Are you stressed out and trying to conceive?

If you’re trying to get pregnant and it’s not going as smoothly as planned, it can be an extremely stressful and emotional time. We all have good and bad moments in our lives but ask yourself,  “Are you continually feeling stressed out or anxious about conceiving and staying pregnant?” The benefits of stress reduction that acupuncture provides has a positive impact on improving IVF success rates and a correlation to an increase in live births when combined with Chinese herbs.

Studies show acupuncture reduces stress.

New research in Fertility and Sterility, an American Society For Reproductive Medicine publication, discovered that elevated stress levels persist in women who only receive a single acupuncture treatment prior to embryo transfer, but compared to other women who receive multiple acupuncture treatments, their stress levels have greatly reduced prior to their IVF transfers. The researchers note that “acupuncture appears to be a promising stress-lowering tool for women undergoing IVF.”

Another study, which reviewed over 1200 IVF patient records, showed that there was an increase in healthy live births when Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), including both acupuncture and Chinese herbal formulas, was used in conjunction with western medical protocols.

Garden Acupuncture's Alex Goldberg LAc, Dipl. Oriental Medicine

“Stress is one of the most common complaints I have heard over the past 10 years, and rightfully so. New York is certainly an exceptionally stressful place. Even if stress is not the direct complaint, whether a patient ‘s concern is fertility, weight loss or dermatology, there is almost always a stress component playing a role and it negatively impacts their overall health. I have had much success in helping women on this special journey to achieve the goal of becoming pregnant and giving birth to beautiful babies and it brings me so much joy. The stress reduction acupuncture facilitates in the body is undeniable in my opinion. It certainly plays an important role along with the many other benefits of the treatments and Chinese herbs in preparing the body for pregnancy. Around 90% of the time, a portion of my treatments are devoted to addressing stress.”

Tips to manage your stress levels.

Traditional Chinese Medicine is based on helping people obtain and maintain balance through treatment, nutrition and lifestyle. When embraced, even small changes can help combat the excesses, deficits and stresses we face in our choices, relationships, lifestyles and environment. Reducing stress with acupuncture is a wonderful option but here are 4 quick tips to help you manage your stress at home:

1. Try to wake-up and go to bed at the same time everyday. A consistent sleep schedule has been shown to keep your stress hormones in check and reduce stress levels.

2. Make a list! Whether you prefer digital or classic paper and pencil, the ability to organize your tasks and keep track of your workload will help to alleviate your stress levels. Plus, it feels great to cross it out when you are done with the project!

3. Take 5 a few times a day. Five tiny minutes here and there sounds simple, but so difficult to stick to in our hectic city lifestyles. But if you set your schedule with consistent breaks then research shows you are actually more productive. We suggest devoting these mini breaks to things like taking a few deep breaths or stretching/movement instead of spending it on social media platforms.

4. Read. It’s simply good for you. Not only does reading get you out of the daily monotony of your regular work/life situation, studies show 30 minutes of reading on any topic of interest will help reduce your daily stress levels.