Preconception Care |
A very interesting piece of knowledge to be aware is that your child’s health is impacted by several factors that occur before he or she is even conceived. Your body’s internal biological environment at conception has an immense and powerful influence on the health and wellbeing of your future child. Experiments done on mice showed that the nutritional status of the mother during the first 4 days after conception (even before the embryo had implanted in the uterus) had enormous influences on the mice’s health later in life.
To prepare for conception there are a number of steps taken that should be discussed:
First, we need to evaluate and reduce the toxic load in your body. Many toxins acquired largely from our environment, are circulating through our bodies and can ultimately pass the placental barrier and can negatively influence fetal development. Second, we also need to optimize your lifestyle, nutritional & dietary status. There is a lot of research on how lifestyle, nutrition & diet affects fetal development. It is very important to identify and correct nutritional insufficiencies and digestive disturbances as a healthy and efficient digestive system equals a healthy and nutritionally sound individual.
Finally, we need to address underlying constitutional weaknesses and any other pre-existing conditions. For example, if you have any thyroid conditions that are not addressed it could lead to a high-risk and or compromised pregnancy. Even things that are borderline normal prior to conception, for example blood sugar that is on the high end of normal, can become gestational diabetes. Or issues such as stress or too low of blood glucose or triglycerides can also negatively effect a pregnancy.
The famous adage “an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure”. Addressing these issues prior to conception can not only help enhance the chance of conception and pregnancy, but can also help to optimize your baby’s health during pregnancy and post delivery.
Patients are encouraged to undergo a necessary “medical evaluation” done either by their Primary Care Physician and or their Reproductive Endocrinologist in order to assess any immediately correctable medical disorders, or exclude any underlined malignant diseases before they embark upon Traditional Chinese and functional Medical treatments.
It is also advisable, as well as, being very helpful if the patients bring their medical exam data/results (including a basal body temperature charting, ALL labwork - Blood chemistry panels, hormone panels, etc.) when visiting our clinic. If proper blood work and laboratory analysis has not been performed prior to your first visit with us, our doctors will make sure to assess what necessary lab work you are needing and order the appropriate lab work for you, as well as, review all results with you. A defined Western medical diagnosis, if available, will also be valuable for us in evaluating and treating the case even within the paradigm of the Traditional Chinese Medical system.
Recommended Course of Treatment:
For many women, the treatment course which will consist of acupuncture treatments, and/or herbal therapy, dietary therapy and lifestyle changes, normally ranges from 6 to 12+/- menstrual cycles depending on the individual case, to improve fertility markers and increase the chances of conceiving. Some difficult cases may need a longer period of treatment in order to prepare the body to conceive and ultimately achieve pregnancy.
During patient visits, the overall health of the patient and their reproductive system is assessed through understanding the patient’s general health symptoms and charting the various bodily changes throughout the menstrual cycle, specifically using basal body temperature charting. We will also review any recent or follow-up lab work (blood, stool, saliva) when applicable. Treatment will consist of acupuncture and Chinese herbal therapy combined, in addition to dietary, nutritional and lifestyle recommendations.
Acupuncture and herbal therapies are gentle, yet effective. Conventional Western medicine offers a bigger bang, but we liken this to putting a thumbtack in the wall with a sledgehammer. For some, modern reproductive technology is the appropriate course to take, however there are many women who do not need fertility drugs and medically assisted reproductive techniques, yet they go through months of physical and emotional agony, not to mention the financial burden. TCM will put the tack in the wall with a thumb. It is safe, natural, cost effective, and has no side effects. In fact, TCM can only make you stronger, while helping create a healthier environment for a harmonious pregnancy. (TCM will also increase the likelihood of conception if you do opt for utilizing fertility medications or medically assisted fertilization techniques.
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For more information, please contact Healing Traditions Integrated Wellness in Lakewood CO at: info@healing-traditions.com or 303-997-9414. |