Fertility Programs

Dr. Emina offers fertility enhancement to improve the chances for a natural and healthy conception, pregnancy, labour and baby. Dr. Emina will use naturopathic and conventional laboratory tests to assess overall health in order to treat fertility concerns.

A combination of male and female weekly acupuncture, natural bioidentical hormone replacement, botanicals, vitamin-mineral therapies, homeopathic medicine, dietary and lifestyle plans, with counseling, will be provided to help support natural fertility or assisted fertility. Numerous studies on specific nutrients, botanical medicines and acupuncture treatments have been shown to improve fertility rates.

For example, a milestone study published in the medical journal Fertility & Sterility (1) found that acupuncture dramatically improves the chances of becoming pregnant when used in conjunction with other assisted reproductive techniques. Researchers from Weill Cornell Medical Centre (2) in New York did a review of acupuncture studies in fertility and concluded:

5 Ways that acupuncture helps to boost your fertility:

Increases blood circulation to the uterus, improving chances of implantation
Reduces anxiety, stress and the hormones associated with stress, that can significantly decrease fertility (in men and women)
Normalizes hormone and endocrine systems that regulate ovulation, especially in cases of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)
Improves internal communication of the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis, which plays a key role in fertility
Regulates the menstrual cycle

A naturopathic approach allows us to uncover the underlying hormonal imbalances that may be at the root cause of infertility. Common conditions include PMS, irregular menstrual cycles, painful periods, luteal phase defects, endometriosis, chronic infections, miscarriage, and adrenal, thyroid or pituitary imbalance.

Some common naturopathic assessments for fertility may include:

Comprehensive female and male hormone profile — via urine or saliva collection.
Food Allergy Testing (ELISA blood test for IgG/IgE) with dietary recommendations.
Environmental Toxicity Testing for heavy metals, solvents, organophosphates and chlorinated pesticides — via urine and blood collection.

Acupuncture & Fertility

Acupuncture is extremely helpful during your 9 months of pregnancy and birth. According to the World Health Organization (WHO)(3), acupuncture has been found useful for relieving labour pain, nausea and vomiting, and significantly reducing the duration of labour. There is also strong evidence that acupuncture can help with a breech birth.

If you are a candidate for assisted reproductive therapies (ART), Dr. Emina collaborates with both the Pacific Centre for Reproductive Medicine (PCRM) and The Kelowna Regional Fertility Clinic. Naturopathic Medicine offers treatments to better support the success of assisted reproductive therapies (ART) such as IVF, IUD, and ICSI to optimize your chances of conceiving and sustaining a healthy pregnancy.

Paulus W, et al., Influence of acupuncture on the pregnancy rate in patients who undergo assisted reproduction therapy. Fertility and Sterility, volume 77, April 2002, 721-724.
5 Ways Acupuncture Can boost Fertility. Prevention.com, 2002.
Acupuncture: Review and analysis of reports on controlled clinical trials. World Health Organization, Geneva, 2002.www. who.int/medicines

Healthy Pregnancy