Monica McLean Acupuncture and Herbs, waterloo Avenue, Sydney (2025)

17/10/2025

Why Migraines Are So Common in Perimenopause

As estrogen levels start to fluctuate during perimenopause, the brain and nervous system feel the impact. Estrogen isn’t just a reproductive hormone — it also helps regulate inflammation, blood vessel tone, and the way our brain chemicals (like serotonin) communicate.

When estrogen rises and falls unpredictably, it can:
⚡️ Increase inflammation in the nervous system
⚡️ Make blood vessels more reactive
⚡️ Heighten pain sensitivity

These inflammatory changes can trigger the perfect storm for migraines — especially around hormonal shifts, stress, or disrupted sleep.

From a TCM perspective, flucuating hormones and stress can lead to Liver Qi stagnation, which generates heat and inflammation in the body. This heat rises and further aggravates headaches, irritability, insomnia, and hot flushes.

Supporting your inflammatory balance through diet, quality sleep, stress support, acupuncture, and herbal medicine can make a huge difference in calming these hormone-driven headaches.

09/10/2025

Preparing to Conceive in the Next Year?

The months before conception are a powerful window to support your fertility and future baby’s health.

Work 1:1 online with Monica McLean — Integrative Women’s Health Acupuncturist & Chinese Herbalist — to:
🌀 Balance hormones
🩸 Regulate your cycle
🥚 Improve egg & sperm quality
💫 Create the healthiest foundation for conception

Through personalised Telehealth sessions, Monica blends Traditional Chinese Medicine with modern functional tools to optimise your fertility — whether you’re conceiving naturally or through IVF.

Your preconception health shapes your future baby’s wellbeing. Let’s make this season count. 💕

🔗 Learn more & book via link in bio

06/09/2025

Happy Father’s Day to our #1 . ❤️‍🔥

23/05/2025

Progesterone in TCM 楊

In Chinese Medicine progesterone is closely associated with Yang energy, particularly Kidney Yang. A healthy luteal phase reflects strong Yang activity with a temperature jump, reduced anxiety, and increased appetite. If you are curious about your progesterone, basal body tracking gives us a lot of insight! 📈

Progesterone is produced by the corpus luteum—the temporary gland formed after ovulation from the follicle that released the egg. So cool!! This means healthy ovulation is critical for optimal progesterone levels. Health can never be observed in isolation ⭕️.

🔽 Progesterone stabilises the endometrium in the second half of the menstrual cycle to support implantation and consolidates to prevents premature bleeding.

🧘‍♀️ Progesterone is a neurosteroid, meaning it has direct effects on the nervous system. Ever notice that you feel more chilled and sleep better after ovulation until it drops with estrogen right before your period and you have insomnia and a night sweat? Not just in your imagination, sis!

☯️ TCM imbalance reflecting low or imbalanced Progesterone:

Kidney Yang Deficiency: Cold hands/feet, fatigue, frequent urination, early miscarriage, infertility

Spleen Qi Deficiency: Poor appetite, loose stools, mid-cycle spotting, luteal phase deficiency

Liver Qi Stagnation: PMS, mood swings, breast tenderness, irritability- often related to imbalanced progesterone to estrogen.

22/05/2025

Hormones affect almost every cell in the body—balancing them is not only essential for fertility and menstrual health, but for longevity, overall physical, immune, emotional, and neurological well-being. Chinese medicine takes a unique approach to balancing hormones that is systems-based, integrated, individualised and beautifully feminine🤍 first up - estrogen.

Estrogen in TCM-

Estrogen is considered cooling and yin in nature, and is deeply connected to the interplay between Essence (Jing), Yin, and Blood. It’s dominant in the first half of the menstrual cycle.

🥚 Jing (Essence): Estrogen is produced (mostly) from the ovarian follicles and is most abundant during the fertile years and pregnancy. It reflects the strength of foundational health and youthfulness.

🩸 Blood: Estrogen helps build and nourish the endometrial lining (uterus), preparing it for implantation.

💧 🦴 🧠 🫀Estrogen is an incredible hormone that promotes growth and elasticity of tissues throughout the body including cervical mucous, cardiovascular lubrication, muscle growth and bone integrity. Not to mention the neuroprotective effect it has on the brain.

Signs of Low Estrogen
• Short, light menstrual periods
• Vaginal dryness or lack of cervical mucus
• Dry skin
• Night sweats
• Osteopenia or osteoporosis
• Brain fog or low mood
• Increased autoimmunity

Whole books could be written about this brilliant moistening and building hormone and the strategies of balancing it with our medicine that I am so fascinated by and so grateful to practice 💧 阴

03/05/2025

Acupuncture for Implantation:

The days following ovulation—the luteal phase—are crucial for implantation and early pregnancy development. During this time, progesterone plays a central role, stimulating the development of spiral arteries in the uterus. These arteries are essential for proper placental formation and nutrient delivery to the embryo.

Sneaky stress levels can interfere with this process. High cortisol, the body’s primary stress hormone, can disrupt the sensitivity of progesterone receptors in the uterus, potentially impairing implantation and spiral arterial formulation. The health of these arterial changes don’t just secure the pregnancy, they also lower the risk of many complications in pregnancy like preeclampsia.

With this delicate hormonal balance in the luteal phase, the weeks following ovulation are an ideal window to get acupuncture when TTC. Acupuncture has been shown to reduce cortisol levels, promote blood flow to the uterus, and support a healthy uterine environment, increasing the chances of successful implantation and healthy pregnancy.

20/04/2025

I’ve been treating a lot of season allergies in clinic this autumn. Working with allergies before they arise is the best way to reduce attacks, so the best time to prevent allergies is in the lead up to allergy season… here is a bit of what I’ve been sharing with clients.

Preventing allergic rhinitis (seasonal allergies) is all about strengthening the body’s Wei Qi (defensive energy), supporting the Lung and Spleen, and addressing underlying patterns before allergy season hits.

Strengthen Wei Qi (Defensive Qi)

Wei Qi is like the body’s immune shield. If it’s weak, allergens (seen as Wind invasions) penetrate more easily. Keeping warm and especially taking spleen and lung tonic herbs can be helpful in supporting immunity.

Tonify the Lung 🫁

The Lung governs the nose and is the first organ to be affected by Wind and allergens. A strong Lung system helps defend against invaders.

✅ Breathing exercises (qigong or deep breathing)
✅ Avoid cold/raw foods that weaken Lung
✅ Protect chest and neck from wind and cold

🍐 Pears, mushrooms, almonds, radish—these moisten and support Lung Yin

Strengthen the Spleen 🍠

The Spleen is responsible for producing Qi and transforming fluids. If weak, it leads to Dampness and phlegm, which worsen allergy symptoms.

✅ Eating warm, cooked foods (avoid raw/cold/damp-producing foods)
✅ Avoiding sugar, dairy, and fried foods
✅ Sip Herbal tonics: Astragalus (Huang Qi), Codonopsis (Dang Shen), Bai Zhu, Ginger

Address Dampness & Phlegm 💧
If you have sticky mucus, sinus congestion do this

Drain Damp with:
✅ Foods like barley and cooked greens
✅ Avoiding dairy, sugar, and alcohol
✅ Chinese herbal formulas dissolve dampness and resolve phlegm.

Prevention is KEY
4–6 weeks before allergy season:
✅ Begin taking your Chinese med formula
✅ Get regular acupuncture to strengthen immunity and harmonize Qi
✅ Nasal Rinsing / Neti Pot

I treat allergies with herbs, acupuncture, diet and supplements in an integrated way to get the best results. I’d love to support you! 👃

18/04/2025

Autumn might just be my favourite time of year with the beautiful, clear skies, warm sun, and still days. This one has been particularly magical. 🌕 💫 🌞 I’m savouring every drop of sun as winter starts to creep in.

Times of transition are invitations to embrace the season and prepare for the shift of solar energy in the season ahead 🌒. As the autumn deepens into the yin of winter in the southern hemisphere’s, we shift our energy towards preserving, fortifying our qi and replenishing your internal reserves 🛡️ for greater immunity and resilience over the colder months.

🫚 Warm teas like licorice, ginger, and astragalus gently support the immune system.

🧣 Stay warm, especially around the neck, lower back, and feet—key areas where cold can enter.

☕️ Herbal tonics such as reishi, cordyceps, or He Shou Wu help strengthen our immunity and reserves for the colder winter months.

Feeling these words by one of my favourites today, soaking in the warmth, and feeling protected
☀️ 🌊 ✨ 🪨

“May the nourishment of the earth be yours, May the clarity of light be yours, May the fluency of the ocean be yours, May the protection of the ancestors be yours.
And so may a slow Wind work these words Of love around you, An invisible cloak To mind your life.”
― John O’Donohue from To Bless the Space Between Us

Monica McLean Acupuncture and Herbs

17/10/2025

09/10/2025

06/09/2025

23/05/2025

22/05/2025

03/05/2025

20/04/2025

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