WHO ARE WE?
Acupuncturists - Helen Taylor-Weekes and Margella Salmins
Helen Taylor–Weekes (Norman) has been involved in TCM Acupuncture, infertility, IVF, male fertility and pregnancy for over 23 years. she has worked as an Acupuncturist, health care advisor, teacher, consultant and mother working in the NHS and in private clinics around the South-East. She helped to establish The Welwyn & Hatfield Practice in the nineties with her husband Ian who works as the Head Osteopath.
Margella Salmins studied Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) for five years full-time, graduating with a first class honours degree from Middlesex University and a Bachelor of Medicine degree from Beijing University of Chinese Medicine in June 2007. Her clinical training was completed over three years at the Asanté Academy of Chinese medicine, and the Whittington and North Middlesex Hospital pain clinics in London. In addition to this, 6 months of the final year were spent in clinical practice at the Xiyuan and Zhongri hospitals in Beijing.
ABOUT YOU AND YOUR BODY
Over the years many couples have come to Helen and Margella for advice on how to get into into optimum shape for conception. As science progresses, more and more evidence points to the fact that the right combinations of diet, exercise, emotional well being. This combined with a few gentle lifestyle changes (Acupuncture can support this process) can not only increase our chances of a happy and healthy pregnancy but also can improve your unborn baby’s health and all-round potential too. We also understand that fertility treatments can be extremely stressful for both partners. We do our utmost to add the personal touch by getting to know you and by staying in contact and supporting you during stressful periods and laughing with you during happy ones. In short we are there 100% all the way.
Acupuncture at The Welwyn & Hatfield Practice helps to support your health. It makes sense that if your bodily systems are working well together, a couple’s chances of conception greatly increase. Acupuncture can help you through all stages from conception, pregnancy to pre-birth, delivery and post natal care. Our real joy is in helping you to be happy parents with healthy babies. Our unique style patient care combines with Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) fertility focused acupuncture appears to work really well and helps our patients to conceive. Studies have shown that Acupuncture supports health, IVF and complex health related infertility issues. We have had great success in the last few years with many happy parents and babies.
WHAT IS ACUPUNCTURE AND WHAT DOES IT DO ?
Fertility Acupuncture is a branch of Traditional Chinese Medicine which involves placing very fine needles into the skin of different points in order to stimulate the flow of Qi pronounced (“Chee”) which is the body’s energy. Acupuncture has been used for centuries to balance energy and treat fertility problems in both men and women. There is now an impressive body of evidence to support this success. Evidence suggests that it balances organ systems and increases hormones thereby normalising blood supply to the reproductive system. Ultrasound studies have shown that Acupuncture “normalises” blood flow to the womb and fallopian tubes improving the likelihood of a healthy pregnancy. It also helps to reduce cortisol levels (stress hormones) which may have a detrimental effect on the body’s ability to conceive or hold onto a pregnancy.
A large scale trial conducted at New York’s Weill Medical College of Cornell University conducted that Acupuncture treatment has the following fertility-boosting effects:
- Increased blood flow to the uterus improving the chances of the fertilised egg to implant.
- Increased hormone (GnRH) which regulates reproduction.
- Lower stress hormones that interfere with ovulation.
- Normalised fertility hormones that regulate ovulation.
- Improve ovulation cycles in women with poly-cystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)
- Improves pregnancy rates in women undergoing IVF by up to 50%.
