Chinese and western medicine have each achieved great feats over the centuries, treating diseases, saving lives, and improving the quality of life for countless people. Taken together, it is possible to tap on the best of both worlds to achieve your medical goals, including having a baby the natural way.
I see many patients who have difficulty conceiving. When they come into our clinic, they are often burdened after having been disappointed so many times before. Each couple has a story to tell of the painful journey that they have gone through trying for a baby. I make it a point to always listen and to encourage them.
The ladies always ask me the same question: “Ms Jin, do you think I can have a child?” I can understand their feelings and great wish to hear some reassurance that this hope was possible. Afterall, most couples would normally have gone through western treatments before resorting to TCM as the last option. They may have already tried a few times of invitro fertilisation (IVF) or Intrauterine Insemination (IUI), without success. TCM, for them, is their final hope.
I am grateful for having the opportunity to practise TCM in a western medicine hospital. I understand the gynaecology treatments well and have an opportunity to co-operate with the western trained specialists. I am also heartened that these western doctors often refer patients to me, giving me an opportunity to provide TCM treatments that can sometimes help these couples achieve their dream of having a child.
My TCM training has given me a different perspective of medical treatment. Eastern medicine sees the body as a microcosm of nature. Disease or malfunction is a disturbance in the “ecosystem” of the body, and health is restored by treating the entire system rather than fixing one part of it. As the sixteenth-century physician - Paracelsus - puts it: “The physician is only the servant of nature, not her master. Therefore, it behooves medicine to follow the will of nature.”
Our reproductive systems are not made up of isolated organs and batches of separate hormones. Each element of the system must work together seamlessly so conditions will be right for pregnancy to occur.
When you restore the health of the body, a woman’s reproductive system will do what it was designed to do naturally; conceive and carry to term a healthy child.
I will share a story of a couple who came for treatment after one failed IVF, one IUI and 3 cycle clomid. The couple, both 39 years old, have been married for more than 10 years, and have been trying for a few years to have a baby. Two years ago, they started to see an infertility specialist and found that the husband had a sperm morphology of only 2 %, and the wife had a problem with ovulation. They underwent 3 cycles clomid and one cycle IUI and one cycle IVF, but all failed.
They are so disappointed and turned to TCM for help. I saw this couple at the beginning of June 2009. I noted that the wife’s periods were regular. She had no pain, but had a little bit of blood clots during the first and second day of her cycle. Sometimes, she also had headaches during her period. I found her Kidney, Liver and Spleen were deficient, and her Uterus was also “cold” and ovulation was not regular.
I treated her with acupuncture and some herbal tonic to increase her general energy. During the first cycle treatment, using an ovulation kit to check, she noted that she had ovulated on day 15. She was so happy and was looking forward to a successful conception. I told the couple to try naturally, and to not be stressed. However, at the end of the first treatment cycle, her period came. She was a bit sad and kept asking me what is wrong with her and what more she could do. I told her that she must be patient and to try another cycle of treatment.
As they went through the second cycle of treatment, they found that they were getting more energetic, keeping a healthy lifestyle, and following my prescribed diet. They felt healthier - both physically and mentally. In the following month, I continued the treatment, and she ovulated again on day 15 and this time with success. She became pregnant naturally! She was so happy and felt that “TCM is magic”.
Another couple with a similar successful experience with TCM, were married for 14 years. He was 41 years old and she was 39 years old. They tried many years to conceive naturally, but without success. They decided to seek western fertility treatment. She found that she had a 3.5cm anterior intramural fibroid and her FSH was 14. While her husband has Oligo-asthenozo and Teratozospermia, as well as high cholesterol. After 3 failed IVF attempts, they turned to TCM.
They began regular treatment with acupuncture and also took Chinese medicines prescribed. After four months of TCM treatment, she got pregnant naturally.
Another couple who were trying for 3 years after being married for 5 years, also received TCM treatment with success. The wife was 35 years old and had underwent one IVF due to poor ovarian response. They were able to fertilise one embryo but this embryo fragmented totally on day 2. Her gynaecologist diagnosed her with Adenomyosis and referred her to TCM for treatment. She too underwent a few cycles of treatment and also eventually conceived naturally.
Although the cases that I have shared offer much hope to couples who turn to TCM treatments, it must be said that aside from receiving TCM treatments, couples must also adopt a healthy lifestyle that involves dietary change and keeping certain health conditions under control, before they can see an improvement in their overall health which sets the conditions for a successful conception.