FAMILY FIRST FERTILITY THERAPY (FFFT) – Your Pregnancy Support is Here

Are you planning to have a family? We are here to provide the support you’ll need throughout this exciting journey. Whether you are a first-time parent or already have children, many people seek support during their fertility journey. For this reason, Family First Fertility Therapy (FFFT) is a program designed to provide various treatments for women before conception, during pregnancy and postpartum.

Why Traditional Chinese Medicine?

Traditional Chinese Medicine views infertility as the result of underlying systemic imbalances. Factors like age, emotional stress and diet can disturb the balance of qi, yin and yang in our body. This can hinder the body’s ability to support a pregnancy. Our goal as Practitioners is to figure out the underlying imbalances in your body, rebalance your body through Traditional Chinese Medicine modalities, which will bring your body to the optimal state to have a healthy pregnancy. 

Increasing the overall success rate

Traditional Chinese Medicine is also great along with assisted reproductive treatments like Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) and In Vitro Fertilization (IVF). Research has indicated that Traditional Chinese Medicine treatments can increase the chances of fertility through improving embryo quality and endometrial thickness, which increases the overall success rate.  

Resolving pregnancy and postpartum discomfort

Aside from infertility, many pregnant women can experience discomfort during pregnancy and postpartum. Traditional Chinese Medicine treatments are a great way to resolve these discomforts safely and effectively. Through addressing the imbalances caused by pregnancy, acupuncture and herbs can help to ease back pain, morning sickness, nasal congestion, and other symptoms that you may be experiencing during pregnancy. 

Who is FFFT suitable for?

FFFT is a program designed to help patients with different fertility concerns.

This includes patients who are:  

• In the process of conceiving 
• Undergoing IVF or IUI procedures 
• Suffering from a gynecological disorder that impacts fertility or pregnancy 
• Already pregnant, but in need of support during pregnancy  
• Undergoing postpartum care 

Getting Started

Upon your first appointment, we will provide a detailed consultation to understand and uncover the roots of your difficulties. According to your diagnosis, your Practitioner will provide a treatment plan tailored to your body and needs. Since fertility treatments are generally more extensive, duration of treatment plan may vary based on each body constitution. It generally takes a few months to achieve hormonal changes naturally. Treatment modalities that will be used for FFFT are acupuncture and may be combined with herbal therapy, depending on your diagnosis. 

When is the best time to start? 

This is a common question we get from many patients coming in for fertility. Simply because everyone has different needs and concerns, it is best to chat with one of our practitioners to learn more and get started. However, here are some general suggestions for some patients: 

• • Natural conception: We generally recommend starting at the beginning of your menstrual cycle. This allows us to easily track and provide the appropriate treatments following your cycle.  
  • In Vitro Fertilization (IVF): We generally recommend starting a few months prior to egg retrieval. This allows enough time to understand your body, improve the quality of eggs, and prepare your body before the procedure. 
  •  Intrauterine Insemination (IUI): Similar to IVF, we generally recommend starting a few months prior to insemination. This will allow enough time to improve egg quality, thickness of endometrial lining, and body’s ability to carry a pregnancy.  
  • Existing pregnancy: We can start whenever discomforts arise. Pregnancy can be a tough journey for some, and we are here to help alleviate those discomforts. Our goal is to allow you and your baby to have a healthy and positive journey.  

How FFFT can help at each stage of pregnancy

We provide acupuncture, herbal therapy, and moxibustion treatments to enhance your fertility and assist you throughout every stage of pregnancy. Treatment will be focused on different aspects according to your fertility journey. 

Before Pregnancy 

Whether you are having difficulties conceiving or planning to conceive, FFFT can provide the support you need to overcome the hurdles and improve the quality of pregnancy. For those who are experiencing difficulties, we will identify the root cause of your imbalances through assessments, and provide you with treatments to rebalance those elements. For those who are planning to conceive, we can provide treatments to improve fertility and ensure your body is at an optimal state to conceive.

First Trimester 

Are you experiencing some morning sickness? Acupuncture and herbs can help alleviate your symptoms, so you can have a good appetite to provide for  your baby during crucial developments. Aside from relieving your discomfort, it is a very important time to stabilize the  pregnancy and ensure that every milestone of development is according to plan. Acupuncture and herbal treatments are especially important to help those with history of miscarriages or abortions, so a healthy pregnancy can continue on. 

Second Trimester

Your pregnancy is now more stable, but these months also mark common discomforts like hips and back pain, nasal congestion, vaginal infections, headache/dizziness, leg spasms, and fluctuating emotions. At this time, pharmaceuticals might be limited to resolve these discomforts. Therefore, acupuncture and herbal therapy are natural, safe, and effective treatments for you. 

Third Trimester

Right now, you are more than halfway through the pregnancy and your baby is growing rapidly. At this stage, many women experience discomforts like back/hip pain, leg spasms, and water retention. Another common concern at this stage is a breech baby, which is something we can provide treatment for with acupuncture and moxibustion. 

Towards the end of pregnancy, it is also time to prepare your body for labour. Receiving continuous acupuncture treatments a few weeks prior to your due date can encourage a smoother and shorter labour experience. 

Postpartum (a.k.a. Fourth Trimester)

Postpartum care is a major practice in many cultures. Traditional Chinese Medicine treatments, especially herbal therapy, plays a big part during this crucial time. After all the blood loss and energy exacerbated during labour, the new mom will need time to rest and recover. Herbal and food therapy are important to help clear up postpartum lochia, then nourish and strengthen the body. Aside from physical health, mental health also needs to be taken care of at this time. Having a baby is a big milestone, which many new moms may have difficulty adapting to. We can provide acupuncture and herbal therapy that can support you through this new life stage.