cigarettes and male factor infertility

if you ever doubt the impact of not taking a new patient into your practice because they don't think they need to do the work or "believe" that smoking (cigarettes) really has an effect on  their health...particularly semen quality...try being completely honest.  i point blank would not take the patient on in my practice if he wouldn't even attempt to stop smoking...clearly there was a male factor fertility issue as evidenced by semen analysis conducted by his reproductive endocrinologists office...and yes his wife had read on the Internet about the ill effects on semen quality...but that wasn't "real". after telling the patient that i seriously would not accept him as a patient in my practice and that ICSI was not the be all end all for his situation...he was told the same thing on his re eval with his RE. so guess what? you guessed...he quit...BUT IT WAS HIS DECISION TO QUIT! one of the last calls i received before heading to Austin for the ABORM exam was a call from his wife to let me know that she was pregnant...and thrilled that she wasn't spending $18,000 for her scheduled IVF cycle next month. this was over a three month period of the wife being under care (acupuncture and herbs) and the husband not smoking...so it was a brief process of re balancing and detoxing ...BUT by laying the cards on the table from the get go made a life changing impact on this couples life. its not brain surgery you know...its Chinese medicine and being honest about the facts. lets not forget about the ongoing new possibilities for this man's health and life because he gave up the pack as well.

Welcome to AcuBaby.com!

Welcome to AcuBaby.com! The idea for this site was conceived about five years ago. I found my patient base shifting to a large population of fertility challenged cases. Although my experience as a practitioner of Chinese medicine specializing in womens health issues was a great base it became clear that fertility treatment and reproductive wellness was even still a greater depth of study, exploration and information. I was as confused and frustrated as my patients when I researched the internet for information.

That’s when it hit me…I would create a comprehensive resource that combined Eastern and Western medicine so that anyone and everyone looking for information about fertility could educate themselves…as well as finding a specialist in their area to support them in taking action steps to forward their fertility journey.

It s been a long gestational period…way more than the average nine months…but in fact most of us on this fertility journey do share a lengthy “gestational” period! I’ve spent countless hours putting together the seeds of the site. I have been in team with some really committed players to bring this baby to fruition. We are excited to officially launch the site at the Southwest Symposium in Austin, Texas on March 28th, 2008. This is a very exciting time for those of us in the Chinese Medical community as it is also the inaugural exam for the ABORM (American Board of Oriental Reproductive Medicine). My intention personally in sitting for this exam is to educate and expand the universal acceptance and relevance of Chinese medicine in the reproductive wellness arena. Let’s join forces in an effort to empower and support our patients.

As I get ready to head to Austin and introduce the site to my colleagues I have all the excitement and jitters that new parents feel as they prepare to bring their babies into the world!

I sincerely hope that AcuBaby helps each and every one of our visitors. Please come in and stay awhile. Learn more about the terms you’ve heard in your doctor’s office, read up on the latest research, find a specialist in your area who can help support your journey. Give us your feedback…this site is created for you in mind…to empower you to make self-empowering decisions about your healthcare choices.

In Service…SS

Does ovulation occur on Day 14 of the cycle?

Probably the most widely held fertility myth is the notion that women always ovulate on the 14th day of their cycle. If this were indeed true, there would be virtually no need for birth control, since couples could simply avoid that one day. And scored of couples desiring a child would simply have intercourse on the 14th day and get pregnant.