1 in 5 couples experiences infertility.   Infertility is diagnosed when a women has been trying to conceive for one year without pregnancy (six months for women over 35).   Researchers have confirmed that acupuncture and Oriental medicine can benefit fertility in the following ways:

1. Regulate menstrual cycle.

2. Improve sperm count and motility.

3. Reduce stress and anxiety associated with infertility.

4. Normalize hormone and endocrine systems.

5. Improve blood flow in the uterus.

6. Decrease chance of miscarriage.

7. Increase the chance of pregnancy for women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF).

Source:  Acupuncture Newsletter- Reproductive Health, February 10, 2009

Dr. Randine Lewis, author of The Infertility Cure, believes there is no such thing as infertility.  As an acupuncturist and herbalist she sees infertility as the bodies way of telling us that we are out of balance.  Dr. Lewis holds fertility retreats in Asheville North Carolina where she teaches women to rebalance their lives by reducing stress through acupuncture, herbs, massage, diet and movement.  Dr. Lewis is receiving worldwide recognition for her uncommon success rates in helping women conceive naturally or with the assistance of reproductive medicine treatments.  

If you decide to use reproductive medicine, consider incorporating the principles of Chinese Medicine for three months prior to conception to impact your egg quality.  A recent study in the British Medical Journal (February 2008) revealed that women doing IVF (in-vitro fertilization treatments) were 65 percent more likely to conceive when they used acupuncture in conjunction with their western medical treatment.