When I was diagnosed with Premature Ovarian Failure (POF), as I had low AMH, high FSH and no menstrual cycle, several different consultants told me there was nothing that could be done to improve my fertility and that my ovaries simply could not function. In terms of carrying a baby, IVF with donor eggs was the only option discussed.

I was prescribed hormone replacement therapy (HRT) with the understanding that it wouldn’t improve my fertility but would protect my bone health and reduce the cancer risk associated with POF. However, as I began to research natural medicine, I came to believe that perhaps it was possible to regain fertility and HRT was stopping this from happening, no matter how many dietary changes I made or supplements I took. I discovered the traditional Chinese medicine approach of TCM Healthcare through reading their online content about increasing AMH. When I contacted Professor Au he confirmed that I would need to have HRT out of my system to begin treatment. I believe that fear around stopping HRT, after being told by Western practitioners that taking it is vital, could be a factor holding women back from pursuing TCM treatment. Professors Au and Li reassured me that they treat the whole body and when its communication channels begin to work properly, then good bone, breast and uterine health will follow.

The treatment consisted of a custom blend of herbs tailored exactly to my needs. As well as a completely different approach to the body as a whole, I found my TCM consultations and diagnosis to be a very new experience for me. While I chose to have regular blood tests (as recommended for the sake of my own confidence in the treatment), my practitioners used pulse reading, observation and discussion of symptoms to assess my progress. It is worth mentioning that progress felt slow to me at times, but that was to be expected as there were a lot of changes taking place in my body. My FSH was 80 before I started treatment and then began to drop.

It was 3–4 months before I had a period while taking the herbal treatment. I wasn’t ovulating yet, but I found Professors Au and Li supportive and positive throughout my treatment because they could tell that deep change was taking place. It is important to understand that such huge and meaningful change can take time and this may be longer than the patient initially hopes. I can say with total conviction that it is all worth it. After nearly 10 months of treatment, with slow but steady reduction of FSH as confirmed by regular blood tests, Professor Li confirmed that ovulation was near. While I had seen a huge reduction in my FSH, my AMH had not increased. It may only take one healthy egg to successfully conceive! We discovered I was pregnant almost a year to the day from first contacting TCM and our son Samuel was born in May 2019.

I am currently having treatment again as I experienced a resurfacing of my old POF symptoms — no periods, hot flushes, lower back pain, and low energy and mood. I now know that these are the symptoms of weak kidney and liver systems. I have been taking my custom blend of herbs for 4–5 months and am experiencing 28-day cycles and massively reduced symptoms.

I know first-hand how daunting it can be to try a method of treatment that may be very different from anything one may have experienced before. The practitioners at TCM Healthcare really do understand this and have always been incredibly understanding of the emotional experience of myself as their patient. I would urge any young woman with a diagnosis of POF to investigate having treatment at TCM Healthcare.