Fertility, Chinese Medicine
Julie Eckert
Enhancing Implantation with Chinese Medicine

For a pregnancy to occur, an embryo must burrow into a woman’s healthy, receptive uterine lining and connect to the blood supply. Her immune system must allow this invasion, and the blood flow to the developing fetus must flow well enough to sustain its development.

Enhancing Implantation with Chinese Medicine
Pain Management, Chinese Medicine
Julie Eckert
Managing PMS with TCM

While awareness of PMS (Premenstrual Syndrome) is widespread, most do not fully understand the condition. The undesirable physical and psychological symptoms that women of reproductive age may experience during their luteal phase, around ten to fourteen days before their period, are attributed to PMS.

Managing PMS with TCM
Fertility, Research
Julie Eckert
PGS Testing in a Nutshell

Patients undergoing a cycle of In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) have the option of screening embryos using a process called Preimplantation Genetic Screening. PGS testing involves analyzing the number of chromosomes in a few cells of an embryo to determine if it contains the correct number of chromosomes (normal or “euploid”) or the wrong number (abnormal or “aneuploid”).

PGS Testing in a Nutshell
Fertility
Julie Eckert
The Basics of Egg Freezing

On average, women in developed countries are delaying childbearing until later in life. Many modern women are waiting until their 30s and early 40s to start a family in order to focus on their careers, gain financial stability and find the right partner.

The Basics of Egg Freezing
Support, Fertility
Julie Eckert
How to Talk to Someone Struggling with ...

Struggling to conceive can sometimes be the toughest challenge a couple goes through. Having the right support from friends and family can make a difference in quality of life during the journey. The following blog was written by Mary for the national blog MindBodyGreen.

How to Talk to Someone Struggling with Infertility

Support

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Why Working with an Acupuncturist Creates Better Live Birth Rates in an IVF

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Why Working with an Acupuncturist Creates Better Live Birth Rates in an IVF

Many studies demonstrate that acupuncture helps improve outcomes when performed during IVF retrieval cycles and embryo transfer cycles. It also helps manage the intense stress and anxiety that can go along with struggling to conceive. The potent combination of IVF treatments, which increase the odds of creating and transferring chromosomally healthy embryos and using acupuncture to support each stage, improves pregnancy rates. But as demonstrated in Dr. Hullender Rubin’s study, working with an acupuncturist in the months leading up to and including IVF retrieval and embryo transfer cycles helps those pregnancies turn into healthy babies and mothers. For patients who need more in-depth nutrition/meal planning, bodywork, and talk therapy to manage their journey, Lily + Horn also has an in-house fertility-focused nutritionist, massage therapist, and talk therapists.


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The Best Tips for Supporting an Embryo Transfer

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The Best Tips for Supporting an Embryo Transfer

While an embryo transfer is a less intense procedure on our bodies compared to an egg retrieval, the stress is often much higher with transfers. So much energy, time and resources went into making an embryo, so it’s normal to feel some anxiety and to want to do everything possible to increase your chances of it working. There is a lot of information out there regarding advice for transfers, but not all of it is helpful. We want you to have the most accurate and effective tools to support your transfer cycles, so we put together our best tips based on current research studies and our 15 years of integrative experience supporting women through these cycles.

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Navigating the Holidays when Struggling to Conceive

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Navigating the Holidays when Struggling to Conceive

We know the holidays are typically sources of joy and gathering with loved ones. But when in the midst of a fertility struggle, these same gatherings and special days can be triggering and filled with anxiety and grief too. We joined together with our colleagues from The Calla Collective to give you some tips to make this time of year easier. Read on to learn diet tips, managing holiday stress and anxiety, and ways to use this time to prepare for getting pregnant in the new year.

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IVF & Egg Retrieval Side Effects…What to Expect and How to Manage them Naturally

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IVF & Egg Retrieval Side Effects…What to Expect and How to Manage them Naturally

Patients are often hesitant to start an IVF cycle because they are afraid of potential nasty side effects and not being able to cope with all the hormonal changes, injections, and symptoms that come along with it. We are here to tell you that for the most part, our patients are pleasantly surprised that it’s not as bad as they expected! There are some common side effects you can expect, but they are generally mild and we’ve got some tips for managing them naturally!

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Tips for Managing Anxiety and Processing Emotions while Trying to Conceive

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Tips for Managing Anxiety and Processing Emotions while Trying to Conceive

Validating and processing emotions is far more important for optimizing fertility than faking positivity. Many of our patients feel guilt or shame for having negative emotions like fear and anxiety while trying to get pregnant or during an IVF cycle.

Struggling to conceive is hard on any person who experiences it and no matter how hard you, your doctor or any support person tries, we can’t control or force a pregnancy to happen exactly when or how we want it to. This is what makes infertility so tough, and it can create frustration, fear, anger, resentment, jealousy, shame, or despair. These emotions are normal! But they don’t feel very good, so we like to help our patients navigate THROUGH them, rather than resist or suppress them.

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Endometriosis…the Hidden Cause of Many “Unexplained Infertility” Cases. How an Acupuncturist Can Help

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Endometriosis…the Hidden Cause of Many “Unexplained Infertility” Cases. How an Acupuncturist Can Help

Johns Hopkins Medicine estimates anywhere from 24-50% of infertility cases might be due to underlying endometriosis. Luckily, there are things you can do with or without a diagnosis if you suspect you might have it contributing to your fertility struggles. Here are some tips from a fertility acupuncturist and herbalist to help you navigate trying to conceive with this condition in the mix.

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5 Tips for a Peaceful and Productive Egg Retrieval

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5 Tips for a Peaceful and Productive Egg Retrieval

You have prepared for months, done your injections, acupuncture and are filled with anticipation, angst, and probably some fear as retrieval day approaches. To minimize some of the negative thoughts running through your hormone-infused head, we have some suggestions (and reassurance). Read our 5 tips for a peaceful and productive IVF egg retrieval from our integrative fertility doctors.

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This Ancient Philosophy on Miscarriage Makes So Much Sense

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This Ancient Philosophy on Miscarriage Makes So Much Sense

According to the American Pregnancy Association, around 25 percent of pregnancies result in a miscarriage. With this high rate—one in four—one would suspect women are miscarrying everywhere, and it would be more normalized, but most couples suffer in silence, and it is not uncommon for women to feel shame on top of the grief that goes along with it.


Testimonials

“Mary Sabo is my miracle worker! It’s really incredible to think that I get to see my eastern doctor every week and have her really listen and do things that help. She is so warm and I feel like because of her, I can achieve my goals. I am not sure if this is the case for others, but my cycles have since gone from 60+ days to 35 days the first month, 30 the second and we’re on track for a 28 day cycle!!”

— T.S

I adore Mary. I have been seeing her for 4 years through a tough miscarriage, a roller coaster pregnancy, and every issue and ailment (fertility and other) along the way. She is so knowledgeable in both eastern and western medicine. I always leave her office feeling amazing, both physically and emotionally. She is kind, caring, patient, and seems to know everything about everything. Her skill in acupuncture is unparalleled - this is evident not only through my own experience, but also the doctors who work with her, the panels she's so often asked to speak on, and the incredibly successful business she so quickly grew. My visits with Mary are the highlight of my week. I cannot recommend her enough.

— M.J.

“Jessica immediately made me feel seen, respected, heard and cared for through active listening, asking varied questions, getting my pronouns correct immediately after my first request, sending email follow-ups to keep the healing going, and her clearly in-depth understanding of Traditional Chinese Medicine. As someone with chronic mental and physical pain who has dealt with my fair share sub-par bedside manner, I’m incredibly grateful to have Jessica on my team.”

— Ray