Acupuncture and Egg Quality

If you are going through IVF, you probably have heard that acupuncture can help; but how does it help and when should you start?

Women are born with a set number of follicles, but that does not mean the quality of the eggs cannot be influenced. When doing egg retrievals, Quality Is Key!  Egg quality can respond to the environment, just like the rest of your body does.  The overall health of your body can influence the quality of your eggs.  So if you can improve their surroundings, then egg quality could change.  Consider this; better nutrients, better blood flow, and less stress could result in a better outcome. Acupuncture helps to increase energy and blood flow to the ovaries and uterus, creating a better environment for growth and development.

The ideal time to start Acupuncture treatments are about three months before egg retrieval. However, we realize that isn’t always possible and the reality is that starting acupuncture anytime throughout the IVF process can be beneficial. An egg's journey to maturity typically takes about 90 days or 3 months, hence why we suggest starting treatment before egg retrieval.

Start these 5 Lifestyle changes now to improve egg quality

1. Reduce stress

2. Better quality of sleep

3. Stop caffeine and alcohol

4. Minimize dairy and sugar

5. Switch to organic

Therapeutic Congee

Give your breakfast routine, and your body, a little oomph with a spoonful of congee. Congee is a traditional Chinese food to help your body tame heat-related symptoms from colds, flus, and inflammatory conditions.

Scoop up some porridge made from rice and add in other ingredients to support your body’s efforts to cool and nourish. Congee is rice cooked lowly and slowly in a lot of water to porridge consistency. This soup-like porridge is easily digested and builds blood energy, supplying your body with power it needs to tame heat symptoms like fever and inflammation.

With its cooling and demulcent (relieving inflammation or irritation) properties, Congee is beneficial during sickness but also popular as a nourishing breakfast choice for those needing spleen and digestive support.

Congee in a crock pot is an easy way to cook up some of this wholesome goodness and you can throw in other ingredients to add a dash of flavor or to further supplement vitamins and minerals your body needs to feel relief. 

Basic slow cooker recipe:

• 1 cup rinsed rice

• 6 cups liquid, like water, dairy milk, almond milk, or coconut milk

Place the rice and liquid in the slow cooker and cook on low for 8 hours. The amount of liquid you use, determines the thickness of the porridge. For a sweeter congee, add fruits or dried berries and spices like vanilla or cinnamon. 

Dr. Stueber’s favorite toppings are goji berries with walnuts and a little honey.

~ Julie Taylor