The Chinese medicine approach to fertility is all about balance. An ancient Chinese proverb advises couples planning to have a baby to nourish the soil before planting the seed. The critical time to begin preparing your body for a baby is three months before conception. You can do this by:

1) Nourishing your body. Proper food is key to addressing deficiencies and restoring balance. Eat plenty of organic fruits, lightly steamed vegetables (especially cruciferous vegetables like cabbage, broccoli, Brussels sprouts and cauliflower) and hormone free- meat. Alkaline food like noncitrus fruits, vegetables, sprouts and cereal grasses like wheat grass create the right PH for conception to occur. Also important are essential fatty acids found in cold water fish, flaxseed, eggs and raw nuts and seeds. Dont forget to take a high potency vitamin with iron, folic acid and b vitamins.

2) Nourishing your mind and spirit: Reducing stress is critical. When your body is under stress the reproductive hormones shut down or become imbalanced. Take time everyday to unplug from your daily business and meditate, listen to music, read a book, write in your journal, take a walk in natureor just daydream.

Although exercise is key for health and wellbeing, this is not the time to be building that hard body. Extreme exercise reduces vital reproductive hormones like estrogen and progesterone. Instead try more gentle yin forms of exercise like yoga and Qi Gong.

3) Correcting imbalances: Conditions like pre menstrual syndrome, endometriosis, irregular periods and polycystic ovary syndrome are all signs that your reproductive system is out of balance. A doctor of Chinese medicine, experienced in reproductive health, can diagnose the exact nature of your imbalance and prescribe acupuncture and herbal formulas that will address your specific condition. Recent studies have shown that Chinese medicine can reduce stress hormones, balance reproductive hormones and increase blood flow to the ovaries and uterus. This also applies to men.

By following the Chinese medicine approach to balancing your body, mind and spirit you will not only boost your fertility but you will feel more energized, sleep better and experience a greater sense of wellbeing.

References: The Infertility Cure: The Ancient Chinese Wellness Program for Getting Pregnant and Having Healthy Babies author Dr. Randine Lewis Human Reproduction Journal, Volume 11, Number 6, 1996.

Fertility and Sterility, Volume 78, Number 6, December 2002 Raised cortisol predicts spontaneous abortion Source: Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences 2006; Early online publication