Planning for in vitro fertilisation (IVF) or intrauterine insemination (IUI) in Singapore? Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) offers natural fertility treatment options to support your reproductive journey. TCM is increasingly used as a complementary therapy to IVF and IUI, improving egg and sperm quality, uterine health, and emotional well-being.
TCM takes a holistic approach to supporting your fertility. Your TCM physician will need to know your menstrual cycle, lifestyle habits, and other relevant information to create a personalised treatment plan to support your IVF and IUI journey.
How TCM Supports IVF
IVF is a procedure where healthy eggs are carefully collected, frozen, and stored. Selected eggs will be fertilised with sperm in a lab to create embryos. An embryo is then selected and implanted into the uterus to improve the odds of a successful pregnancy. Your IVF protocol can take place alongside your TCM sessions. Many individuals seek TCM for IVF support in Singapore, particularly acupuncture and herbal treatments customised for each stage of therapy, for assistance during IVF.
Optimising Uterine Health
TCM focuses on promoting blood and Qi circulation, ensuring that your reproductive system receives sufficient blood flow to nourish the ovaries and uterus and promote a healthy and conducive environment for successful embryo implantation.
Egg Quality
Improved blood and Qi circulation also helps support the quality of eggs produced, ensuring that the embryo can implant itself into the uterus, which may lead to a successful pregnancy. TCM treatments may help stimulate reproductive functions, reduce inflammation, and promote unobstructed blood flow to achieve this goal.
Manage Side Effects
IVF treatments can cause side effects like bloating and hot flashes. TCM may help to alleviate these side effects and ensure your well-being.
Manage Stress
Stress can influence your hormone levels and could adversely impact your IVF treatment, and acupuncture may manage stress levels and keep you calm before, during, and after treatment.
How TCM Supports IUI
An IUI is an ART that helps treat infertility by carefully inserting sperm directly into the uterus, typically timed to your menstrual cycle when the ovary releases one or more eggs. This procedure may be helpful to support your conception during your treatments while also receiving complementary TCM treatments.
Overcomes Infertility
While IUI can help couples with infertility, TCM can provide the body with nourishment by removing blockages to blood and Qi circulation. It may also help support your reproductive well-being to improve the odds of a successful implantation.
Support Ovarian Health
According to TCM’s principles, improving your blood and Qi circulation may support your ovarian health, ensuring you can provide healthy eggs that the sperm can fertilise.
Improve Sperm Quality
TCM may recommend Chinese herbs for fertility support to help improve sperm quality, ensuring normal sperm counts and motility, which improves the odds of a successful pregnancy.
Promote Relaxation
TCM may keep you calm and relaxed, ensuring that stress does not influence your IUI treatment.
TCM Fertility Treatments to Support IVF and IUI
You should start TCM fertility treatments at least three months before your IVF or IUI appointment to help prepare your body well in advance before undergoing your chosen ART. Sessions will be planned to align with your ART procedures to maintain your well-being.
Acupuncture
Acupuncture involves carefully placing tiny, sterile needles at specific acupoints to help stimulate the flow of blood and Qi throughout the body. It is also believed to help stimulate the body’s internal healing abilities, promoting overall well-being, especially in addressing internal blockages that disrupt bodily functions. Acupuncture restores this balance to ensure your reproductive functions can proceed smoothly while reducing hormonal fluctuations that could affect your chances of pregnancy.
Weekly acupuncture sessions will help to support your ongoing ARTs and prepare you for the rigours of the treatments. These can continue during your treatment to reduce the severity of side effects and maintain your reproductive health. Follow-up treatments after the ART concludes can then support your health well into pregnancy and even childbirth.
Herbal Medication
Herbal remedies are commonly paired with your acupuncture sessions to support your fertility and maintain reproductive wellness. Traditional herbs are known to help with detoxifying your body and tonifying it to promote your reproductive health and minimise side effects from IVF or IUI. Both you and your partner will be prescribed herbal medications to promote your overall well-being, to ensure that high-quality eggs and sperm can be collected for use in the ART procedures. Some herbal medications can also help you de-stress and relax, ensuring that these factors do not complicate your ART procedures.
Moxibustion
This treatment involves burning mugwort leaves close to the body. It is commonly prescribed alongside acupuncture sessions to help promote your reproductive health and may help with regulating menstrual cycles and alleviating IVF or IUI side effects. Mugwort’s warming properties are said to help support fertility by dispelling internal dampness, warming the uterus to prevent cold uterus syndrome, and improving blood circulation to overcome blood stagnation.
Moxibustion is typically performed indirectly, where the burning leaves are carefully positioned close to your skin without harming you. The proximity ensures that the burning mugwort can radiate its warmth into the body to where it is needed.
Support Your Fertility Journey with 1TCM
Interested in learning how TCM can support your IVF and IUI treatments? Contact 1TCM at your earliest convenience, and our TCM physicians will be happy to answer your questions.
