Jenny Layton Research: acupuncture and threatened miscarriage Threatened miscarriage refers to when a pregnancy has been deemed ‘viable’, that is, when a heartbeat is present, and bleeding occurs. This intensely scary scenario has no recommended medical treatment options, only to ‘wait and see what happens’, and ‘try not to worry’(!), which is of course impossible. We know that 50-70% of miscarriages are due to chromosomal issues incompatible with life according to Mother Nature, and we don’t want to override that. However, where there is no known cause, maybe some could potentially be helped ..read more

Many a conversation has been happening in clinic surrounding this question. Many patients have been concerned about a possible impact on their fertility from the Covid vaccine. A few patients, including myself have indeed seen some alteration to our menstrual cycles following the Pfizer vaccine (not sure about Astra Zeneca though). My cycle, following the 2nd Pfizer, came 4 days later than usual and was possibly a little bit heavier. It has however, come back to my regular 28 days for the next cycle. I am always curious to find out the science and physiology behind the female reproductive sys ..read more

Anger is the emotion associated with springtime in Traditional Chinese Medicine, so as we move towards Spring, I thought we could do some prep work. For most of us, we consider anger a bad emotion, something to avoid or get rid of, so why would it be one that TCM would shine a light on? Well, no emotion is inherently good or bad (ask any grumpy cat), it’s how we deal with challenging emotions that can end up hurting ourselves or those we love. According to TCM, springtime is a very yang time of year, full of new energy and growth in nature, and in us. In humans, when growth or change occurs i ..read more

I truly wish we could be having a laugh over a wine at a tropical destination right now, but that just aint' our reality. I am so very sorry that we all find ourselves in lockdown number 4,563! I'm not sure about you, but I find exaggerating helps me feel just a little bit ridiculous & cheers me up slightly . I want this BLOG to find you well & not too distressed about the 'stay at home' orders, but if that is not your reality (I hear you), please know that we are open & can treat you IRL ('in real life' for those over 30!). The positive to lockdown is that we have plenty of space ..read more

Today I wanted to not only bring a taste of the outside world into your life, but also show you some learnings from people who have lived the longest & healthiest. In 2015 a National Geographic expedition lead by Dan Buettner went to uncover the secret to living longer. His team explored 5 regions of the world where people consistently lived to over 100 years of age. Sardinia, Italy Ikaria, Greece Nicoya Peninsula, Costa Rica Loma Linda, California (community of 9,000 Adventists) Okinawa, Japan They were astounded by their findings and Dan published a book - Blue Zones: Lessons from the ..read more

It is a daily occurrence in my clinic for women to ask me about menopause-related health issues. I was chatting to a patient the other day and it inspired this weeks BLOG. She was considering whether she should take hormone replacement therapy, and what the long-term effects might be. She asked how women in Asian countries deal with menopause, and if there are natural, safe alternatives to artificial hormone replacement. For Chinese women, hot flashes and night sweats are uncommon experiences, and very few of them are ever put on hormone replacement therapy by their doctors. It is an interest ..read more

that is the question. Funny story (possibly a little bit judgy )...while on my Zoom Plum Village Buddhist retreat Welcoming Ceremony (more about that later), you would never believe the name of the lovely lady 'sitting' beside me...you guessed it Candida! Maybe it was lost in translation, not sure which country she hailed from, but I can't imagine what it would be like to be named after a yeast infection? In Buddhist theory, maybe she was named to increase her strength and resilience? You would need both of these strengths to hold such a handle, I would imagine! So, it got me to thinking abou ..read more

Sorry just had to go there! I have been really enjoying exploring the science of hope via the Ten Percent Happier podcast and program and I thought it might be relevant to those of you out there that are struggling to see a future. Today on their podcast they had psychologist Dr Jacqueline Mattis who has found through her research that hope is optimism with a plan. Through her research she noticed a pattern among people who were able to translate their hopes into reality: when the articulated plan doesn't work out, they pivot to make sure they get to the heart of what it is they ultimately wa ..read more

Following on from last weeks BLOG about what the science says, I was made aware of this well-researched article by a fellow TCM practitioner in Auckland, Dr. Jenny Li, B Acu, M HS, PhD Acu. I have a lot of respect for Dr Jenny and believe she has reputable sources and a non-biased approach. I pinky promise to always hear your fears and concerns and be open to an honest and knowledgeable conversation, as always. We are here for you more so than ever. We have been asked numerous times about the influences of COVID vaccination on fertility, “is it safe for me to have the vaccination when trying ..read more

I am in the midst of putting my life's work into an online program, as you may imagine there are many doubts & insecurities swirling through my mind. Am I worthy of people's trust? Is there any value in what I have to offer? This thinking is somewhat counter-intuitive & is holding me back on actually doing the 'work'. So, rather than dwell on what I might be lacking & getting bogged down in my imposter syndrome thinking, I decided to practice what I preach & create healthy habits around this 'work'. This is what I do know, habits are most often influenced/dictated to us by the ..read more