Clinic Blog

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.

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.

Excellent public educational lecture for women with infertility or miscarriages related to ovulatory disorders & PCOS. If you have PCOS and have had unsuccessful IVF cycles (or letrozole cycles) then there is hope.

Polycystic ovarian syndrome is one of the most common endocrine disorders and can be a risk factor for infertility and pregnancy loss. The diagnosis is based on the Rotterdam Criteria, requiring the patient to have 2/3 of the following: 

• Irregular or absent cycles
• Symptoms and/or blood levels indicating excess androgens
• Polycystic ovaries, observed via ultrasound

You've made the decision to move forward with freezing your eggs but are now wondering what you can do to help improve the chances of getting the best eggs possible. Your fertility clinic has likely already discussed the cost, drugs and timeline that they suggest for the procedure but what can you do to get the best outcome possible?  
 

Contrary to popular belief, male factor infertility contributes up to 50% of total cases of a couple’s infertility. That is why it is just as important to not only test male fertility after 1 year of actively trying to conceive (or 6 months if he is 35 and older), but to also consistently treat both partners when it comes to preconception care and fertility.