The Uterus-Heart Connection & Fertility

The uterus and the heart are two incredible organs capable of providing life. In Traditional Chinese Medicine they are directly connected by a channel called the Bao Mai, which allows energy to freely flow between these organs. As anyone who has struggled with fertility will tell you, issues of the utuerus directly affect the heart and the spirit, and we think it’s so helpful to understand this connection. It’s why with acupuncture we want to nourish both organs simultaneously and keep that channel open to facilitate conception and healthy pregnancy. Sometimes this also means allowing yourself to feel all the feels and to fully grieve losses before getting back in the baby making saddle.

 Fertility is one of our favorite areas of our practice and we work with women in the following ways:

Pre-conception: This is the most important yet most overlooked area. Many couples decide they are ready and jump right in to TTC (that’s trying to conceive in the fertility world), but it’s well worth spending some time and energy setting a great foundation for pregnancy. This means tackling cycle irregularities and any other health concerns like anxiety, insomnia, digestive issues, etc. The life cycle from follicle to THE egg that will eventually become your bundle of joy is about three months, and overall health does have an impact on egg quality, so ideally we like to work with women weekly to biweekly for at least three months before they begin trying.

TTC: Many women come to me when they are already actively trying and often have been trying for little while without success. Sometimes we end up pumping the breaks to address other issues first, but often we just end up supporting the phases of the cycle to promote ovulation and implantation and of course reduce stress and anxiety that accompanies “trying”.

IVF/Reproductive Assistance: Because numerous studies have show that acupuncture increases success rates when undergoing IVF and other fertility treatments, many women seek out acupuncture for support during this time. We work with these mamas-to-be to help increase blood flow to the reproductive organs, mitigate side effects from meds, and help to reduce the physical and emotional burdens of these treatments.

The goal is always a BFP (big fat positive on a pee stick), but it doesn’t end there! Acupuncture during early pregnancy is used for hormonal support, to prevent miscarriage and to help reduce all the unpleasant side effects like nausea, heart burn, and lower back pain. Most acupuncturists will tell you that acu babies (those whose mamas got regular acu during their pregnancies) tend to be pretty chill!