Trying to get pregnant at any age can be difficult for many people but for myself at age 44 it proved to be daunting and nearly impossible (so I was told). I can only say that without the help and expertise of the staff at ECCM, especially Wendy and Carol, I would not be holding my baby daughter in my arms today. She is truly a miracle by all standards. She was conceived via a second round of IVF. After starting acupuncture treatments with Wendy before my second IVF procedure, my total egg production went from 13 to 22 and more importantly my viable 8 celled embryos more than doubled. I was able to implant 9 eggs, which at my age is truly amazing and definitely upped the odds of a pregnancy taking hold. I truly believe that a combination of genetics, acupuncture and the very skilled and competent doctors I had are the reason I have such a beautiful daughter today. She defied the odds. My advice to older mothers is please do not give up and definitely try acupuncture as a way to increase your chances of conceiving. I know it helped me and my daughter is living proof that it works. — Darlene, age 45

After 4 years of heartbreak and disappointment trying to have a baby, we decided to try one final IVF cycle. We wanted to pull out all the stops. So, even though our fertility doctor dismissed the idea that acupuncture might help us conceive, I made an appointment with Wendy anyway. The doctors were skeptical of my chances in general. And after one particular ultrasound, we were encouraged to consider an egg donor. But I told Wendy I had a lazy ovary that wasn't producing follicles, and at the next ultrasound, the doctors were amazed at the results. I firmly believe that the acupuncture was instrumental in the conception of our child. And, it helped me physically and emotionally to remain more balanced throughout the challenging fertility treatments. Today, we are such a happy family with our healthy wonderful son. Thanks, Wendy! We will be forever grateful.

Upon a friend's referral, I called ECCM. I had seen another practitioner (unrelated to ECCM) but he turned out to be a quack! I was pleasantly surprised to learn that ECCM's practitioners were very knowledgeable about IVF, related topics and the body. Whenever I have a question, I can just send an email or call receiving a prompt response and information I was seeking. They helped my dreams of becoming a parent come true! I am certain that the acupuncture treatments helped me! Hopefully they can help me achieve success again in the near future! Thank you ECCM!

I now have a beautiful and healthy baby girl thanks to the assistance of the Eastern Center for Complementary Medicine. The friendly and personable staff members were helpful in working with me to schedule sessions even on relatively short notice. I found the sessions to be very relaxing, enhancing my resilience and response to the IVF procedures. I also found the staff to be very knowledgeable and informative and I learned a lot about basic health and nutrition during my intake interview and the sessions. I would recommend the Easter Center for Complementary Medicine to anyone undergoing fertility treatment. If I had it to do over again, I would have started sessions there sooner, more in advance of my IVF, in order to better prepare myself. — Sara C., Maryland

I can't say enough about ECCM. Wendy, Brandon and Steve will always hold a special place in my heart and in our lives. My husband and I came to them last year having been referred by Huntington Reproductive Center. We were desperate to have another baby and we were using any means necessary. I was no stranger to acupuncture so I was more than willing. But, what I found and what was offered has been so much more.

I saw Steve and benefited greatly from the Neuro Emotional Technique work that he took me through. I felt very strongly that this was something that could help me in my desire to prepare my body for this new life that we wanted so badly. And on a weekly basis I came to see Brandon and Wendy for acupuncture to help prepare my body for the transfer of the embryos and for a healthy pregnancy. They looked at my health as a whole and in the beginning recommended a Spectra Cell blood test. I had no idea that my body was lacking all of these essential vitamins and minerals that are essential for a healthy life and a healthy pregnancy. And it was revealed that two of the elements can be linked to birth defects. This was stunning news to my husband and I as we had lost our very young son to a congenital birth defect. Now, there is no way to connect the dots, but it only made me more determined to do everything I could do to be as healthy as possible. That is all any of us can do. Wendy and Brandon advised me on my diet and lifestyle and took great care of me. They truly love what they do and are very knowledgeable.

I became pregnant on the first transfer and I am expecting twins this summer!!!!!! I still see Wendy and Brandon for maintenance and for a special pregnancy related problem that I will divulge in the hopes that it may help someone else - hemorrhoids! Suffice it to say that Brandon has worked miracles and Wendy has a magic cream - my life is back. Wendy and Brandon don't make any promises: he would even say to me that it usually will take a few tries for the transfers to work. We got very lucky. I know. But, I believe, that they helped guide my body to a place that was completely healthy and calm and ready. I know it helped. And I have never felt better. — Kate

Wendy and Brandon are the BEST at what they do and we LOVE THEM! I was mystified and skeptical about Chinese Medicine but they made a true believer out of me and my family. My brother-in-law (Chris) and I made the 6 hour round trip drive to see them once a week. With their guidance and vast knowledge of Acupuncture, Chinese Medicines, and Nutrition they were able to get my body ready for which turned out to be a successful IVF cycle. As for Chris, he has renal kidney failure and with the guidance of Wendy and Brandon he is now holding his own. Their kind spirits and caring hearts make you feel so at ease and confident in their skill.

Tom and I would like to express our gratitude to you and your staff for helping us on our road to parenthood. As you know, we both approached our 40th birthdays this year and wanted to try having a baby naturally before resorting to reproductive technologies. Ray Rubio, a fertility specialist who teaches at Emperor’s College of Traditional Oriental Medicine in Santa Monica, recommended you as an expert in the field, and we couldn’t be happier with our experience at ECCM. In fact, we immediately knew that we were in good hands after our first consultation with you. The acupuncture treatments, herbs, and vitamins coupled with your advice about diet, exercise, and lifestyle laid the foundation for my healthy conception…that’s right, we are now expecting our first child—a baby girl! We were so excited to see that positive pregnancy test five months after we began working with you. We can’t thank you enough for the care and advice we received from you.

I started seeing Wendy during our second attempt at IVF. I immediately felt in good hands with her expertise and technique. Brandon came with us to help during the egg transfer process. I felt that their mindful attention to our whole journey was instrumental in the birth of our beautiful son. — Mother of a 18-month-old ball of energy

My husband and I tried for five years to have a baby. We went through countless medicated cycles, several IUIs, and 6 IVFs. We were never successful in getting pregnant with ART until I had acupuncture with Wendy for my last two IVF cycles. My lining had been a problem with all previous cycles but with these last two IVFs my lining was superb and while I sadly had an early miscarriage after our fifth cycle, our sixth IVF resulted in the births of our beautiful twin boys. I am so grateful to Wendy and ECCM; I truly believe her acupuncture treatments enabled us to have our boys.

In early 2006, I became an acupuncture patient at ECCM. My husband and I had wanted to conceive, but I had not had a natural menstrual cycle for almost nine months. Coming from a family that practiced Western Medicine, I was initially skeptical about acupuncture, but I decided to give it a try. Within one month of seeking treatment at ECCM, my skepticism was allayed -- I had a natural cycle. My treatment continued, as did my menstrual cycles. It was fantastic! But, more than regaining my natural cycles, I learned so much about wellness at ECCM. Based on suggestions from Brandon, my husband and I altered much of our nutritional lifestyle, switching from soy products to meat and consuming organic dairy and produce. I also began taking ECCM’s prenatal vitamins. I felt so much healthier. And with that feeling of physical wellness came greater emotional calm. I held a very stressful job and at my first appointment, I told Brandon that I wanted to figure out how to remove stress from my life so I could have a baby. Brandon replied that I would always have stress in my life -- I just needed to learn how to manage it. I took his advice to heart. By the time I underwent IVF in early 2007, I felt the most physically and emotionally prepared that I could be. The team at ECCM was infinitely supportive before, during and after my IVF. I honestly believe that having acupuncture immediately before and immediately after my transfer helped incredibly; that, and the ECCM advice to eat warm foods for the first trimester to foster an optimal environment for implantation and gestation. Such advice moved me from a scared mind frame to a nurturing one. For all of that, I am so grateful. After a healthy pregnancy, our beautiful, healthy child was born. When I think of everything my husband and I went through to become parents, I am most grateful we opened our minds to acupuncture at ECCM. It made all the difference.

I am 39 years old and we have been trying to conceive for about 4 years. I started on Clomid in March, 2007. By June, 2007, I was trying Femara, another similar fertility drug. However, we were having no luck, so my fertility doctor (Dr. Rudy Quintero) recommended Wendy Yu. Up through this time, my endometrium lining (measured by ultrasound by my gynecologist on the 12th day of my cycle) was about 6 mm ("bad"). I started seeing Wendy in June, and from June to August, my endometrium lining increased to 10 mm ("good!"), and continued to increase to 11-12 mm by September and October. I started injectible drugs in September and I got pregnant in October. I'm just one data point, and there were different drugs involved, but I'd say that this is a remarkable improvement in the endometrium lining (note improvements in the endometrium lining are one of the documented positive effects of acupuncture).

The treatment involved acupuncture twice a week for about 2 months, tapering off to once per week after this, in combination with herbs. It took about 2 months to get the good lining, which was about 16 visits. Additionally, when Wendy said I was ready to go to one visit per week, the next week the ultrasound showed a remarkable improvement in the lining. This indicated to me that Wendy can tell when things look good medically. Additionally, Wendy has helped out with many of the issues I experienced in pregnancy (e.g. heartburn, back pain) and has been very helpful and responsive through email. She also helped my Father recover from pneumonia. I continued to see Wendy throughout the pregnancy, and we now have a healthy baby girl. Thanks, Wendy!

Well, you guys are GENIUSES!!! The bloodtest was positive! My HCG is 15. EEEK! It worked, I can't believe it. Now what?...ok, I'm going to pass out now.

We learnt the hard way with IVF that you have to give it the best possible chance of working. That was what first encouraged us to explore acupuncture as part of the treatment and our doctor was very supportive, even enthusiastic. Although we’ll never know exactly how much of a part it played, we’re convinced it was beneficial. Plus we now have a gorgeous little boy in our lives and another baby due in three months’ time. So something made the difference!”

I have had a wonderful experience with ECCM. I came for problems with fertility. From the moment I started getting treatments I noticed an improved sense of well-being and health. I am convinced to this day that I became pregnant naturally because of the treatments I received here.