Here are some foundations for conception according to Chinese medicine

Here are a few tips to set yourself up for fertility success from Jennifer McIntosh, LAc, Soul Sprout’s resident fertility specialist. Aside from doing acupuncture and herbal medicine for fertility, Jennifer also does fertility coaching!

If you are trying to conceive or thinking about starting soon, there are 5 key areas to focus on in order to enhance your reproductive health according to Chinese Medicine.

Diet. We Chinese Medicine practitioners encourage eating what we call “blood nourishing foods”. These foods include those that are iron-rich, like dark, leafy greens, legumes, and red meat. Other nourishing foods include good fats like essential fatty acids and unsaturated fats which will help balance hormones and support your ovaries while decreasing inflammation. Lastly, protein is essential to fertility health. We encourage you to eat 60-75 grams of animal or plant-based protein each day.
Hydration. As acupuncturists, we focus a lot on blood flow, and the amount of water in your body will make all the difference in the quality and quantity of your blood. We recommend drinking half of your body weight in ounces daily. Meaning, if you weight 150 lbs, you should be drinking 75 oz of water per day. Try keeping a glass of water on your nightstand at night and make sure you drink the whole glass before you leave your bedroom in the morning. Then, always have water with you to sip throughout the day.
Circulation. We focus on building the blood so there is enough of it to reach all of the organs in the body, especially the ovaries and uterus. The best ways to increase circulation are through exercise and acupuncture. Exercise is essential to help blood flow and to manage stress, however, in Chinese Medicine, we are all about moderation. As I have emphasized above, creating and preserving your fluids is key when trying to conceive, so it is best not to sweat all of those fluids out while exercising. We encourage moderate exercise that gets your blood moving but does not overexert the body. Moderate runs, yoga, and long walks 3-4 times a week are great ways to exercise.
Stress management. It is very important to find ways to deal with your stress on a daily basis. We all experience stress so we have to find a way to minimize the damage it can do to our bodies. Stress has a huge impact on fertility by altering our hormone balance. Meditation, exercise, singing, walking, and of course acupuncture can all help.
Sleep. Women who have trouble sleeping are more likely to have hormonal imbalances. The quality and quantity of sleep you get each night could affect your fertility. We recommend at least 7 hours of sleep and suggest that you get to bed before 11pm. If you have trouble falling or staying asleep despite having good sleep hygiene, acupuncture may be a solution for you.

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