Liz Richards Acupuncture

09/01/09

Acupuncture for Infertility in Portland Oregon

by fertilestories

I always knew I wanted to have children. When I was a child myself I loved to care for younger kids and I just always imagined myself with a family. In January 2005 I became pregnant and my husband and I were thrilled. We read all the books and did all the things we were supposed to do. When I went in for an ultrasound to check a possible complication with my cervix the radiologist coldly told me something was wrong and gave me the number of a genetic counselor to call. At 12 weeks we learned our baby was not going to make it. At 14 weeks we lost her. I had a D & C (dilation and curettage) procedure. We waited the recommended amount of time to start trying again. We knew we wanted to have a baby. Every month I got my period I became more discouraged and disappointed. Our baby’s due date came and passed and still I was not pregnant. Making it through that due date was so hard. I was tracking my ovulation with ovulation sticks and with my morning temperature. I was charting everything. I had started seeing an MD because it seemed I was ovulating around the last day of my period at times and my cycle was completely unpredictable. One month I had a 40 day cycle, the next month a 27 day cycle. I had read so much about acupuncture and I started to talk about it with my husband. He searched the internet for someone in Oregon who had experience with families trying to conceive. Thank our lucky stars he found Liz.

Liz immediately created a routine that worked along with my medical treatments (progesterone) to regulate my cycle again and she also helped me change my diet and, best of all, relax! I loved the appointments. I felt so confident in Liz’s knowledge and skill that I could just go and rest and calm my body and mind. I started weekly treatments in early December and we were thrilled to learn I was pregnant again in February!

In my final trimester of that healthy pregnancy our baby was transverse breech and happy to be that way. I didn’t want to have the physical manipulation to move her and I hoped to avoid a C-section. Liz helped us again with moxa treatments. I actually saw baby turn that first night! She stayed head down and I had a normal delivery.

I found a path that worked for me through acupuncture and self-hypnosis/ deep relaxation techniques. I think the focus on a healthy mind and body contributed to the happy and calm spirits both of my kids have now! Best wishes!

• Pros: reliable and skilled
• Cons: Nope

09/01/09

Pregnant at 44

by gratefulsouls

I started trying to conceive my second child when I was 42. I didn’t seek medical intervention until I was 44. By this time, my FSH was 10. It fell to 6 when I took the fertility medicine Clomid. The doctors I consulted were willing to work with me, but they were careful not to raise my expectations. (I think I surprised them when I called to schedule a prenatal appointment!)

After two and a half months with no success on Clomid, I started wondering about other ways to boost my fertility. I didn’t have any experience with acupuncture, but I was intrigued by what I learned from the Blossom website. And when I called to schedule an initial consultation with Liz, she recommended two books: Fertility Wisdom by Angela C. Wu and the The Infertility Cure by Randine A. Lewis. Both of these books include truly inspirational examples of women my age (and older) who relied on Chinese Medicine to achieve successful, healthy pregnancies.

The advice I have to someone trying to conceive who is thinking of seeing Liz: Nothing ventured, nothing gained. Western medicine tends to focus on statistics. Here is an example of one statistic I encountered when I was thinking about a second child: “A forty year old woman has a less than 10% chance of having a successful pregnancy using her own eggs.” My doctors also warned me about my elevated risk of miscarriage and chromosomal abnormalities. By contrast, Liz never gave me the sense that my efforts to conceive and carry a healthy baby were futile. She counseled me to make some changes in my diet, try herbal supplements, and come in for regular acupuncture sessions. Less than two months after my first appointment with Liz, I was pregnant. I am now solidly into my second trimester and expecting a healthy baby boy in January.

• Pros: trustworthy, encouraging
• Cons: NONE

08/25/09

I 100% recommend Liz Richards!

by KimH2

I sought Liz's expertise after being diagnosed with an extremely elevated FSH at 38. My fertility doctor told me my chances of conceiving with my own eggs was less than 5%. I was shocked by this diagnosis as I had conceived a healthy baby girl just 1.5 years prior. Before looking to adoption or using donor eggs, I decided I wanted to give acupuncture and herbs a try. To my surprise, after seeing Liz for just 3 months, I became pregnant!! I'm now 5 months pregnant with another healthy baby girl. I found Liz to be incredibly intuitive, professional, body-wise and soothing. Please go see her if you're at all inclined- you won't be disappointed!