Last year my husband and I were refused IVF treatment by a respected fertility clinic, on the grounds that a routine blood test had revealed my FSH levels were well over those acceptable for IVF. In conventional medical terms, the opinion was that, at 42, I was approaching early menopause and there was no treatment available to help.
I’d already begun a course of pre-IVF acupuncture with Olivia, and was all set to cancel any further sessions when she explained how effective a combination of acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine could be in restoring and balancing female hormones. Just as importantly, she saw that I had been through an extended period of stress which could have been the cause of my fluctuating hormones. Olivia’s advice was to combine fortnightly acupuncture with a carefully selected balance of Chinese herbs and to make some changes to my diet and lifestyle to help reduce and manage the stress levels. We decided to try this for three months, and then to repeat the blood tests at the clinic.
The clinic had done such a thorough job in convincing me there was nothing I could do to improve my chances of having another baby that, at first, I wasn’t convinced that any form of alternative treatment could help me. However, once I’d started Olivia’s plan, I quickly began to feel so physically and mentally well that it was clear the treatment was having some sort of fabulous effect on my well-being so I carried on until the repeat blood tests. This time the tests showed my hormone levels were back to normal and the IVF clinic, who were bemused by the changes, agreed to go ahead and treat me after all!
To the astonishment of everybody concerned, apart from Olivia, the first attempt at IVF was successful and I became pregnant with my longed for second child at the age of 42.
For me, there is no question that without Olivia’s careful, professional help, I wouldn’t be pregnant today.