Chinese medicine fertility treatments

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Worn out by Western fertility treatments, more women are turning to Traditional Chinese Medicine to help their chances at becoming pregnant.

Twelve years after my daughter’s birth I continue to marvel at our ability to conceive, nurture and deliver new life. It is undeniable – the sight of your newborn baby is an unforgettable and unfathomable thing.

I was 35 when I had my daughter, and one of the increasing number of Australians waiting longer to start a family. According to the National Perinatal Statistics Unit at the University of New South Wales (www.npsu.unsw.edu.au/Stats.htm), the average age of all mothers in 1993 was 28.2 years and first-time mothers 26.2 years. By 2003 the average age rose to 29.5 years and 27.6 years respectively. The reproductive age of women is considered to be between 15 and 44 years, but beyond 35 there is an increasing, though not inevitable, chance of incurring some difficulty associated with conception, viability and carrying a baby to full term. When required there are now many interventions that can assist us. Traditional Chinese Medicine is a less invasive option.

Eastern wisdom
Traditional Chinese Medicine practices – the use and application of Chinese herbs and acupuncture – are described in classical Chinese texts that date back to 200BC. Chinese medicine looks for and treats the causes of disease rather than symptoms alone; clients are viewed as whole body systems.

According to Traditional Chinese Medicine there are five organ systems within the body, and energy known as ‘qi’ (chi) that should flow unimpeded along invisible lines called ‘meridians’ in balance. When life exerts itself, as it will, this balance may be upset, resulting in emotional and/or physical disease. There are a number of therapeutic modalities that a Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner may choose to employ. These include: acupuncture, acupressure, moxibustion (a stick of smouldering mugwort herb is used to heat specific points along a meridian above the skin, to stimulate or sedate qi), herbal medicine, dietary advice, Chinese massage, and practices such as Tai Chi or Qi Gong (forms of movement meditation).

Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners assess your condition and state of balance using a series of diagnostics. There is usually an in-depth discussion that covers a wide area of one’s life, not focusing specifically on the symptoms of concern. Among other things, they will listen for the qualities in your voice to determine the state of your sprit or ‘shen’. A medical history is taken and a physical examination that includes looking at your skin, tongue, hair, the colour of your fingernails and even, discreetly the way you smell. Your pulses will be taken (there are six pulses on each wrist). When he or she determines where the imbalance lies they will then treat you using the appropriate therapy or combination of therapies.

Searching for help
Since the decision to start a family later in life raises the chance of complications, it also raises the level of concern we may have about whether we have left it too late, and whether we can trust our own or even our partner’s body. If we do conceive there comes a myriad of concerns about the wellbeing of the baby we may be carrying and the birth to come. Couples who struggle to conceive are prepared to and do put themselves through a great deal of discomfort, angst and disappointment. This painful experience can erode even the greatest self-esteem and challenges the most stable relationships. Repeated attempts to conceive that end in no pregnancy, miscarriage or forced terminations can cost those involved a great deal more than the financial expense.

Chinese medicine may provide the answers for some couples that have not had success through other means. In Sydney we are blessed to have several Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners who have made fertility their specialty. I spoke to Lily Liu, who has spent 18 years building her practice, and it is clear that fertility is indeed her passion.
“Both of my parents were Western medical doctors in China. My mother was a talented obstetrician and clinical pathologist. Her work always fascinated me – I wanted to be a gynaecologist,” explains Lily. “I was quite young when my mother became very ill.

Fifteen years of treatment with Western medicine did not help her, and this inspired me to study Traditional Chinese Medicine – to seek answers for her. Her courage and belief in me encouraged me to give her treatments. She was my first patient in six years of Chinese medicine study. Her recovery was miraculous and I continued my Chinese medicine studies in gynaecology and immune systems, determined to help more women.”

Since moving to Sydney in 1988, Lily has treated thousands of patients to recover their health. Most of her patients have given birth to healthy babies when it appeared unlikely that they ever would. Lily believes that determination, an open mind and patience are prerequisites for using Chinese medicine. “I feel enormous compassion for the women who seek my help; most of them come to me for fertility issues, are over 40 years old, and have been trying to conceive for a few years or have had recurrent miscarriages. Many of them have suffered through many invasive procedures and arrive in a state of depletion and desperation,” says Lily.

A standard session with Lily will involve her reviewing a woman’s medical history then examining her pulse, tongue and body condition. For each individual case, she determines a treatment plan and conducts ongoing hormone tests. Treatment will involve acupuncture, Chinese herbs and dietary advice. Lily also works with a range of GPs and gynaecologists, and treats women who are undergoing IVF treatment.

“I address the patient's menstrual issues, ovulation and implantation, and also their emotional condition,” she says. Once a patient becomes pregnant, Lily will continue anti-miscarriage treatments for the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, and resume treatment at about 36 weeks, to prepare her for the birth and post-partum period.

“Most women who come to me have had several attempts at IVF. They come feeling hopeless – my heart goes out to them,” says Lily. “My aim is to encourage them emotionally and give them the best Traditional Chinese Medicine fertility treatment.”

Words: Holly Davis. Photography: Scott Hawkins. Hair & make-up: Jay Jay Rauwenhoff.