Trying to get Pregnant Without Fertility Drugs

By Miki Shima, o.m.d.

Q: I’ve been trying to conceive for one year, so far unsuccessfully, and I’d like to avoid the hassle and expense of conventional fertility treatments. How effective is Chinese medicine alone in helping women get pregnant?

A: That depends on several factors. Your first step should be to see your gynecologist for a few exams. She can check for any physical obstructions that might be preventing pregnancy, such as a blockage in your fallopian tubes, and assess your levels of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), which affects ovulation, to make sure you haven’t entered early menopause. If your FSH levels are above 10, your chances of getting pregnant without any kind of conventional fertility treatment are very small; if you have high FSH levels and an obstruction, your chances are essentially zero.

However, if your FSH levels are 9 or below, and there are no physical obstructions, traditional Chinese medicine alone can substantially improve your odds. For instance, if you are between the ages of 35 and 40 and your FSH is around 9, you have about a 4 percent chance of getting pregnant without any treatment whatsoever; with acupuncture and Chinese herbs, I’ve found that the probability rises to about 25 percent.

If you do need to see an infertility doctor, Chinese medicine can still help. Many of my patients are women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF) or egg donation, and I’ve found that adding acupuncture, supplements, and herbs to the mix can raise their success rate by about 15 to 25 percent. One recent study from Germany reported that women who received a regular course of acupuncture immediately before and after in vitro fertilization were 58 percent more likely to get pregnant than those who underwent IVF alone.

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