How Traditional Chinese Medicine Promotes Fertility
Written by: Pulling Down the Moon
If you’ve been trying for what seems like forever to become pregnant, you may sometimes feel like you have to go to the ends of the earth to get those two precious pink lines. Here at Pulling Down the Moon, we understand. But instead of passports and visas, we can bring you the benefits of Chinese medicine for fertility right here at our holistic fertility centers in Chicago and Highland Park.
How Can Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Help Improve Fertility
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has been helping both men and women improve their fertility for literally thousands of years. Whether the issue is male infertility or female infertility, whether the causes are known or unknown, TCM’s broad goal is to resolve any systemic problems that may aggravate fertility issues. In fact, modern science is now revealing how elements of TCM, like acupuncture, nutrition, and stress relief can bring the body’s reproductive systems back into balance when they are out of balance.¹ Chinese medicine for fertility recognizes that no part of the body is isolated from the other parts of the body—it should all work as a united organism. So, bringing all the body’s glands, organs, and systems into sync can optimize the conditions for initiating and carrying a successful, healthy pregnancy.
For example, a considerable amount of documentation in TCM supports the idea that improving kidney, liver, and spleen function, as well as improving blood circulation, can support couples with immune-related infertility conditions.² Everything is connected!
In one case study, for example, a 43-year-old woman who was struggling to get pregnant, but who had diminished ovarian reserve and several uterine fibroids had a successful, natural pregnancy and a healthy, full-term baby after undergoing a course of Traditional Chinese medicine for fertility.³ This approach helped control the fibroids, balance and regulate her menstrual cycle, and improve her body’s overall ability to support a healthy pregnancy. TCM has also been shown to support ART methods to help people get pregnant.
How TCM Can Benefit IVF or IUI Treatments
Optimizing the body’s systems to enhance the potential of a healthy pregnancy is particularly important for clients who are planning to undergo IVF or IUI treatments to conceive, and this is one area where Chinese medicine for fertility excels.
TCM to Support IVF
It can take some weeks for the body to be optimized and prepared for a successful IVF cycle, so with Traditional Chinese Medicine, it’s a good idea to start about three months early to optimize uterine blood flow, egg quality, and sperm quality. Studies have shown that starting with a course of acupuncture to improve uterine blood circulation, reduce stress, and balance hormones, can lead to more successful IVF rates.⁴ In addition to acupuncture, certain types of massage therapy and supportive nutrition can assist in balancing all systems so they’re ready to go on your IVF schedule.
TCM to Support IUI
TCM can also help couples prepare for an IUI cycle as well. Because this treatment involves preparing the man’s sperm to optimize fertilization rates, boosting the health and motility of the sperm is just as critical as helping a woman prepare her body for a successful pregnancy. Acupuncture for male fertility has some impressive science behind it,⁵ so it’s definitely something to add to your fertility-boosting basket of goodies. Again, optimizing IUI success through TCM requires planning ahead. Starting about three months before IUI, a TCM regimen includes acupuncture, herbal supplements, and a fertility nutrition program that focuses on organic fruits, vegetables, nuts, probiotics, and lean proteins.
TCM Diet for Fertility
Food is medicine in TCM, which only makes sense. If you have any special nutritional restrictions or concerns, it’s best to work personally with our fertility nutritionist to optimize the body’s overall vitality, regardless of food sensitivities you might have. Sound nutrition provides the body with the nutrients it needs for all of its systems to function correctly. In Chinese medicine for fertility, these are some of the foods to focus on…
- Yin & Yang Balancing Foods—Yin foods cool and moisten the body. Some of these include fruits, veggies, and legumes. Yang foods include grains, fish, and meat.
- Blood-Strengthening Foods—Foods with good amounts of iron, B12, and folic acid are important for building the blood. Some great sources include lean red meat, eggs, liver, beans, and leafy green vegetables.
- Avoid “Damp” Foods—In TCM, certain “damp foods” cause water retention, which can aggravate your fertility balance. In a TCM nutrition regimen, this may mean avoiding raw, cold foods like raw vegetables and salads in favor of eating cooked vegetables.
- Spice Up Your Food—Some spices and herbs have a long track record in Chinese medicine for fertility, including cinnamon, ginger, and turmeric, all of which have anti-inflammatory properties.
- Eating for Stress Relief—No, we don’t mean downing an entire half-gallon of ice cream. We mean consuming a balanced diet that builds good health and reduces toxic stress on the body’s systems. So, cutting down on sugary, processed, over-salted foods will be important here.
How Does TCM Help Improve Male Fertility
Because problems with male fertility cause at least half of the difficulties couples encounter when trying to get pregnant, it makes sense to help the men do all they can to boost their fertility. Several studies have shown that men who pursue a TCM approach to building their fertility can actually help improve their sperm quality motility (ability to move).⁶ This includes everything from acupuncture and nutrition to stress relief and supplemental support.
Holistic Fertility Services at Pulling Down the Moon
Here at Pulling Down the Moon, you don’t have to travel the world, or even go to the moon, to get the help you need to start and carry out a healthy pregnancy. With a full suite of science-based holistic fertility services in Chicago and Highland Park, we can support you on your journey. In addition to a team of experienced, compassionate professionals, we’ve collected a wonderful community of people who are also on the same journey as you are, and they’d love to get to know you and support you as well. Reach out and schedule an appointment today.
References
1. Efficacy and Safety of Traditional Chinese Medicine in the Treatment of Immune Infertility Based on the Theory of “Kidney Deficiency and Blood Stasis”: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. ProQuest. https://doi.org/10.1155/2021/9947348
2. Jiang, C., Wang, Z., Yuan, S., Jiang, Y., & Ye, Y. (2021). Chinese herbal medicine for immune infertility. Medicine, 100(5), e24248–e24248. https://doi.org/10.1097/md.0000000000024248
3. Teng, B., Peng, J., Ong, M., & Qu, X. (2017). Successful Pregnancy after Treatment with Chinese Herbal Medicine in a 43‐Year‐Old Woman with Diminished Ovarian Reserve and Multiple Uterus Fibrosis: A Case Report. Medicines, 4(1), 7. https://doi.org/10.3390/medicines4010007
4. Hullender Rubin, L. E., Opsahl, M. S., Wiemer, K. E., Mist, S. D., & Caughey, A. B. (2015). Impact of whole systems traditional Chinese medicine on in-vitro fertilization outcomes. Reproductive BioMedicine Online, 30(6), 602–612. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rbmo.2015.02.005
5. Feng, J., He, H., Wang, Y., Zhang, X., Zhang, X., Zhang, T., Zhu, M., Wu, X., & Zhang, Y. (2022). The efficacy and mechanism of acupuncture in the treatment of male infertility: A literature review. Frontiers in Endocrinology, 13. https://doi.org/10.3389/fendo.2022.1009537
6. Wang, S.-C., Wang, S.-C., Li, C.-J., Lin, C.-H., Huang, H.-L., Tsai, L.-M., & Chang, C.-H. (2018). The Therapeutic Effects of Traditional Chinese Medicine for Poor Semen Quality in Infertile Males. Journal of Clinical Medicine, 7(9). https://doi.org/10.3390/jcm7090239
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