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Dawit Assefa, L.Ac, MAOM – Acupuncture Fertility & Women's Clinic
After having difficult periods for years, I was finally diagnosed with Endometriosis. My doctor told me that conceiving would be difficult. I had surgery and things cleared up and had my first baby boy. However, the endometriosis came back and we wanted to have another baby. I had the surgery again, but was not able to get pregnant like before. I heard about Dawit through a friend and started Acupuncture and Herbs. He explained to me how my body was more run down after giving birth to my first baby and that we needed to heal the endometriosis and boost the energy of the body to make conception easier. It took 5 1/2 months, but I am so happy to report that I am 4 months pregnant as of today. Thank you Dawit!!!
TT
My partner and I had been trying to conceive for close to a year when we decided to try acupuncture. Dawit is a wonderful acupuncturist. During our initial consultation he carefully went over the particulars of our situation. He recommended I try acupuncture once a week for a few months. He also made recommendations on diet, herbal supplements, and some books to read on improving fertility. The acupuncture sessions were great – I felt so relaxed and centered afterward. After about 3 months we found out we were pregnant. I continued acupuncture through the first three months of the pregnancy to help with morning sickness. Now, about a year later, we have a beautiful 2-month-old baby boy.
AP
I got my first period when I was 12 years old and it was 21 days long. My second was 18 days long and my third was 14 days long. After that, my period was anywhere from 7 to 9 days long and they were very heavy and accompanied by severe stomach cramps. I also did not have regular periods as I would not get my period for one to four months. From the ages of 12 to 26, every doctor, physician’s assistant, and nurse I saw about my problem told me the same thing: that I should get on the pill as the pill would give me regular periods and help with the heavy flow and severe cramps. I asked them all why I was having such problems and they all said that it was not a big deal and I should just get on the pill. How is a 14 year old to know any better? I was on and off of the pill numerous times because I did not like the side effects they had on my body. At some point, I just stopped being on the pill completely. I finally found an ob-gyn who listened to my problems and sent me in for testing. It turned out that I had polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). I was relieved that I finally had a diagnosis for my problem and when I asked the ob-gyn about treatment, she responded that my cyst was not big enough to warrant removal and I should just get on the pill. So I did. Again, I did not like the side effects, so I got off of the pill. All of this was disconcerting as I wondered how this would affect me having children. I had a friend with PCOS and I asked her how she got it treated, if at all. She told me that I should see her acupuncturist because he helped her with her periods and her PCOS. Unfortunately, her acupuncurist was in Austin, Texas. My friend found that a student of his practiced in DC. So I decided I would see the student, Dawit, and if it did not work out, I would fly out to Austin and get treated by the acupuncturist. I started seeing Dawit in June or July of 2008. Dawit spoke to me about all of my concerns, got me started on charting, explained to me all about my reproductive system (which was weird because here’s a man telling me, a woman, all about the female cycle) made me take yucky tasting Chinese herbs, and performed acupuncture and reflexology on me. I saw immediate results. As yucky as the Chinese herbs are, they work and I could feel my body “readjusting” is the only way I can describe it. And the experiences I had while Dawit performed acupuncture on me were literally out of this world; I could go on and on about them. After the acupuncture and reflexology, I always felt soooooooooooo much better. And for the first time in my life I had regular periods; they were five days long, not too heavy, and not very painful at all. And then in September of 2008 I got pregnant. My husband insists that he had a large role in getting me pregnant, and I know he did, but I also know that without Dawit’s role, my husband would not have had any role. I wanted to make my child’s middle name Dawit, but Dawit and my husband were against this.
ME
I went to Dawit for fertility treatment. He is one of the few acupuncturists in this area who is certified in Oriental reproductive medicine. I am in my late 30s (39 to be exact) and knew I was facing an uphill battle so I wanted all the help I could get. I liked that Dawit not only performs acupuncture and reflexology and used herbs, but also dispenses helpful diet and lifestyle tips. He truly cares about his patients and gives each patient all the time she needs, and never rushes through treatments. My husband and I were pleasantly surprised when we discovered that I was pregnant! I absolutely believe that without his help we would have continued to struggle, and I am so grateful to him for helping us make our dream of becoming parents come true. I continued to see him through my first trimester to help make the pregnancy “stick.” I noticed that I had a pretty easy first trimester, with no morning sickness, and I credit Dawit’s treatments for that. I am now halfway through the pregnancy and thrilled that in a matter of months, we will meet our baby. If we decide to have a second baby, I will definitely be back to see Dawit again!
EW
I was 42 when I started seeing Dawit and pretty much was trying acupuncture as a last ditch effort. I didn’t want to do IVF and with my high FSH, most clinics didn’t even want to see my face. One of the most interesting things when I met Dawit was how he encouraged me to relax. I am relaxed, or so I thought. After experiencing a treatment with him, I felt amazing. He encouraged me to de-stress as that would build hormones. Sounded weird to me, but I just tried to take it a little more easy. He gave me acupuncture and herbs that made my cycles regular and I noticed more and more cervical fluid. I also noticed that I didn’t pee as much. My general health was better. He can sound like a broken record. Watch stress, sleep well, eat well, exercise in moderation, take your herbs, come once a week for Acupuncture were the things I heard all the time. After 10 months, it happened. I got pregnant!
RB
I went through one IVF cycle because I have a blocked tube and produced few follicles and quality eggs. Considering I was 34, I thought I would do better than that. So I decided to give acupuncture a try. Dawit recommended that I do acupuncture and herbs for at least 3-6 months to see improvement with retrieval. I was skeptical, but what did I have to loose. So we worked together for 3 months using acupuncture and herbs. He even had me taking deer placenta. He said that it was important to improve fertility. I couldn’t believe how much improved my retrieval was. Almost a threefold improvement. I was so happy. I received acupuncture as the time came for the transfer as well. Dawit talks about relaxing the uterus so that things can implant better using acupuncture. This IVF cycle was successful and I believe that Dawit really helped me. Thanks Dawit!
CP
After having 2 miscarriages, I decided to seek help. Initially, I went to my doctor and was told that I have Luteal Phase Deficiency. I took clomid for 3 months with no pregnancy and decided to try Acupuncture. I was delighted when Dawit told me that Acupuncture & Herbs can be very helpful in treating recurrent miscarriage. 5 months later I was pregnant again. I was worried that I would miscarry again. I continued with the Acupuncture through the first trimester. Today, I am the proud mother of healthy baby boy!
PS
I have had a history of very difficult and painful periods. I’m out from work at least once a month and it has only gotten worse as I get older. I tried birth control pills but they don’t agree with me. Finally, a friend told me to see Dawit. OMG, my periods are so much better with the Acupuncture & Herbs. I can’t believe it! The one thing I like about Dawit is that he made me realize the relation between stress and my menstrual cycle. So now I’m much more aware about not over doing it. And by the way, you feel so so so relaxed after Acupuncture with Dawit.
TB
I went to Dawit because me and my wife wanted to get pregnant. After a year of trying to get pregnant with no success, we got checked out at the doctor. My wife was clear, but I was told that I had low sperm count. After some research, I found Dawit and started Acupuncture & Herbs. I went back 5 months later and sperm counts were above average. The Acupuncture is so relaxing and those Herbs made me feel more strong, horny and I had much more powerful orgasms. Dawit also gave me tips like decreasing my coffee intake, fast food and diet sodas. He also recommended that I pace my sexual activity and minimize masturbation. Things that I never heard of before. All I know is that it worked and now me and wife are looking forward to working on having our first baby.
JV
I had a history of Pevlic Inflammatory Disease (PID) and took antibiotics to clear it up. The antibiotics helped with some of the symptoms, but the PID didn’t go away completely. I really didn’t know what to do. I just happened to find Dawit’s website and called him. Since he works with infertility, I figured he could help me. I told him that I still had some pain, itchiness, discharge, pain/bleeding post intercourse and spontaneous spotting/bleeding. He was confident that it could be fixed. He did Acupuncture/Herbs/Supplements and recommended huge lifestyle changes for me. I started eating more of an anti-inflammatory diet and tried to reduce stress. It’s been 3 months and my symptoms have improved 85%. I might be even better if I followed all of his suggestions, but 85% is not bad!