It’s what you do every day that matters most.
Read Part 1 here.
What I have learned working at one of the busiest fertility clinics in the United States is that no one knows exactly what is going to help you become, and stay, pregnant. I use the word become because it really is a becoming. These highly educated and very hard working reproductive endocrinologists generally assign all fertility challenges to one or more of these categories: structural (not as in location of the uterus such as retroflexion but anomalies like a bicornuate uterus), autoimmune, inflammation, and uterine microbiome (not as in beneficial bacteria but symptoms such as endometritis).
By the time I see the patient who is finally looking for help from pre and/or post IVF transfer acupuncture, many generally have already done upwards of 10 years of extensive bloodwork, multiple “non-invasive” diagnostic procedures under anesthesia, and experienced multiple miscarriages.
I always ask IVF patients doing acupuncture on transfer day what they have been diagnosed with and what do they believe is the cause. Most commonly it is unexplained pregnancy loss, PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome), endometriosis, or simply unexplained infertility. Rarely if ever does the woman have a way to understand what may be causing her diagnosis other than a possible genetic predisposition. I have become personally invested in understanding the possible causes of miscarriage because of the sheer number of women I see who suffer through this immense physiological and emotional loss for which they are given very little or no explanation. It is simply devastating for couples.
According to the Center for Human Reproduction, “Miscarriages are a frequent and often unpreventable complication of pregnancy. On average, ca. 15% of all pregnancies are miscarried, but the rate is lower in younger women than in older women. By age 45, the miscarriage rate, indeed, can reach ca. 50%. It is generally believed that chromosomal abnormalities are by far the most frequent cause of miscarriages.”
Most often, protocols are not changed between losses, and the attempts for successful implantation are repeated seemingly endlessly. I read in the Business Insider in October 2021 that a woman in Arizona who suffered from 19 miscarriages finally gave birth to a 14-pound baby two weeks early. There has got to be another way.
What I have learned in the lineage of Dr. Royal Lee is that entering the autoimmune phase of the uterus is most likely the cause and the result of recurring pregnancy loss. We now know what can contribute to this degenerative phase of the uterus and can clearly state that it is in the autoimmune phase. The “minimally invasive” procedures such as hysteroscopies, laparoscopies, and uterine biopsies performed in an attempt to properly diagnosis probably end up tipping the scale into the autoimmue phase. Even with all the tests and procedures, other than chromosomal abnormalities, there is very minimal scientific explanation behind failed implantation and pregnancy loss.
There was solid reasoning behind the formulation of the protomorphogen (PMG) for the uterus. We know that the uterus is quite vulnerable to entering the autoimmune phase. Why? Because it has a very high stakes job. First, the uterus is a suspensory organ, designed to grow from the size of a pear to a watermelon. It is held in place by three very important ligaments. What is the nutrient for this tissue type? Vitamin C complex. What are 99.9% of all IVF prescribed by functional medical and all medical doctors? Ascorbic acid. What is ascorbic acid? The preservative antioxidant wrapper of the vitamin C complex meant only to protect the actual C complex nutrients from oxidation. It has no vitamin effect or function.
Second, the uterus is a receptacle for blood. What keeps the blood moving clearly and freely? The liver. Women doing IVF are taking anywhere from 2-10 pharmaceutical medications and injections to control the uterine environment. What organ is most impacted by this? The liver.
Third, and least commonly addressed, are the emotional pendulations revealed during the four phases of the menstrual cycle. For every miscarriage, the emotions of confusion, betrayal, and worry grow deeper. We know that “the body keeps the score” and that reproductive organs are impacted especially in the fertility journey. This psycho-emotional-physiological trauma may be from the “non-invasive” procedures themselves such as the egg-retrieval. Or it could be from past actual IVF transfers. If a woman’s cervix is tilted, for example, it can be very challenging for a less experienced Reproductive Endocrinologist (RE) to get the catheter through the cervix. With a very full bladder, feet in stirrups, this can be painful to the point of requiring valium and sometimes even anesthesia.
Fertility doctors are looking to control the environment through biochemistry only. Real health practitioners are looking to support the tissues and glands in order to repair and heal vs. control. When the endocrine system is out of control it merely means that it is not well supported and may be literally starving for repair.
When an IUI or IVF transfer fails, there are multiple “minimally invasive” surgeries that are recommended to determine the cause. These surgeries range from the hysteroscopy, which is done via the cervix often to perform a uterine biopsy, to the laparoscopy, which is done via the navel to examine the entire uterine cavity to look for endometrial tissue and adhesion.
I assume that Dr. Royal Lee would have agreed with the current trends in understanding pregnancy loss but from a very different causation. The uterine lining becomes unstable from the above mentioned and we can simply apply the correction. Whole food vitamin C complex will support the ligaments, and the PMG for the uterus will begin to repair the lining to make it less susceptible to loss. If we only apply these two essentials, we often see miraculous outcomes. Imagine if we add in Standard Process Wheat Germ Oil as a highly absorbable form of vitamin E and female hormonal precursor?
You may be shocked to discover that so many women who are trying to conceive are given antibiotics (yes, anti-life) to begin their fertility journey or to treat endometritis. Wholistic practitioners, however, have many health-promoting, non-invasive solutions to help women create a healthy uterine environment that is stable and able to do the high stakes job it was designed to do.
To summarize, if a woman has had a miscarriage or recurrent pregnancy loss then we can wisely assume that her uterus, and most likely ovaries, are in the autoimmune phase. Entering this phase is the result of many factors including routine diagnostic procedures, chronic bacterial or viral infections, a lack of necessary nutrients, and/or chronic unresolved traumatic emotions. Through our understanding of this science, what we can do is quickly supply the necessary protomorphogens and supply the necessary nutrients for the uterus and connecting ligaments. I have found the wonderous results from this to be nothing short of breathtaking.
Images from iStock/nicoletaionescu (main), tonefotografia (woman with needle), Meeko Media (couple).
A couple decades ago while serving on the World Chiropractic Alliance Council for Womens health, eight of us published research in peer reviewed journals after helping our chosen patients all attain successful pregnancy outcomes . My patient had been through many fertility treatments and miscarriages. Her treatments with me included Chiropractic care, nutritional advice and emotional support. She delivered a healthy baby boy and went on to have 2 more beautiful children I was blessed to be a part of her healing journey.
Leslie Bedell, I would love to read this research article!