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A growing number of middle-aged women are turning to acupuncture and Chinese medicine as an alternative to Western fertility treatment.
Although herbalists generally charge less than obstetricians, this trend is creating a bonanza for a group of specialised practitioners.
'A lot of people are catching the last train,' said May Wong Mui-fong, one of the city's few Chinese medicine practitioners specialising in fertility. 'They get married after 35 and spend some years trying to get pregnant naturally. It doesn't always work.'
Wong said she gets 20 to 30 new clients each month seeking fertility treatment at her Tsim Sha Tsui clinic. About half are women aged 35 to 40 and 30 per cent of them 40 or above. The rest are mainly in their early 30s. These women are not ill - they just want to get pregnant.
One treatment involves acupuncture. Wong carefully pricks the patient's lower abdomen with a needle, sliding a piece of ginger down its length before lighting it. The room fills with the aroma of Chinese herbs. 
The trend for Hong Kong women marrying and having babies later in life is evident in official figures. In 2009, for every 1,000 women in Hong Kong aged over 35, some 50 babies were born. A decade earlier the number was 34.
While the median age for first marriage among Hong Kong women was 24 in 1981, it was 29 in 2006. 
In 1981, just 3 per cent of women aged 40 to 44 were single, whereas it was 16 per cent in 2006.
The usual solution for older women having trouble conceiving is in vitro fertilisation, in which eggs are fertilised outside the body at a cost of up to HK$60,000. The general success rate is about 26 per cent - and 8 per cent for women over 40.
There are no official statistics for Chinese medicine, but Wong says she has helped women get pregnant at 40. She charges HK$500 per consultation over a two- to three-month treatment cycle. 
She said most of her fertility patients suffered from irregular periods and weak ovulation, and in some cases uterus function has deteriorated with age.
'That could be because Hong Kong is a stressful place. We never find time to relax,' Wong said.
Pollution could also be a factor. 'Some patients can conceive naturally when they move overseas for a while, where life is less busy and the environment greener.'
A typical acupuncture treatment involves needles being inserted in a patient's forehead to help them relax and in the lower abdomen to stimulate ovulation. Chinese herbalists believe pregnancy is more likely with a warm womb, which is why Wong uses ginger and lit needles. 
Most acupuncture is accompanied by herbal medicine and dietary treatments. A common soup used for fertility is fish maw with silkie, a type of chicken with black skin, and herbs.
But Wong said the treatment could take some time - six months at least. 'The emphasis of Chinese medicine is building a good foundation for different body types. Western medicine does not take individual differences into account.'
Teacher Winnie Tsang, 40, is six months' pregnant after seeking help from Wong after six unsuccessful IVF attempts from the age of 35 and two miscarriages of natural pregnancies.
'I ran out of money, and was about to give up hope. A friend of mine urged me to try Chinese medicine. I didn't believe in it but gave it a try anyway,' she said.
Two months into the acupuncture and herbal medicine, she was pregnant. 'It is miraculous. In the past I had no faith in Chinese medicine. I thought herbal tea was full of toxins. But now I think Chinese medicine ... can solve problems that even advanced technology can't help.' 
Chinese medicine had helped by improving her overall health. 'I am still worried [about a miscarriage]. But this time I have more confidence as I know I am healthier.'
Tsang said her previous poor health was likely the result of her stressful job. 'I had no time for exercise and didn't know how to relax.'
When she had IVF treatment, she rarely exercised, believing it was no good for the baby. She also ate a lot, thinking it would be beneficial. 'Now I know that a balanced diet and reasonable amount of exercise is vital,' she said. 'I relax by going shopping.'
Private obstetrician Kun Ka-yan said more of his patients were seeking help from Chinese herbalists, especially since a registration system was introduced a decade ago.
'People are becoming increasingly more confident in Chinese medicine. A decade ago, it was normally elderly people who went to Chinese herbalists. Now, their patients are getting younger.'
But he warned that people should not take Chinese and Western medications at the same time. 
'Patients should finish one course of treatment before they start another one. Or at least there should be an interval of four to six hours between taking Chinese and Western medicines,' he said.
Wong agreed. She said when women were undergoing IVF treatment, some Chinese herbs would work against the procedure. 
'Hormones might be overstimulated and ovulation cycles might get messed up. Patients might suffer from headaches.'
For optimum results from Chinese medicine, Wong said a healthy lifestyle should be adopted at least three months before seeing a  herbalist.
Smoking and alcohol should be given up and couples should also avoid deep-fried and cold food and start exercising regularly.
'Health is the foundation of everything. If the foundation isn't laid properly, it is hard to build anything additional on top of it.'
22%
The proportion of medical consultations in Hong Kong provided by herbalists, according to the Chinese Medicine Council



Women turn to herbalists for help