TREATMENTS • CHINESE HERBAL MEDICINE • FOOD & LIFESTYLE
Care that continues between appointments.
What happens in the treatment room is only part of the picture. Chinese herbal formulas, food guidance and practical lifestyle changes help carry your care into the rest of your week, tailored to you and always alongside your medical team.
THREE WAYS OF WORKING
Support for the days in between
Chinese herbal formulas
Formulas are chosen for you from your Chinese medicine assessment and adjusted as things change. Prescribed as granules or tablets.
Chinese dietary therapy
Practical food guidance based on Chinese medicine principles: warming or cooling foods, eating rhythms, and simple meals that suit your energy and your season of life.
Lifestyle guidance
​
Realistic changes to sleep, rest, movement and stress that fit around work, family and treatment calendars, not a list of rules.
HOW HERBAL MEDICINE WORKS HERE
Prescribed with care
Herbs are only ever suggested when they suit you, and you can always say no.
Assessment
01
I take a full history, including every medication and supplement you take, any IVF or hormone treatment, and whether you are or could be pregnant or breastfeeding.
Your formula
02
If herbs are a good fit, I prescribe an individual formula and explain how to take it, what it contains and what to watch for.
Regular review
03
We review your formula every 2 weeks and adjust or stop it as your needs change.
Keeping your team informed
04
With your consent, I’ll let your GP or specialist know what you’re taking.
Herbs are medicine. I treat them that way.
Chinese herbs can interact with prescription medicines, IVF and hormone medications, blood thinners and some supplements. Please tell me about everything you take, and tell your doctor you’re taking herbs.
​
During IVF or IUI, I will work with your fertility clinic. Many clinics ask you to pause them during stimulation and after transfer. In pregnancy and while breastfeeding, I prescribe only with great care, or not at all.
Herbs are sourced from suppliers that meet TGA quality standards.
FOOD AND EVERYDAY LIFE
Food guidance that fits real life
Chinese dietary therapy looks at how and when you eat as well as what you eat, with suggestions that suit your energy, digestion, cycle and the season.
​
I’m not a dietitian. If you have medical nutrition needs, such as diabetes, coeliac disease, food allergies or a history of disordered eating, I’ll encourage you to see your GP or a qualified Nutritionist.
Lifestyle guidance can cover:
​
-
Sleep and rest, including during broken-sleep seasons
-
Eating rhythms and simple, warming meals
-
Movement that suits your energy and cycle
-
Stress and nervous-system tools for busy days
-
Heat, alcohol and other everyday factors when preparing to conceive
COMMON QUESTIONS
Questions about herbs, food and lifestyle
Do I have to take herbs?
​
No. Herbs are always optional. Many people have acupuncture only, and food and lifestyle guidance is part of every plan whether or not you take herbs.
Can I take herbs with my medications or during IVF?
Sometimes, but only after I’ve checked everything you take. During IVF or IUI I follow your fertility clinic’s advice, and many clinics ask you to pause herbs during stimulation and after transfer. Never stop a prescribed medication to take herbs.
What form do the herbs come in?
I usually prescribe tablets or granules mixed with warm water. I’ll show you how to take them, and we can talk about taste and what fits your routine.
Can I take herbs while pregnant or breastfeeding?
Only with great care, and sometimes not at all. Tell me straight away if you are, or could be, pregnant or are breastfeeding, and let your pregnancy care team or GP know too.
Are herbs covered by health funds?
Some funds offer rebates for herbal medicine consultations depending on your level of cover; the herbs themselves are usually not covered. Check with your fund.