Tongue and pulse diagnosis
When you visit your acupuncturist, it is likely they will ask to see your tongue and will feel your pulse. Why?
Because I was heading into premature menopause, Dr. Birdsall called our first baby “a miracle”
I was diagnosed with premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) in July 2014. I was 33 and had a very high FSH of 25 and AMH of 6.4. Basically, I was heading into premature menopause. I saw an endocrinologist & fertility specialist Dr Mary Birdsall at Fertility Associates. She told me I had a 5-10% chance of ever conceiving with my own eggs. And there was a 1 % chance of conceiving on our own each cycle. I was told that donor egg was our best option to have a child, but that I could try a few IUI’s to see how I respond to the drugs etc. IVF was not an option.
Although I felt that time was ticking (and fast!) I knew that I had to prepare my body before I started any form of fertility treatment. I did a lot of research! And acupuncture kept coming up. This seemed to be the one consistent thing that increased fertility success for women with my diagnosis. Read more
“within 3 months I was pregnant” Caroline
I was diagnosed with PCOS when I was 22 years old. I was put on the contraceptive pill to regulate my periods and the doctor told me that if I wanted children to have them before I was 30 years old, but I only met my future husband when I was age 30.
I decided to come off the contraceptive pill and use natural methods to regulate my periods such as diet, exercise and supplements. I got married at age 34 and started trying for a family straight away. One and a half years had passed and I was still not pregnant and very upset and frustrated.
One day I was reading a health article and it talked about acupuncture and how it helped with hormonal balance and pregnancy. I thought to myself why not give this a try as I feel I had tried everything else and was losing hope.
I was nervous going to my first acupuncture appointment as I did not know what to expect and I always tend to get anxious when trying new things and going into new environments. I remember my first consultation clearly, the team was extremely friendly when I arrived and I was taken into a comfortable warm room where we went over my health history, my tongue was examined and my pulse was taken. I then lay down on a very comfortable bed covered with a warm blanket.
The needles were inserted in particular parts of my body for fertility and this was a pain free experience, the needles did not hurt at all. The lights were then dimmed and I lay on the bed for about 45 minutes. At the end of the session I felt extremely relaxed, all my stress and tension had disappeared and I remember I slept so well that night. I came back once a week for treatments, I loved coming to my appointments as I found it more or a pamper session where I had time to myself and could relax and meditate. Acupuncture has really helped me with my stress and anxiety in everyday life, I feel like it centred me and helped to regulate my hormones and within 3 months I was pregnant!! I was so incredibly happy and I knew acupuncture was to thank for this as I had a session the day before I ovulated. I am still going to sessions once a week to help with manages my stress and pregnancy symptoms. I highly recommend this treatment to any couple trying to conceive, my one regret is I wish I had started acupuncture sooner on my journey.
Caroline