When patients see me at Acubalance fertility acupuncture clinic, their initial appointment always takes a little extra time. We go over labs results, talk about symptoms, and draw up a treatment plan together. Often I find that their doctors have referred them to a fertility clinic, but they’re still waiting to hear back. When they do finally get the phone call, their initial appointment is months away, leaving...
Bronwyn's Blog
AcuMythBuster
Oct 05, 2017 | Bronwyn Melville, R.TCM.P, FABORM, B.A., Looking on the internet, which, by the way, you should never do, I’ve noticed a handful of acupuncture myths that continue to cycle through popular consciousness. Some of them are funny, some are frightening, but the one thing they have in common is being woefully uninformed. I have picked a few of my favourites for your perusal.
Giving Thanks
Sep 28, 2017 | Bronwyn Melville, R.TCM.P, FABORM, B.A., Don’t you wish people would be more grateful? Don’t you just hate it when they expect everything, but fail to notice who’s behind the scenes making it all happen (especially when that person is you)? Don’t you wish someone would just say thank you? There’s a lot of research out there about gratitude, after all, and its many benefits. But for all it’s health benefits, it’s not “good for you” when someone else is grateful: it’s good for you when... Read more
Non-Striving
Sep 21, 2017 | Bronwyn Melville, R.TCM.P, FABORM, B.A., Most people believe that working hard, following through, organizing, and planning lead to success. We see evidence of this everywhere from our professional lives to personal endeavors. This idea is part of a “grit narrative” that we tell ourselves. Push through; work hard; persevere! So why does it seem like this doesn’t apply to fertility? You track ovulation, get focussed, change your diet, check cervical fluid, do blood work on days 3 and 21... Read more
My Tool Kit: What Chinese Medicine Can do For You
Sep 14, 2017 | Bronwyn Melville, R.TCM.P, FABORM, B.A., The other day a patient asked me why her IVF doctor was using a specific protocol for her current cycle. It was her second round, and the medications and schedule were different this time. I explained that her doctor has a "fertility tool kit" that she can draw from; that new drugs and protocols are coming out all the time and that, based on research trials, her doctor chose what she believed was the best way forward for her individual case.... Read more
Recipe - Baked Falafel
Aug 24, 2017 | Bronwyn Melville, R.TCM.P, FABORM, B.A., I’ve been in a real plant-based diet phase lately. It’s so satisfying to look down at my table and see a pallet of colour and texture.
Communication and its Role in Health Outcomes
Jul 21, 2017 | Bronwyn Melville, R.TCM.P, FABORM, B.A., A close friend told me a funny story that got me thinking about patient communication and patient care in my own practice.
Pain-Free Pregnancy
Jul 13, 2017 | Bronwyn Melville, R.TCM.P, FABORM, B.A., When she first visited me at Acubalance, Janice limped into the treatment room
Failed IVF to Natural Pregnancy - Every Kick Seems a Little Bit Like a Dream
Jul 06, 2017 | Bronwyn Melville, R.TCM.P, FABORM, B.A., I wanted to share the most inspiring thing I saw this year. Melissa had been trying to conceive for 3 years without success. She and her husband had done everything right, from increasing exercising, to changing their diet, and getting on all the recommended supplements. They were young (around 30) and by all accounts healthy. All of the testing from their fertility doctor yielding the most painful diagnosis: unexplained infertility.
Take it Slow
Jun 27, 2017 | Bronwyn Melville, R.TCM.P, FABORM, B.A., We love our idea of “The Genius”; the mad, brilliant savant, charming his reluctant, socially-inept way into dinner parties; sacrificing the st