Infertility and Acupuncture

One never anticipates how long the journey to achieve pregnancy can take. For some people, it is a short, simple process. But for many, the road can be long and winding. Doctor appointments, blood test, sonograms, surgery, mixing & administering medications- there are new experiences for most people. It can feel overwhelming.

Infertility can manifest itself in many different ways- Undiagnosed, blocked tubes, endometriosis, low AMH, missed or irregular periods, issues with sperm motility and morphology; the list goes on. There are many ways to treat and work with all of these issues.

Whether you are trying on your own, or have moved on to working with a Fertility Doctor and will be doing IUI or IVF treatments, Acupuncture should be part of your plan.

Acupuncture is a gentle way to help guide your body back to a state of balance.

Each patient gets a treatment plan tailored to their specific needs. Where you are in your menstrual cycle will dictate the needs of that week’s session. In general, I work to keep your cycle on time, encourage ovulation and help thicken the endometrial lining to prepare for implantation.

Are you moving ahead to IVF or IUI? Acupuncture sessions will be geared to assist with each stage of your Fertility treatment.

How can Acupuncture Help?

Acupuncture provides a safe, effective, drug free and natural approach to treating many of the common issues that affect fertility. Acupuncture can improve fertility by affecting the quality, quantity, balance and flow of Qi and blood. When Qi, or Vital Energy, and blood are circulating freely throughout the body, every cell, tissue & organ is properly nourished and functioning well, and increasing your health.

Why try Acupuncture?

Acupuncture & Holistic medicine help to do more than just deal with symptoms. Instead, Acupuncture helps to activate the body’s natural healing potential by treating the root causes that have led to the problem.

Acupuncture can be used to strengthen, support and balance overall health and wellbeing, so other fertility procedures are more affective.

During your first visit, I will go over your health & medical history to get a clear picture of what your particular case needs are. From there we will discuss your future treatment options and strategy.

Some ways Acupuncture can help with Fertility

• Regulate ovulation and menstrual cycle
• Improve ovarian function to produce better quality eggs
• Regulate hormones to produce a larger number of follicles
• Increase circulation to the uterus to increase the thickness of the uterine lining, thus improving chances of embryo implantation
• Relieve stress and help relax the patient
• Prevent the uterus from contracting post transfer
• Lessen the side effects of drugs used during IVF
• Strengthen the immune system
• Improve semen quality- increase count, motility & morphology
• Decrease chance of miscarriage
• Increase the chance of pregnancy for women undergoing in vitro fertilization

Yes, it is safe to continue Acupuncture throughout your pregnancy!

Acupuncture can provide a safe, gentle way to nurture and care for your health and that of your baby, throughout your pregnancy and beyond. Many patients are happy to continue their hour of “me time” to destress from their everyday lives. During these sessions, we can address some of the complaints that may arise during pregnancy, such as back pain, headaches & nausea.

There is also a specific treatment done at the 12- and 24-week mark, to help transition between trimesters.

Once you are closer to your due date, sessions can be tailored to help prepare your body for labor.

Many of my patients resume their sessions postnatally. This is an important time to restore blood and Qi to help support the body after the all the hard work it has done. In Traditional Chinese Medicine, it is customary to allow the mother to take a month or longer to rest and take care of herself post-delivery. We tend to stick with the idea of returning to normal activities as soon as possible, but there is no rush! You need to take this time to rest and recuperate. Your body has done an incredible job creating & sustaining this new life. Let yourself rebuild your resources so you can take the best care of yourself and your baby.

Some things to work on post-delivery include emotional as well as physical support: helping improve milk production, regulating hormones, soothing aches & pains, as well as helping to relax and destress.

I am happy to say, many of my patients return to regular sessions when they are ready to grow their family once more!