True story.
Amy and her wife started trying to conceive their second child through a donor at age 36. However, Amy was told that she had PCOS (polycystic ovarian syndrome) and was not as fertile as her wife. This label was something she did not want to accept, as it was presented as a stumbling block to conception. It took eight grueling rounds of IUI (intrauterine insemination) before Amy conceived.
Although she tried to surrender to the process, Amy’s biggest struggle was physically having to go to cycle monitoring at the fertility clinic (which seemed to be every day) for months on end. It made it difficult not to be focused on the natural desire to have a child. It was during the challenging times that Amy wished someone would grab her hand and guide her; through synchronicity Amy met Mary Wong, and from that point Amy felt cared for. With Mary’s guidance she felt empowered to continue on the journey and hold her own hand.
At the end of the day, Amy’s advice is that everyone’s situation is different; she continues to carry the strong emotions she felt with how excruciating trying while also surrendering was. She says, “there are practitioners out there who will resonate with you and help you realize the strength you have within, helping you to hold your own hand. Maintaining the perspective that it is possible to conceive, and holding on to the belief that you can carry a baby is the most important thing”.
Just because you belong to the LGBTQ community, doesn’t make you infertile. It’s a technical issue of requiring donor sperm or egg which sends you to the fertility clinic. Having said that, same sex couples are equally likely to face fertility challenges as “straight” couples. That means, one in six will experience infertility in their lifetime. PCOS is the most common female endocrine condition that may make it difficult to conceive. The good news is, there are lots of ways to treat PCOS which is effective for improving fertility for those with polycystic ovarian syndrome.
What is PCOS therapy? While treatment is tailored to the needs of each patient, acupuncture is often used along with Chinese herbs, nutrition therapy, and lifestyle changes to enhance fertility and balance hormones. A complex syndrome involving the endocrine and metabolic systems, PCOS may increase insulin resistance or sensitivity and/ or male sex hormones in women which can result in a hormone imbalance, which in turn disrupts ovulation and normal menstrual cycles and impacts egg quality. Acupuncture, herbs and other components of holistic medicine used in PCOS therapy help to reduce levels of testosterone (male hormones), regulate menstrual cycles, increase blood flow to the reproductive organs, reduce stress and promote fertility.