My husband and I are fairly new to Austin. I am 29 this year. In July of 2007 we made the decision to start a family. I got the go ahead “fertility blessing” from my OBGYN. I was pregnant by the end of September and miscarried by the end of October. I was pregnant again by Christmas and miscarried in January of 2008. My doctor told me to keep trying despite a large fibroid outside my uterus. I was informed that a fibroid can prevent conception but cannot cause a miscarriage. So I started thinking about what else could be causing them. I had heard from friends that there are special teas and herbal alternatives that I could try that may help balance out my system. So I started searching on line and I eventually came across Katie’s website for acupuncture and infertility. After emailing back and forth I set up a consultation. Katie has been nothing but concerned and compassionate ever since. It has been such a huge relief to have someone else to share my frustrations with. She started me on weekly acupuncture treatments and herbs that aid in correcting imbalances in the body. She also made suggestions for my diet to help stop the growth of or creation of new fibroids and cysts. I took these seriously and definitely noticed changes in my body. I keep a basal body temperature chart so that Katie can watch my progress. There were noticeable changes by months 3 and 4. I continued to see my OBGYN and have regular ultrasounds to check the size of the fibroid and pinpoint the reason for spotting between menses and pelvic pain. Katie says that if there is pain, there is an imbalance. After doing some research of my own on fibroids, I agreed with Katie and decided to get a second opinion from another OBGYN who specializes in infertility. The new doctor reported that the fibroid had grown to close to the size of a grapefruit which could definitely be causing all of my symptoms and the miscarriages. He said the fibroid is pushing my uterus all the way over to the right and that achieving a successful pregnancy would be futile. On his recommendation, I had the fibroid removed. He found that it was completely blocking my left fallopian tube. He also scraped away some endometriosis. I am still in the process of healing since the surgery.
The bottom line is that without Katie’s expertise, time, research and love, I would still be trying to conceive and most likely getting nowhere. She continuously encouraged me to have any testing done that could help her learn more about how to treat me. Without her advice, I never would have considered getting the second opinion. Now there is nothing holding me back. Katie wants to continue to treat me to reduce the amount of scarring caused by the surgery and keep me in balance until we conceive again. Katie has worked wonders for me physically, mentally, emotionally, and even spiritually. I recommend Katie to anyone who might also be struggling with conception and miscarriage frustrations.
R.H. 7-2-08
My husband and I began trying to have children around the beginning of 2004. After a year of no luck, we were well on our way through the emotional journey of infertility. My doctors had diagnosed me with polycystic ovarian syndrome and endometriosis. Like most women struggling with fertility, I had tried several different fertility drugs, hormone injections, and even had a laparoscopy to check for and treat endometriosis.
When I came to Katie, I was frustrated and had really begun to give up hope. Adoption started to sound like the best option. I decided to try acupuncture as a last resort, not sure what the outcome would be. After just four monthly cycles of Chinese herbs and weekly acupuncture, I am very happy to announce that I am seven weeks pregnant -- with twins!
Katie's encouragement and caring spirit really helped me through. I just knew I had to give it some time and be patient. During those four months, my temperatures started to regulate and signs of ovulation became apparent. My sleep cycles began returning to normal and I felt less anxious and stressed.
Good luck to each of you who are struggling and don't give up hope. Though at times it is difficult, remember to practice patience -- you'll need it when you bring that baby home!
Rachel Garman, Cedar Park, Tx (Nov. 22, 2006)
I recommend Katie to my friends. She has been an incredible help to my life-long problem with allergies. After dealing with years of allergy shots and choking down pills each day, I have finally found relief through Katie's acupuncture. Katie is not only a gifted acupuncturist, but she is a kind person. She has wonderful "bedside manner" as well and makes first timers feel at ease. The process isn't painful - it's actually very relaxing and a nice break in the day. If you don't find relief through the first few sessions, I advise to keep going - and have patience. It took about 3 sessions for me to notice a difference and after that my allergies have been increasingly better.
Thanks for healing me, Katie!
Shelley C.
Since beginning acupuncture treatments almost a year ago, I have experienced life-changing results. Being treated for everything from stress and anxiety to low energy level and insomnia, breathing difficulty and smoking, bad knee joints and aching muscles, I have found that acupuncture is the most effective treatment I have ever had. I am sold and will always seek the advice of my acupuncturist, Katie McBrearty-Shields, for any ailment from which I may be suffering. I am confident that if Katie is unable to treat me, she will tell me; however, she will always get first "stab" at me.
Kimberly P.