allison's Blog
5 Things You Might Be Missing When Trying to Conceive with PCOS
Sep 20, 2021 | Allison Locke, R.TCM.P, FABORM PCOS is one of the most common gynecological and metabolic disorders that has an impact on fertility. It is characterized by long, irregular cycles, insulin resistance, cysts/immature follicles on the ovaries, or high androgen levels.
From No Period to Positive Pregnancy Test
Aug 31, 2021 | Allison Locke, R.TCM.P, FABORM Lindsey, a 28 year old, came to me in March having suffered from amenorrhea (lack of menstruation) for nearly two years since she discontinued taking the birth control pill. She knew she wanted to eventually start trying to conceive and decided to come off the pill after having been on it for 10 years. When she did, however, her period never showed up.
How much will Acupuncture boost my IVF results and how many treatments do I need? - The research revealed.
Jul 06, 2021 | Allison Locke, R.TCM.P, FABORM As an acupuncture and integrative wellness clinic that specializes in reproductive health, you can imagine we get this question quite often. Many patients come to us either starting their fertility journey, about to embark on their IVF journey, or are on their 6th round. Wherever you are, acupuncture can help.
Egg Quality 101
Jun 08, 2021 | Allison Locke, R.TCM.P, FABORM There are three parts to the egg that require consideration when wanting to improve egg quality as a whole. The theca, granulosa, and lutein cells are parts of the ovarian follicle and egg that secrete various hormones and have certain jobs throughout the menstrual cycle.
MALE FERTILITY ESSENTIALS
Apr 20, 2021 | Allison Locke, R.TCM.P, FABORM Contrary to popular belief, male factor infertility contributes up to 50% of total cases of a couple’s infertility. That is why it is just as important to not only test male fertility after 1 year of actively trying to conceive (or 6 months if he is 35 and older), but to also consistently treat both partners when it comes to preconception care and fertility.
How Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture Treats Period Pain so Effectively
Mar 08, 2021 | Allison Locke, R.TCM.P, FABORM In honour of endometriosis awareness month, I thought I would share how acupuncture and Traditional Chinese medicine can be so helpful in endo symptoms and period pain and give a few recent case studies. In Traditional Chinese medicine, we look at the whole picture of health to see what we can bring into balance to achieve your health goals. Often with hormone health and fertility, we look very closely at the menstrual cycle.
“Should my husband be coming in, too?”
Feb 08, 2021 | Allison Locke, R.TCM.P, FABORM This is a question I get often in the clinic from my female fertility patients. The short answer is yes, acupuncture is great for everyone, especially when it comes to fertility. There’s always something that can be improved upon to boost fertility, such as increasing circulation to reproductive organs, balancing hormones, reducing stress, or reducing inflammation.
Are Irregular Periods a Sign of Something More Sinister?
Jan 04, 2021 | Allison Locke, R.TCM.P, FABORM As someone that has had irregular menstrual cycles for most of her life, I never thought it was anything too serious - and that’s mostly because my doctors would brush it off whenever I mentioned it. I mean it still came eventually so it can’t be too much of an issue, right?
How to Emotionally Get Through an IVF Cycle
Nov 16, 2020 | Allison Locke, R.TCM.P, FABORM I was treating a patient last week preparing for her first IVF cycle when she asked me, “How do people get through this?” This particular patient, who I will call Emma, suffered a devastating miscarriage earlier this year and was plagued with so much guilt about not being able to provide her 5 year old son with a sibling.
Miscarriage: Causes and Treatment
Oct 13, 2020 | Allison Locke, R.TCM.P, FABORM Miscarriage and pregnancy loss is unfortunately an extremely common occurrence during one’s fertility journey. In fact, 20% of all confirmed pregnancies end in miscarriage, 80% of those occurring in the first 12 weeks. Everyone processes loss differently and requires different lengths of time and tools for healing.