Clinic Blog

When it comes to overall health and your fertility, gut health is a big player in your success. Science has been stumbling upon more and more research supporting the importance of your gut microbiome in almost all aspects of your health. This theory has been around for over 2,500 years and as time goes on science has been showing how accurate this statement really is.

Believe it or not, sometimes a story of an unsuccessful IVF can be the most inspiring story of all.

I recently had the pleasure of talking with a previous patient (Kristina Lao) about her experience going through an egg freezing cycle which she has posted to youtube. So many women go through an egg-freezing cycle in silence, alone and unsure of what the experience will be like.

Dr. Tracy Malone ND shares with Acubalance's (Vancouver BC) Dr. Lorne Brown, her data from the last 10 years of her Integrative practice (Acupuncture & IVF) that shows an increase in pregnancy rates in both IUI and IVF when a series of 3 or more acupuncture and naturopathic medicine was added to the IUI or IVF cycle.

As an acupuncture and integrative wellness clinic that specializes in reproductive health, you can imagine we get this question quite often. Many patients come to us either starting their fertility journey, about to embark on their IVF journey, or are on their 6th round. Wherever you are, acupuncture can help.

I recently chaired the 2021 Integrative Fertility Symposium where I was able to moderate multiple lectures and panels. One of the sponsors organized a lecture opportunity where I had the opportunity to interview over zoom Anne Marie Jensen to discuss how she is using low level laser therapy (LLLT) / photobiomodulation and laser acupuncture to help women conceive naturally and through IVF.

An increasing number of studies have shown a connection between improved fertility and laser therapy—for both men and women. Photobiomodulation may improve pregnancy rates even in women who haven’t previously been successful with fertility treatments like IVF.

Egg quality is the factor we want to consider in any stage of a fertility journey. Both egg quality and sperm quality are essential factors in fertilization, implantation, and a healthy baby. In this blog, I review two powerhouse nutrients, COQ10 and glutathione, and why they are fundamental to egg quality.

Clomiphene citrate, or Clomid, is a common fertility medication. It is often used in ovulatory disorders such as PCOS. Clomid works by making the body think there are low levels of estrogen, resulting in more FSH released by the brain to stimulate the ovaries. 

There are three parts to the egg that require consideration when wanting to improve egg quality as a whole. The theca, granulosa, and lutein cells are parts of the ovarian follicle and egg that secrete various hormones and have certain jobs throughout the menstrual cycle.