Thin Uterine Lining? Increase it Fast!

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Your uterine lining has to be just right before your upcoming embryo transfer; the thickness and quality of your uterine lining are often some of the most significant fundamental factors in whether or not your doctor can move forward with your fertility cycle or cancel. 

Hearing the words, “We may need to cancel this cycle and reschedule for a future transfer date,” is devastating. Unfortunately, this can happen more times than you’d think. But the great news is there are many natural ways to boost the thickness of your lining, and these methods have shown promising results!  

Often, in fertility treatments, fertility doctors will increase estrogen when the lining is too thin. But sometimes, more blood-building is needed if your lining is stubborn.

THE GM FERTILITY METHOD

Top Five Uterine Lining Tips: 

Eat Blood-Building Foods. 

In TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine), a thin uterine lining is a sign of “blood deficiency” and poor uterine blood flow. Often, when thinking of blood deficiency, iron is brought up, but in TCM, blood deficiency is different than a conventional medical diagnosis. Iron deficiency in conventional medicine is a form of anemia, and in many cases, in the TCM diagnosis, blood deficiency is much more than in conventional medicine. 

In TCM, we view blood as the “life force” in the body, the foundation substance that keeps the body from drying out and lacking vitality. Body parts become dry without proper blood formation, flow, and movement. This can include the tendons, organs, hair, nails, and uterine lining. When the blood flow is lacking due to possible blood deficiency, the uterine lining can become thin and not have the thickness needed for a healthy embryo transfer.

So, what are some blood-building foods I suggest in my Fertility clinic?

• Organic meat soups and stews (red meat organic, or free-range bones)
• No salads and cold raw veggies – all are too cold for the uterus and cause a lack of blood flow. 
• Warm foods: Think warm and cozy earth foods, such as squash, sweet potato, pumpkin, and beets. All organic.
• Organic or free-range homemade bone broth
• Barley
• Spirulina
• Cooked organic leafy greens and broccoli
• Organic eggs
• Plenty of protein, excellent quality organic meats
• Organic beef or chicken liver

What to avoid when building your lining. 

• Caffeine (none or no more than 200 mg per day)
• Sugar
• Dairy (organic yogurt is about it, but without sugar)
• Alcohol 
• Iced drinks 
• Processed chemical foods 

Castor oil packs over the uterus (never do this after ovulation or after an embryo transfer).

Castor oil packs warm the uterus and increase blood flow by breaking up stuck energy, which may be causing a lack of blood flow to your uterus. Of course, more blood flow means better lining. But remember not to do cast oil packs after ovulation (if trying naturally) or after an embryo transfer. Always discuss any new treatments/additions with your doctor. The magic of castor oil is it softens the tissue and helps to draw toxins out of the tissue, then flush them out of your system. Always drink plenty of water afterward.

SLEEP: Listening to your body.

Sleep is one of the most crucial tools to increase your uterine lining and have a successful fertility cycle. When we don’t get enough sleep, we create adrenal fatigue, which causes an imbalance of hormones. Estrogen is substantial in the thickness of your uterine lining. In TCM, estrogen is known as Yin, which is the moisture in the body, i.e., blood, as we discussed earlier. The uterine lining suffers when the Yin (estrogen) is not abundant. Yin is depleted through the stress of not getting enough sleep and rest. It’s best to be in bed by 11 pm and aim for 7 to 8 hours of sleep every night for increased success during your fertility cycle. 

Practice activities that help reduce stress and have optimal blood flow throughout your entire body, including your uterus, for optimal fertility success! Stress is one of the critical factors in the lack of blood flow in the whole body, including the uterus and ovaries. 

Keep the exercise intensity to a minimum. 

I often hear, “I can’t do high-impact exercise?” The answer is no; I don’t recommend it. Frequently, I get asked why, so here it is. High-intensity exercise stresses your physical body out and can also dry you out (remember the Yin we discussed above). Fertility doctors do not recommend you do high-intensity exercising while going through treatments anyway, so this is probably already something you are staying clear of. The truth is some form of exercise, like walking, is excellent for keeping blood moving, so light to medium-speed walking is great unless your doctor suggests otherwise.  So what can you do? Practice activities that keep you calm and manage stress. Stress causes a lack of blood flow, and when we are stressed, the muscles get tight. It is surprising to note the uterus is a muscle! 

So, practice activities that help reduce stress to maintain optimal blood flow throughout your body, including your uterus. 

• Meditate each day (start with 5 minutes for newbies).
• Practice journaling and affirmations.
• Do activities that make you happy.
• Buy and nurture a new plant (great for connecting to the feminine energy for fertility).

Work with a Fertility Acupuncturist and work with a Chinese Herbalist.

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Finding a Fertility & Women’s Health Acupuncturist can be challenging in some areas of the world, but many great ones are out there! The key is looking for someone with the credentials to specialize in Fertility & Women’s Health and work with ONLY licensed Acupuncturists. 

An excellent tool for finding Fertility & Women’s Health Acupuncturists and Chinese herbalists is using the practitioner finder on the ABORM website. This is a groundbreaking, highly respected organization that fertility doctors recognize, gynecologists, and some of the top women’s health specialists as the go-to for finding Certified Fellow Fertility Acupuncturists. I am ABORM certified. 

Learn more about Lindsay

Want to learn more? I can help you if you are in the Denver area at my Denver-based clinic or from anywhere in the world; book a consultation with me to learn more about how I can increase your fertility success and my highly successful signature fertility program, The Fertile Energy Code Program!