Fertility, Pregnancy + Postpartum Support
Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine can be used safely and effectively for fertility, pregnancy, and beyond.
We bring our continuing education, practical experience, commitment and passion to the treatment room. Our approach integrates both Western and Chinese Medicine, and we are happy to collaborate with whoever you already have on your wellness team. We have lots of resources and literature about fertility and pregnancy to share with you, and we prioritize patient empowerment and education. Your sessions will be nourishing, building, and restful. We would be honored to support you on your path to motherhood!
Here’s how acupuncture can help:
balance hormones and regulate your menstrual cycle
address endocrine conditions causing infertility
improve success rates for ivf and iui patients
ease stress + anxiety
encourage conception + a healthy pregnancy
improve egg quality
alleviate 1st, 2nd, and 3rd trimester symptoms
turn a breeched baby
prepare the body for labor (aka labor induction treatments)
provide lactation and nursing support
treat postpartum depression + anxiety
address pelvic floor issues
promote physical healing after childbirth
repair scar tissue
YOUR ACUPUNCTURE visit
Acupuncture treatments support those who are just beginning to family plan and those who have a history of infertility, miscarriage, or loss. Beginning with three months of weekly treatments is ideal for correcting any hormonal imbalances. In addition to boosting fertility, treatments offer emotional support and healing along the way.
Your treatment plan will involve a combination of acupuncture, herbal medicine, diet, and lifestyle therapies. Your acupuncture session may include moxa, cupping, massage, or essential oils. We adjust our treatment according to the phase of your cycle or pregnancy. Treatments are highly individualized and specific to your unique health and wellness needs.
Acupuncture stimulates the body to repair and regenerate tissues and blood cells. By doing so, treatments decrease inflammation, tone the uterus, increase circulation to the reproductive organs, and build a flourishing uterine lining. This helps your body get pregnancy-ready and also assists in your postpartum recovery.
To support an IVF, 9-12 sessions are ideal prior to the embryo transfer. We focus on general wellbeing, increasing your reserves, and promoting circulation. Acupuncture makes the IVF process more comfortable, less stressful, and increases odds for success.
During pregnancy, weekly treatments in the first trimester are helpful to treat fatigue, nausea, and to support a healthy pregnancy. In the second trimester, women generally feel much better and we recommend monthly treatments. In the third trimester, we will treat weekly in the last month to prepare the body for labor, and more frequently in the week leading up to the big day! Props and bolsters are used in treatment to keep you comfortable.
For a breeched baby, treatments are generally given between weeks 30 - 38. Along with a few specific acupuncture points, we use a moxibustion protocol that we can teach you how to do at home. Moxa is made from the herb mugwort and rolled into a stick, like a cigar. The smoldering end is held above acupuncture point UB-67 on the little toe. The sensation is warming and relaxing. This is a gentle technique that tries to create a bit more space in the uterus for the baby to turn if baby feels like it!
For those in the “4th trimester”, there is much we can offer in the way of emotional, physical, and hormonal support. We also specialize in pediatrics. We are delighted to discuss any questions you have about your newborn, and guide you to appropriate treatment/care options.
We are fully committed to supporting you wherever you are in your journey to motherhood and to provide care on every level: mind, body, and spirit.
further reading + support
Spinning Babies: resources and videos for optimizing fetal positioning and helping turn breech babies.
Debra Betts’ free PDF guide on acupressure for pain relief during labor
“Making Babies” by Yinova founder Jill Blakeway, L.Ac.
“The Infertility Cure” by The Fertile Soul founder Randine Lewis, L.Ac.
BBT charting e-book by Sea of Qi Healing
Motion in Motherhood: occupational therapist and a certified breastfeeding specialist in Charleston, SC
“The First Forty Days: The Essential Art of Nourishing the New Mother” by Heng Ou
Testimonials
The following month my cycle was as if it was straight out of a textbook - something I’d never experienced in the 20 years since getting my first period.
“I found Lauren through an essential oils candle-making class at Candlefish. At the time my husband and I were about to start trying to get pregnant so I took note of some of the essential oils to avoid when pregnant that she mentioned during class. Fast forward 7 months and we still weren’t pregnant. Even though my cycles had always been screwed up, my doctor said she wouldn’t address it until we had tried for a year at which point they’d give me medicine. I contacted Lauren on a long shot to see if there were oils that could help me get pregnant and set up an appointment for a consultation. What did I have to lose? In the first 15 minutes of that appointment, Lauren was more thorough in her questions about my cycle than any GYN I had ever seen. She drew up a plan to treat me for blood stagnation (suspecting endometriosis, which my doctor later confirmed) and asked me to give her 4 months to get my body operating the way it should. She sent me away with oils, instructions, recommendations for food, and information on acupuncture should I decide to try it. At my appointment the following month I opted to add the acupuncture as I was already starting to see changes in my cycle. The following month my cycle was as if it was straight out of a textbook - something I’d never experienced in the 20 years since getting my first period. I got pregnant that month and became a Chinese medicine proponent for life! Lauren helped me through my entire pregnancy, with the added bonus of getting to share in the excitement our first pregnancies together (she was five weeks behind me). I gave birth without any complications and have a beautiful 2 year old girl I tell people to this day would not be here if it wasn’t for Lauren (with a little help from my husband). To top it off, Andrea recently helped get my friend pregnant after they struggled for almost a year! Thank you both for giving us the best gifts you can receive in life!” - J.P.
Lauren worked with me on the underlying autoimmune disease, and on preparing my body for another pregnancy.
“I started seeing Lauren for fertility treatments after my first pregnancy resulted in miscarriage. After being told by one OB-GYN that my miscarriage was likely due to my Hashimoto’s hypothyroidism, and by another (in the same practice) that my thyroid had nothing to do with it, I wanted another opinion. Lauren worked with me on the underlying autoimmune disease, and on preparing my body for another pregnancy. Once I felt ready to try again, I got pregnant in my first month of trying. I continued to see Lauren throughout my pregnancy where she helped with the usual aches and pains that come with carrying a baby, and I enjoyed the added benefit of stress relief that comes with every session. Lauren actually listens to you, and her warm demeanor makes you comfortable enough to ask any question. I can’t say enough how highly I recommend her for fertility, autoimmune, and stress-of-everyday-life treatments!'“ - M.E.
