Redefining Fertility: How Language, Lifestyle, and Ancient Wisdom Are Transforming Care

October 16, 2025•4 min read

Fertility care isn’t only about what happens in the clinic. By rethinking the language we use, understanding how modern life affects fertility, and blending traditional and conventional medicine, more people are empowering themselves in support of their fertility journey.

Reframing the Conversation: From Infertility to Subfertility

While “infertility” suggests finality and dependence on external solutions, “subfertility” points to a suboptimal state—something that can often be improved through targeted care. This shift in language is more than semantics. It restores a sense of agency, encouraging individuals to engage their mind, body, and spirit in the healing process rather than feeling defined by a diagnosis.

The Modern World’s Toxic Imprint on Reproductive Health

An inconvenient truth of our environment is its adverse impact our reproductive health, Chronic exposure to environmental toxins disrupts hormonal balance and burdens detoxification pathways.

Microplastics and inflammatory markers are found in follicular and seminal fluid, affecting egg and sperm quality.

Personal care and home cleaning products contain chemical compounds that enter the bloodstream through the skin and gums, nasal passages and processed foods and drinks wrapped in BPA-lined cans.

Yet, by making small lifestyle adjustments—such as drinking purified water, choosing toxin-free personal care and home cleaning products, and supporting the body’s detoxification processes—can create meaningful shifts toward reproductive health.

Transcutaneous Electrical Acupoint Stimulation (TEAS) Therapy: Ancient Wisdom Meets Modern Innovation

Using a small TENS device on specific acupuncture points, TEAS increases blood flow to the ovaries and uterus. These protocols take about 30 minutes and can be done every other day from the end of your menstrual bleed through ovulation on a month that you try to conceive naturally, through to an egg retrieval if you’re undergoing egg freezing or IVF, or through to the next menstruation if you are taking a break in any given month. And they can be done at home, offering the benefits of acupuncture without needles as a bridge between traditional Chinese medicine and modern fertility care.

Perhaps most impressive is that meta-analyses have shown that women over 35 undergoing frozen embryo transfer experienced a 42% increase in live birth rates with TEAS.

Whole-Body Health: The Foundation of Fertility

Hormonal pathways are profoundly influenced by stress, sleep, emotional well-being, and nutrition. Research indicates that the stress of an infertility diagnosis is equivalent to that of a serious illness such as cancer or heart disease.

To support optimal fertility, the Preconception Plan at Health Youniversity integrates:

Mind-body practices such as Qigong and guided meditation to regulate the stress response.
Anti-inflammatory nutrition to enhance egg and sperm quality.
Sleep and emotional regulation strategies to harmonize hormonal pathways.

Fertility health is about creating a resilient internal environment—one that welcomes conception whether in utero or in vitro.

Why Early Intervention Matters

Many patterns that contribute to fertility challenges—such as irregular cycles, autoimmune markers, or nutrient deficiencies—can be identified in a woman’s late 20s, well before she’s considering getting pregnant. Addressing these factors early makes it easier to achieve healthy conception and pregnancy later on, whether naturally or with assisted reproductive technologies.

Fertility is about creating the right environment for the body to do what it’s naturally designed to do. Small lifestyle changes, early care, and holistic approaches can make a real difference. By looking at fertility through a broader lens—one that includes language, lifestyle, and innovative therapies—we open the door to more possibilities and a more hopeful path forward.

Register for a free 28-Day Detox Masterclass to improve Your Fertile Health:
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Know the status of your fertility health. Take our FREE Fertility Quiz now: http://yourfertilityquiz.com/

Fulfill your dream of a family. Know your best options for a healthy pregnancy: https://www.healthyouniversity.co/programs

Boost Employee Productivity by Investing in their Fertility Health. Check out our Corporate Wellness program and know the benefits it can bring to your company: https://www.healthyouniversity.co/corporate-wellness

Preconception Plan Perfected:
https://healthyouniversity.co/programs

Susan Fox is a women’s health expert and fertility guide with over 20 years of experience supporting women and couples through reproductive challenges. As a devoted mother and longtime practitioner of Traditional Chinese Medicine, she empowers her clients with holistic strategies, personalized care, and education to nurture health, resilience, and well-being on the journey to parenthood.

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Medical Disclaimer:

By listening to the Health Youniversity podcast, you agree not to use this podcast as medical advice to treat any medical condition for yourself or others. Consult your healthcare provider for any medical issues you may have. This entire disclaimer also pertains to any guests or contributors to any Health Youniversity podcast.

Dr. Susan Fox

I am a women’s health expert with a specialty in working with women and couples navigating fertility challenges for more than 20 years. I look forward to helping you realize your dream of family. I’m also a mother, a sister, a friend. I live in beautiful Northern California, where the nature of Mt. Tamalpais, the Pacific Ocean and San Francisco Bay are my backyard. Traditional Chinese Medicine discovered me in 1978, when I was struggling with digestive complaints that flummoxed medical doctors. It wasn’t until I received my first acupuncture treatment and herbal prescription that I connected my medical condition to grief over loss of a loved one; that the stress of holding in such huge emotions was literally tying me up in knots, and I was finally able to heal. Discovering the powerful links between the physical, the mental, the emotional, the spiritual, and the environmental shifted my understanding of health and wellness forever. For more than 20 years, I’ve had the privilege of learning and implementing Whole Systems Traditional Chinese Medicine to understand the root causes of health conditions and realize optimal health and well-being. I am a strong believer in the importance of health education, for knowledge is power when you have the tools for effective self care.

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