My teacher, Dr. Miriam Lee, O.M.D. was the first licensed acupuncturist in CA, as she was treating patients before there was even a licensure, and because of her patients rallying for her, Governor Jerry Brown made acupuncture a primary care license in CA.
She was also an OBGYN and Midwife from China, so she helped thousands of woman who were struggling with infertility get pregnant.
Myself and Dr. Frank He, DAOM were her last two students, and she saw that I was having success in my early career with infertility and gave me so much of her precious pearls of wisdom on how to help women become “an incubator”- fertile.
She told me that men live on “qi” (energy) and “woman live on strong blood”. That we are warm blooded, so should eat mostly warm cooked food. That woman need more protein and fat to have strong blood and it can take up to 9 months to rebuild a woman’s blood. She liked and encouraged bone marrow broth daily, mung bean soup (to detox), eggs, vegetables, herbs and supplements. She treated her patients three times a week for three months as their initial treatment protocol, which is what I used to do before the Pandemic. Now I treat two times a week and share Yoga/Acupressure videos that stimulate the points so patients can innervate their meridians and increase blood flow at home.
When I did track my statistics one year I had about 60% conceptions if patients came in three times a week for three months and did the ART (if they were already were doing it). I do work in conjunction with Reproductive Endocrinologists, and many times my patients have had multiple failed IVF’s and come in and get pregnant naturally or have much better successful during their next rounds.
Here are the current stats for IVF success per age: See Here. Chances of having a live birth per egg retrieval (all embryo transfers) under age 35 - 44.5%, Ages 35-37 32.4%, Ages 38 - 40 20.2%, Ages 41 - 42 9.6%, and over age 43 2.9%. Remember, this is without acupuncture!
This past week one of my patients (who is over age 43 ) wrote a beautiful review (see in link below) about her journey towards having her first baby after the doctors telling her she was too old and would need donor eggs. She has had a very healthy pregnancy and is like a 38 year old as she turned back her block by decreasing inflammation, increasing circulation increasing her nutrition and the deep relaxation of her nervous system that - acupuncture provides by releasing our natural opiods and endorphins which is why acupuncture is even used as anesthesia during surgery. Of course there is the magic factor of love - as fertility is sparked by love between the partners and that is why I love to help my especially loving couples expand their families. These babies are very blessed by the family they come into.
One of the most frequently cited studies on acupuncture assisting in vitro fertilization (IVF) is a meta-analysis published in the journal Fertility and Sterility in 2008. This meta-analysis pooled data from several randomized controlled trials (RCTs) and concluded that acupuncture administered around the time of embryo transfer significantly improves the success rate of IVF treatment. This study is titled: "Effects of acupuncture on rates of pregnancy and live birth among women undergoing in vitro fertilization: systematic review and meta-analysis" by Cui Hong Zheng et al., published in Fertility and Sterility in 2008. See this analysis HERE.
Last week a beautiful baby boy was born to a wonderful mother who has had three failed IVF’s and came to me and got treatments two times a week for just six weeks and got pregnant naturally! I have seen this many times too. Of course there is no guarantee, however, increasing the micro circulation to the reproductive organs can only help as eggs and babies grow on blood too!
Dr. Miriam Lee explained to me that we need to strengthen the Earth Element (Spleen and Stomach) and Water Element(Kidney/Adrenals/Bladder) and calm the Fire (Heart) and regulate/detox the Wood (Liver). Acupuncture needles are called a type two medical device and we do micro surgery to open up tiny currents of blood to flow. We are specialists in the insurance industry and in CA we are primary care providers. We are usually listed as a Complementary therapy on Reproductive Medicine Clinics websites as most RE’s encourage going to us before and during IVF.
She used to treat up to 50 patients a morning with 17 treatment tables and everyone who knew her felt they had been in the presence of an angel.
I attribute my fertility success to my teacher, Dr. Miriam Lee, who miraculously I met by coincidence on an airplane flying back from Los Angeles when I was a teenager. She noticed that I asked the stewardess for water without ice, and Dr. Miriam asked me why I asked for water without ice? When she found out my father was an acupuncturist who taught me that, she said she was his first teacher. I was her only second generation American acupuncture student and I feel she is with me still. Here is a wonderful book she wrote that I highly recommend Insights of a Senior acupuncturist, Dr. Miriam Lee, O.M.D.
I cannot express in words my gratitude and humble gratefulness for being an acupuncturist who works with the pre conception, conception and carrying of beautiful babies into this world. It is the greatest blessing of my life.
I hope you get inspired by some of the amazing reviews and it may boost your sense of hope in the healing reparative and reproductive power of your own body: See Success Stories Here:) -especially review the newest ones.
I help woman get pregnant, stay pregnant and have healthy babies. If I can be of assistance to you or anyone you know, please share this Substack. I offer free 15 minute Q and A’s, telemedicine and have a DIY 4 Step Boosting Fertility Naturally Program on my website.
Fertility is Natural, Trust Nature.
Dr. Shasta Ericson DAOM
