The world of infertility is all too often one where questions far outnumber answers, and, to be more specific, answers that actually make sense. In a revolutionary new book entitled Making Babies: A Proven 3-Month Program for Maximum Fertility, authors Dr. Sami David and Jill Blakeway champion an approach that combines the best of Eastern and Western medicine. David and Blakeway represent a sort of dream team in the field of fertility treatments. He is a reproductive endocrinologist who was the first doctor in New York state to perform a successful IVF and who now focuses on more conservative practices. Blakeway, whom The New York Times once dubbed “a fertility goddess,” is a licensed acupuncturist and board-certified herbalist.
Blakeway says, “Our book is a plea for people to invest some effort in their reproductive health in order to have a healthy baby. The things that appear to be shortcuts aren’t necessarily shortcuts.” She and David explain why their complementary approach can lead to a successful pregnancy and healthy baby, even as so many doctors are overeager to go the IVF and drug route:
Diagnosis & due diligence: There is a rush to use assisted reproductive techniques, and so the underlying medical problem causing the infertility often goes undetected. Dr. David says, “In no other field of medicine does a doctor start treating a person and not know what he’s treating.” He can recount story after story of patients plagued by infertility, who, it turns out, have an easily diagnosable and treatable medical condition - bacteria in the semen, a woman with anti-bodies to sperm, an infection impeding implantation, endometriosis.
Remembering men: Forty percent of infertility is male-related infertility. Doctors need to investigate that avenue so the “appropriate person” can see the doctor and be treated. Blakeway notes that male infertility also responds very well to Chinese medicine.
Fertility types: One size does not fit all. By identifying which of the five fertility types - tired, dry, stuck, pale or waterlogged - you are, and in what way you “fall out of balance,” you can select appropriate conception strategies. Find out your type by taking a simple quiz at makingbabiesprogram.com.
Acupuncture: Acupuncture can correct hormone imbalances, increase blood flow to the uterus (making it optimal for implantation), increase blood flow to the ovaries and relieve stress. Blakeway and David point to research that shows acupuncture can significantly increase success rates of IVF.
Chinese herbs: These can also increase blood flow to the ovaries and uterus and encourage the building of a healthy endometrium plus follicle growth and development.
Lifestyle changes: Certain adjustments to your diet, exercise and sleep regimens can also affect fertility. And then there are the things you might not readily think of, including how the heat from a computer laptop battery, cell phones and Propecia, to name a few, can affect sperm production.
Making Babies is available at amazon.com.