And so I think by the time this episode goes live, I will have just been finishing up with my finals for this quarter. So I hope that as you're listening to this, I am sitting somewhere relaxing, feeling amazing that the quarter is over. It's such amazing information, I think. It's not to [00:01:00] that I'm complaining or that I don't love it.

It is absolutely my dream program and for those who may not know, I started my PhD in depth psychology last year in depth psychology and integrative healing last year. And it is everything I could have ever hoped for and more. And of course, kind of the nature of a PhD program is just very rigorous studies, reading, writing discussions.

But it's everything I could have ever hoped for and just such amazing information that is already bringing so much wisdom and knowledge and soul into my life and through that into my practice and clients. So every piece of it is so enlivening, and also sometimes it's just a lot. So I'm very excited for this quarter to be coming to a close.

On the podcast of some, some heavy things that have come up for me recently, how I've navigated those with the tools I use with my clients. And uh, you know, what I started noticing, but also some really big I feel epiphanies I had for myself in processing this thing that has surfaced for me recently. So that should be coming soon too, as well.

Andrea Orvieto. Who is a distinguished acupuncturist and wellness expert who leads Sola Acupuncture and Wellness in Florida. Dr. Andrea holds both a master's and a doctorate from Pacific College of Oriental Medicine and is a fellow of the Acupuncture Board of Oriental Reproductive Medicine. As a doctor of acupuncture, she specializes in treating in fertility and supporting couples on their journey to parenthood.

And Dr. Andrea Orvieto is one of the guests we researched that I felt would bring a really, really nuanced perspective to this topic. And so we start by talking about how her approach goes so far beyond what a conventional medicine approach to infertility looks like. How her testing, her diagnostic, her treatment goes much, much further beyond that.

So please enjoy this conversation with Dr. Andrea Orvieto. I. Well, Dr. Andrea Orvieto, welcome to the Accrescent Podcast and the Accrescent Community. Yes. Thank you so much for having me. I'm really excited to be here and chat with you. This was a conversation that I did a poll on, you know, with my audience of topics that they were wanting to hear about and infertility was one that, that was coming up a lot in that feedback response.

And so between my pod, my podcast coordinator and I, we did some research around who would be really good guests to have on for this topic. And I, I loved your approach. I love the expertise you bring to this, so I'm really excited to be able to share your insight, your experience, your wisdom on this topic today.

'cause this really is more of your specialty. You support many other things within your practice and your clinic, but this is kind of what you're, you specialize in it sounds like. Yes. Yes. Exactly. So I, you know, I always read your bio at the start in the intro, so people have already heard that. I think a good place to start is actually defining acupuncture and a little bit TCM, because I do think these are words in some ways we hear so much that I think people are familiar with the terms, but still might actually not know what they are.

So we think about TCM or traditional Chinese medicine as an umbrella. And under the umbrella we have different modalities, and acupuncture is just one of those, right? So we have acupuncture and a few other ones are cupping. I'm sure many people have heard of cupping. Um, Chinese herbal therapy. You know, we can diet, we can prescribe Chinese herbs and also gua, which has become a really big buzzword because we, people use it now a lot for the phase, but we've been using it for thousands of years for, um, for pain and aches and releasing heat in the body.

Sure. I I think that, um, the, there there's something that's a little bit confusing in the acupuncture world or that could be confusing is that not all states and not all schools mm-hmm. Um, have the same, um, re requirements. So I went to school in California, in San Diego and I think that they have the most, um, defined and rigorous and strict, uh, rules and regulations in the sense of you have to do acupuncture and you also have to be.

Right. So it depends. So you can also really love herbs and that is your practice and you don't do acupuncture. Um, and then there's many acupuncturists that really herbal medicine is very difficult and very complex. And if you don't get the right formula for the right person, that could be a little bit more.

That could be not, I don't wanna say dangerous 'cause it's not dangerous, but that can go a little bit more wrong than mm-hmm. Putting a needle in the wrong acupuncture, uh, point versus mm-hmm. Giving them a wrong formula. Yeah. And some people love the world of, of herbs and formulas and Chinese herbs as well.

I was like, acupuncture sounds amazing. I can't get in with my regular practitioner, so I'll just pop in. But it was, so, it was like, go in, fill out a form, some random person walks in, you get a 30 minute treatment and then you're gone. And that was it. And I was like, oh, this, this is something different.

This isn't. Sitting down with a practitioner having a consultation. This is sort of like a conveyor belt type version of acupuncture. And I just felt it was important for us to distinguish that that's there, that exists. Maybe that does serve some people, but what you're offering is much, much more than just a quick come in, you know, we'll put a couple needles in and send you on your way.

So, um, I don't know how popular they are still in SoCal. Um, but there was a pretty big name and. They've, they've shut down or they've shut down a lot of theirs. Um, it, you have to understand what you're going in for. Something like that can benefit somebody. Mm-hmm. But not everybody. And so I've had patients ask me when these, these were open, well, why are you more expensive than that?

So I'm seeing them two times a week, maybe three times a week, depending on what is going on. And so sometimes all they need is that 30 minute acupuncture, because they have. Their supplements, their herbs, the other modalities that they're doing on other times. So it really just, I, I don't like to poo poo it because I think any exposure for acupuncture within reason is really important because it, it brings it to other people that may have never been open to walking into my clinic.

So, but I did wanna just take a sec to distinguish that. And you also had experience at your, you have an established relationship with your acupuncturist, which is very different than walking into a 30 minute session at a place that doesn't really know you. And so that's different for somebody that's never had acupuncture, it may be a really great place for them to start because they're confused.

What you've got going on over here. Sure. And I don't know exactly how you would call it, if you'd call it a holistic approach, a um, a functional, an alternative approach. I do think it all doesn't need to be Yeah. Like, it, it can all kind of blend together. But I do think it's important to do a little bit of a compare and contrast where, you know, in general conventional medicine, here's the things they're looking at, here's the things they're prescribing, that's where it begins and ends.

Sure. Um, first and foremost, I like to always start by saying that I do work alongside with many Western medical doctors in the field. Not all of them, because they don't, not all of them. Appreciate or believe in, for lack of a better word, of what, what I do. Um, but I do believe that, um, what they do serves a purpose and a time and a place completely.

Their specific situation is, or they're not ready yet to go that route because when, mm-hmm. When you hear of a reproductive endocrinologist or a fertility doctor, immediately people think of IVF. Mm-hmm. And that isn't always the truth. And a lot of times that's not the truth. So, um, when my patients come in, I do.

Do they prefer cold or warm beverages? Because that in the TCM world gives us, um, an opening to what's actually going on from a traditional Chinese medicine point. So mm-hmm. They come in here and I do ask a lot of questions in the Chinese medicine aspect because I can, that's how I've learned and I can di diagnose in that way.

And with that being said. I also use a lot of Western labs and blood tests as well for sure. Mm-hmm. Because that's how I can get a look of what's actually going inside of their body mm-hmm. Or what's going on inside of their body. And so I, with this combination, I can treat them from A TCM perspective and also from a western of like, to, to make it more, a little bit more relatable to them.

Sometimes coming from a TCM perspective, it can be, it can add to stress. If I start telling them they have kidney deficiency, which doesn't necessarily mean that their kidneys are deficient, but that's just kind of how we, um, per diagnose and we can treat. Mm-hmm. And so I think that I have to find a way to relate to my patients and also diagnose them from a TCM perspective so I can use a, the correct acupuncture point prescription.

Mm-hmm. And if they have, if they, depending on what they are. So I try to become relate, I relate to them, but we also come from like, what is the root cause of going on of, uh, what is going on at the root and how can we figure out how to treat that and get them to their ultimate goal, which is having a successful pregnancy and a baby.

And so, um, so yeah, that's a little bit of how we go about it. The. The intake form is fairly thorough and it's, it could be like, well, why are they asking me? Thi this question here. Right? Right. But there's a reason completely. And I, I think it's, I love that being able, you know, anyone who's worked with me or listens to my podcast knows, I think I bring a lot of nuance to where it's, we're not trying to demonize anything.

That root cause process. And so that's, that's often what I find and that's honestly often the practitioners I love to refer to and the guests I love to have on the podcast are the ones who are taking the best of Western medicine and then going so much further beyond that with Sure. Whatever their additional expertise is.

And so what does that approach look like in general from what you understand? Is it kind of like, you know, we take labs, we look at your hormones, we, we test the sperm, and if none of that works, we put you on hormone supplementation, just, you know, as broadly as you can, what that kind of conventional absolutely.

Diagnostic approach looks like. So a lot of times the, the conventional medicine or ob g, they, they start at an ob, GYN. They don't go straight to my patients, don't go straight to a fertility doctor. And depending on the age, and depending on how long this person is trying, this couple is trying to, uh, get pregnant, they'll say, well wait six, six months to a year, depending on age and all that.

And they will see, oh, everything looks good. It's unexplained infertility. Or let's have your, if it's a heterosexual relationship, and let's have your male partner also tested and everything looks fine, like keep trying or it's unexplained infertility. And then maybe they will start to do some type of, um, hormone hormone treatment in the OB GYN office, something like Clomid or Letrozole starting there.

And if that doesn't work, then they maybe refer them off. So a lot of these patients are coming back, coming to me. Well, some, a lot a, a good amount are coming to me that they've unexplained infertility, which is such a frustrating diagnosis. Mm-hmm. Because it, it doesn't give you anything to work with. And so I like to say, and most of the doctors in which I work with, they, it's just.

Now we're gonna start doing, um, iis, which is, um, insemination. Mm-hmm. And then IVF, they wanna know why and how can I fix it, or is there a chance for me to fix it? Do I have to go through because it's expensive, you know? Right. You, it, it's more than just the emotional aspect. There's the financials, the time expensive, it's EVA invasive and all of that.

We can really make some great impacts that are less invasive. Mm-hmm. Um, if we do that. So, so basically it, it depends on each patient's, um, situation. But yeah, you're starting at the ob maybe waiting six to 12 months and then possibly getting testing, but it's like pulling teeth at times. It's like, I need more than just the basic.

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So check the link in the show notes to learn more about Jacob and try their bars. No, I just love that. And it's a couple things there. One is when you hear that word unexplained, it can be. Really, there's a lot of despair that can come with that of, so my body's just given up on me. And for those who might not be a little more holistically or integrative minded, this thought of like, well, if conventional medicine can't explain this, it must really be unexplainable.

Yeah. Versus, gosh, how, how, I would love it if doctors could be able to go with the metrics I've been trained to test. I can't explain why this is happening, but there are other people who look at other factors who might be able to give you more insight. I suggest you go to them, but it's a little, it's still can be a little bit black and white of, well, we don't know what this is, so we just don't know what this is.

And it maybe it is saying like, sorry, this is, and maybe it's saying, this is my limit. Let's see who else we can refer to and figure this out. Mm-hmm. Um, I think there's a lot of reason for it. One of them is ego. One of them, you know, it could be insurance, it could be financial, it could be, um, this is how they were trained and they don't know better and Right.

I also, to be fair, holistic medicine can sometimes do that too. Where I work with a lot of cancer patients and there's people in the cancer world who say like, no, there's never a time and a place, no surgery, no chemo, no radiation. And the reality is sometimes there is a time and a place. So I just love and dream of a world where all parties are able to go, I'm a piece of the puzzle.

And here are my referrals and here are some people that I work with. Mm-hmm. That can do do that. I, I think that what you said is very true of it. I think we've lost a lot of nuanced thinking Mm. In our society. And it's so sad because I think nuanced thinking can bring so much more to, and we'll discuss patients and clients than not.

Right. I would be foolish to say, well I don't need ultrasounds or testing for the fallopian or sperm analysis that I can't do or have pa you know, things like that. That would be foolish of me. Mm-hmm. And I think it works both ways. 'cause there's a lot of holistic practitioners, like you said, that also do that.

That that's where even though they're going through something so stressful, that's where they feel, okay, my, my doctors on all sides are on the same page and that can make me rest a little bit easier rather than difference. Rather than, rather than somebody coming to me and telling me, oh, my OB GYN, which has happened, does not believe in acupuncture, does not believe in any alternatives.

So I'm coming here without him knowing and um, I need you to help me flip my baby. 'cause it's a breach. Mm-hmm. You know? Mm-hmm. And I was like, that's, that's interesting. So why are you going to this doctor if you don't feel like you can? Right, right. You know? Yeah. But. So, um, yes, I agree to that. Mm-hmm.

Of course, once you get all that information back, everyone's protocol and, and sort of treatment plan is going to be very custom to them. But I think that'd be a really interesting place to start to even kind of contrast with here's, here's how I go beyond what conventional medicine does in terms of testing, intake, information, et cetera.

But more and more apart, more and more couples are coming in together. Um, I, it is absolutely important for both if it is a relationship. 'cause I have patients that are single, um, that are, that are trying to get pregnant and they're single parents, uh, or they're alone and they have to go through IVF or whatever that situation is, and that's a little bit different.

Mm-hmm. But when it comes to couples, it is so important because for multiple reasons. Number one, like I said, infertility is not just a female issue. We have known this. There's a lot of research out there that shows that it's, you know, basically half and half or a third male, a third female, and a third, a combination of both.

But coming in together, I believe. Lays the foundation of that forever relationship, right? Mm. Because this is just the beginning of, people say 18 years, but it's forever. I have a very close relationship with my parents. I'm very fortunate with that. But this is forever. And so how they show up here and they are invested in this time here together, what, depending on what that looks like and what their treatment plan is, I think helps set the tone of that foundation for the future as well.

And so when I have them both present here on day one, it's a much smoother transition. There are a lot of times where I only have one of the parts of the puzzle, and then they have to go home and speak to the other part, and then it's confusing and then they both have to come back in and they wanna talk.

Yeah. Yeah. I have, I have a room in my office. I have multiple rooms and I have a room that has curtains. And when I treat couples, as long as they're coming together and they'd like to, they're in the room together. And so unless they fall asleep, which a lot of times they do, but there's a lot of times where it's just like a, when do we get an hour or 45 minutes of uninterrupt uninterrupted time?

And I have patients that come to me, they're like, this is better than couples therapy, because they have time to sit and talk and, and like discuss things. And, um, they both are showing up. And that's a really beautiful thing. Yeah, completely the connection, the depth of emotional connection Absolutely.

But I would say too, what, what is your ideal, even for someone who is just thinking of conceiving for the first time of when they would come in? Sure. So I think you also asked me, which I didn't answer, is like, what does that look like when they come in? Yes. And I'll, I could talk about it both with, um, if they've been in it or not in it, it looks very similar.

We, I hear, I listen to them like, where are you on your journey? Because I have many patients that I have, uh, patients that are, uh, all different timelines of their journey, that they've been in it for five years, or they are just starting, or they're thinking about it and how, and they maybe know that they have issues or maybe PCOS or, or something that may give them some challenges.

And from there, I'm, I have a, the greater picture of what is actually going on. I also like to hear how they speak with one another or about each other in, in the room, because that tells me, uh, my, my consultations are more than just hearing what they're saying. It's how they're saying it. Um, what's their demeanor when they're saying it?

Unless I see like a major red flag, I want them to feel trust in me. So if they feel trust in another doctor, and I know this doctor and all that, I, I say, okay, let's start here. And then, um, I meet with them where they are. I don't ever wanna be an added source of stress or anxiety because we know that that truly impacts infertility as well.

And so from there we set up a, a, a, a treatment plan. How many days a week am I seeing you? How long should we start off? 'cause sometimes I see my patients for. A year or two years, I have patients that have been with me, um, at different parts of their journeys in different times from multiple years, or patients that have had children and now are coming back and are in a different situation.

But you said that, and I think the audience is gonna be like, oh, what does she mean by red flags? Because Yes, with doctors. Yeah. Like one of the other, in one of your episodes I was listening to you were saying, I do, I work with people in all different stages of this. Some people don't wanna do any IVF or intervention in that way.

So we're working to get pregnant naturally. Some people are already committed to IVF. So it's how can we do things to make that as successful as possible? And again, I love the nuance, but you were saying something where it's like, I, I tend to let them go whatever path they want to, unless I see a red flag.

And if I come in hot, you know, oh no, you may not go to them. Or then, then, then that is like, do I trust her? Do I trust it? You right. What do I do? And it causes confusion. Um, with that being said, I will tread very lightly and I will, depending on where they are in their journey, um, respectfully, I, I would ask them something.

It's always important, making sure that. We make sure that the, this relationship partnership with another doctor is the right one. There's a lot of time invested. It's a lot of money. There's a lot of, a lot that is going on and wanna make sure that you want to do this with this doctor and this facility.

Um, so one of my favorite reproductive endocrinologists who've since retired mm-hmm. Um, he was so wonderful because he would lay out, he was very honest, which sometimes people don't like because to hear things that may be uncomfortable is a really uncomfortable thing. And, um. Not the easiest, especially when it comes to, um, infertility and wanting to have a child.

And from there, when we put all of this together, we most likely can get you pregnant, stay pregnant, and have a child. Um, when some, which is a beautiful thing, and not just because he always recommended acupuncture, but because this shows that he is open to that, Hey, I can't do this by myself, and where else can I use, utilize, um, help and, um, who else can I use in there to help with this patient's goals?

And this doctor is, is really what I go, say, what I say goes, sorry, what I say goes and. When the patient is asking for things and they're not being heard. Mm-hmm. In addition to that, if they're poo-pooing or they are putting down other professionals, I think that, that, that says a lot about a person regardless of the profession.

And, um, and you're constantly like fighting back and forth. Like that's stressful. You wanna get out of that situation. And I think that it's important to hear that. I've had doc, I've had patients that, um, a while ago, they've since closed. There was a one office that was lo local to here and it was the only office that was local to our area.

And the doctor was not my favorite. Hmm. I've, there was, I've seen too many things with patients and other things that when I would hear this name it, I was like, I, I had to tell the patients out, out of, you know, being ethical to them and doing their due di like my due diligence of, of being honest with them, of like.

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Sure. There's a lot and there's, so there, I think that this is a great question because it gives people who listen, uh, an idea of like, Hey, should I start getting tested? So, um, some root causes, I see a lot of, um, thyroid issues which go hand in hand with, um, reproductive reproduction and, um, being able to get pregnant and sustain a pregnancy.

Um. I'm seeing a lot of people who have not. They start, I think our society is starting to conceive, or I, I know our society is try, are starting to conceive at a later age. And they, these patients, whether it's male or female, are not being tested or being proactive, not to their fault, more so to our society's fault of not educating.

Mm-hmm. Um, not being tested earlier on to see where their fertile their fertility is and what that looks like for them. And so they're starting out later and although age is not the only issue and we, I definitely have patients that are 40 plus that conceive and it's a beautiful thing and they have a totally healthy pregnancy.

And so I would, I wish that more people would be educated or more women would be, and men educated to start getting tested at an earlier age, just to give an idea of what their fertility looks like so they have an idea, and if there's anything that they could or should be doing, they can do it then to prepare them for later.

I see. And I won't only say for women, I and males also, um, a lot of lifestyle things that can impact the, our, um, men's sperm, the motility, their morphology, the amount and things like that that they don't know about, and it can be addressed or issues with blood flow down there that can impact the, the sperm as well.

But, um, as for lifestyle stuff, for sperm is, um. Keeping the phone in the front pocket, tight, tight clothing, having the laptop because a lot of people work remotely now. So like, uh, having the laptop on the lap with the, he, with heating the, um, the, the, the testicles and that [00:53:00] area, um, that can impact it in addition to, um, if people are going into a sauna frequently or taking baths frequently, I would avoid that.

Um, for men more so because it can heat up the testicles and the sperm, which is not a good, is not a good thing. Um, it could actually really negatively impact sperm, um, people that are cyclists. That, that's what they do very frequently. We may have to, especially if they're trying to get pregnant, we may have to adjust what that looks like because not only are they wearing very tight clothing, I'm talking about men.

And when you're sitting for too long, it heats up and it, it can prevent that and so it can heat up the sperm and can negatively impact that. Hmm. Um, by the way, I love, I love the more details, the better. I think this audience loves that. Okay. Yeah. I I it's helpful that the specifics, even if they're uh, yeah.

Kind of funky. They're, it's not funky, it's real. Right. It's, it's so real. Yeah. Because I think that this has been so hushed and, and there's a lot of, um, em like shame around speaking a about, um, fertility and sex and um, body parts. And there's nothing wrong with that, especially when you're trying to conceive, we have to talk about this.

And so when it comes to males, especially men, you know, they, there's been so much about, like, men can have babies, uh, in through their eighties. Like if they're spread as good, it could, but there is a downfall, like there, there I was studying for my, um, my board. So I'm, I'm board certified in the acupuncture board of, um, Oriental Reproductive Medicine.

Okay. And they talk about how, um, dolphins, I know this is gonna sound silly, because they are polygamous, that they have to have the strongest and best sperm because there's multiple males to one female. And like whoever's sperm is strongest is going to impregnate that dolphin. Meanwhile, the males, because they're monogamous, not, uh, this is not to make you guys polygamous, but I'm just saying that the, the, the, the.

Mm-hmm. And so there's so much, and there's so much that can negatively impact the sperm and temperature, heat is one of those. So we talk a lot about not such tight clothing cycling, um, phones in the front pocket, laptops on top of their, you know, laps, um, sitting for long periods of time without giving, uh, you know.

We need to add more into our diet and making sure that women, we are eating enough calories, enough proteins. Carbohydrates are so important to feed our bodies and with energy and fats as well, to have to make healthy cells and make healthy eggs and make sure our uterine linings thickening the way that it should and that our body is not going into this fight or flight and saying, well, the reproductive system is off because I'm not getting fed.

Um, and so we can, some things that we can't control is our jobs. Like people have stressful jobs, they have to make money, and so what else can be we, we be doing on the outside, um, to impact the, your fertility, if you can't change your job and your career? Which I don't ask my patients to, but that's where acupuncture comes in.

And then a big one, which a lot of people, it's probably the, a big ask is there's a lot of. Environmental toxins that can impact our endocrine system systems. And so we may not be able to change our outside environment with cars and, you know, buses and trucks and the, the atmosphere. But what can we be doing in our environment to, to change that?

It was far and few between for. Makeup products, hair products, laundry detergent, um, cleaning supplies. And now there are so many really great companies that you can make the changes and afford to make the changes. Uh, making sure that we're not using plastics in our house and heating those up and we're changing it, whether it's like glass or stainless steel, things that we can really impact our, uh, and, and, and help to support our reproductive system.

Mm-hmm. And so I always recommend my patients is start with the stuff that you use the most. Completely. And when, when you're running out of something, whether it be laundry detergent, that's when you can replace it. You don't have to do everything all at once because that's stressful, expensive, wasteful.

Um, right. Even if you like scented stuff in your house, there are non-toxic versions of those to have, whether it's a oil diffuser, making sure you're using the right oil or, um, different things. So it's so, mm-hmm. Important. Especially if you're struggling especi as a woman. It, it's, and it's something that can, is doable.

Right, right. Completely. And that you can do it over time, but just understanding that actually that kind of toxic bucket can fill up quite quickly when we really think about how many products we're engaging with Daily, weekly, monthly, yeah. Alcohol, you know, like, uh, people because alcohol is legal, like.

Believe it or not, people still smoke cigarettes or vaping. I actually think vaping, this is my personal opinion, but I think vaping can be worse because you can do it all the time anywhere, and so you end up doing it more. Mm-hmm. And so that can impact egg quality, reproductive, your reproductive system as a female and sperm quality as a male.

So, uh mm-hmm. And it's just really bad for your health in general. We know that. So why are people still doing it? Um, there, and, and it's not a bad thing to have a piece of pizza, but like, we have to look at your whole diet. Like, are you eating enough protein? Are you eating enough, period, are you eating enough protein?

It's a lot of work. Mm-hmm. On your body. Yeah. And we don't realize that. Right. It's like, it should be like breathing. Yeah, and I think just that acknowledgement of, I, I can't, I can't ever wrap my head around how much has changed in society and how we function just within the last 50 to a hundred years.

Breaking down or acting out in all of these different ways because we, in such a short period of time, so much has changed. And I think that's worth acknowledging where some of that grace comes in is, it's not my fault, I've brought this on myself, but we really do need to acknowledge that the way in which we are living is so far from how we ancestrally lived for thousands of years of, of course, and there's a beauty because like we, the advancements with some medicine gives opportunity to people that may have not had that opportunity before when it comes to IVF completely and things like that.

This is a primal system that needs certain things. And also there is so much that. Current medicine gives us to be able to, you know, find that equal balance. So absolutely. One last, last question I'd love to ask if we have time and then I'll wrap it up, is just general tips of, you know, of course when you're working with patients individually and there are couples, there's gonna be really specific things.

You know, here's your acupuncture regimen, here's some of the herbs I want you to take. Here's some more testing, but. Just general tips for someone who has been experiencing infertility of that really could apply to most people. I think you said something that was so, seems so random to me in an episode I listened to of your, of like, wear socks, keep your feet warm.

Um. That's so funny that you caught that. That was, it is very random. Right. Um, I love those things. Those things to me are, are so fun and interesting. Yeah. Uh, it's, it's, um, is making sure you can, you are following your cycle and understanding your cycle of what phase and what phases are for what of like, you know, the follicular phase.

And what does that mean? I, I tell my patients to stay away from excessive salads, smoothies, juices, and add more of the warming, oatmeal, rice, sweet potato, um, cooked vegetables. If you're gonna have, if you're going to have a salad, making sure that there's some warming, um, vegetables in there. Making sure that you're eating enough protein to support your body through all of the cycles of your, um, like the phases of your cycle, and to listen to your body.

If you are trying to get pregnant and your, your cycles off, or you have any inkling, any inkling, inkling that something's going on, just like, go get tested, go get tested and ask your doctor. Find a support system around you that can help you. Um, whether it's friends or people that have gone through this or fertility.

Um, for the most part, I, right, right. I think that, um, I'm trying to think of what else. Um, I, when it comes to fertility, I think go find a, an acupuncturist that is fertility specialized and start with them there. Try to sleep a little bit more, but if you have children, sometimes it's hard and I get that.

But of course, I think, I think I spoke a lot of them, I think I spoke a lot about like when it comes to like sperm quality and women stuff like before as well is, you know, yeah. Movement is important. Blood flow is important so you don't have to do rigorous exercise. Actually rigorous exercise for someone trying to conceive can be um, can spike cortisol levels too high and it can be stress inducing.

There's so many other questions I have. But it's nice to give people that overview and give them a sense. And really more than anything, it's, it's just those resources where they can start to go, oh, she mentioned a piece of the puzzle I haven't thought of yet, or my doctor hasn't mentioned yet, so let me go do some deeper research there.

And I think that's really, you know, the hope of what some of these episodes serve is, not that we answer every question they could have, but that we give them, honestly, in some ways. We give them more questions to ask and go seek answers to. I think that's important. I, I also think that's, IM, it's a really, that's an important thing is people shy away when it comes to speaking to doctors.

Um, but they will, uh, but not all will. And something that I wanna leave with your listeners that is really important is that we get these blood tests and sometimes our a MH or ovarian reserve is, is really low. No one factor, no one factor will determine whether or not you will have a successful pregnancy, be able to get pregnant and have a successful pregnancy.

I mean, from me as a practitioner, I always tell my patients from there we can do something about it. Right. If we don't know, we don't know exactly what we can do about it. And so get the testing and encourage your, if it's, if you have a male partner, like get the testing because we can do something about that.

There typically is a solution and there is somebody that can help. So. Just because you have low A MH does not determine whether or not you could get pregnant or if you have PCOS or endometriosis or your tubes are blocked. There are so many factors, there's so many amazing solutions that can be done. So get the testing.

Mm-hmm. And so I am pleading with that Everybody is, do the appropriate testing and let's be proactive. You don't have to do it by yourself. Right. Yeah. And, and then find those practitioners who are like, here's your testing. It's not a life sentence. Here's what we can do to start to reverse or mend or mitigate some of what's going on completely.

Absolutely. I love it. Well, thank you so much. This has been such a joy. Thank you so much.