Fertility, Pregnancy & Postpartum

The path to parenthood looks different for everyone, we offer a natural and integrative approach to enhance your fertility success, by addressing all aspects of your health using acupuncture, nutrition, whole food supplements, herbal medicine, and lifestyle counseling to prepare you for preconception, pregnancy, and postpartum.

Fertility, Pregnancy, Postpartum

Trying to conceive?

Having a healthy foundation is essential and can greatly increase your chances for conception, either naturally or with the help of reproductive procedures. Taking the time to prepare your body for conception and pregnancy not only produces healthier egg quality, but it also creates an optimal environment for your growing baby.

Already pregnant?

Acupuncture is completely safe during pregnancy, and is proven to be extremely beneficial and effective. In the first trimester it helps to maintain a pregnancy, and alleviates early symptoms, such as fatigue and nausea. Later, it can help to alleviate heartburn, constipation, aches, and swelling. During the third trimester, we can help prepare the body for labor, and create a smooth transition into the fourth trimester.

When Should Treatment Begin?

While starting acupuncture at any point in your preconception or fertility journey is beneficial, ideally three months is recommended before an IUI or IVF procedure. This is because it takes about 90 – 120 days for an egg to grow from a follicle in its resting state to a mature egg ready to be released. The goal is to optimize your fertility by enhancing egg quality, and promoting a healthier and more balanced body state, to increase your chance of achieving a healthy pregnancy.

Female Fertility Support

We can optimize your ability to conceive naturally or work with your doctor to support you every step of the way in your fertility treatments.

Acupuncture has been clinically proven to:

  • Regulate menstrual cycles
  • Improve the functions of the ovaries to produce higher quality of eggs
  • Regulate the hormones to produce a larger number of follicles
  • Increase blood flow to the uterus and increase the thickness of the uterine lining
  • Increase chance of conceiving
  • Enhance the chances of successful implantation
  • Decrease chance of miscarriage
  • Promote relaxation
  • Strengthen the immune system
  • Improve quality of sleep and increase energy
Fertility and Pregnancy - Lockport Acupuncture

Infertility

I understand that conception is not easy for all couples, and fertility issues are at the forefront of reproductive health. If you are having difficulty conceiving, maintaining a pregnancy, or have a fertility related diagnosis, we offer treatment options.

TCM has been used to enhance fertility in men and women for centuries. Recently, studies have provided evidence that acupuncture and herbal medicine can increase blood flow to the ovaries and uterus, stimulate ovulation in women, and can help increase sperm concentration and motility in men.

I have experienced firsthand how strongly acupuncture can positively influence the reproductive and endocrine systems. I have had the pleasure of helping many couples get pregnant, stay pregnant, and have a happy and healthy baby.

During your visits, I take time to listen to your specific needs and goals. My approach is to identify and treat the root cause of your infertility and to support and address your health on all levels.

Common Fertility Disorders Treated Are:

  • Elevated follicle stimulating hormone (FSH)
  • Luteal Phase Defect (LPD) and decreased progesterone
  • Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)
  • Amenorrhea
  • Irregular and non-ovulatory menstrual cycles
  • Endometriosis
  • Thin endometrium
  • Ovarian cysts & uterine fibroids
  • Recurrent miscarriages
  • Spasmed uterine tubes
  • Poor egg quality
  • Advanced maternal age
  • Idiopathic (unexplained) infertility
  • Secondary infertility

Assisted Reproductive Technology (ART)

Many couples today are utilizing assisted reproductive therapies such as intrauterine insemination (IUI) and in-vitro fertilization (IVF).

The Pre-Embryo and Post-Embryo Transfer Treatments:

The chances of conception increase when acupuncture is given before and shortly after the embryo is transferred to the uterus during an IVF treatment, which is known as pre and post-transfer treatments. Scientific studies have shown that this improves uterine artery blood flow, decreases uterine contractions, supports the endometrial lining and implantation, and increases pregnancy rates.

Acupuncture greatly improves the success of a pregnancy by:

  • Significantly reducing stress associated with the fertility process
  • Regulating the menstrual cycle
  • Improving the quality and quantity of follicles
  • Improving the thickness of the uterine lining
  • Increasing blood flow to the uterus and ovaries
  • Increasing the chance of implantation
  • Preventing uterine contraction post IVF embryo transfer
  • Decreasing the chance of miscarriage
  • Reducing the side-effects of IVF medications
  • Improving male factor — volume, motility and morphology

Male Fertility

A healthy pregnancy involves the health of both partners, so I encourage men to also participate in boosting their health, and in return their fertility. Infertility affects both men and women in equal proportion.

Male fertility is commonly due to low sperm production, misshapen or immobile sperm, or blockages that prevent the delivery of sperm. Illnesses, injuries, chronic health problems, lifestyle choices and other factors can play a role in causing male infertility.

My goal is to balance your health and to improve your semen quality. This is crucial, because it takes about 65 days for a male to create and mature sperm. During preconception treatments, we focus on nutrition and lifestyle modifications and often use supplements and herbal medicine to improve sperm quality and overall wellbeing.

Acupuncture for Male Fertility Lockport NY

Pregnancy Care

Pregnancy can be a very exciting time. However, with the many physical and hormonal changes occurring, it can sometimes lead to discomfort. The amazing thing about acupuncture and whole food supplements is that they are a very safe, effective and drug-free way for pregnant women to deal with any health issues that may arise.
  • Anemia
  • Anxiety
  • Constipation
  • Fatigue
  • Gestational Diabetes (sugar handling support)
  • Headaches
  • Heartburn
  • Hypertension
  • Insomnia
  • Miscarriage
  • Nausea, Morning sickness & Hyperemesis Gravidarum
  • Pain: low back, hips, sciatica
  • Premature & Overdue Labor
  • Swelling & Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
  • Varicose veins

Labor Preparation Support

Pre-birth acupuncture is a series of 4 – 6 treatments beginning at week 36, to help prepare your body to go into labor on time and reduce complications. It is not labor induction; the baby is in control of his or her arrival date.

Studies show pre-birth acupuncture reduces the need for epidurals, emergency Caesarean sections, and reduces the time you spend in active labor, increasing the odds of a vaginal birth.

We can even use acupuncture to encourage breech babies to turn!

Postpartum Care

While the early postpartum period is a time of great joy, it can also be a very challenging time for some women. There are often many psychological, emotional, and social changes that take time during this fourth trimester. Acupuncture, nutrition, and whole food supplements are very safe for mom and baby, and can be used to heal and strengthen the body to address any postpartum issues that may arise.
  • Postpartum anxiety & depression
  • Hormone regulation
  • Fatigue
  • Insufficient lactation
  • Mastitis
  • Hemorrhoids
  • Pain and scar tissue repair

Pelvic Floor Dysfunction

The pelvic floor refers to the muscles and ligaments that attach on the pelvis and support the abdomen. These muscles control bladder and bowel function. The symptoms of pelvic floor dysfunction vary for different people. It is estimated that one-quarter of US women are affected by pelvic floor disorders. They often include pain in the perineal region, pain with sexual intercourse, tail bone or groin pain. Pelvic floor dysfunction can also be linked to issues such as incontinence, constipation and infertility.

Pelvic floor dysfunction can result from a perfectly normal pregnancy and childbirth. It can also be related to pelvic infections, low back pain, surgery, weakened or tight pelvic muscles. Inactive, weak, or tight muscles can be activated and released with gentle acupuncture stimulation, this creates direct communication between the pelvic floor muscles and the central nervous system, allowing for the neural reintegration and readjustment of your muscles, thus reducing pain signals.

If you have any of these signs and symptoms associated with pelvic floor dysfunction, we can help:

  • Bowel strain or constipation
  • Discomfort during sexual intercourse
  • Muscle spasms in the pelvis
  • Pain “down there”
  • Pressure in the pelvis region or rectum
  • Urinary issues (incontinence, painful, urgent, or incomplete urination)