I started in August 2010 for 2 months during 2 IUIs but my insurance ran out for the year so I let it go due to other expenses. But it's a new year now and I have my apt. scheduled for March 8th, again with Aina. They say you should do this for 3 months prior to treatment so that it's fully effective. The last time I did the acupuncture, I really did notice a difference in my cycles. Why acupuncture works for infertility problems is still debatable. However, acupuncturists say that it helps by regulating your body’s system. It aids in blood flow to the reproductive organs and stabilizes hormone levels. This in turn will increase ovarian function in women. So that's already a great outcome if not anything else.
During acupuncture, the needles are inserted into key points in the body to improve the flow of energy and the balance of certain body chemicals. Used as a complementary form of therapy for women undergoing other fertility treatments, acupuncture has been proven to be especially beneficial. Some believe that acupuncture works by helping women stay more relaxed through stressful fertility treatments. Acupuncture has been shown to increase optimism and reduce anxiety during the IVF process. And I'm happy to do anything that will reduce my anxiety!
My first apt with Aina, she took my pulse and asked me to stick out my tongue. I had no idea what that had to do with anything, but ok. Just by doing these 2 things, she told me that I had a qi deficiency, prononced "chi". I had no idea what that meant…but BF google came to the rescue again with the definition as follows: “ki - the circulating life energy that in Chinese philosophy is thought to be inherent in all things. Chi travels through the body on meridians (channels). The chi affects every aspect of life -- emotional, spiritual, physical and mental. Yin and yang, the opposing forces that exist in the chi, must be balanced in a healthy body. Traditional Chinese medicine identifies several patterns of disharmony with infertility in women, including lack of energy, unregulated menstrual cycles and excessive stress. So, acupuncture for infertile women targets the meridians for the kidneys, heart and liver. The kidneys are thought to provide the body with energy, so treating this area would give a woman more energy to offer to a baby.” Thank you Google.
Next, Aina asked me about my eating habits. At the time, I was eating a high protein diet and didn’t think anything of it. Aina gave me a whole list of what I should be eating. This included the following: NOTHING cold. Great. Salads, out. Fresh garden tomatoes, out. What? I tried to explain I am Italian and have a garden full of fresh tomatoes and cucumbers and that it was tomato season…she wasn’t having it. She told me to cook my tomatoes before eating them…not very appealing. I tried my best but gave in to temptation more than once. I did however leave my salads out of the fridge for 30 minutes prior to eating so that they wouldn’t be “cold” and shock my digestion system. She told me to eat a lot of seaweed, ginger, wheat germ and soups, no ice, no ice cream, no cold beverages. I did my best with this but didn’t follow it to a tee. This time around I promise I will follow whatever she says.
She also sent me off with chinese herbs (don’t ask me what they were, I couldn’t even pronounce the names). They were different every week and I had to drink it in hot water 3 times a day after every meal. 1 week’s worth was like $50. This acupuncture thing is getting expensive. But people swear by it and she has dozens of baby pictures up in the clinic from those woman who did acupuncture and it helped them to conceive. And since there's a chance it will help me, I'm all for it.
No comments:
Post a Comment