That Fourth Month, I Got Pregnant

I was 39 when we decided to try a second time to have a child. My first pregnancy ended in a miscarriage, and recovery was difficult until I started seeing Dr. Zhou. After my first acupuncture treatment and about three days into drinking the Chinese herbs she prescribed, I was back to my energetic, healthy self. We decided to wait three months before trying to conceive in order to get the full benefit of the herbs and acupuncture, so I was 40 when we tried again. That fourth month, I got pregnant, and it was a bit of a surprise, because I wasn’t the best patient. I rarely missed getting acupuncture every week, but I didn’t always drink my prescribed herbs and would frequently forget to chart my basal body temperature. From the beginning, this pregnancy was completely different. I had typical symptoms, but remained very healthy. My blood pressure was always normal, glucose test was normal, and though I did have some morning sickness during the first trimester, it was minimized because I continued to receive acupuncture treatments. I was most ill when I had to skip my weekly appointment one week. You do a lot more sonograms when you’re of “advanced maternal age”, so I did all the sonograms to identify the risk of Down Syndrome, etc. Results came back normal, and by all accounts from my OB/GYN and specialists she sent me to, I’m having a very healthy baby boy in August who I suspect will be a great soccer player one day. Though Dr. Zhou will release you shortly after your pregnancy is confirmed, I stayed with her a lot longer because I found acupuncture so relaxing and enjoyable. (I was a lot like Linus and his blanket.) Another thing I liked about Dr. Zhou is that she is knowledgeable, kind, patient and cheerful. I’ve handed her card out to anyone experiencing difficulty conceiving. If we decide to have a second child, then I will definitely go back to her for treatment. I am so grateful that I found her and was open to Chinese medicine, because the result is that we will have the son we are so happy to welcome into the world. 

- Rebecca