Acupuncture can Help

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Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine - Mother & Baby HandsInfertility in all its guises has long been an emotive and complicated issue for many couples, and with many couples now deciding to postpone starting a family because of lifestyle and / or financial reasons; infertility has become an increasingly prevalent problem of contemporary society.

There are many physiological reasons for infertility, many of which include Endometriosis, Polycystic Ovary Syndrome, and Uterine Fibroids, but Hormonal imbalances, which can include elevated FSH (Follicle Stimulating Hormone) or Prolactin levels can account for a huge proportion of a woman’s inability to conceive, as can Anovulation (failure to ovulate) and irregular menstruation. However, there are many unexplained reasons for infertility also, which may have stress, diet and lifestyle influences as a portion of the causative factor.

The male role in this cannot be underestimated either. Good quality and quantity of sperm with adequate motility is essential also for conception to occur.

How can Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine enhance fertility?

Acupuncture & Chinese Medicine - Ying & YangChinese Medicine has been treating infertility for over two and a half thousand years, and its effectiveness cannot be underestimated. Its main function is to bring the body back into balance in every way, harmonising Yin, Yang, Qi and Blood and because of this it can therefore:

  • Normalise hormonal imbalances
  • Regulate menstruation
  • Increase blood flow to the uterus and increase uterine thickness
  • Diminish chances of miscarriage
  • Improve sperm count, motility and morphology
  • Reduce stress and anxiety.

Many couples are now also choosing to use acupuncture as an adjunct to IVF fertility treatment. Recent research has been published to demonstrate the role of acupuncture in helping to increase success rates of IVF around the time of embryo transfer. The research, which was published in the British Medical Journal of 7/2/08, states…”acupuncture increased the odds of clinical pregnancy by 65% compared to the control groups”.

How can Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine help with IVF and ICSI?

  • Improves the function of the ovaries to produce better quality eggs
  • Helps to regulate hormone levels to help produce a larger number of follicles
  • Increases blood flow to the uterus which in turn creates a thicker uterine lining which enhances the likelihood of implantation of the embryo
  • Relaxes the uterus during implantation to minimise painful cramping
  • Decreases the side effects of the drugs used in IVF, e.g., emotional instability, insomnia, palpitations, headaches etc.,

It is always advisable though not essential, for preparation with acupuncture to begin 3 months prior to commencement of IVF. In this way, the optimum environment for implantation can be naturally achieved. The treatment method will vary according to the patient’s individual diagnosis and degree of infertility, but it is not unheard of, for the lady to become pregnant naturally in this time!