Posts Tagged: Fertility

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BBT Charting, Fertility and Acupuncture: What’s The Connection?

August 26, 2015

Whenever a woman comes to acupuncture looking to increase her fertility, in most cases I ask for BBT charts (or recommend she start charting). If you’re asking what a BBT is, click here for an explanation. BBT charts are clinically useful to me as an acupuncturist for many reasons. First, if there is a clear temperature shift midcycle, I know the woman is ovulating, and on which day ovulation is taking place. If the length of the follicular (pre-ovulatory) phase is consistently between 12-20 days, and if the luteal (post-ovulatory) phase is consistently between 11-16 days, I’m fairly confident that things are normal and any fertility issue is not with ovulation. In addition, the basal body temperatures should be within a certain range. If they are significantly lower or higher than I typically see, it could indicate a thyroid dysfunction which should be checked out by a physician.  Read more

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Just The Basics: BBT Charting

August 25, 2015

What if I told you there’s science-backed method to reliably prevent pregnancy- without being on the pill? Also-using this method you can predict the exact day you’ll get your period- two weeks out? Yes indeed, no more mid-meeting surprises or ruined white pants! It’s technically called FAM, or Fertility Awareness Method, but is more commonly referred to as BBT (Basal Body Temperature) Charting. It’s incredibly easy and takes no more time than popping a birth control pill every day. Here are the details: Read more

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The Menstrual Cycle According To Traditional Chinese Medicine

August 11, 2015

Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has a really fascinating way of looking at the menstrual cycle- the time from the start of your period to the start of the next one. It is a view that is guided by nature, Daoist principles and yin/yang theory. These principles are based on eating and living according to the rhythms of the seasons and your body’s own unique qualities, which leads to greater health and balance. By being mindful of how your cycle’s rhythms mirror the ebb and flow of the natural world, you can achieve a deeper, more intuitive understanding of your body. Read more

Why you should avoid NSAIDs while TTC

September 15, 2014

If you are someone who reaches for over the counter pain relievers occasionally, you should know that they very well may be impacting your ability to ovulate normally. This is a little-known fertility fact: taking NSAIDs (such as Advil, Motrin, aspirin, Excedrin and Aleve) has been shown to cause LUFS, or luteinizing unruptured follicule syndrome.  This just means that the egg matures in the ovary but doesn’t get released even though it is ready. The other possibility with taking NSAIDs is that the egg’s release is delayed- by on average 5 days, during which it continues to grow. This “over-ripens” the egg, making its quality less than ideal. One study also showed decreased progesterone levels- which is important for proper implantation and lining development. Read more

Ask the Expert: Cornell Fertility Specialist Dr. David Reichman

August 24, 2014

When you were younger, you spent a lot of time and energy trying NOT to get pregnant.  But now that the time is right, what if it’s not happening as quickly as you hoped? Or what if you are in your mid- thirties and still haven’t met Mr. or Mrs. Right, or this just isn’t the time for a baby?

This is where a fertility specialist called a Reproductive Endocrinologist (RE) comes in. I’m excited to have had the chance to interview Dr. David Reichman of The Center for Reproductive Medicine at Weill Cornell’s Tribeca office. Dr. Reichman not only has an impressive bio (click here to read), but strikes me as a warm and compassionate person who is genuinely excited about his work and cares about his patients. He wants his patients to understand their treatments- so much so, that Dr. Reichman has a flat screen TV connected to his office’s computer in order to pull up pictures and diagrams, more effectively explaining procedures, medications and statistics (I know I always learn more easily with pictures).  Why don’t all doctors do that? Read more