Nowadays, more and more people choose to marry late and have children late. However, when they are finally ready to have a child, they find that it is not that easy. They often find themselves resorting to egg freezing and artificial insemination, but these things can make women suffer physical pain and psychological trauma.
Serene Feng, a doctor at New York Four Seasons Acupuncture PC, believes that traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) has its own way of assisting pregnancy and improving the quality of the sperm and eggs.
Infertility is the most common problem encountered by late-married couples. According to a survey quoted by the World Health Organization (WHO), the proportion of women of childbearing age who are infertile accounts for about 8 to 12 percent of the population. Is it the male who is to blame, or is it the female? According to data from Taiwan’s Lee Women’s Hospital, female infertility accounts for about 54 percent of the cases, and male accounts for 21 percent.
Among the causes of female infertility, ovarian function problems are the main cause, followed by fallopian tube and uterine disorders. For men, the problems are related to the penis, testicles, vas deferens, and endocrine.
However, the problem of declining sperm quality in men has also become more alarming in recent years. A study in the journal Human Reproduction Update pointed out that from 1973 to 2018, the global male sperm concentration dropped miserably by 52 percent, and this concentration has been reduced by more than half in the past 40 years.
Checking the quality of sperm and eggs becomes the priority in finding a way to conceive. For men, the main checks fall on the mobility, quantity, and shape of the sperm, while women can evaluate the egg reserve by testing AMH (anti-Müllerian hormone) and FSH (follicle-stimulating hormone) or use ultrasound to determine whether there are obstacles in the uterus or fallopian tubes, which hinder the production and implantation of fertilized eggs.
But Feng emphasized that the stock of eggs does not represent the quality, and success in pregnancy is more related to the quality of them. Feng believes that egg quality is closely related to one’s daily life behavior.
Feng divides women’s body constitutions that affect egg quality into four types, and each type of person has some daily living habits that might lead to poor egg quality.
Body constitution refers to an individual’s unique physical condition that may make them more vulnerable to certain diseases than others. It is a crucial concept in TCM as it forms the basis for diagnosis, treatment, and disease prevention. TCM recognizes that each person is unique and that both innate and acquired factors can influence their body constitution.
Thus, an understanding of our unique body constitution can guide us toward more effective treatment and disease prevention through making lifestyle changes and avoiding these factors.
These are people who easily become out of breath while speaking. They are likely overdoing their weight loss routine, malnourished, or don’t wear appropriate clothing to keep themselves warm.
This is coldness of the ovaries or uterus or excessive phlegm dampness, usually accompanied by a heavier weight, excessive body hair, and delayed menstruation. These types are also keen on iced cold drinks, fried foods, and the like. They often stay up late and eat late-night snacks, which worsens the problem. Because of poor metabolic function, dampness and cold will accumulate in the body for a long time, resulting in a cold uterus that makes it difficult to conceive.
Often slim and fast-speaking, these women’s menstruation tends to come early and with dark red blood, but the period is also short. These people are prone to emotional irritability. They are mostly older women. As they age, the energy of the liver and kidney begins to naturally weaken, and such aging is often accelerated by long-term work pressure, lack of sleep, or poor rest.
These people usually have a more irritable temper, their breasts become more painful before menstruation, and they can tend to have bad breath. They are often the strong woman type and bear a lot of pressure. The qi stagnation (body energy not being smooth) caused by such pressure makes it more difficult to conceive.
Pregnancy is a result of joint efforts by both the man and the woman. Feng believes that the inferior quality of male sperm is also related to their daily living habits.
These men are mostly quiet, have difficulty making up their minds, and are often heavy computer users and under great pressure. They seldom exercise and have low appetites.
Like their female counterparts, these men are less active and like the cold and cool, sweet diets, are overweight/slightly obese, and have poor metabolic function.
This is mainly seen in older men who have regular sexual intercourse, resulting in the consumption of essence, and poor sperm quality.
TCM believes that essence is a key constituent of the human body, which is stored in the kidneys and is crucial for reproductive function.
Excessive sexual activity results in excessive energy consumption.
In TCM, qi, blood, essence, and body fluids are the essential substances for life activities, all originating from the internal organs and flowing constantly inside the body. Ensuring these essential substances are sufficient and circulating throughout the body is very important for health and well-being. Illnesses or other conditions are caused by the stagnation or lack of these substances.
Feng believes that if these four types of men and women want to conceive, they must first adjust their daily living habits before it is possible to produce high-quality sperm and eggs.
What kind of diet to have while trying to conceive has always been the focus of attention. It is generally recommended that men should eat more vitamins C and E, zinc, arginine, and coenzyme Q10, and women should supplement with folic acid, inositol, vitamin D3, and coenzyme Q10. Feng believes that many modern scientific studies have proven that these supplements are helpful for pregnancy preparation, but TCM emphasizes more on the “when, where, and what to eat.”
Take the four seasons as an example. TCM emphasizes that spring nourishes the liver, summer the heart, autumn the lungs, and winter the kidneys. Eating foods that help the internal organs according to the energy rotation of the solar system will allow the body to obtain the health and nutrition it needs.
According to the Five Elements Theory, things in nature and human society can be described by the five elements: metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. TCM applies this theory to its medicine. In this respect, all five internal organs, five colors, five flavors, and seasons all correspond to the five elements. Therefore, during each season, there are always some foods that are particularly good for the corresponding internal organs to upkeep their vitality.
Feng suggested that to nourish the liver in spring, one should eat more green vegetables and sprouted plants, such as bean sprouts and alfalfa sprouts. Summer is the time to nourish the heart, so red food will be good to replenish the needed energy, such as beets, red amaranth, and red meat. Autumn nourishes the lungs, so white food is good for replenishing lung energy, but beware of eating too much spicy food. In winter, choose warming mutton, stews, and seafood to replenish the vitality of the kidneys.
Feng also suggests different exercise routines to increase blood circulation according to different physiques.
- Those who are deficient in both qi and blood: These people should not consume too much energy, and can do less strenuous exercises, such as walking, qigong, and slow cycling.
- People of the phlegm-dampness type: These people need to dispel excess moisture in the body, so it’s better to do a lot of exercises that cause heavy sweating.
- People with a deficiency of liver and kidney yin: Because these are usually older people, it is best to do less-intense activities, such as yoga.
- People with the stagnation of liver qi: These people need to not only do more exercising but also more stretching. Swimming is the best choice. Feng said that many people she has diagnosed as suffering from the stagnation of liver qi felt particularly comfortable physically and mentally after swimming.
In TCM, there is also a theoretical basis for the most productive time of intercourse, which is from 9:00 to 11:00 p.m. This time interval is traditionally called “Hai” in China, and it is associated with the hog or pig. Feng explained that the word “jia” (home) is just the “pig” with a “roof” on top.
Pigs are acclaimed for their reproductive capabilities, so intercourse during the Hai period is the best time to conceive. Hai is preceded by “Shu” (7:00 to 9:00 p.m.), which is linked to the dog in the “12 Earthly Branches,” and the dog is well known to take good care of the family. That means between 7 and 9 p.m., everyone returns home from work for dinner and gets along with the family members. Having cultivated a good atmosphere, by 9 to 11 p.m., you can start enjoying what comes next in the bedroom.
The creation of Chinese characters always carries some pictographic meanings, and such is the case with Hai. The character looks like the four feet of two people overlapping. Feng added that Chinese culture is really broad and profound!
A lot of couples have no problems with the quality of their sperm and eggs, but they are still unable to have children for a long time. Feng said that there are many such situations, but TCM has an incredibly special theory of “calculating the time of conception by birth dates.” She uses this method to help many couples realize their dream of pregnancy.
When calculating the time to conceive by birth dates, there is a special theory in TCM called the “five movements and six qi.” What it means is everyone has either more or fewer parts in the five elements. For example, some people are born with a deficiency in fire, and they are prone to cold hands and feet.
To calculate the time to conceive by looking at the birth dates of both the man and woman, you must figure out which year and month is the most compatible time for both of them. Feng quoted one example. She calculated that a couple’s fates would be the most compatible and had the best chance of conceiving in a certain time after half a year, so she arranged for the couple to start taking care of their bodies six months before this date. As miraculous as it seemed, the woman got pregnant in the first month of trying, and the child is now 3 months old.