[Sharon Bacigalupi]

Hi Tara.

I know that Fairhaven has both a mens and women’s fertility multi vitamin. I have not researched their efficacy but they have emailed me samples which I have shared with patients. Perhaps another person on here has done some further digging about their products.

The only thing is that you need to take something like 6/day, but I suppose that can be less than taking all the other supplements that might be recommended. 😊

[Sharon Bacigalupi]

I found that it was mostly my patients who had just undergone IVF or had recently become pregnant that were most nervous about any potential negative effects on the fetus. Most eventually got vaccinated, but I do have a few patients that did not get vaccinated throughout their entire pregnancy, whether it be for fear of anything “could” happen to the baby due to a vaccine or for the fact that they simply didn’t see the “need” for the vaccine.

RE’s that I work had the same suggestion as in the article, wait about a week after being vaccinated before doing IVF or have it done after the ER in case they were to have some basic vaccine side effects such as fever, chills, fatigue, etc.

I do think that a lot of misinformation has/had been flying around with the vaccination for a variety of reasons – social media, lack of consistent dissemination of information, etc in regard to impact on fertility. I certainly saw patients that had a few irregular cycles after being vaccinated, myself included which I didn’t put two and two together for myself until after I had a minor freak out that I could be starting peri menopause. 🙈

All this said, I am curious what strategies some have in place for staying up with the latest and greatest information regarding fertility and our field. I would love to find a simple way to stay “in the know” while being super busy day to day with my practice and family. I am an ABORM fellow and do read article updates that are shared in our email list. I would love to hear different ideas and ways you stay connected as well as keep info organized for references. I find its a balance to know what is going on in western medicine but also to try not to let it fully take over eastern treatment approaches and the way we diagnose.

[Sharon Bacigalupi]

@lornebrown @Lorianne

I am having difficulty getting the links in your post to work…I don’t know if its just my computer blocking the links from working or if there is an issue with the links themselves. Thanks in advance for your help!

[Sharon Bacigalupi]

Thank you Lorne for posting this – As a practitioner, its easy to tie our own success to that of our patients, but when it comes to fertility, that is a really high bar and can easily result in burnout.

I have to remind myself that under the best circumstances, someone in their prime fertility will only have a 25% chance of getting pregnant on any given cycle – and most of the patients I see in my clinic to do not fall into that category as they have been struggling for long periods of time for various reasons – DOR, RPL, endometriosis, PCOS, dysmenorrhea, etc. Even with this reminder to myself, its hard to not get burnt out or question your skill if patients aren’t becoming pregnant since that is what they are coming to you for.

We want our patients to get what they come in for and share their amazing stories with others so that their friends/families also come to you for acupuncture. It’s a big ask and its hard not to get discouraged at times and question our effectiveness as a practitioner. I think this is true in many areas, but especially for fertility and when in private practice.

I’m curious to hear how others measure their successes, manage situations where even after seeing patient who has done all you have asked, still does not get pregnant – they often leave thinking acupuncture didn’t work (we of course know that it does work, that it most likely improved their overall well-being regardless of pregnancy outcome), get out of negative mind set loops and help prevent burnout.

All these thoughts are reasons why I am so happy to be a part of this program/mentorship. To learn new ways to reverse and prevent burn out (which I am feeling right now!), to be able to find measurable ways to reflect on success (without feeling indulgent or weird about it), finding ways to grow as a practitioner while balancing work/family and seeing different practice styles that could be wonderful options for growth and renewal.

[Sharon Bacigalupi]

Hi Laura and Everyone! (I forgot to say where I was from so I’ve added that in!)

I’m so excited to be joining this amazing community of practitioners and mentorship program for so many reasons, some of which include the opportunity to work collaboratively (which I miss being in private practice), refining diagnostic skills (building on what I know and making sure I’m not skipping steps after being out of school for so long), taking classes in real time (which is huge – I love the live classes and is one reason I miss school), having the opportunity for discussions and to share and gain practical insight for growing and sustaining a fertility practice.

I am an ABORM fellow and have been private practice for the last 10+ years (it’s so hard to keep track of anything these days!). While I have a focus on women’s health and fertility, I do see patients for a variety of issues as well in my practice (90% of my practice is fertility). My practice is Boston, Massachusetts (actually, just outside of Boston in Brookline)

It is amazing to hear about some of the connections here with Ray Rubio and this was in fact one more sign that I knew I was in the right place. I was also beyond fortunate to have Ray Rubio as a mentor, and even during that short period of time, he had a profound impact on me and I felt beyond fortunate for his guidance and support. (I’m sure we all have some stories to share!) I am so grateful that you will be continuing to share some of his wisdom in your classes.

I can’t wait to start!