Spring is such a beautiful and vibrant season - it’s the time when flowers start to bloom, seeds start to become active after the dormancy of winter. The three months of the Spring season bring rebirth and renewal. Spring is a time of change as we transition from Winter, the most Yin or quiet season, to the first Yang or active season of the year. This is the time for new beginnings both in nature and within our personal lives.

SPRING IS THE TIME FOR BABY-MAKING!

If you were considering starting a family soon, Spring is an excellent time according to Chinese medicine.  According to Chinese medicine, seasons really do affect fertility. Chinese medicine looks to the energetic cycles of the universe for health answers; the female and male energies - also known as yin and yang - rise and fall throughout the year.

Male energy begins in the spring and peaks around December 21, the summer solstice. Studies performed in China have confirmed that sperm production is generally more abundant and mobile during spring and summer.

New research presented at the 2018 American Society for Reproductive Medicine meeting found that, after looking at 29,000+ men over a 17 year time span, sperm counts tend to be highest in the Spring and lowest in the Summer. Why? It’s difficult to say, but the researchers suggest that cooler temperatures likely contribute.  As well as men’s different physical activity levels at different parts of the year.

Conversely, the ovaries have been producing more follicles during autumn and winter.  Spring is therefore the perfect time for these two energies to connect, as women are primed and men are just gearing up.

An Israeli study shows that fertilisation rates do vary by the seasons of the year in some women undergoing IVF. According to the study, Spring is the most opportune time for fertilisation and also the time when embryos that are conceived through this method are at their highest quality, according to study author Nathan Rojansky, MD, and colleagues. The average fertilisation rate overall was just over 70%, and the spring fertilisation rate was 75%.

Summer however may not be the best time as too high of a temperature is not conducive to fertility. It has been found that when the environmental temperature is overly hot - and the body is above 37 degrees Celsius - there seems to be a drop in the testicular function for men and a delayed maturation of follicles in women.

FERTILITY FOODS

Mother nature also gives us foods in Spring that naturally enhance fertility.

These foods that contain the potential for new life include eggs, nuts, seeds, beans, legumes, and berries. Since these foods are themselves capable of propagation when hatched or sprouted, they are said to be abundant in life-giving energy.

It is no wonder that modern science has confirmed them as a category unto themselves; they are complete foods providing essential amino acids and helping to form the building block of protein. They are also high in the essential fatty acids (EFAs) critical for hormonal health and chock full of the antioxidants that prevent a premature decline in function and ageing.

Hydrate! Water is important through the year, but it is most important in the Springtime to feed the muscles, tendons and sinews that are starting to come alive and be used more. Remember that water is essential for a tree to remain supple and flexible. Our bodies and spirits are no different. A well-hydrated body will serve you well. A well-hydrated spirit will give you flexibility so you will be able to flow with whatever life throws at you.

Sour! Think rhubarb, dandelion greens, arugula salads and lemon water.

PREPARING TO CONCEIVE

Pre-conception preparation involves improving the health of prospective Mum AND Dad to their optimum level and helping their body to produce the best quality eggs and sperm possible. It’s important that you’re both in good health and not stressed out, battling colds or dealing with digestive problems for at least four months prior to conception, no matter whether you are conceiving naturally or with the assistance of IVF treatment.

The three main factors that affect healthy conception are the state of your health, the quality of your diet, and the type lifestyle you lead. Your body is a delicate eco-system. It’s like a garden of possibility and just as you would prepare the earth before planting seeds, you must also prepare your body, mind and spirit before conception. This will ensure healthy eggs and sperm, a stress-free mind, a regular menstrual cycle and a healthy body – all important elements for conception.

Preparing well means a more trouble-free pregnancy and birth and a healthier baby. Acupuncture and Chinese medicine treatments help to prepare for conception by re-balancing your body, hormones, building up blood if needed, improving egg quality, de-stressing, improving sperm count and quality and assisting with necessary lifestyle and dietary changes.

I hope you can use this information to successfully prepare for your own pregnancy or share it with your loved ones and others whom you know that are struggling to get pregnant!