Excerpt from Practical Fertility

Infertility and Miscarriage

By definition, those who have suffered a miscarriage are not infertile, although up to one third of these couples have faced fertility challenges before conceiving. It can be easy for fertility specialists and prospective parents to place so much attention and emphasis on getting pregnant that they loose perspective of what is important: delivering a healthy baby.

It is imperative to keep in mind that ultimate goal. The holistic Chinese medical view of fertility includes not only a confirmed pregnancy, but a healthy pregnancy, smooth delivery and parents with the energy and stamina to take care of a newborn baby. All of these steps can be influenced before conception by bolstering the health of the mother and father to be, thus setting the stage for a healthy sperm and egg to unite, a plush environment for implantation and the foundation for a strong pregnancy.

When Becky, a 38 year old woman, called my office she was 10 weeks pregnant, though an ultrasound failed to detect a fetal heart beat, and the fetus had stopped growing at 8 weeks. The baby had died, but Becky’s body had yet to go into a mini labor, i.e. a miscarriage. Her OB/GYN wanted her to undergo a dilation and cuterage (D&C). This procedure cleans the womb and removes the products of conception. Becky had never tried acupuncture before, but wanted to know if acupuncture could naturally induce a miscarriage.

I told Becky that I understood how she felt; that undergoing a surgical technique to accomplish what her body should naturally do on its own did not feel right to her. I also suggested she go through with the D&C. While strong manipulation of specific acupuncture points can cause miscarriage, it is not commonly done because of the risk of incomplete miscarriage which can result in infection or hemorrhage.

While I did encourage her to pursue the Western route first and afterwards to use acupuncture and herbal formulas to nourish her depleted qi and blood, regulate her hormones and prepare her for another pregnancy.

Becky and I worked together for several months until she felt secure in her health and ready to try again. She conceived her first month of trying and is now happily in her second trimester.

Case study—Becky