My Fertility Guide: How To Get Pregnant Naturally

By Attilio D'Alberto

My Fertility Guide is based on the latest scientific evidence sourced from over 350 research studies and my 20 years clinical experience in helping people have a baby. This self-help guide blends modern fact-based research together with the ancient theories of Chinese medicine to deliver a powerful and concise understanding of natural conception.

This book contains a lot of in-depth information which will greatly increase your chances of having a baby. By following my simple advice you too can fall pregnant naturally like the thousands of people I have treated.

In my experience treating different types of infertility, I’ve found that people require a lot more in-depth information than is often provided in other fertility books. I’ve therefore tried my best to include as much detailed information as possible in my guide, but in a concise and easy-to-understand way.

My Fertility Guide explains the menstrual cycle, when ovulation occurs, how to know when you are your most fertile and the best time to try and conceive. It also outlines the various causes of male and female infertility and how to avoid them, from chemicals in the environment, in food, cosmetics and household products to pollution, plastics, heavy metals, pharmaceutical drugs and electromagnetic waves (EMWs).

In-depth explanations are given on how to optimise your lifestyle from exercising, work, sleep to clothing, footwear and even baths versus showers all based on the latest cutting-edge research together with the tried and tested theories of Chinese medicine. In addition, Chinese medical imbalances are explained and how you can find yours and fix it to improve your fertility.

Pre and post-ovulation fertility diet plans (seeding) are given to enhance hormone levels to maximise natural conception. A vast range of supplement advice sourced from fact-based research is given that can improve both male and female fertility, regulate your hormone levels and increase egg and sperm quality to enhance your fertility potential.

Based on the latest scientific research, My Fertility Guide explains how to deal with infertility problems such as irregular menstrual cycles, unexplained infertility, irregular FSH levels, poor egg quality (low AMH levels), endometriosis, PCOS and poor sperm motility and morphology.

Advice on aiding natural conception is given based upon research evidence of the beneficial effects of acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicines.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Attilio D'Alberto
• Release date: Jun 23, 2020
• ISBN: 9781916013827

Book preview

Testimonials

‘I went to Dr (TCM) D’Alberto immediately after my third miscarriage, feeling very low and willing to try anything. My body was completely shattered, having been put through so much in a relatively short period of time. I asked Dr (TCM) D’Alberto how long it generally took people’s bodies to get to the stage where they could consider IVF. He advised me the average time was six months, but that it would probably take longer for me due to the fact my body had gone through so much. Six months following my first consultation I found out I was pregnant naturally with our much-longed-for baby. With our history we hadn’t expected to conceive naturally, and certainly not in such a short period of time! Due to my previous miscarriages I continued seeing Dr (TCM) D’Alberto throughout my pregnancy. I sailed through the pregnancy, and am now an extremely happy mummy to a four-month-old!.’

Mrs K

‘On my journey I came across Dr (TCM) D’Alberto’s website and contacted him right away. My first appointment with Attilio really impressed me; he asked questions and took notes to work out what might be the problem so he could decide which course of action to take. I left that session feeling very hopeful and with some reasons why I had issues getting pregnant. I left the clinic with a dietary plan and off I went to eat all the foods suggested for me and follow my cycle. After eating the foods and acupuncture treatments, on day 13 I felt different – I felt tired and there were other little signs that I might be pregnant. By day 18 I was able to test and I was pregnant! My husband and I were so happy. I truly believe we got pregnant so quickly and easily after starting treatment with Attilio because of the acupuncture treatment and dietary advice recommended specifically for my needs. I had a very healthy pregnancy and continued to be very active. I had a natural birth with no complications. My baby is now four months old. I can’t thank Attilio enough for his help achieving my dream of becoming a mummy.’

Mrs C

‘I started seeing Attilio for treatment after suffering a miscarriage and then finding out I was polycystic on one ovary. I had been trying to conceive for a number of months after the miscarriage and was starting to get very stressed and overwhelmed about the situation. After my initial consultation with Attilio I immediately felt calmer and more in control of my fertility. I started having weekly treatment and after completing only four sessions (one full cycle) I was astounded to find out I was pregnant! I had treatment until 20 weeks, and then again from 35 weeks to prepare me for labour. After a textbook pregnancy, I am now a very proud mum to a beautiful baby girl! Without Attilio’s help I wouldn’t have been blessed with my daughter.’

Mrs B

‘I had been trying to conceive for two years when I approached Attilio. I was told by a fertility clinic that my hormone levels were too high and that I was approaching an early menopause. I was 41. I had had acupuncture in the past and knew how effective it could be, but I had never tried Chinese herbs and had heard they could lower hormone levels. Attilio diagnosed me as being blood and yin deficient – this explained my poor circulation, cracked tongue and general well-being. After six months of treatment with herbs and acupuncture and a diet to suit my condition, I am happy to say that my hormone levels returned to normal and I conceived naturally.’

Mrs J

‘After four years of trying to conceive and being told that our only hope was IVF we took the advice of some friends to try acupuncture and Chinese medicine. Wow, what a piece of advice! Despite doctors performing numerous operations, they could only tell us it was unexplained infertility, and yet Attilio diagnosed our problem the moment we walked through the door! We had a sum total of six weeks of treatment with Attilio before falling pregnant, and have continued the treatment to ensure a healthy pregnancy. Having fertility problems is quite an emotional and private experience. However, since seeing Attilio we have been shouting about it from the rooftops and would thoroughly recommend that everyone try just one session, as that is all that is required to start seeing the benefits!’

Mr and Mrs T

‘When I was told that my husband and I faced fertility problems I researched various possibilities of how I could affect them myself without jumping straight down the IVF route. I made some enquiries about Chinese herbal medicine and spoke to a few practitioners and decided to have an initial meeting with Attilio. Right from the start Attilio could read me like a book – he could tell me how I was feeling by my complexion and the colour of my tongue, and each week he would change my mix of herbs depending on how tired or busy I was. Five weeks later I was not only pregnant but also a lingering digestive problem had gone away.’

Ms L

‘My husband and I have been trying for a baby for six years. After many tests, procedures and one miscarriage, we were told by doctors that we had unexplained infertility and our only option would be IVF. We decided to take their advice and began the rollercoaster that is IVF. Unfortunately the first cycle didn’t work and we were gearing ourselves up for a second go when I came across Dr (TCM) D’Alberto. We met him and at our first meeting he said I had a yin and blood deficiency, which when we talked about it, made sense of everything – poor circulation and tiredness, to name but a few. We started a course of acupuncture and a new diet and within a couple of weeks I really had noticed a difference. Then, to my surprise, within six weeks I found out I was pregnant! I cannot tell you how excited we were and how grateful we are to Dr (TCM) D’Alberto. He also helped me over the first 12 weeks of my pregnancy when I was sick day and night and felt awful. I really don’t know what I would have done without him.’

Mrs M

www.attiliodalberto.com

www.myfertilityforum.com

Copyright © 2019 Attilio D’Alberto, London, UK

The moral right of Attilio D’Alberto to be identified as the author of this work has been asserted in accordance with the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act of 1988.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording or otherwise without prior written permission of the author.

ISBN: 978 1 9160138 0 3

Though the majority of information presented in this book is sourced from hundreds of research articles, it does not replace your doctor’s advice. Consult your health practitioner before changing any medication or dosage. The author does not accept any legal responsibility and liability for any personal injury or other damage or loss arising from the use of the information in this book.

To my partner Jamila and our little miracle Elisa

Contents

Introduction

Part One Understanding the Fundamentals of Fertility

Chapter 1 Your Hormones

Chapter 2 The Components of Fertility

Chapter 3 Getting Your Fertility Tested

Chapter 4 The Causes of Infertility

Part Two Chinese Medicine and Fertility

Chapter 5 The Fundamentals of Chinese Medicine

Chapter 6 Finding Your Chinese Medicine Diagnosis

Part Three How to Improve Your Fertility

Chapter 7 Prepping Your Body

Chapter 8 Prepping Your Mind and Emotions

Chapter 9 Optimising Your Environment

Part Four Optimising Your Diet

Chapter 10 Chinese Dietary Therapy

Chapter 11 Female and Male Diet Plans

Chapter 12 Supplements

Part Five Aiding Natural Conception

Chapter 13 Acupuncture All the Way!

Chapter 14 Chinese Herbs

Chapter 15 Assisted Natural Conception

Conclusion

Fertility Dictionary

References

Index

Introduction

Struggling to have a baby is a very personal and emotional problem, and is something that is not often shared with friends or even relatives. For this reason, it can feel like a lonely journey. If this sounds like you, then please rest assured that you are not alone. It is estimated that 1 in 6 couples in Western countries experience fertility challenges and this number is growing (¹). More and more couples are finding it difficult to have a baby and half of women struggling with fertility issues find it the most stressful experience of their lives (²).

A lot of women are now looking to start a family later in life. This is usually after they have built up their career, saved a deposit for a property and finally found a partner. At this point, mentally and emotionally, many women are in a better place to settle down and have a child. It can therefore come as a real shock to find that their body may have become weaker and is struggling to conceive and maintain a pregnancy.

If you’re reading this book then you’ve most likely tried the natural route but still haven’t had a baby. We all want the natural route to work and find it hard to accept when it doesn’t. It can feel as though our bodies have forsaken us at a point in our lives when we are emotionally ready to have a child. This is where couples, and most often women, start to project-manage their fertility treatment and decide what to do next.

The guidance within this book can greatly increase your chances of having a baby naturally. For some couples this will be enough. Others may need a helping hand with acupuncture and Chinese herbs and some will need even more help by using assisted reproductive technologies, such as in-vitro fertilisation (IVF).

The length of time couples try to conceive naturally varies. For some it can be a few months and for others it’s a few years. It’s a personal choice. Until you fall pregnant, it can often feel like the rest of your life is on hold, with events such as holidays and weddings delayed until pregnancy is achieved. This focus and pressure can negatively affect fertility by causing frustration and stress, which can impact the normal balance of hormones within the body.

After trying naturally for a period of time, couples often make the decision to jump to IVF in an effort to conceive and get their lives back. IVF offers a ‘process’ – a start and an end with a projected success rate. It’s this that attracts most couples to IVF, as trying naturally can seem like it’s open-ended. However, due to the side effects of IVF (³), it should only be used as a last resort.

How this book can help you

One of the main reasons for writing this book is the lack of complete information available in one place, which means individuals have to scour the Internet and forums, piecing together different and sometimes contradictory bits of information, to compile a definitive understanding of conception. However, this can result in couples making the wrong decisions which wastes both time and money and causes stress, not to mention still leaving them without a baby.

In my experience with patients I’ve found that women are very knowledgeable about their fertility and require a lot more in-depth information than is often provided on websites or in other fertility books. I’ve therefore tried my best to include as much detailed information as possible in this book, but in a concise and easy-to-understand way. If you feel I can improve this book in any way, please do visit my website (www.attiliodalberto.com) and leave me some feedback.

There is around a 30 per cent chance of falling pregnant naturally each month (⁴). There are three main problems that most couples have when trying for a baby – understanding:

1. how their body works

2. how to improve their lifestyle

3. how to optimise their diet

Within this book I will teach you how to increase your chances of having your baby. I will show you how to be more aware of your body, how to improve your lifestyle and outline diet plans for both you and your partner, together with supplements to take. I will explain the menstrual cycle and when it’s best to try to conceive. I will also tell you which factors can affect male and female fertility and how to avoid them, how to improve egg and sperm quality, and aid implantation of the embryo into the uterus wall. I will also advise you on how to further support your natural fertility route.

Different couples are on different paths along their fertility journey; there are those who are just starting out and are finding it difficult to conceive and those who have been struggling for many years. This book caters for all couples who are trying naturally and need a little help. By prepping your body before conceiving, you are not only improving your health and your fertility but also helping your future child be in the best health possible for growth and development.

You can get additional support from the book’s forum www.myfertilityforum.com, where we host a range of forums for women seeking advice, wanting to make new fertility friends and grow their support network.

About the author

I’ve been practising since 2004, using acupuncture and Chinese herbs to treat infertility. During this time, I’ve treated all types of infertility problems – for example unexplained infertility, endometriosis, low ovarian reserve, poor sperm motility and reoccurring miscarriages – for couples in their early twenties through to those in their late forties.

My studies in acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine started a long time ago, with a five-year full-time degree programme in Traditional Chinese Medicine jointly run by Middlesex University in London and Beijing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine in China. Since graduating I’ve had numerous articles published in medical journals and healthcare magazines in various languages. I’ve learnt from some of the best acupuncturists in the world and now coach and advise other Chinese medicine practitioners.

I am passionate about acupuncture and Chinese medicine, the awareness it gives me and how I can use this to show people how to improve their health and have a baby. I blend ancient theories of Chinese medicine with modern scientific research to give a deeper insight into illness and disharmony, and then employ several treatment strategies to tackle the problem creating a higher success rate.

I believe it’s important to explain to people what’s going on with them and the disharmony they have, as it empowers them. This allows us to work consciously together to improve their chances of having a baby.

This book contains a lot of in-depth information which will greatly increase your chances of having a natural conception. By following my simple advice you too can fall pregnant naturally like the thousands of people I have treated.

Part One

Understanding the Fundamentals of Fertility

Before we get into the nitty-gritty of when you should be having sex to conceive a baby, it helps to first understand how your hormones work. By understanding them, you can see how making positive changes to your lifestyle and diet can greatly impact your hormones and your fertility.

Chapter 1

Your Hormones

Hormones are vital for health and fertility. Together they act like an orchestra, performing a symphony of bodily functions. The body is incredibly interconnected with many processes acting like a chain reaction. When they are performing in tune, fertility is balanced and harmonised. However, when they are performing out of tune, there is imbalance and infertility. Acupuncture acts like a conductor, helping to regulate and balance hormones so they work together in harmony.

It is very useful to have your hormones tested when you are trying to conceive as it gives you a valuable insight into what’s going on inside your body. Hormone tests are valid for around three to four months. After that, new tests should be taken as the body is always changing and your hormone levels may have changed too. The range of a normal hormone level is constantly changing and can vary from clinic to clinic. Therefore, you might find the ranges within this book slightly different to yours.

Struggling with infertility can be stressful, emotional and draining. Stress and other factors create hormonal imbalances that can negatively impact fertility. From a Western medical point of view, stress can cause people to produce excessive cortisol, the stress hormone. This causes the body to use up important resources as well as affect an embryo implanting into the uterus wall (⁶). Research has shown that women who start fertility treatment with too much cortisol in their body, have a reduced success rate (⁵). The same applies to trying naturally. It’s therefore important when trying naturally for a baby to reduce levels of cortisol. Research has shown that acupuncture reduces stress by regulating hormone levels (⁶). Exercise can also help to reduce levels of cortisol within the body.

Let’s now look at the array of different hormones that make up the orchestra of harmony within our bodies.

Hypothalamus Hormones

The hypothalamus is a major player in the body’s orchestra and sets the scene for other organs that are linked to it, such as the pituitary gland. The hypothalamus is responsible for two major areas of survival: energy regulation and reproduction. When the body has better energy regulation, reproduction is better regulated. The hypothalamus produces gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH) and thyrotrophin-releasing hormone (TRH), which control the pituitary gland.

Gonadotrophin-releasing hormone (GnRH)

GnRH is produced from the hypothalamus and causes the pituitary gland to produce follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) and luteinising hormone (LH). Changes in the levels of GnRH are controlled by the amount of oestrogens (oestradiol), leptin and progestins (progesterone) in the blood. Oestrogens and leptin increase GnRH levels while progesterone decreases it. Research has shown that acupuncture is able to control GnRH thereby regulating the pituitary gland and its release of these fertility hormones (⁷) (⁸), thus improving female fertility.

Thyrotrophin-releasing hormone (TRH)

TRH is produced from the hypothalamus and causes the pituitary gland to produce thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH).

Pituitary Hormones

Let’s now look at the next major organ involved in fertility: the pituitary gland. The pituitary gland produces several hormones. The important ones in fertility are FSH, LH, oxytocin, prolactin and TSH.

Follicle stimulating hormone (FSH)

FSH is produced by the pituitary gland after receiving the command from the hypothalamus. FSH is an important indicator of fertility. FSH stimulates the ovaries to grow multiple follicles – between 10 and 20 each month – all of which contain potential eggs. As one follicle becomes the biggest and matures, it releases oestradiol while the other follicles die off. The normal level of FSH is 3.5–12.5IU/mL on day 2–3 of your menstrual cycle. The level of FSH increases with age (see table below).

Table 1. Age-related FSH levels (⁹) (¹⁰)

FSH nourishes and grows the egg. Any physical deficiencies, such as a lack of energy, blood, lipids, protein and complex carbohydrates, that exist in the woman during the 85 days it takes for the egg to develop can affect its growth and maturation.

Research has shown that exposure to a cold environment can delay follicle growth and cause a low response of the ovaries to FSH