I love my work. Sometimes however, I can’t fit everything I want to share with someone in our visit. To help support patients in their daily living and help them achieve their family building or wellness goals, I’m always looking for resources. Since my last post, a couple of new books were released that I want to share with you. Both books are great resources. One focuses on diet and the other focuses on pre-conception care. Both books are easy to navigate, read, and understand.

Feed Your Fertility by Emily Bartlett, LAc, and Laura Erlich, LAc

Hippocrates said, “Let food be thy medicine, and medicine be thy food.” This book is a great resource for you if you want to learn how best to support your fertility through diet. The cover alone makes my mouth water with a beautiful shot of a freshly opened, ripe, pomegranate. Written by two practicing Los Angeles acupuncturists, the book covers the basics of infertility, ways to cultivate fertility, obstacles to fertility, and how to navigate fertility treatment. Included are recommendations on how to source food, recipes, and a meal planning suggestions. An especially helpful section provides targeted food recommendations for specific infertility diagnoses like Premature Ovarian Failure and Endometriosis.

Planting the Seeds of Pregnancy by Stephanie Gianarelli, LAc, and Lora Shahine, MD

Authored by an acupuncturist and a reproductive endocrinologist from Seattle, this is an overview of preconception care. This book’s eight chapters are a great resource that helps to answer questions I often hear in clinic like: When is the best time for us to have sex each month? What can Chinese medicine do for me? What do I do once I become pregnant? The book clearly explains both the Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and conventional medicine approaches, and how they can work well together. Once pregnant, the book then provides guidance on how TCM supports a healthy pregnancy. This is easy bedside reading with pragmatic solutions to help you feel empowered in your fertility journey.