One Little Imbalance Was Stopping Naomi From Falling Pregnant
If you’ve had all the tests, and nobody’s yet found a reason … it can be extremely frustrating and demoralising.
Sometimes we never know exactly why things happen the way they do. Sometimes things just can’t be explained by scientific tests.
This is where I go back to trusting nature - to sticking to what we know works, and getting back to simply supporting nature’s incredible, unfathomable power.
People often go in circles for months – years even – looking for a specific reason why they can’t get pregnant. Saliva tests, urine tests, blood tests, nutrient tests, food-allergy tests – and still no baby, no pregnancy.
When I first met Naomi* she was 33 years old. She and her husband had been trying to conceive for around 8-9 months.
Medical tests confirmed that her hormone levels were normal. Her husband's sperm results had tested fine and there was no functional issue such as a fallopian tube blockage.
Her cycle was regular but could range from anything between 20 to 30 days. She was witnessing cervical mucous every month that indicated that she was ovulating. She was also recording her BBT (Basal Body Temperature). This involves taking your temperature every morning at the same time each day and recording them on a chart. This helps to track hormonal variations and can help to indicate any inconsistencies during the cycle.
Over the course of a regular 28 day menstrual cycle a normal body temperature is around 36.5 degrees Celsius. Just before you ovulate your temperature is likely to drop to around 36.2 degrees. It is normal for this to happen around days 13-14 of the cycle. Then just as you ovulate your temperature will increase and continue to climb until it measures around 37 degrees where it will stay until just before you have your period.
The first treatment involved a general hormonal balancing acupuncture session. We agreed to continue treatments on a weekly basis. I asked her to bring in her BBT charts to the next appointment.
At the second appointment, she showed me her chart for the last month.
The temperatures showed that her temperature was hovering around 36.4 for the first 13 days. On day 14 it dropped to 35.6 which demonstrates that she ovulated at this time. Then the temperatures climbed back to 36.4 on day 17, dropped dramatically to 35.8 on day 22, then rose again to 36.8 on day 26 where it stayed at this level until it dropped again and she had her period on day 30.
This indicates that the second half of her cycle (the Luteal phase) was unstable. When the temperatures rise during this phase, it indicates that there is an increase in progesterone. Progesterone is essential to develop and maintain a thick healthy endometrium. This helps the fertilised egg implant and be sustained.
In Naomi’s case, it appeared that she was having a surge of oestrogen in the luteal phase that caused her temperature to drop dramatically. From a Chinese medicine perspective, oestrogen is Yin in nature and progesterone is Yang in nature. As there should be a perfect balance of the two, the Yang needed to be supported to withstand an onslaught on Yin in the Luteal phase of the cycle.
Acupuncture treatments were combined with Chinese herbal formulas with a goal to building and supporting Yang. Treatments also had a focus on reducing stress as this is often a key factor for having problems conceiving.
In September she did an ovulation test and for the first time ever it came up with a smiley face.
Mid October she had a positive pregnancy test confirmed. She continued treatments every week for the first trimester to help to support the endometrium, manage nausea and fatigue and reduce stress to ensure the strongest possible start for this developing embryo.
In mid June Naomi gave birth to a beautiful healthy baby girl.
There was no magic bullet. Nature just needed help, and once she found someone who listened to her and to what her body was saying instead of running more tests, Naomi was able to give it that help.
Simple as that.
* Name changed for privacy reasons.
Why not book in for a Free 15 minute mini-consultation - Come in and spend some time talking about your health. Whether you decide to work with me or not, you will leave the session knowing that there are concrete things you can do to feel better on your own.
Cathy Bell, Doctor of Chinese Medicine, Registered Acupuncturist AHPRA
Yin Studio:
Founded in 2006 by Cathy Bell, Yin Studio has become a sought-after health and wellness clinic, known for its warm, inviting atmosphere and sincere, compassionate care for its patients.
Cathy Bell provides results-oriented, natural wellness care for people of all ages. Her goal with each patient is a long-term, self-sustained shift in core factors that determine health and wellness. These core factors bridge all levels of being — physical, psychological, even spiritual.
My mission is simple: To support YOUR health and goals, and help you make the most of them. Whether you want to complement your conventional medical treatments with natural support, or go with a 100% natural solution, I do my best to help you achieve the best outcome possible. Treatments are based on getting results as quickly and efficiently as possible. Results matter, and I am proud of a proven history of positive outcomes.
Your body’s natural healing intelligence never forgets how to restore balance and vitality to every cell, tissue, and organ. All you have to do is give it the right support. At Yin Studio you are an active participant in the healing process. You will be educated on the proper way to get your healing system back on track via a targeted, customised treatment plan that will include one or more of the following: acupuncture, nutrition, herbs, lifestyle/mind-body coaching.