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I briefly mentioned how Olive was using new technology to assess egg quality. So, I sat down with Dr Jason Hitkari, from Olive Fertility Centre, in May 2022 to discuss the latest technology they are using to evaluate egg quality for women going through egg freezing. In our discussion below, Dr. Hitkari shares how Artificial Intelligence…

Fertility Functional Medicine Testing If you’re struggling to get pregnant, you may feel like you’ve tried everything and are running out of options. But have you considered doing a deeper dive into looking for the underlying causes of your infertility? In this episode, Lorne speaks with Acubalance’s clinical director of naturopathic medicine, Dr. Kali MacIsaac…

In this episode, host Dr. Lorne Brown of Acubalance is joined by Dr. Olivia Pojer, a medical doctor and Chinese medicine practitioner, to discuss the often overlooked topic of male fertility. Did you know that men contribute to 50% or more of fertility challenges? Dr. Pojer shares the root causes of male infertility and offers…

In this episode, we delve into the world of IVF donor egg cycles, a fertility treatment option that involves using eggs from a donor to help individuals or couples have a baby.  Our expert guest, Dr. Arieyu Zhang, discusses when it might be a good time to consider donor egg cycles over traditional IVF, the…

Question: “Can I exercise while trying to conceive?”Answer: Yes, but let’s be smart about what you do and when you do it.  Answering “yes” to “Can I exercise while trying to conceive?” can seem a bit controversial. Especially because when someone reaches the point of seeking assistance on their fertility journey (through a superovulation or…

Eat Healthy Fats when Eating for Fertility! Watch our video to learn how to avoid these fats & oils when eating for fertility. Cholesterol in healthy fats is what the building blocks our reproductive hormones are made from, so ensuring you’re getting enough will ensure your body is getting all the resources it needs for…

You can download a copy of the Acubalance Fertility Diet Book with recipes from the Acubalance website’s home page Inflammaging Aging is a natural part of life. However, many of us are experiencing accelerated aging as a result of systemic chronic inflammation also referred to as “inflammaging”. Inflammaging (chronic inflammation) leads to accelerated aging and…

You can download a copy of the Acubalance Fertility Diet Book with recipes from the Acubalance website’s home page. Can I drink coffee when trying to conceive? The answer may not be black or white, but if you drink your coffee black, chances are it may be OK. There are studies suggesting too much coffee (two…

You can download a copy of the Acubalance Fertility Diet Book with recipes for eating for fertility from the Acubalance website’s home page We work with patients every day in our practice who are struggling to conceive. It’s a heartbreaking journey – and something that most couples never anticipate will happen to them. You are…

When it comes to the fertility journey, it’s more like a marathon than a sprint. And just like a marathon requires weeks and months of training to run a good race, creating healthy embryos requires preconception training, too. Our goal is not just for you to start the race but to cross the fertility finish…

Your microbiome can impact your health and fertility! More Resources below on the microbiome and how what you eat can impact implantation Learn about how what you eat can impact implantation, health and fertility with Acubalance in Vancouver.

About 20 million Americans are diagnosed with a thyroid disease or disorder, affecting 1 in 8 women at some point in their lifetimes. So it’s easy to say we see a lot of patients here at Acubalance with imbalanced thyroid function. Chronic autoimmune thyroiditis is the most common cause of acquired hypothyroidism. Currently, no effective…

A study published in December 2022 demonstrated the benefits of transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS). In this study, they compared Co Q10 alone or in combination with TEAS plus a control group (no treatment). The study concluded CoQ10 alone or in combination with transcutaneous electrical acupoint stimulation (TEAS) are effective methods for IVF/ICSI-ET adjuvant therapy,…

If you are reading this blog, then you are looking to conceive and likely have been TTC for months and years too. I remember at one of the Integrative Fertility Symposiums I chaired there was a panel discussion on integrative fertility care and the benefits of preconception care. The panel was composed of reproductive endocrinologists…

Tracy Malone ND shared her latest data soon to be published on how her integrative fertility group looked at 10 years of data of women going through IUI and IVF cycles using an integrative fertility approach The integrative care consisted of conventional fertility workups and treatments by medical doctors plus naturopathic medicine and/or acupuncture. The…

When it comes to IVF there are a few factors that we focus on to have a successful transfer and ongoing pregnancy. The embryo quality, which is dependent on the quality of the egg and sperm at the time of fertilization is one half of the equation and then uterine receptivity to allow for successful…

I talk with Dr. Mark Perloe MD, IVF consultant, and PCOS expert, about the missing diagnosis and natural treatment approaches for helping women with ovulatory disorders like PCOS, regulate their cycles and get pregnant and carry to term. Dr. Perloe will also be sharing in his integrative Fertility Symposium lecture in May 2021 for health…

I sat down with Dr. Paul Magarelli of CNY Colorado to ask him what he is doing for his IVF patients to help improve embryo quality and IVF success. These tips can be used for those of you TTC naturally or through medicated cycles like IVF. I have shared a timestamp below of what we…

I interviewed Dr. Paul Turek after he delivered his male fertility talk for the 2021 Integrative Fertility Symposium for health professionals. I thought those actually going through fertility treatments would like to hear some of the key points from his professional talk. He was generous enough with his time to create a public version for…

An integrative approach to miscarriages (recurrent pregnancy loss) and implantation failure. I had the good fortune to moderate a professional lecture for the 2021 integrative fertility symposium by Dr. Ursula Ritz, a trained MD, OBGYN, and IVF specialist, as well as trained in Chinese medicine and acupuncture. After her lecture, I asked her a few…

“Like most discoveries, low-level laser therapy (LLLT/photobiomodulation) forfertility was discovered by accident.  Dr. Ohshiro, a medical doctor and pain specialist in Japan, used LLLT to treatpain. He heard back from a 55-year-old menopausal woman who he had treatedfor back pain that her menses had started again. Months later, another woman inmenopause came in for back…

If you’ve searched anything related to fertility treatment online, you may have run across the pineapple theory. Where did this hype about eating pineapples for embryo implantation? The answer lies in bromelain, an enzyme found in abundance in the pineapple core. Bromelain has powerful anti-inflammatory and anticoagulation properties, important factors for successful implantation. The less…

This is a common question I get. The short answer is no, your embryo will not fall out nor can it be urinated out after your fresh or frozen transfer following an IVF cycle. If you want to hear more about this topic then have a listen to my 3-minute video blog where I answer…

Acupuncture is an effective modality for the treatment of infertility. One of the most common questions I have been asked is When is the best time to get Acupuncture forfertility? This question is dependent on several variables before it can be properly answered. Acupuncture for men, women, natural cycles versus IVF cycles …. all have…

Exercise is a vital part of staying healthy during pregnancy and when preparing for pregnancy. However, there are two forms of exercise that I suggest staying clear of during these times. (I can only imagine the heaps of hate mail I am about to receive) Okay, here it goes… 1. Hot yoga. There is absolutely nothing…

Gluta-what? If you’re reading the title of this post and have no idea what I’m talking about, you’re not alone. In fact, many of my patients who I regularly inject with glutathione have trouble pronouncing the name – but most know at least one of the benefits of glutathione, it’s the body’s master antioxidant. Sounds…

Until very recently, it was assumed that the uterus was a sterile environment – that is, until the advent of next-generation gene sequencing that revealed the presence of an ‘endometrial microbiome’ containing bacteria. In general, most healthy women (without any complaints of vaginal symptoms) have a uterine microbiome that is dominated by Lactobacillus species; it is entirely possible, however,…

I’m a big believer that the little things we do on a daily basis can make a massive impact on our health. This is true in all aspects of our health including fertility. I recently saw a post from Olive Fertility on male fertility and how 1 thing in a man’s diet can significantly impact miscarriage rates.  …

Transcranial Brain Photobiomodulation – Laser for Fertility and overall well-being and mood. “Why are you putting lasers on my head when my ovaries are in my lower body? How is this going to help my fertility?” I can see why my patient was questioning me, as it seems like I am way her target area…

Low-level Laser Therapy (LLLT) / Photobiomodulation and Fertility Low-level laser therapy (LLLT) continues to show some promise for women struggling with infertility. The mechanism behind laser for fertility is as follows: During my literature review on using low-level laser therapy (LLLT) for fertility, I came across the paper below from an infertility clinic in Japan…

There has been a lot of advancements in the field of laser therapy since we introduced laser acupuncture to maximize egg quality and improve IVF success back in late 2008.  Low level laser therapy (LLLT) for fertility, referred to as photobiomodulation (PBM) for fertility by the scientific community may sound like futuristic medicine but the unique treatment…

PRECONCEPTION CARE The last thing patients typically want to hear when they’re awaiting their first second, third, or fifth round of IVF is to use the next 100 days to optimize their fertility.  But those 100 days of pre-conception cate have the potential to make an enormous difference in your IVF results. IV NUTRIENT THERAPY Adequate…

Fertility Chai Tea Latte, Done 2 Ways. (Pcos Chai And Egg Quality/anti-ageing Chai) All those who know me, know that there is nothing I like more than Chai. Traditional Indian chai, Starbucks chai, homemade chai, rooibos chai, say the word chai and I’m in. So the fact I have only adapted my PCOS tea latte…

Reach Your Peak Fertile Potential with Pro-Active Preconception Care. Here are some recommendations we make at Acubalance Vancouver. Did you know that the most important time to optimize your fertility (and that of your male partner if you have one) is during the 100 days before conception occurs? Your wait time for your IVF clinic…

One of the most difficult aspects of an IVF cycle is the Two Week Wait. It’s commonly referred to as TWW on message boards and blogs all over the internet. It can be a very stressful and anxiety-provoking time where couples go stir crazy micromanaging every slight twinge or twang. The temptation of doing a home pregnancy test…

Doing some research for a talk I have coming up, I came across an article from the ASRM (American Society For Reproductive Medicine, the association that sets the standards of care in conventional reproductive endocrinology) about male fertility that made me pause.  I read articles from the ASRM often, to keep up-to-date with what our patients…

It takes two cells to make a healthy baby, an egg cell and a sperm cell. The health of your baby is dependent on the health of the egg and sperm the three months leading up to and at conception (fertilization in the bedroom or IVF lab).  Your fertility potential (egg and sperm quality) impacts…

If you make sperm, or have a partner who does, and are trying to create a baby, this blog is for you. Often overlooked in light of a “normal” semen analysis is the possible role that sperm quality could be playing in a couple struggling with infertility. In fact, in 40% of couples having trouble…

It’s finally that time. You went through the retrieval (or retrievals), and you now have a precious, little embryo to transfer. Now what? What can you do to ensure your best chance of success for your upcoming transfer (FET)?  ACUPUNCTURE: Receiving fertility acupuncture and laser acupuncture treatments leading up to your transfer can improve your chances of success….

At Acubalance we are big proponents of preconception care. The most important time to optimize your fertility is the 100 days before conception occurs. Whether you’re trying to conceive naturally or have plans for in vitro fertilization (IVF) or intrauterine insemination (IUI), cultivating a healthy mind and body the three months before planned conception can greatly…

An Acupuncture Orientation Times have changed for the better when it comes to integrative fertility care and being able to offer acupuncture before and after IVF embryo transfer onsite at the IVF clinics. I have been in practice since 2000 and in 2002 I began to establish on-site acupuncture for embryo transfers. The first few…

For anyone undergoing IVF, embryo transfer day can be an anxious one – especially if you have never done it before and don’t quite know what to expect. I have had the honour of being part of hundreds of embryo transfers, performing acupuncture onsite at the fertility clinic around this procedure. Based on the questions…

Post Implantation – What to do and what not to do after an IVF transfer  The IVF process has many important milestones and hurdles and certainly the day of embryo transfer is one of those important dates. If you had your transfer or will be having your transfer, congratulations!! My intention for this blog is…

So you’re trying to conceive. You’ve been tracking your cycle. You’re watching for signs of ovulation. You’ve had timed intercourse. There’s no reason you shouldn’t have conceived already, but it’s been over a year and you’re starting to feel worried. Your doctor says most likely everything is fine but refers you to a fertility specialist….

I find that, often, people reach out to me in my clinical practice or online through Instagram DMs, and they’re confused about all of the things they feel they “should” be doing to optimize their chances of conceiving. There’s a lot of information online, with very specific recommendations, for foods/supplements/lifestyle adjustments. And while it’s great…