It is something the body and mind, women and men, and further, society as a whole must go through together. The process of pregnancy and childbirth is truly wondrous and full of blessing. The birth and growth of a life is not only a personal matter that takes place in one woman’s body. It is something the body and mind, women and men, and further, society as a whole must go through together.
However, recently, due to various causes such as later marriage age, delayed childbirth, and increased environmental hormones, more people are reporting the distress of infertility even though they want to have a child. The same is true of miscarriage, which can occur during pregnancy. Because miscarriage can greatly affect future pregnancy and childbirth, it is important to restore the uterus to a normal state and carefully care for the injured body and mind.
Treatment that heals even emotional wounds and plants hope (1) Infertility that can be overcome
Infertility refers to a condition in which a couple does not conceive for more than 1 year despite having regular marital relations without contraception. In the past, women alone were considered responsible for not being able to have a child, but in reality, infertility can also have causes in men. Also, because success requires both partners to work together, infertility treatment as a couple is the first step toward increasing the chance of pregnancy.
In Korean medicine, to support a healthy natural pregnancy, treatment is provided to create a stable uterine environment where implantation can occur more easily and pregnancy can be better maintained. By improving ovarian function, we help regulate hormonal imbalance, normalize the ovulation cycle, and improve the quality of the ovulated egg. For men, treatment aims to improve sperm count, motility, and morphology, and to strengthen vitality.
(2) Safe and effective treatment that can be combined with preparation for artificial insemination and IVF
As pregnancies at older ages become more common, more people are preparing for IVF treatment. However, the actual success rate of artificial insemination is about 10%, and for IVF treatment, about 25%. In addition, for women in their 40s, the pregnancy rate with IVF treatment is about 10%. Therefore, Korean medicine treatment is needed to help artificial insemination and IVF proceed smoothly and to support the chance of pregnancy by helping produce higher-quality eggs and sperm and promoting better implantation. Numerous scientific studies have found that combining herbal medicine with acupuncture and moxibustion treatment during IVF treatment can increase the success rate by nearly 2-fold. Before IVF treatment, it can help improve egg quality so that higher-grade eggs may be retrieved, increase the fertilization rate, help embryos reach a higher grade, and support implantation, which may increase the chance of pregnancy.
(3) Post-Miscarriage Recovery Care for the next pregnancy
Miscarriage refers to the termination of pregnancy before the fetus reaches a stage at which survival is possible. It is an experience that 1 in 6 women go through, and one that can leave you feeling stunned and heavy-hearted. Even today, miscarriage is often considered something to be hidden. Many people who have experienced miscarriage cannot tell those around them in advance even after confirming pregnancy, out of fear that they may miscarry again. Miscarriage itself can leave significant mental and physical aftereffects for women. After a miscarriage, various blood stasis symptoms (Sanhupung [Postpartum Wind Disorder], dysmenorrhea, irregular menstruation, changes in menstrual flow, endometrial damage, pain, etc.) and decreased energy may occur. If these are not cared for and are left unattended, various aftereffects may remain, and the risk of infertility and miscarriage may increase in the next pregnancy.
After a miscarriage, for your own health as well as future pregnancy and childbirth, it is important to actively take recovery care to replenish damaged blood and restore the uterus to a normal state. Recent studies say that the pregnancy success rate is highest within 6 months after miscarriage, so it may be helpful to prepare the body through post-miscarriage recovery care so it is in a better condition for pregnancy. In particular, in the case of missed miscarriage, a procedure called “dilation and curettage” is performed to scrape and artificially remove the uterine lining and fetal tissue. After dilation and curettage, it is important to manage the various aftereffects that may occur, confirm that lochia and bleeding have stopped well and that the endometrium has recovered well, and observe whether normal menstruation resumes.
Even if you are not necessarily preparing for another pregnancy, it is important for your health to recover well after a miscarriage, because, as with childbirth, the body’s qi and blood are affected. Since the rapid change of pregnancy occurred and then was lost, recovery should be supported. You need care that comforts you so you do not blame yourself or live with regret, and that helps you recover well and regain your health.
Korean medicine may help with recurrent miscarriage and repeated implantation failure. Recurrent miscarriage while preparing for pregnancy requires even greater attention. This refers to experiencing consecutive miscarriages before 20 weeks of pregnancy. After 1 miscarriage, the chance of another miscarriage is 15%, and after 3 miscarriages, it rises to about 30%. As miscarriage experiences accumulate and pregnancy occurs at older ages, the chance of miscarriage increases sharply. Therefore, if you have experienced miscarriage, preventive treatment for a healthy pregnancy is needed.
To break the cycle of recurrent miscarriage, high-quality sperm and eggs are needed first, and more carefully planned attempts at pregnancy are also important. In Korean medicine, there is a treatment called antae (安胎), which means making the fetus comfortable and safe and helping protect it. This is to help the woman’s body safely recognize sperm and the subsequently fertilized embryonic cells so that an excessive reaction does not occur.
Treatment for a couple’s health that leads to pregnancy success Preparing together as a couple is very important for pregnancy success. Just as we call it the fruit of love, it is necessary for both partners to make their bodies healthy and try to maintain lifestyle habits that help with pregnancy. In that process, trust and affection for each other also grow stronger. Rather than blaming the other person by saying the cause lies with them, the mindset of caring for each other and working together is already half of pregnancy success. The husband prepares to produce healthier, higher-quality sperm, and the wife prepares for a strong uterus and ovulation of healthy eggs. It is also important to make efforts toward more skillfully planned pregnancy while learning tips for letting go of pressure and maintaining a comfortable marital relationship.
Therefore, if possible, it is even better for you to visit Kyunghee Ryu Korean Medicine Clinic together as a couple. Because we provide care for couples together, the husband can have a consultation with Dr. Hansung Ryu, Chief Director, and the wife can have a consultation with Chief Director Seungwon Baek, both separately and together, so please feel comfortable visiting us.