My Story When I was a little girl, I was sure I was going to be a mom with a whole van-full of kids. I had no idea what I would have to go through just to become the mother of one. All I knew was that growing up with five kids in my family was pretty cool. By the time I was 12, I was also convinced that I would be a doctor when I grew up. I thought I might like to be a cardiovascular surgeon. Well, I stayed on the pre-med track through about my second year in college and became increasingly disillusioned with what I felt was a cut-throat competitiveness to get into medical school. It seemed I would have to give up a huge part of my next 10 years to make it all happen, and I just wasn't sure I was ready to make that sacrifice. I ended up getting my degree in Economics and just continued taking the pre-med classes "for fun." My foray into business afforded me a great deal of time and freedom for travel, and I did lots of that. My path ultimately led me back to running my mom's nurse-midwifery private practice. In addition to running the office, I managed a small admin and nursing staff and learned to assist at natural, out of hospital births. By the time my mom retired from private practice 13 years later, I had assisted at over 350 births and helped literally thousands of women through their pregnancy and post-partum periods. I met my husband in 1991, got married in 1994 and shortly after that began my JOURNEY to motherhood. From early 1994 through mid-1998, I had four first trimester miscarriages (some more dramatic than others), two D&Cs, two different uterine surgeries and a 23 week pre-term delivery of a beautiful little baby girl who lived only one hour. I worked with lots of doctors during that time (OB/GYNs, perinatologists, emergency room docs, surgeons), and was actually told by the perinatologist that my "pre-term delivery was probably a fluke" and that I "would most likely never have a baby." Sad, confused and angry at the amazing lack of bedside manner, I figured I had a choice: remain a victim and be angry about everything that was wrong, or become part of the solution. I had been interested in acupuncture and Oriental Medicine for some time; I was a massage therapist and had been on the "alternative medicine" path for many years. About two weeks after beginning oriental medical studies, I decided to try out the medicine for myself. There is a saying in Chinese Medicine that the longer the body has been out of balance, the longer it will take to bring it back to balance, so I knew I'd have to be patient. After all, I had been dealing with OB/GYN problems for over a decade. First, we cured my PMS-no small feat. Then after 12 months of Chinese herbal medicine and weekly acupuncture treatments, I told my husband I thought it was time we try again. As I was saying it, I couldn't believe what I was hearing. It almost felt like someone else was saying it (we joke now that it was probably our daughter). At the time, all I could see was that I still had so far to go in my program. Add to that all we had already gone through, I was more than a little hesitant. I wondered if I was crazy to attempt something during grad school that my body hadn't been able to manage even during "normal life?" Well, 8 weeks later I had a positive pregnancy test. I was ecstatic, anxious and, truth be told, scared half to death. We found a different (infinitely more positive) perinatologist and began one of the most uneventful pregnancies I'd ever seen--and I've seen lots! I had assumed that with my history (and my now "advanced maternal age"), I would have to deliver with a doctor in the hospital. This was definitely different from the birth I had once imagined, but that didn't matter as long as I ended up with that healthy baby in my arms. After several dozen visits to various doctors and midwives, several thousand positive affirmations, the support of acupuncture and herbs , and prayers from everyone I knew (even some from people I'd never met), everything turned out better than anyone could have imagined. I ended up with an underwater birth, at home, with my mom as the attending nurse-midwife. It was a 7 hour, relatively easy labor and we went to bed that night with our beautiful 7 pound 12 ounce healthy baby daughter. After that amazing rollercoaster ride I still had to finish school, pass my Boards and set up a practice. I was actually hesitant to focus on women's health and fertility, despite my extensive personal and professional experience. I was worried that I might be too close to it all and too attached to the outcomes. As I began working, though, they just seemed to find me. Women and couples who needed the compassion and loving support I could provide. It seemed such a natural fit. Then, the icing on the cake...they started getting pregnant! For over 4 years I carried around a quote on a post-it note in the front of my day runner. I don't have the exact wording anymore, but it was something like women are so courageous, they know it's going to hurt, but they want those babies so they do whatever it takes. The "hurt" can refer to the physical pain of delivery, but all to often it's the frustration of trying and trying and not conceiving, the heartbreak of finally conceiving then experiencing miscarriage, or the desperation that grows out of unsuccessful infertility procedures. I know first-hand just how powerful this medicine can be. Both physical and emotional healing is available to you. It is a pleasure and a joy to be the vessel to provide that healing. Acupuncture and Asian Medicine are becoming more mainstream and accepted as positive treatments in Women's Health, but I know that many people still know so little about them. Whether as an alternative to or an adjunct to your current Western treatments, I encourage you to explore this option and contact me to set up a free consultation so you too can discover how this wonderful medicine can help. I look forward to working with you. -Fay