My husband and I had no problem getting pregnant. Staying pregnant was another issue. At the age of 32-33, I experienced three miscarriages in less than a year, never making it past nine weeks of pregnancy. After going through the routine tests at the Recurrent Pregnancy Loss program at Women’s Hospital, I was told there was nothing wrong and that we should try again (they call this diagnosis “unexplained pregnancy loss”). Well, that simply didn’t cut it for me. I was a traumatized mess, and after such a horrible year, I was not prepared to undertake another pregnancy without feeling that I was being taken care of. I knew something was in fact wrong and that it simply hasn’t been diagnosed yet. I’m thrilled to write that my three miscarriages resolved with acupuncture.
When I arrived at Acubalance, Dr. Lorne Brown gave me the answers I needed. He said that from a TCM perspective, there was a very clear diagnosis as to why I was miscarrying. I had poor circulation, was constantly cold and suffered from constipation. My cycles were a normal length but I had a very scant period with hardly any flow and I only bled for 2-3 days. He said that I needed to be “warmed-up” (and this had little to do with the weather) and he wanted to relieve my constipation and change my period so that it was longer and heavier. Basically, get things moving in my body so there was more of a flow to my system. He also said that my husband’s health was an important part of the equation, as it takes two to make a healthy baby, and thus both of us needed to be treated. For the next few months, I received acupuncture treatments and drank a herbal formula that was designed especially for me (you’ll get used to the taste – I promise!), while my husband took supplements as directed by Dr. Brown and received acupuncture treatments as well. Within a few weeks, I began to feel healthier, both physically and emotionally. My period became longer and heavier, I felt warmer (the tip of my nose was no longer cold) and my constipation was completely gone! After three warm cycles, Dr. Brown told us we could start trying again.
We got pregnant on our very first try and as soon as I saw the positive pregnancy test, I emailed Dr. Brown. Within a couple of hours, I was already laying on his treatment table and receiving acupuncture. I received weekly treatments throughout my first trimester and continued to drink my herbs, all the while feeling that I was nurturing my body and spirit, calming my anxiety, and providing my baby with the care it needed. I am happy to say that for the first time we have sailed smoothly into the second trimester and the ultrasounds we have done thus far have shown us a perfectly healthy baby.
I have no doubt I would not have gotten this far in my pregnancy if it wasn’t for Dr. Brown and his amazing team — I’m talking to you, Dr. Funk! The support I received before and during my pregnancy was absolutely essential to the health of our baby. Dr. Brown was there for me at all times, always ready to answer any question I had, no matter how silly. We could not have done this without you. Thank you, Acubalance!!