Chinese Accupuncture

[Briss]

Looking at the list of the ingredients in her vitamins for men, https://www.zhaihealthcare.co.uk/men/2 does not look that impressive for 40 pounds I can buy Goji berry and Ginseng much cheaper (actually made my hubby eat almost 1 kg of Goji berries recently and he quite liked it). Although I may buy her book.

Also, I am trying to make tomato soup very often to my DH – there is something in cooked tomatoes that make his numbers improve (hopefully)

Blythe, I also do not like taking anything in TWW but sometimes there is just no other way. is your back getting better?

My Dh is not very enthusiastic about dr zhai, called her a fortune teller

 

[Blythe]

Agree fantastically overpriced. I. Was looking at ZW supplements in my local whole foods store and worked out I'm better off on pregnacare and my other bits. Still the container was very nice!

I was in work today and went to my old Chinese doc near charing cross and had a medical massage (their words not mine) and I could stand straight afterwards but by 2pm I was bent over again in pain.... I think it's a trapped nerve in lower back. I might go to an osteopath.

 

[Briss]

trapped nerve can be really painful, that's what I got after lap. I went to physiotherapist and he was trying to release it, took a while. I could not turn my head to the right, was really uncomfortable. I hope your osteopath can fix it.

I did J Fonda today and last night on CD5 and 6 hoping to "help" my AF along but could not manage more than 20 min, got so tired. Hopefully that was enough. I will try to continue with aerobics until O and then move to yoga.

My Dh decided to eat some weird protein powder made from hemp to keep his weight off, I checked with my sperm guru and apparently it's not harmful but I started adding some spirulina and maca to the mix really hoping we could make it a daily thing. He's also been taking (forced to take more like it) chinese herbs. it'd actually be interesting to know what dr zhai thinks of these herbs.

 

[Briss]

My lap and dye was not painful (under general anaesthetic) but when I woke up it was rather unpleasant and I felt dizzy whole day, then got some back/shoulder pain which I thought was usual but apparently I was placed on the table in some sort of weird position and my neck nerve got twisted hence the pain. I had to do physiotherapy for about couple of weeks. I also got UTI (was painful to pee but again I thought it was normal after surgery but apparently not) and had to take antibiotics. I did not do anything to clean out my bowels cos it's a very minor surgery. I had a tumour removed from my abdomen years ago – 3 hour lap! – for that they made me drink smth disgusting that was supposed to clear my bowels the night before op, but not for this one. I had mine on CD5 but they also insisted no sex at all this cycle otherwise they were going to cancel the surgery. I was still on my period so woke up wearing "stylish" hospital pants with a pad

actually for you it might be better to BD in rear position

Thanks for the info I am glad about the not poo thing. So did they clean anything up for you at your lap? ...That really sucks about your neck and the UTI so scary. I hate catheters yuck feels awful. I wonder why you go the uti it must be related. Last time i had one it was a female dr so i didn't feel weird about waking up in a pad (they lazered a couple cysts so they drain). I love my new dr but when i do get pg i may go back to a women just not as weird for some reason. Wow they were strick about the bd.

sorry, I did not mean to scare you, most people get really good results with lap, I was just unlucky. they did not do anything in the end. My tubes were open and there was no polyp (that was one of the things they suspected), and the cyst was too small to be removed. Just before the operation they asked me to sign a consent form that said there is a small chance they are unable to remove the cyst without damaging or removing my ovary but I refused to sign it. I told them if they cant remove the cyst without damaging my ovary, to leave my ovary as is. the cyst did not prevent my ovary from ovulating so I did not see any reason to be taking this risk. I was quite shock when the lady said not to worry I will still have one ovary left!!!??? I had to make myself very clear on this and they changed the form. maybe they got scared of me and decided not to mess with my cyst last time I checked it was still there

 

[shiseru]

Hi ladies, can i join? I just started acupuncture yesterday, felt good and will be doing this 2x per week (that's what I was told by the sinseh) DH and I are on TCM for months. I conceived my first with help of TCM and I believed Yoga as well after 2 tragic losses.

My hsg and ultrasound cleared, progesterone good but my amh is very low only 0.2. I kinda expected that already since my ovulation is getting more early CD10-11, rather than the usual day 14. I think the quality is starting to decline. Am planning to try IUI or IVF in 2 months time. So acupuncture is to prepare for that.

My husband and I are taking the multi-vits and COQ10 150mg as well, i heard it improve sperm count as well as egg quality. I am doing currently doing aerobics as well as yoga.

I am turning 39 in 3 months time.

 

[notrustyyet]

Looking at the list of the ingredients in her vitamins for men, https://www.zhaihealthcare.co.uk/men/2 does not look that impressive for 40 pounds I can buy Goji berry and Ginseng much cheaper (actually made my hubby eat almost 1 kg of Goji berries recently and he quite liked it). Although I may buy her book.

Also, I am trying to make tomato soup very often to my DH – there is something in cooked tomatoes that make his numbers improve (hopefully)

Blythe, I also do not like taking anything in TWW but sometimes there is just no other way. is your back getting better?

My Dh is not very enthusiastic about dr zhai, called her a fortune teller

My DH and I ate lots of Gogi berries every day, couple handfulls at least, DH esp liked too, and I think really helped out his swimmers. A tip, I got them at a local Korean market where they are instead called "dried Lycium Barbarum L and an 8 oz bag was only US $6, like 2 big bags of chips or something...The exact SAME berries called "Gogi Berries" were like $25 at Whole foods! The ones from Korean market were a lot fresher too!

 

[Blythe]

trapped nerve can be really painful, that's what I got after lap. I went to physiotherapist and he was trying to release it, took a while. I could not turn my head to the right, was really uncomfortable. I hope your osteopath can fix it.

I did J Fonda today and last night on CD5 and 6 hoping to "help" my AF along but could not manage more than 20 min, got so tired. Hopefully that was enough. I will try to continue with aerobics until O and then move to yoga.

My Dh decided to eat some weird protein powder made from hemp to keep his weight off, I checked with my sperm guru and apparently it's not harmful but I started adding some spirulina and maca to the mix really hoping we could make it a daily thing. He's also been taking (forced to take more like it) chinese herbs. it'd actually be interesting to know what dr zhai thinks of these herbs.

It would be good to get the spirulina and maca in his new drink.... I used to have maca everyday but its got a horrid taste. I have daily wheatgrass shot and I don't mind the taste at all. DH is on the maca and its sort of made me love him a bit more as its really grim stuff (he only takes a teaspoon but its something). He is also taking 4 x 500mg of l-arginine every day which also impresses me! However your DH downing a bag of gogi berries tops it on terms of impressiveness! I have some at work but sometimes they make me feel sick.

There is an amazon deal today for appt a with a chiropractor so I'm going to try it. I'm off to hospital today for fertility appt so hope to get referral for hsg and new bloods

 

[Blythe]

Hi ladies, can i join? I just started acupuncture yesterday, felt good and will be doing this 2x per week (that's what I was told by the sinseh) DH and I are on TCM for months. I conceived my first with help of TCM and I believed Yoga as well after 2 tragic losses.

My hsg and ultrasound cleared, progesterone good but my amh is very low only 0.2. I kinda expected that already since my ovulation is getting more early CD10-11, rather than the usual day 14. I think the quality is starting to decline. Am planning to try IUI or IVF in 2 months time. So acupuncture is to prepare for that.

My husband and I are taking the multi-vits and COQ10 150mg as well, i heard it improve sperm count as well as egg quality. I am doing currently doing aerobics as well as yoga.

I am turning 39 in 3 months time.

Hi shiseru I have seen your posts elsewhere. That's great you can do acu 2 x per week...I hope it helps you....so many women have successfully used it to prepare their bodies for IVF. I have started doing yoga recently (although my back is out at the moment so no exercise at all for me ) and I really think its going to help me get pregnant. I have been going to fertility yoga classes and checking out stuff on you tube including kundalini yoga which briss brought to my attention.

Ate you having a natural round of IVF or one with drugs?

 

[Blythe]

Ps shiseru I'm so sorry for your losses

 

[Briss]

shiseru, welcome! it's inspiring that TCM helped you conceive the first time. Can I ask if you had different points needled depending on where you were in your cycle? also, did your herb mix changed as well? I also ovulate early CD11, last year it was more like CD12-13

dr zhai suggests coming to her once every 2 weeks if you are in London, that's not very often and you cant really navigate one's cycle properly like that. I am surprised, after reading MalaMae's book I thought proper TCM was supposed to be adapting to your cycle and changing acu points and herbs almost daily…

notrustyyet, I am getting my Goji berries from here https://www.naturallygreen.co.uk/Superfoods/Goji-Berries-Powder-Capsules it's the cheapest place for various super foods and supplements I found so far 1kg is 16 pounds

Blythe, well done on daily wheatgrass shots!!! very impressive. I still cant master that, but I must. I left a bag of gogi berries on the table when My DH was starving himself and he was so tempted I told him it's just berried and they have no calories (lier!) so he ate it all. I am ordering more. He does not mind disgusting stuff he eats this really horrid hemp powder, this morning I added 2 table spoons of spirulina, 1 tea spoon of wheatgrass and 1 table spoon of maca. Good luck with your fertility appt!

 

[Blythe]

telling lies is a necessity - I told DH that l-arginine is used to by body builders to help keep their weight down [a sort of truth] and that maca is known to help speed up metabolism [its a carb and quite high in calories]....and COQ10 will help thicken his hair [total lie].

Had my fertility appt and she has ordered more bloods [days 2-5] so will have that late next week and an HSG for next cycle [they have given me a suppository and antibiotics - hurrah!] and i have booked a fertility scan to check my follicles. she explained that i cannot have IVF [which i knew anyway] but clomid would be an option depending on results of various tests. My fertility scan is not until beginning of june which seems so long away.

If i have not conceived by august i will book an appt with CREATE. i literally just decided that so subject to change [dependent upon emotional state changing - very possible!].

 

[Briss]

I love it maca - to speed up metabolism and COQ10 - thicken his hair. so funny! My DH still does not know he is taking lots of maca. Spirulina is more difficult to hide, colour is quite "unique", we call it "alien poo"

It's great that you are getting your day 2-5 bloods (better not to do them after CD3 though as FSH may not be that accurate. ) HSG is also good news, I was also given a suppository and antibiotics for HSG (interestingly for Lap they did not give me any antibiotics not surprisingly I ended up with UTI). What is a fertility scan? just an ordinary scan or is it something else? was your FS the one that works at CREATE? did she suggest anything?

I was supposed to have IVF last year, keep postponing it hoping for a natural BFP. I now think that we will probably start the process in May but also subject to my emotional state changing

 

[Blythe]

i did ask about the scan as i have already had a transvaginal scan and showed her the results.....she said this scan in particular would look at my folicles...the other checked for endo, cysts etc [i think!]

do you get an option of natural IVF on the NHS or is it always the full monty?

 

[Briss]

I think with NHS it has to be the full Monty but I am hoping to start with IUI and then move to natural IVF and if all fails medicated IVF. DH agreed to go for (and most importantly pay for) an initial appointment with Dr Zhai but she may have a very long waiting list. BTW have you heard they are extending the age for IVF on the NHS to 42 years?

I do not think my FS looked at my folicles properly, when I asked about their number she said I had "reasonable amount" whatever it means

 

[Blythe]

Ive seen the NICE guidelines.......she mentioned them today but made coear they are just guideline. As we have a child they would not apply anyhow

I just had spotting and period cramps...its the same as ive had before and i expect i will be spotting till AF comes now. I just sad here crying and trying to think what it could be......my cycles used to be perfect 28days and i only got aches day before and cd1. I think its one of the supplements im taking.....im thinking next month im going to do the following and drop the rest inc. temping/charting/opking....

Dhea 25mg
Black cohosh (cd1-12 120mg)
Teaspoon of royal jelly/pollen
Coq10 200mg of ubiqionol
Prescribed Chinese herbs

 

[MalaMae]

Hey girls, I know we talked which points we had needles in at what period of the cycle, so I made a picture of what I had throughout this cycle.

Did anyone of you had the same/similar ones?

 

[shiseru]

Thank you ladies!

Blythe, ttc is pretty stressful. Before ovulation, you worried about when and what if you don't O at all. After O the dreadful 2ww. Yoga helps to relax and calm a person both physically and mentally. Somehow acupuncture has this benefits as well.

I am not sure what is the plan for IVF/IUI. My hubby needs to give a semen samples next week so we shall see. However with this low AMH of only 0.2, I am not even sure if the doctor is keen since I may not response to stim. In Singapore, eligible couples seeking ART treatment in public hospitals will receive up to 75% in co-funding from the Government for ART treatment cycles, for a maximum of 3 fresh and 3 frozen ART cycles. So I thought we should just go ahead with it.

If it means our DH will take the supplements diligently, little white lies are absolutely fine. Especially anything that gotta do with their little swimmers, and appearance (since men nowadays are pretty vain).

Briss and Malamae, for me it would be the same acu points regardless of the cycles, 4 needles to the legs and 4 to the tummy (since they are connected) for 20 mins, then turn around and 8 needles to the back for another 20 mins. Mine is the Electro-acupuncture, the application of a pulsating electrical current to acupuncture needles as a means of stimulating the acupoints. (https://www.itmonline.org/arts/electro.htm)

The Chinese med that i am taking are in capsules form so it's easy to consume. One is to strengthen the kidneys, one for ovaries, one for blood and 'chi'.

Ladies, may I ask what brand of Royal jelly do you take? Must I combine with pollen?

 

[Blythe]

i have hit a wall and have decided to have a break for a few weeks from TTC and all that goes with it [will keep up certain supps and acu/herbs]. i probably wont be on here for a while....i think i have finally driven myself mad and i broke last night.

i will pop on here every now and then to see when you get your BFPs to you all x

 

[Briss]

Blythe, I am very sorry about spotting, It's so frustrating! Your cycles are still pretty good, very healthy LH and O is not too soon but I agree spotting is not a good sign. Although a fellow B&B member (I may have mentioned her before) had the same frustrating spotting starting from 10 DPO but It did not stop her getting pregnant (after quite a while though) and on the cycle she got her BFP she did not have spotting (that was her clue that smth good must be happening). I wish I knew how to deal with spotting. I get some after AF which annoys me greatly because it seems like AF is never ending and I only have 2 days between spotting and O, not enough for BD. I am actually also thinking my cycles getting shorter may be to do with all the supplements I have been taking over the last year rather than the lap (I blame all my TTC misfortunes on this lap). I am not sure about Black cohosh I think somebody mentioned that it led to bleeding but it depends on the individual.

Blythe, I can totally understand that after a while you just feel you need a break from it all. I am so very sorry you are going through this tough time. It happens to me from time to time as well and when it does I find it all so hopeless that I do not feel I can continue but also I feel like my life is not worth much if I stop so after a while I pull myself (whatever is left) and just carry on because I know for me there is no other way but to try and try and try while I live really. This is not something I can give up and continue living without. My friends think this is unhealthy and there must be more to life that just this one thing but for me having children is an absolute priority. The longer I TTC the harder it is for me to cope with surprisingly the first half of my cycle when I definitely know that I am not pregnant. TWW is easy for me because I can pretend and hope. It's all very sad. Most importantly that there is still hope I know it can happen for all of us and you can stop vitamins etc but just make sure you still BD in the right time. We will miss you here! but I hope the break will do you good and you will come soon to announce your BFP!

re DHEA, I am still thinking about DHEA and cant make up my mind. Tell me if I am wrong but since DHEA is a hormone that our body is supposed to be producing itself, when we add some it gives our body a signal that there is enough/more than enough and the body may start with time producing less as a result. so while I can definitely see short term benefits in taking DHEA I fear that it may actually do more harm if taken long term. For example, that's how it works with testosterone, if your body does not produce enough simply taking more is not an answer as it will lead to further reduction in production of testosterone by your body.

MalaMae and Shiseru, I have similar points but I seem to have mormore or less the same every time regardless of CD. I never have any needles on my back but I get cupping. Also, I have Electro-acupuncture on all 4 tummy points. I have to say I do not like Electro-acupuncture particularly painful on my ovary points so I cant relax at all. I cant attach my chart from work but will post it later today from home. (it's not as beautiful as MalaMae's but hopefully you will be able to see the points). BTW very good idea we should have done it earlier

 

[MalaMae]

Oh, Blythe, I'm sorry you are feeling that way. I was thinking of the same this morning when I saw temp drop on 10DPO. I thought of giving up everything: ttc, herbs, acu.
Maybe that is the right thing to do. We need to continue living normal life, without analyzing our charts for each rise or drop, each cramp that we feel. And as much as I hate what people usually say, it may happen when we finally relax. (A friend just got a baby the other day after struggling with infertility for years-they stopped trying).
I realized there are worst things in life. A lot of my girlfriends are still single at age of 37, without ANY relationship, nor likely it will happen soon, feeling miserable. We are at least blessed to have somebody by us that loves us for being us not because we can provide them with son/daughter, to grow old together, to enjoy life together.