Naturally, after 40 to 45 years of age, kidney and spleen functions become weaker, so people cannot digest nutrients as effectively as before. Because vitamins and minerals are very critical for the production of progesterone and other hormones, progesterone and estrogen levels decline gradually with the weakening function of the spleen and kidney. In order to help the reproductive system function as well as before, the pituitary gland has to produce more FSH to stimulate the ovaries to work harder. If women do not improve their ovarian function with acupuncture, herbs and healthy food after they turn 40 years old, their FSH can jump from 10 to 60. When FSH exceeds 40, menopause symptoms will come: hot flushes, night sweats, insomnia, depression, irritability, anxiety, weak muscles, frozen shoulder, rheumatoid arthritis, lupus, and drooping of facial muscles.

For the past 30 to 40 years, women have started taking birth control pills (BCP) when they turn 13 or 14 years old for a variety of symptoms such as acne, ovarian cysts (PCOS), irregular period, menstrual pain, endometriosis, and fibroids, or if they simply want to avoid having heavy periods. Because of this trend, the ovarian function of modern women has started declining much earlier than women of previous generations. I have treated 37-year-old women with premature ovarian failure who had a FSH level of more than 100. On the other hand, if a young woman can eat a healthy diet and reduce her daily stress, she can lower her FSH level within 3 to 6 months.

The following are the tips to lower FSH and improve egg quality before starting IVF or IUI. A person can save a lot of money by having one successful IVF or IUI instead of trying multiple times. If a woman has too many IVF cycles, she could have early menopause with migraines and other degenerative diseases such as osteoporosis, arthritis, cystitis, loss of hair, overweight, muscle atrophy, and a prolapsed uterus or bladder.

1.  Three to six months before starting IVF, get acupuncture once a week or every other week if also taking Chinese herbs.

2.  Take 3 tablets of wheatgrass every morning with 8 to 10 oz of water in order to have sufficient vitamins and minerals.

3.  Stop eating spicy foods because it produces internal heat and causes inflammation in the ovaries and uterus. Internal heat can also lead to miscarriage.

4.  Go to bed before midnight and sleep 7 to 8 hours without interruption to rejuvenate immune, digestive, ovarian and uterus functions. If the digestive system does not function well, nutrients can become toxins. This is why women with digestive problems tend to develop different kinds of allergies and inflammation.

5.  Practice reiki, taichi, gentle yoga, or meditation every day to reduce stress. Less stress means more progesterone and better ovarian and uterus function.

6.  Stop drinking coffee and instead drink one or two cups of green tea, white ginger tea, or raspberry leaf tea.

7.  Massage the following acupuncture points to bring energy to the ovaries and uterus while practicing meditation:

• CV3: 4 cun below the umbilicus on the midline of the abdominal area, 5 finger-widths.
• CV4: 3 cun below the umbilicus on the midline of the abdominal area, 4 finger-widths.
• CV6: 1.5 cun below the umbilicus on the midline of the abdominal area, 2 finger-widths.
• Uterus: 4 cun below the umbilicus, 3 cun lateral to the midline on the lower abdominal area.

8. Cook this porridge to strengthen spleen and kidney functions in order to improve the balance of estrogen and progesterone:

Yi Mi (30 g), brown rice (30 g), wild yam (50 g), Gou Ji Berry (15 g), Fu Ling (15 g). Add 4 or 6 cups of water and boil for 30 min. You need to drink the porridge 20 min before the other solid food as Chinese People in Shanghai do. Shanghai People have the highest number of healthy 90 years old, compared with other cities in China.