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Pregnant with Two Year Old Frozen Embryos
After an unsuccessful Invitro-Fertilization (IVF) attempt, I
decided to use yoga and acupuncture for both stress relief and a healthy
mind, body and spirit. I used these treatments both before,
during and after a second IVF attempt and my husband and I were
excited to learn that we were expecting a son. After another year
of trying to get pregnant (with no success), I again turned to
acupuncture to help get my body ready for a frozen embryo transfer.
I contacted Carolyn and started acupuncture before my fertility treatments
were to begin. Even though a transfer does not entail the same
amount of preparation as a full IVF, I wanted to have my body and
mind as prepared as possible. The acupuncture treatments were
easy and pain-free. We discussed my goals and prepared my body
for what was to happen. After the transfer, Carolyn actually told
me my abdomen felt warm and she thought I was pregnant -- and boy was
I, with boy/girl twins. I would recommend acupuncture
for anyone going through any type of fertility problems/treatments.
There is nothing to lose and everything to gain.
AngelaStay-At-Home
Mother of 3
“See
News Story from Channel 10”
37 and Finally at My Wits End
"I began seeing Carolyn in January 2006. After
riding the roller coaster ride of traditional infertility treatments
and surgeries for 5 years-I was desperately searching for a better
way. Soon after my miracle daughter conceived through IVF turned 1..I
began dreaming of another baby, but not looking forward to the rigorous,
painful treatments and the emotional turmoil. Now 3 years older, I was
told by my doctors that my odds of becoming pregnant on my own were
1 % !!! After the heartbreak of 2 more IVF attempts, my husband and
I were at our emotional and financial limit and decided on one last
try for a baby. I was determined to give myself every possible advantage. Reaching
for answers and hope I called Carolynn whose expertise guided me through
a change in diet, added supplements and weekly sometimes biweekly acupuncture
treatments and occasional massage. The changes I felt were almost immediate-with
better health came a sense of regained power and confidence in winning
the war. With the treatments I received my best results ever with 4
perfect embryos! Three embryos were placed in late May 2006 and
Carolyn performed acupuncture treatments before and after the surgical
treatments to ensure implantation. Two weeks later we received the incredible
news-I was pregnant!!!! Thank you Carolyn for helping to make the inconceivable
believable-I'm now 4 weeks to Baby!!! "
Caren Harvey RN, BSN Nursing
Supervisor turned Full-Time Mom / Home office manager
Pregnant Naturally After 2+ Years of Trying and 1 Miscarriage
"I got pregnant after undergoing Dr. Carolyn Huffman's
fertility treatment for exactly 3 months. I knew Dr. Huffman from her
massage therapy, yet had never tried acupuncture. After having a miscarriage
and trying to get pregnant for 2+ years, I decided to start the treatment
she offered and follow her instructions with discipline. I recall that
at my first visit she mentioned that it usually takes about 3 months
for a good follicle to develop, which was nothing compared to all the
waiting I had gone through already. She said the first month was to
"prepare the soil", the second one to "fertilize it"
and the third one to "plant the egg". In addition to the weekly
acupuncture sessions, meditation tapes and my decision for a new way
of life, she assisted me on changing my diet and provided a series of
specific Chinese herbs to balance my organism. I am now 6 months pregnant
and happily expecting our first baby. I can't wait to hang his picture
at her office. She is really a remarkable practitioner. "
EMD
Pregnant at 45 with the combination of acupuncture
and IVF
I'm currently a 45 year old woman that is 11 weeks pregnant
thanks to acupuncture fertility treatments for 1 year with Carolyn!
With her guidance I cleaned up my diet with wheat grass and eating more
vegetables, as well as herbs to assist my fertility. She is really a
remarkable person and practitioner. She was with me through the emotional
ups and downs of this long journey and it has been a long one at that!
I had treatments 3 to 4 times a month and sometimes more if needed.
The bonus of the treatments and herbs and diet change was getting pregnant.
Even aspects of my lifestyle I changed, like learning to relax more
and to let go. In the end, I felt so much better with more energy, which
I will need once the baby is born. I cannot tell you how overjoyed I
am. I continue to pursue treatments periodically to assure any possible
miscarriage and to help maintain my energy level and keep me relaxed.
I highly recommend Carolyn Huffman's services to anyone and especially
if you have fertility issues.
Sally, mother to
be, professional
8 Home Pregnancy Tests Later…My Poor Husband!
My story began in August, 2004. I am a planner so I
know that I wanted to have at least one child before I was 30 years
old, so my husband and I decided to start trying to have a baby six
months after we got married. I had it all planned in my head to deliver
in May of 2005 since I am a teacher and it would be great since I have
the summers off. Everything in my life has always gone as planned so
I NEVER imagined I would have a tough time conceiving. Months went on
and I didn't get pregnant. The gynecologist didn't want to try anything
with me as far as treatments go until I had tried to conceive for a
year on my own. That was a VERY long and stressful year. It was hard
on my marriage as well because I would cry all the time, not want to
go to birthday parties or baptisms and my husband was the complete opposite.
He was so positive about the whole process and said it would happen
in time. Well, that is hard to say when everyone around me has children,
never had a problem conceiving and asked me ALL THE time when I was
going to have children. After a year, I told myself that I would do
whatever it took to have a child, which is what I did. In October of
2005 I started Clomid with acupuncture, with Carolyn, with no luck.
I then did six treatments of intrauterine inseminations, including acupuncture
and herbs and still no luck. I bought every book there was on Infertility
and did everything it said to do. I changed my diet and ate more organic
foods. I changed my workout to less intense workouts, including yoga.
I stopped drinking completely as well.
After numerous tests and weekly acupuncture treatments,
the only result that the doctor had for me was that I had unexplained
infertility. That was very frustrating because there was nothing wrong
with my husband and I, so why couldn't we have children? In January
2007, I began my first IVF treatment, with acupuncture as well, with
no luck. I then waited a few months and tried IVF with acupuncture again
in May of 2007. During the time, I had a chemical pregnancy, which lasted
two LONG weeks, with me not being pregnant at the end. During this IVF
treatment, I had four saved frozen eggs so I decided I would use two
eggs and do an IVF transfer again in November of 2007. If it didn't
work, my husband and I were going to use the two frozen eggs we had
left to have a surrogate, have our child that same summer. My husband
did not want me to go through the egg retrieval process again with IVF
because when I did it the second time in May, I had to be rushed to
the hospital because I over stimulated. That was the worst pain of my
life!
Well, I decided I could relax the month of August and
September since I was doing the IVF transfer in November. To my surprise,
my life changed on October 1st, 2007. I called my doctor because I hadn't
gotten my period, which was not unusual with my cycles. She asked me
to take a pregnancy test and then come in the next day for blood work
so she could then give me pills so that my period would come. I took
a pregnancy test that day and it was positive. I still didn't believe
it since I had such bad luck in the past so I made my husband buy 8
more tests and I took them all that night and they all said positive
so you know the rest of the story! I am now 18 and 1/2 weeks pregnant
and due in May of 2008, the month I wanted to have a child three years
ago. It is funny how things happen! During my first trimester, I went
to Carolyn for weekly acupuncture treatments and I am now going monthly
to her office for pre-natal massages. I would do everything I did all
over again for my second child. The only difference would be to relax
more. I thank Carolyn for her patience, advice, and kind words during
this process. She went through it all with me and I greatly appreciate
her help through it all. She was as overjoyed as I and she reminded
me that the last time I had acupuncture was in July and prior to that
off and on for several cycles. I know because of my irregular cycles
and often no periods, it took longer to rebalance my body. She explained
that it was this last series of treatments, combined with the balancing
effect of the prior acupuncture visits and changes in diet and learning
to relax that finally improved my Kidney Yin deficiency and Heart and
Liver Qi stagnation; equating to better blood flow, egg quality and
an opening of the HPO axis. Thus, by my next cycle in late August, early
Sept, I must have fallen pregnant, with the ensuing good news of no
period in Oct and a positive pregnancy test! It was then that Carolyn
suggested I come in for weekly acupuncture for the first trimester to
stabilize the pregnancy and to prevent any possible miscarriage. I am
very thankful.
Dana(School Teacher)
Weekly Acupuncture and Herbs for 3 Months + IVF = Baby!!
After 3 and 1/2 years of infertility, including multiple
cycles of clomid, gonadotropins with intrauterine insemination and exploratory
surgery, my only other option was to attempt IVF. I wanted the IVF cycle
to be as successful as possible, so I turned to Carolyn for acupuncture
treatments. I followed the acupuncture treatment schedule, along with
the diet, exercise and herbs that Carolyn recommended for me. My IVF
cycle produced 3 healthy embryos. I am happy to share that I am now
18 weeks pregnant with my first child! Seeing Carolyn throughout the
IVF cycle and my first trimester, not only helped me physically, but
also mentally. Carolyn was extremely patient, caring and encouraging.
She genuinely wanted this to work for me and went the extra mile all
the time. I can't thank her enough!
- JLD
Attached is my 13 week sonogram.
My Fortune (Cookie) Came True
I had previously undergone acupuncture treatments
for a rotator cuff injury and runner’s knee with much success, so when
my husband and I decided to try for a baby and my cycles were highly
irregular, my first thought was to try acupuncture again. Carolyn
Huffman completed a thorough initial assessment with me to determine the
best treatment options. She suggested not trying for a baby for three
months to develop healthy follicles for the release of optimal eggs. It
was an adjustment for me not to try, because I thought getting pregnant
would not be a difficult task.
After the initial three months of acupuncture, I
started trying for a baby again but my cycles were just starting to
normalize to 28-32 days instead of 35-60 days. I also made modifications
to my diet, by increasing my consumption of various vegetables and
warming foods and liquids, as well as decreasing and ceasing the use of
coffee, sugar, chocolate, and other fertility-unfriendly foods and
drinks. I kept a log on the Fertility Friend website to track my
temperature, and with the acupuncture, I began to understand how my body
was functioning on a monthly cycle. I began to notice how after a night
of drinking with friends or after a very stressful week, my temperature,
mood, and body responded negatively.
After a full six months of acupuncture treatments,
diet changes, and the recommended herbs Carolyn prescribed, I found out
I was pregnant which was one of the most heart-warming days of my life!
When I told Carolyn, she was just as surprised and shared my joy. I also
decided to continue acupuncture treatments through my first trimester
which I greatly believe has helped decrease my nausea and overall
tiredness. I am now beginning my second trimester and am happily
pregnant, ready to be a mommy! I plan to continue acupuncture treatments
as needed during my pregnancy and before birth.
During one of my months of acupuncture, I opened a
fortune cookie that read, “Time, nature and patience are the three great
physicians.” Carolyn’s acupuncture treatments and herbs have been part
of each of these three approaches to my healthy fertility process!
Jessica, Tampa
Unexplained Infertility with Ovulation on Day 28!
I had been trying to get pregnant for 3 years before beginning treatment with Carolyn Huffman. I had tried naturally for the first year with no success. I had irregular periods and that first year only had 2 periods the entire year. I then began treatment with a fertility specialist. After all of the initial testing my husband and I were told that our tests looked great and there were no “known” issues that were contributing to our inability to conceive. We went through 3 rounds of IUI and clomid. All 3 attempts were unsuccessful. After meeting with our infertility specialist it was suggested that the next step should be IVF.
In the meantime, my mother had read an article about Carolyn and her acupuncture treatments for fertility in the Tampa Tribune. I had never heard of treating with acupuncture to help with infertility, but thought “Why not give it a try”. I was a little afraid of the entire IVF process so I began treating with Carolyn in the middle of July. She was able to diagnose my condition and recommend several changes to my diet and had me taking a combination of herbs to help improve blood flow. I did acupuncture treatments with Carolyn 1 to 2 times a week for approximately 45 days. During that time she was able to reduce my Cycle time. She also had me taking my basal body temperature every morning. The more I monitored myself… the more I found out how irregular my body was. My temperatures were abnormally low. I also noticed that I was ovulating on days 28, 29, and 30. Definitely not the norm. In August I was still treating with Carolyn and was on day 41 of my cycle. I came in for my visit that Friday afternoon and we did a heavy duty front and back treatment with electrical stimulation to help induce a period. That weekend I noticed that I was feeling very tired and felt crampy, but my period never came. So that Sunday I decided to do a pregnancy test …. And to my complete surprise, I was pregnant!!! Even though my LH surge and ovulation was on day 28!
Carolyn is absolutely brilliant. She makes you feel like you are her only client. She provides so much guidance and keeps you positive & uplifted. She has guided me through this entire process and there is no one that I trust more than Carolyn. I also treated with her once a week to help prevent miscarriage and any first trimester issues and I will return prior to delivery. I would recommend her services to anyone that is experiencing any fertility problems. She is absolutely amazing.
Katie, St.Pete Beach, FL
39 & FINALLY Pregnant after almost 5 years!
I attended a forum at Huffman Wellness in April. I had been trying to conceive for 4 1/2 yrs. & had one miscarriage after a few rounds of clomid. After hearing some of the success stories of the women Carolyn has treated I immediately regained some of the hope that I had lost after all those years of failed attempts. I decided to give acupuncture a try. I'm 39 yrs old so Carolyn suggested I come in once a week for treatment. I changed my diet and started taking the herbal supplements that she recommended. I also tried to keep up a positive positive attitude thru out the whole process and just kept telling myself that this time it was going to be different, this time it was going to happen for me. Three months later, it finally did! I'm now 15 weeks pregnant!!!! I will be forever grateful to Carolyn for helping me achieve this precious gift.
Renee, Spring Hill
PCOS and Finally Pregnant at 34!
I always knew I wanted to have children, but had a sneaking suspicion I would have some challenges getting pregnant. I felt that way because before I was on the “pill” for the 13 y ears, I had an extremely irregular menstrual cycle.
My husband and I were married November 2006, and decided that I would stop using the pill January 2007 to give my body a few months to adjust before we started “trying”. When June rolled around, we were ready. The excitement came to a halt because after, 8 weeks went by, I had no period and pregnancy tests were negative. Fertility specialists say to wait a year before trying to take action , but I knew something was not right with my body. I did extensive internet research, and diagnosed myself with PCOS. I then went to my OBGYN and she confirmed I had PCOS. In short, with PCOS you do not ovulate, or ovulate very, very rarely, giving you no or rare, unpredictable opportunities to become pregnant.
My OBGYN recommended that I try Clomid to help me ovulate. I started my first dose of Clomid September 2007, and nothing happened. Then took my second, higher dose of Clomid in November 2007, and still no results. In December per my OBGYN recommendation I saw a fertility specialist. The fertility specialist performed a number of tests and recommended that I have two options: IVF or IUI, both which required shots.
I felt that was not the way conception was suppose to happen for me and I wanted to first try an alternative method. Someone told me about acupuncture and I decided it was worth a chance for a few months. I first met with one acupuncturist and he too told me the only way he would treat me was if I did IVF with his treatments. So when I finally met with Carolyn I had tears in my eyes of utter despair and lost hope. She looked at me and understood and said “Look I know this is hard and I will work with you, but with the complexity of your disease I cannot make any guarantee and that I may have to eventually resort to IVF.” She also stated it was important to follow a strict regimen with the diet, herbs and acupuncture program she would recommend as well as a change in lifestyle.
My menstrual cycle started to become shorter at 53, 49 and then 43 days. But, I still was not sure if I was ovulating. June 2008, I decided to go back to the Fertility Specialist to have some test performed and see if the acupuncture was making a difference. Unfortunately, the tests did not appear to show anything different from when the test were performed 7 months previously. And, again the fertility specialist said I had two options: IVF or IUI.
I was devastated that it appeared that all the efforts I put in the past 6 months did not make a change. I decided not to make any decisions on what I wanted to do and to enjoy my birthday a week later. I completely changed my outlook – I had a positive attitude and decided I was “34 and fabulous”. My husband and I we headed to Pennsylvania for July 4th weekend, and I knew I was going to see friends and family members with children – but, I kept a positive attitude. Surprisingly, I was already 25 days through my menstrual cycle – and I ovulated! A few weeks later after continuing to track my temperature and saw that it continued to be high over 14 days, and after 21 days and some pregnancy signs I could no longer ignore, I took a pregnancy test August 2008 and it said “Pregnant”. The day I came in to tell Carolyn, I said: “It has been 6 months…” and that is all I said. Mind you, several weeks before I was getting really frustrated and impatient and really sad, and Carolyn knew this, as many times I shed some tears and before she could try to get me back on track with my temps, and anything she could to keep me focused, I said “wo, forget that stuff, I’m pregnant!”
Valarie Lewis
Engagement Director, Professional Services
(813) 829-9220
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