Audrey and Charlie’s IVF Journey

When I first met Audrey and Charlie, they had been trying to conceive their first child for over 4 years. When it became clear after a year that a pregnancy wasn’t going to be as easy to achieve as they’d hoped, they began looking for answers. Not long after, Charlie was diagnosed with Non-Hodgkins lymphoma and went through 6 rounds of aggressive chemotherapy. Luckily, Charlie was declared cancer-free at the end of his chemotherapy treatment, but the side-effects on his fertility were devastating. Charlie’s treatment wiped out his sperm counts and left him feeling fatigued and anxious.

Audrey and Charlie decided to pursue the only avenue left to them to conceive a child of their ow, IVF, using Charlie’s sperm that were frozen prior to his chemotherapy treatments. At the time we first met, they had already completed two IVF cycles, unsuccessfully, and were preparing for their third.

By this time, Audrey and Charlie were quite anxious about every aspect of their fertility. They were feeling frustrated to be heading into yet another IVF cycle without an understanding of what had caused the first two to fail or how to improve their chances of success. They were anxious to begin the next phase of their life – as parents – and the longer it was taking, the more out of reach it felt. They were worried about the toll their fertility journey was taking on their bodies, spirits, finances, and relationship.

Although in a very challenging situation, Audrey and Charlie had all the qualities that help couples to persevere and go on to have a successful pregnancy and healthy baby through IVF. They worked hard to fine-tune every aspect of their health, and understood that anything that would improve their overall health would also boost their chances of IVF success. And they knew how to seek help and get assistance in their journey.

Fertility, like every aspect of health, is incredibly resilient. Our bodies already inherently know how to heal. The goal of any holistic healing practice is to help us step out of our own way and create the space for our bodies’ innate healing mechanisms to unfold. In my practice, I use acupuncture, herbal medicine, and shiatsu massage as tools to create that healing space for my clients, as well as helping my clients find their own tools to continue that journey at home.

Everyone needs help to heal. What most people ‘know’ about healthy living might actually be pulling them further away from their goal and true health. Finding the right help and the right path is the hardest part of healing. I always encourage my clients to learn to listen to their bodies, follow their body’s guidance, and ask for help when they need it.

To help Audrey and Charlie prepare for their third IVF cycle, we began weekly acupuncture sessions, along with customized herbal recommendations, and a few small adjustments to nutrition and stress management practices. Within a few weeks, both were feeling less anxious, more energetic, and better able to handle stress.  After initial testing revealed that Charlie’s sperm counts were still at zero, and it became clear that they would be using frozen sperm again this cycle, we continued sessions only for Audrey.

With Audrey, we focused on regulating circulation, managing stress, and the quality of her sleep, all of which improved quickly. We continued with weekly sessions through the IVF process. Audrey and Charlie conceived that cycle and Audrey continued treatments until the end of her first trimester. The following spring, Audrey and Charlie welcomed a beautiful baby boy into their family!

A couple of years after I last saw Audrey, I had the pleasure of running into her and her son at the store. I was so happy to see them and to see how well they were doing. I was delighted to see that Audrey was pregnant again with a miraculous ‘surprise’! I’ll never know for sure, but I like to think that our work together started them both on the pathway to healing that made such an amazing surprise possible.

You may have heard people say the natural medicine isn’t powerful. I disagree. I think that our bodies’ ability to heal is profound and amazing, and that anything that can help the body along that path, however gentle, can also be profound and amazing. That healing path can be yours to find and follow, so if you’re ready to transform your health, choose to never give up, and seek the help that can guide you along your way.

 

Would you like to connect with me to see if I can help you with my unique and effective approach to IVF support?

Request a free consultation and we’ll meet to discuss your case. We’ll sit down, review your health history and goals, and see if you are a good fit for our services. You will have an opportunity to ask any questions about our approach and if you feel confident that I can help, you’ll have an opportunity to learn how to move forward and work with me.

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"Amazing. Both acupuncturists I've seen here are wonderful, and I'm so impressed by the results. It's such a lovely atmosphere and comfortable experience!"​​​​​​​​​
Thanks, Sandy!
When I was first diagnosed with PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome) in my early 20s, I was terrified about what it would mean for my future health and fertility. The doctor's advice at that time was to simply take the pill and consider IVF when I decided to conceive. ​​​​​​​​​
As someone who felt horrible on the pill and wanted to take a proactive approach, this advice didn't sit very well with me. I dove into the one (!) book I could find at the time, started acupuncture, visited a number of holistic health providers, and gathered all the information I could find. I was determined to understand the reasons behind my condition and find ways to address its root cause. I wished for a comprehensive resource that could guide me and help me tailor a plan that suited my needs.

When I established Four Flowers Wellness, I envisioned it to be the resource I had sought but couldn't find. Our mission is to help women solve their health and fertility challenges, not by handing them a magic pill (it doesn't exist), but by collaborating to find the best solutions for each individual and together crafting a clear plan to turn their dreams into reality. 

Over the past 20 years, the understanding of PCOS and women's health issues has grown significantly, offering a wealth of knowledge. However, with this abundance, there is also a flood of misinformation. At Four Flowers Wellness, we spend our days sifting through this vast sea of information so that our clients don't have to.

What has been the most significant obstacle you've faced while trying to solve your health challenges?
Trying to find a solution to your cranky injury, chronic pain, or stubborn tension?​​​​​​​​​
The answer could be a treatment using the humble soup spoon, known as Guasha! Guasha is a unique and effective form of soft tissue mobilization using simple, smooth tools such as these ceramic soup spoons. This therapy helps to transform your soft tissue injury back into healthy functioning tissue.

You may have never heard of Guasha before, but like many traditional Asian healing therapies, it has been rebranded in the West as "Graston" or "Astym" which are commonly used by professional sports teams and physical therapists.

Guasha is clinically proven to treat the following (and more!):

- Neck, shoulder, knee, and lower back pain
- Tendonitis
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Scar tissue
- Women’s health (post-Cesarean scarring)
“It’s like magic!”​​​​​​​​​
✨ This is one of my favorite things to hear from clients because even after years of practicing acupuncture, it really does still feel like magic! 

✨ Acupuncture is generally considered a cumulative practice in that we see the greatest results over time with regular treatments, but we can also often feel changes in the body immediately with even just a single needle. 

✨ These immediate changes with acupuncture treatment are most often noticeable when treating pain because the discomfort starts to change as soon as we place the needle. 
For more chronic issues, such as painful menstruation or infertility, we rely on tender areas that reflect the underlying imbalances. For example, many women with painful menstruation have a tight area below and just to the left of the belly button which corresponds to poor blood flow in the uterus and feels sore or painful with pressure. We will check in on this area throughout the acupuncture treatment to make sure that our points are changing the uncomfortable sensations in that area. 

✨ Often, these reflection areas change quite dramatically with treatment. When an area that was painful just a few minutes ago becomes perfectly comfortable just from placing a couple of needles, "It feels like magic!" ✨
Small joys, like flowers, are important reminders to stop, breathe, and find beauty in the moment. ​​​​​​​​​
What small joys can you find right now, in this moment?
8 Evidence-Based Ways That Acupuncture Improves Fertility. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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So you know what acupuncture is. Your friends are all telling you to try it to help you get pregnant. Maybe you’re getting frustrated with your fertility journey – why is it taking so long? – or maybe you’re just getting started but want to know you’re doing everything you can to have a healthy pregnancy and baby. But you’re wondering - How will getting treated with tiny needles improve your fertility? Here are 8 ways acupuncture can help you get pregnant:⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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1. Hormone Regulation 〰️ Acupuncture regulates hormones that play a role in the menstrual cycle and ovulation, such as follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing hormone (LH), estrogen, and progesterone.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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2. Healthy Blood Flow 〰️ Acupuncture can significantly increase blood flow to the uterus and ovaries, improving egg quality and the ability of a fertilized egg to implant. ⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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3. Stress Reduction 〰️ Acupuncture regulates the nervous system to improve stress resiliency, allowing you to bounce back from stress more easily and reducing the impact of stress on your hormones.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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4. Improved Ovarian Function 〰️ Acupuncture can improve ovarian function and promote regular ovulation, which increases your chances of conceiving.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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5. Sperm Counts and Quality 〰️ Acupuncture improves both the number and quality of sperm in as little as 4 weeks.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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6. Reduced Inflammation 〰️ Acupuncture reduces overall inflammation in the body and balances immune factors to promote conception and implantation.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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7. Egg Quality 〰️ Acupuncture helps eggs have enough energy (mitochondria) and internal organization (chromosomal integrity) to successfully fertilize and implant.⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀⠀
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8. IVF Success 〰️ Acupuncture can lead to an improved number and quality of eggs and may improve IVF success rates by up to 65%.

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