Couples who have been together for a certain period of time may decide one day to raise a family of their own. For many of them however, the dream of having a child of their own may be just that, a dream. A partner or both may have a problem conceiving a child. For some, it is their age that may be hindering their ability to conceive.
A couple I know, in their 40s, have decided one day to have a child. They kept trying for over a year and then decided to undergo tests to make sure they had no medical problems. By now, the woman 42 and her clock seemed to be ticking less. The tests confirmed something she had been aware of; that her periods have been gradually diminishing. She thought she was going to early menopause but her doctors found out her problem was Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome or PCOS, a condition where there are a cyst or cysts on a woman’s ovaries. To treat the cysts, her doctors recommended birth control pills. However, if the cysts are large enough, surgery is usually recommended. On top of her problem, due to her age, the doctors told that her production of eggs had slowed down. She went home dejected and crestfallen angry at herself why she did not get pregnant much earlier and wondered if she would ever get pregnant.
Even though she worked hard all her life, the thought of never ending invasive and costly treatments did not appeal. She was told she may experience some nasty side effects as well.So, she started reading books and began researching the Net for other options. What she discovered was truly amazing and felt like she uncovered a treasure trove of natural healing solutions. This is when she realized that there is an entire universe of holistic healing techniques at her disposal.
My patient realized that for millennia, the Chinese had been using acupressure and acupuncture to help infertile women get pregnant. One day, she walked into my office and told me all her problems as well as her medical history. I performed some tests specific to Chinese medicine diagnosis. I prescribed several herbal remedies and administered more acupressure treatments than acupuncture treatments on her. I recommended a low GI-diet made up of morsels such as yogurt, lentils, whole milk, fish and whole-grain bread and fruits such as prunes and peaches that can help lower insulin levels in the blood stream, a significant cause of PCOS in women. During sessions, besides acupuncture and acupuncture, I also administered Tuina Massage on her body to boost her immune system and help lower her stress levels. I advised her as well to perform light exercises every day at home.
My patient and her husband were very cooperative and,sure enough, she got pregnant not long before. She could not believe it. She and her husband were happier and healthier than they have ever been in their lives and with the added gift of having a baby very soon. All these techniques have been around for thousands of years but somehow they have been overshadowed by quick fixes courtesy of Western medicine. We are now hearing more news of couples turning away from standard infertility treatments and have found the same success.
If you suffer from infertility but nonetheless, want to get pregnant, before deciding to go through painful procedures or take drugs, keep in mind that holistic remedies are available that will work on your body as a whole to help you overcome your problem.
Steven Goldfarb is a board certified and licensed acupuncturist and practitioner of alternative medicine. He is also the founder of Goldfarb Chiropractic and Acupuncture Center in West Orange, NJ.