8 tips to mate: enhancing male fertility
As a naturopathic doctor and acupuncturist, I consider all the above factors, focusing on lifestyle, inflammation (oxidative stress), nutrition (antioxidants) and balance of Qi/blood/Yang in the body. Here are my 8 tips to mate:
Probiotics for IVF success and to prevent pre-term birth
It looks like you can now add two new reasons to take your probiotics everyday. Research has come out implicating bacterial composition in the outcomes of pre-term birth and IVF success from implantation to live birth.
Acupuncture for labor support
Many times we get mamas-to-be who come in at 39....40....41+ weeks because they are approaching an induction date and want desperately to avoid a medical induction. Acupuncture is often mentioned as something that can help speed things along - and I've seen it to be quite effective (within 24 hours of treatment even!!!!).
Moxibustion for breech baby
In fact, acupuncture (well actually moxibustion) to turn a breech baby is quite successful! This is best done between weeks 32-37 when the baby is still small and mobile enough to move easily within the womb. One study in the UK found that women who did moxibustion were 2x more likely to turn their breech babies than those who did not do moxibustion.
Vitamin D: why it's essential for all of us especially during pregnancy
Today's post is relevant to all of us. I was just reminded by a patient of mine that she was looking for recommendations on vitamin D and that I haven't even blogged about this super trendy topic. It's especially relevant because vitamin D is essential for immunity - which I am doing my best to keep boosted during pregnancy.