I went for my progesterone test 2 weeks ago and talked to the nurse about TCM, traditional Chinese medicine and acupuncture which the clinic endorses and allows a TCM doctor to have free consults at their clinic. I have researched and read tons of supportive evidence not only for IVF success, but for rpl success as well. I met with Dr. X and he diagnosed what I had already diagnosed myself with after reading "the infertility cure" by Randine Lewis. I have Kidney Yang, Kidney Chi, a weak spleen, and my liver does not function well because of the kindney yang. What does all this mean? Basically what I already knew myself. I have a hard time relaxed, enjoying down time, am restless, and I have a cold uterus. What? Cold Uterus? He said he is not surprised I cannot keep a pregnancy in this state. He recommended twice weekly session and an herbal tea concotion. So I went yesterday for my first acupuncture treatment which I was pretty freaked out about but it was very relaxing! I barely felt the needles and he put ALOT of them all around my uterus, lower knees, upper middle arms and put me under a heat lamp to reduce stagantion and coldness of the uterus. I flipped over about 30 minutes later and more needles in the back, lower legs and another 30 minutes under the lamp. Chinese music was flowing and it was a very very relaxing experience. I checked out for a whopping $170 with 7 bags of herbal tea concotion to make at home and drink 3 x a day after meals at room temperature. I didn't even want to try last night, instead we went out for Mexican with friends where I enjoyed a beer and a margarita in place of the tea. Ha!
This morning I was dreading the tea like the plague. I finally brewed it up and still have my candle going strong in the kitchen to drown the smell of the tea. I chugged it and literally almost threw it right back up. I downed a diet coke (caffiene free) and still can taste the concoction in my mouth. This picture is the tea and also the herbs used to make it. The whole time I kept thinking, this is for a baby, you can do it....Now I wonder how I will be able to do it 3 times a day. The good news is once we are pregnant (God willing)I will quit the tea and only do the acupuncture. I told him we cannot afford twice weekly sessions and the tea mixture but will do once a week. I mean that was going to be $190 every week, as it is just once a week will be $130, Lord please help me get pregnant this month so the tea can stop not only for the difficulty in getting the stuff down, but the cost as well! He said he will be able to tell me I am pregnant right away, long before an ept test can tell based on my pulse. I almost don't wanna know so soon, that is just 2 weeks longer for me to worry and 2 weeks longer before I can see my doctor as well.
I am so not a person who buys into New Age type stuff, but the Chinese have been treating fertility issues since 2000 bc! Interesting stuff, right? I have researched it to death and got many positive stories from yahoo groups members, it is worth a shot to me. So with this and the progesterone suppositories my RE gave me, maybe this will be the combo to give us our healthy baby we so long for and desire...
I am quite nervous that so many of you take TONS of medicines to get and stay pregnant, and I am only taking 1 folguard daily and then these suppositories in a couple weeks. SHould I be asking for more? Or thankful I don't need anything else according to the doctors? I just wanted to be taking SOMETHING to make me feel like we are doing something to prevent another loss. I am eating totally organic (aside from the Mexican last night) and going to try to cram so many healthful foods into my jaws from here on out. I also have quit walking my wild dogs (feel guilty about it a bit) and have been walking on my own and doing "restoring fertility" yoga DVDS which has a different set for each part of the cycle. I bought foods which are supposed to be good for my kidney, spleen problems like dates, cantaloupe, pumpkin seeds, flaxseed, bell peppers, shrimp, black beans, oranges, and have quit all caffiene. If any of you resident experts know of anything else I should be taking, feel free to prescribe it to me! Fish oil? Co enzyme 10? another prenatal in addition to the folguard? I am open to any and all suggestions. I am a nervous wreck to try again, but can't imagine not trying. I have to let go.....and let God.
This is the tea and the herbs used to make that delicious (ugh) tasting delight.
I don't really know anything about this type of medicine, so I am of no help. I guess my only thought would be, with regards to wondering if you should be taking more medicine, is if you have had everything tested that can be tested. I mean, it wouldn't make sense to just add extra meds, but if there is something left that needs to be tested it could result in another medication. Praying for you!
ReplyDeleteIt's true that Eastern medicine has the history behind it. I think a lot of what Western medicine tries to do is very similar but we try to get at it in different ways. For example, the particular foods, decreasing stress, acupuncture (trying to change blood flow directions) all contribute to Western medicine knowledge about infertility. Western medicine prescribes blood thinners to improve blood flow to the pelvic organs. Eastern medicine uses yoga positions and acupuncture. Decreasing stress will decrease your cortisol, which high levels is known in Western medicine to interfere with many hormones that need to be balanced for fertility. Particular foods and getting the right balance of vitamins, especially avoiding artificial foods, will keep your body's immune system and molecular system in better balance. All these processes are necessary to create a healthy environment. So like I said before, I think it's a similar route compared to Western medicine. And who knows? It might just have as much success as Western medicine does since the rate of infertility is increasing and us Western doctors don't have all the answers for every patient.
ReplyDeletewhen i went to accupuncture they said i had a cold uterus too. at the end of our sessions she told me she could no longer help me. she was so cool. i loved her energy. anyway u cld do baby asprin everyday. im on folatb i think the same as folguard and asprin. im sill on the foltab and asprin.....
ReplyDeletepraying this works! come lay on the couch with me!! i will make sure u do nothing....!!
that comment was me sew im on my phone...
ReplyDeleteWow! I am inspired. I have been think about acupuncture for awhile, but am so used to Western styles of medicine that I think I need to reorient my brain to thinking about a different style of medicine (yes, pun intended)! Thanks for all the information. Maybe I can find something similar - excluding the tea - that looks gross! God Bless and glad to see you back on here again!
ReplyDeleteGive it a good try!!! You may not conceive immediately as you would like, but you will hopefully noticce some amazing changes in your moods, health, cycles, etc. My sister and I both have used acupuncture at different times, she longer than me. She had some amazing results with it and did conceive while in treatment. It can be costly for sure and that tea is like bark and dirt when I had it:)
ReplyDeleteYou might also consider finding a chiropractor with a strong emphasis on natural medicine, which most are these days. I was seeing a chiro last fall and winter while dealing with my surgery for scar tissue and menstrual issues and it helped so much! Good luck!
I'm no help, but I hope it works and am glad to hear from you!
ReplyDeletePraying that it works and works fast! :)
ReplyDeleteAllison I am so glad to hear from you!!! I am praying that this works for you guys and that the tea is short lived :)
ReplyDeletePraying it works too! Yay for summertime!
ReplyDeleteI hope it works! I wish we had the money to try it.
ReplyDelete