Garden Acupuncture shares 7 tips on how acupuncture can boost your fertility.

Monday's (8/15/11) fertility seminar "Here's Why You're Not Pregnant-9 Sneaky Causes of Infertility and How to Cure Them" was organized by Rebecca Cutis. Garden Acupuncture's Alexander Goldberg LAc, Dipl OM, was the key guest speaker. Having learned from one of the most successful fertility specialists in the nation, Dr. Randine Lewis, he led an in-depth discussion on how acupuncture, Chinese herbal therapy and nutrition are used to treat infertility. He eloquently described the journey of becoming a mother in terms of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), biology, emotion and spirituality.

Among the science and theory, he explained seven helpful tips to boost fertility.

1. Increase blood flow to your reproductive organs. A stressful lifestyle pulls your body's blood flow and attention away from your reproductive organs. Acupuncture has been scientifically proven to direct blood flow back to your reproductive organs. This is necessary to have a normal cycle and a healthy pregnancy.

2. Get your hormones into balance. Stress and diet are two of the biggest causes of hormone imbalances. Women with high stress life styles adapt to modern stressors by inducing the hormone prolactin, which stops ovulation. TCM helps bring the stress levels down which regulates hormones.

3. Improve emotional health. According to TCM two of the most common organ systems addressed in fertility are the Liver and Lung. The Liver is related to anger, frustration, stress and desire. So, it's no wonder why one of the most common TCM diagnoses is Liver Qi stagnation. The Lung is related to sadness, grief and holding on. Make sure to find time to calm your mind through acupuncture, yoga or meditation.

4. Avoid Dampness Dampness accumulates in our bodies and causes blockages in the form of cysts and fibroids that make getting pregnant very difficult. Eliminate damp food like milk, cheese, yogurt, butter, ice cream, greasy foods, and alcohol. Wet clothing, humid environments, and moist basements should be avoided also.

5. Chart your cycle. Charting your basal body temperature shows you many things about your reproductive health. You can determine when you're ovulating, whether ovulation occurs on the optimal day, and if your body is at a temperature conducive to fertility.

6. Make sure your body is receptive to conception. The popular image of a woman today is to be very thin, muscular, and extremely active. This concept does not support fertility. The concept of fertility is to be warm, enveloping, holding, and supportive. If you are constantly expending all of your energy by working out, there is not enough left to support new life. Using TCM ensures the womb is warm, healthy, and inviting.

7. Have a passive attitude toward thoughts. The more emphasis we put on symptoms the more stress and frustration we create for ourselves. Having a passive attitude toward your outcome and being more conscious of your process helps you maintain balance.

The fertility seminar was a success with the help from local blogger, F'D In Park Slop and a recent press release "Baby Whisperer." The group plans to continue this lecture series in the fall.

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