Perth Acupuncture for Fertility & IVF Support Clinic

Nat Bataglia from Mindful Mocktails joined Libbi Gorr to share her alcohol-free recipes for mulled wine and Christmas punch.

https://www.abc.net.au/radio/melbourne/programs/thisweekendlife/mocktails-christmas/13683178

Spritz up Christmas with these festive mocktails It's important to cater to everyone this holiday seasons, so why should drinkers get all the fun?

A new mother wants medical staff to be better educated about First Nations culture after her placenta was discarded following the birth of her daughter.

"In Aboriginal culture, we do a ceremony of burying the placenta," Ms Seale said.

"It's very significant and connects us to our ancestors and our country."

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-11-14/first-nations-birth-support/100609376

Jami Seale wanted to keep her placenta but a nurse threw it in bin A new mother wants medical staff to be better educated about First Nations culture after her placenta was discarded following the birth of her daughter.

Red Nose CEO Keren Ludski said it can often be a challenge to know the right thing to say about the loss of a baby.

What do you wish people had said/done?

It's common, and yet barely spoken about. So we asked you: what do you wish people had said or done to help you feel supported after pregnancy loss?

She said the simplest answer, was to acknowledge the loss, "we're thinking about you and your pregnancy", "I know Christmas can be a tricky time, is there anything you want us to do differently?"

Ms Tharenou said it helped to talk openly with family at Christmas.

"My partner's family were really supportive and helpful because I told them, and then they all came out of the woodwork," she said.

"All the ladies said, 'yeah I had two of those, I had four', and it was just like 'oh my God, you've all been through this'.

"It certainly made me feel less alone to know how prevalent it was, but I guess there is still such a stigma about talking about it."

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-12-06/qld-christmas-miscarriage-baby-pregnancy-loss/100638782

Clare spent last Christmas Eve in hospital after losing her baby. This is what helped her through Christmas is a time of celebration and family togetherness, but for some it can be a reminder of the loss of a baby through miscarriage and heighten feelings of grief and sadness.

https://www.acupuncture.org.au/acupuncture-chinese-medicine/acupuncture

Acupuncture Acupuncture treatment involves the insertion of fine, sterile, single use, disposable needles into specific sites (acupuncture points) along the body’s energy pathways (meridians) to clear energy blockages and encourage the normal flow of energy, or Qi, through the body.

https://youtu.be/pvzgDkoxuEs

How acupuncture helps infertility? Patients Friendly Research Summary A 4-minutes-long patient friendly video that summarises the research on how acupuncture enhances natural fertility. Compiled by Irina Szmelskyj, https://true...

How does acupuncture work?
What are Chinese herbs and are they safe?
Who is acupuncture for?
When should I start acupuncture for my ART (IVF) treatment?

https://www.myivfanswers.com/video/acupuncture-chinese-medicine-ivf-covid19/

Acupuncture and Chinese medicine during IVF treatment Find out how acupuncture can be used to support your fertility treatment and how it can help during COVID-19 uncertainty - Laura Bicker explains

"Endocrine disruptors are useful chemicals for our daily life, Professor Swan says, but they can also be harmful.

Some endocrine disruptors make plastics soft and flexible (they're known as phthalates); while others make plastics hard and rigid (they're known as bisphenols - you've probably heard of one type, known as BPA).

Others are found in stuff like pesticides and flame retardants; or in things like skincare products or perfumes."

https://www.abc.net.au/triplej/programs/hack/s***mageddon/13234396

"S***mageddon": How items you use every day are contributing to a decline in fertility "They're silent, they're invisible...they're very hard to avoid, and that's the scary thing."

"Both men and women's fertility is a game of numbers, but age is not the only factor delaying parenthood.

We speak to a 42-year-old woman, who is pregnant with her second child, and a fertility expert who says policy needs to change to accommodate working mothers."

https://www.abc.net.au/radionational/programs/lifematters/does-the-so-called-fertility-cliff-exist/13330620

Does the so-called fertility cliff exist? Both men and women's fertility is a game of numbers, but age is not the only factor delaying parenthood.

Watch Genea Medical Director Associate Professor Mark Bowman on 9 News tonight as he explains that women who are trying to get pregnant do not need to delay getting the COVID-19 vaccine and nor do they need to delay getting pregnant after having the vaccination.

“Real-world evidence has shown that the Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are safe for pregnant women. Women and men should not be concerned that any of the vaccinations offered in Australia will impact their fertility. There is absolutely no evidence that Pfizer, Moderna or AstraZeneca will impact the health and number of eggs a woman has, nor her ability to carry a child.”

Tune into 9 News tonight.

We have some more exciting research to share with you all today,

Pilot Study: Acupuncture as pain relief for EndoWarriors

A recent pilot study with researchers from Western Sydney University and the UNSW, lead by Dr Mike Armour and Prof Jason Abbott found that adding , given twice a week for eight weeks showed promise in reducing severity and improving quality of life in people with when compared with standard care alone. This was a small trial designed to explore if acupuncture given on a regular basis using a simple set of acupuncture points was a safe and acceptable treatment for people with endometriosis. Only those in the acupuncture group showed improvements in both their pain scores during the period and also during the rest of the month. Similar results in the quality of life scores, with clinically relevant improvements in quality of life occurring in the acupuncture group only. Because of the design and size of the trial we cannot say acupuncture ‘works’ for endometriosis, but this is an important first step, with a large randomised controlled trial needed to confirm these early findings.

Link to study: https://doi.org/10.1089/acm.2021.0004
Let us know what you think.

"The preconception period is of particular importance for several reasons:

Most women do not begin to receive prenatal care until part way through or near the end of their first trimester. At this point, much of the critical development has already occurred as the fetus has formed the beginnings of all of its major organs. The first trimester, therefore, represents a most crucial time of exposure avoidance and adequate nutrition.

Given that some women feel fatigued or less than optimal during the first trimester of pregnancy, it is a challenging time to start suggesting that they make significant lifestyle changes. If they are apprised of necessary information prior to pregnancy, their ability to plan and prepare is greatly increased.

Certain interventions are not advisable during pregnancy (i.e., specific immunizations, detoxification); and appropriate interventions performed prior to conception can optimize outcomes.

Certain medical conditions and pharmaceutical use are best addressed ahead of conception (i.e., diabetes control, antidepressant medication [318]) and may require significant amounts of time to effectively address (i.e., smoking cessation, alcohol/drug use)."

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4903143/

Preconception Care: A New Standard of Care within Maternal Health Services Emerging research suggests that much pediatric affliction has origins in the vulnerable phase of fetal development. Prenatal factors including deficiency of various nutrients and exposure to assorted toxicants are major etiological determinants of myriad ...

"The prevalence of low semen quality and the incidence of testicular cancer have been steadily increasing over the past decades in different parts of the World.

Although these conditions may have a genetic or epigenetic origin, there is growing evidence that multiple environmental and lifestyle factors can act alone or in combination to induce adverse effects.

Exposure to these factors may occur as early as during fetal life, via the mother, and directly throughout adulthood after full s***matogenic capacity is reached.

This review aims at providing an overview of past and current trends in semen quality and its relevance to fertility as well as a barometer of men’s general health.

The focus will be on recent epidemiological studies of young men from the general population highlighting geographic variations in Europe.

The impact of some lifestyle and environmental factors will be discussed with their role in both fetal life and adulthood.

These factors include smoking, alcohol consumption, psychological stress, exposure to electromagnetic radiation, and Endocrine Disrupting Chemicals (EDCs).

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7559360/

Exercise of both parents during preconception care has potential to benefit future metabolic health of child potentially through to adulthood.

"Here we review the benefits of maternal and paternal exercise to combat the development of metabolic dysfunction in adult offspring, focusing on offspring glucose homeostasis and adaptations to metabolic tissues.

We discuss recent findings on the roles of the placenta and s***m in mediating the effects of parental exercise on offspring metabolic health and discuss mechanisms hypothesized to underlie these beneficial changes."

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7643050/

www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov

Role of alcohol in men during preconception care

"Using an established mouse model of chronic exposure, previous work by our group has linked preconception paternal alcohol use to s*x-specific patterns of fetal growth restriction and placental dysfunction.

Our studies implicate paternal exposure history as an additional and important modifier of alcohol-induced growth phenotypes and challenge the current maternal-centric exposure paradigm."

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6341619/

***macupuncture ***malcohol ***mexercise ***mmotility ***mcount ***mherbs

Preconception paternal alcohol exposure exerts s*x-specific effects on offspring growth and long-term metabolic programming Although clinical data support an association between paternal alcohol use and deficits in child neurocognitive development, the relationship between paternal drinking and alcohol-induced growth phenotypes remains challenging to define. Using an established ...

What is Jing?

"Reproductive capacity and s*xual function: Jing governs all aspects of s*xual function and reproductive capacity (including puberty, fertility and women’s transition into menopause)"

From the perspective of TCM, conserving your Jing for as long as possible will enable you to enjoy good health in your old age.

Your focus should be on leading a healthy, balanced lifestyle that incorporates habits that support your Jing and minimises those that deplete it.

Here’s a quick summary to get you started:

Eat a nutritious, balanced diet. Remember, you top up your Jing with nutritive substances from the food and drink you consume
Get plenty of fresh air for the same reason
Exercise regularly – because if your body isn’t active, your Jing won’t be either. Forms of exercise considered especially beneficial for the preservation of Jing include tai chi and qigong
Maintain a healthy balance between work and rest. Being overworked, overly busy or stressed is considered highly detrimental to Jing in TCM
Be mindful of your s*xual activity too. While s*x is considered healthy and enjoyable in TCM, some of your Jing is transferred to your s*xual partner during in*******se via the body fluids, so it may become depleted if you’re highly s*xually active

https://www.fusionhealth.com.au/blogs/fusionhealth-healthhub-blog-what-jing.html?lang=en_AU

What is Jing? Blogs

Winter is THE season to nourish TCM Kidney energy

https://www.fusionhealth.com.au/blogs/fusionhealth-healthhub-blog-kidney-nourishing-foods.html?lang=en_AU

Kidney-nourishing foods Blogs

Despite being common, adenomyosis is not as widely known as its relative endometriosis, says Dr Eisen Liang, a Sydney-based interventional radiologist who largely treats menstrual issues.

"It has been neglected," he says.

In terms of awareness of the condition "adenomyosis is like endometriosis 10-15 years ago".

https://www.abc.net.au/everyday/adenomyosis-painful-heavy-periods/100262018

I thought my heavy, painful periods meant endo. Then I got another diagnosis - ABC Everyday One in five women have this condition causing painful and heavy periods. Few have heard of it.

We will be closed - Tuesday 29th June - Friday 2nd July
As Perth enters a 4️ day lockdown.

This unfortunately means that until restrictions lift we will be closed for in person appointments.

💙 If you had a confirmed in person appointment, please be patient with us, we will be in contact to arrange another time or offer a tele-health appointment.

💙 Stay safe everyone, we have done this before and can do it again!

💙 We look forward to welcoming you back once restrictions are lifted.

"There will be things that happen in this life that will make you feel like you can't go on. But you must." said Bear.
"How?" asked Rabbit.
"You'll know." said Bear. "There is a resilience in each of us that remains hidden until we need it."
"Like a kind of magic?" asked Rabbit.
"Exactly." said Bear. "Like a kind of magic."

©Tara Shannon, 2020

Research has not shown a clear relationship between abnormal s***m shape and to***co, alcohol, or caffeine use, though some studies suggest that smoking can impair fertility.

While you are trying for a pregnancy, you should not use to***co or recreational drugs and you should limit your consumption of alcohol. These substances may hurt s***m DNA (material that carries your genes) quality.

Studies have not shown a clear connection between caffeine consumption and changes in s***m shape.

Remember that it may take up to 3 months for any changes to your s***m to become noticeable.

https://www.reproductivefacts.org/news-and-publications/patient-fact-sheets-and-booklets/documents/fact-sheets-and-info-booklets/s***m-morphology-shape-does-it-affect-fertility/

S***m Morphology (Shape): Does It Affect Fertility? The most common test of a man’s fertility is a semen analysis. This measures many features of the s***m and semen (the fluid in which the s***m are contained). The most important of these are the number of s***m (s***m count), motility of the s***m (percentage of moving s***m), morphology of the s...

In men, heavy drinking affects fertility by:

# lowering testosterone levels, follicle stimulating hormone, and luteinizing hormone, and raising estrogen levels, which reduce s***m production
# shrinking the te**es, which can cause impotence or infertility
changing gonadotropin release which impacts s***m production
causing early ej*******on or decreased ej*******on
# changing the shape, size, and movement of healthy s***m.

Combining drugs like ma*****na or opioids with alcohol also lowers fertility. In addition, liver disease caused by excessive drinking can change s***m quality.

https://www.healthline.com/health/does-alcohol-kill-s***m-2

Does Alcohol Kill S***m? Learn How It Affects S***m and Your Fertility Alcohol, even in moderate amounts, can affect your s*xual health. It can lead to loss of libido and infertility in both men and women. Learn more about how alcohol affects s***m count, shape, size, and motility. Also, learn tips for boosting male fertility.

Brisbane obstetrician and University of Queensland Associate Professor Gino Pecoraro recalled one couple who had an anxious pregnancy after what turned out to be a false positive from a genetic test.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-02-16/prenatal-genetic-testing-for-expectant-parents-research-concern/13156408

'Unnecessary burden of anxiety': Research raises concerns about some prenatal genetic testing for expectant parents Prenatal testing for some rare genetic conditions raises ethical issues and unnecessary anxiety for expectant parents, some medical experts say, with some women being offered additional testing known as "extended panels" by their GPs for other rare conditions.

Hello there!

We're back from a fab break and looking forward to seeing you in clinic in 2021 year of the Metal Ox.

The butterfly. Such a magnificent metaphor✨

“Just when the caterpillar thought the world was over ... it became a butterfly.”

Butterflies are one of our Earth’s most beautiful and magical creatures. They flutter about like free spirits, but only after having gone through a long metamorphic process of growth and change.

Spiritual transformation, like the physical metamorphosis of the butterfly, is a very difficult and often painful process. However, transformation requires growth and change, and so for our growth, we must embrace our growing pains.

Many of us fear change. Change can feel uncertain and scary because the outcome is usually unknown, but it’s only by stepping into this darkness, like a caterpillar inside the cocoon, that we can truly grow, transform, change, and emerge to fly into the light.

Drop a 🦋 if you are ready to transform.
Transform into the best version of you ever.

May 2021 be YOUR year✨

Artist: Ximena Vasquez

by Victoria Erickson

(instagram: Victoriaericksonwriter)

Unexplained infertility affects about one third of IVF couples, who are unable to fall pregnant despite there being no problems with ovulation, tubes, or s***m.

'Never give up hope': Natural pregnancy with spontaneous conception after IVF 'not uncommon', experts say Gold Coast mum Jessica Ng Wun is part of a local IVF community having unexpected, spontaneous pregnancies after multiple rounds of IVF and fertility treatments.