Portland Acupuncture for Fertility

Acupuncture has long been used to aid in conception.

High Stress and Its Effects on Pregnancy

How often have you heard a story about someone trying “forever” to conceive, only to find themselves pregnant once they adopt?  Or the old adage that if you want to get pregnant, just go on vacation?  There is a reason that these stories abound, and now there is research to back them up.

A joint study done by Oxford University and the National Institute of Health has found that women with high levels of stress have a decreased chance of becoming pregnant.  To those who have had struggles conceiving this seems to be an obvious statement, but until now there has been only anecdotal evidence to support this thought.  This study involved 274 women who were seeking to conceive naturally, and the researchers discovered that high levels of adrenalin (associated with high levels of stress) were linked to a significant decrease in pregnancy rates.

I experienced this myself during my own journey to conceive.  At the time my husband and I decided to start a family, I was building my new clinical practice in Portland, and was also waiting tables at night to help make ends meet.  I was exhausted and overworked.  Month after month we tried and hoped, only to see those hopes dashed when my period came right on time.  I remember saying to a friend that I thought I would not get pregnant until I quit my waitressing job, remarking that I was so overloaded that I did not think my body would make a good home for a baby.  It was not until one month after we finally took a leap of faith and I quit my waitressing job that I became pregnant.

The implications of the study are far reaching in terms of female fertility issues.  Part of what is so difficult about trying to conceive is the incredible mental and emotional taxation of the process.  At first you worry that your attempts might actually work.  And if they don’t, the worry becomes, “Why didn’t it work?  What if it never works?”  Herein lies a major problem.  The stress of not conceiving could potentially be the reason for not conceiving.  You find yourself in a vicious cycle that continually brings more stress to your life.

This clues us into one of the many reasons that Chinese Medicine, specifically acupuncture, is so beneficial to natural conception.  If your stress hormones are too high, there is a much greater chance that you will have difficulty conceiving.  Acupuncture is fabulously relaxing.

Numerous studies have been done on acupuncture and fertility, and the studies are done in patients who have had a difficult time conceiving.  These patients invariably have a high level of stress surrounding their infertility.  In addition to the increasing blood flow to the ovaries and the uterus, the relaxation caused by acupuncture may be one of its greatest strengths in aiding conception.  It stands to reason that if you feel relaxed, your stress hormone levels would decrease.  Acupuncture is a cumulative therapy, thereby producing a stronger and longer lasting effect with each session.  After a round or two of treatment, that relaxing feeling would become more a part of your everyday life.  A relaxed environment is an excellent home for a baby.

If you live in the Portland area and are interested in using acupuncture on your journey to conception, contact Erin Brockmeyer, LAc at 503-442-1205, or go to www.SolsticeAcupuncture.com for more information.