Acupuncture woes - help me decide

[samjammy]

Starting ivf/icsi in 2 weeks. Will be second time, first round was successful and gave us our lovely DS.

Last time, I did acupuncture every week and found it very relaxing and calming, particularly before ET when I was a wreck after having only one grade 2/3 embryo and needing a 2 day transfer. Doctor commented ET went perfectly and smoothly and I do attribute a big part of that to how much better my nervous system felt after acupuncture. I then had it afterwards too.

Dilemma now is the practitioner I used before has really limited availability and it's proving a nightmare to get appointments booked in around childcare. It means DH using a lot of leave as she can't do early or late appointments, weekends or my last suggestion of over lunchtime (so DH could work from home while DS naps) as she doesn't want to move her lunch break. She is also 45 minutes away from home and the clinic, so I decided to look elsewhere for someone who could offer treatment that fits in better with us as was already getting a bit stressed about the logistics with this practitioner which seems to defeat the point of going!

I've found another who ticks the boxes, seems good BUT only works 2.5 days a week on set days. I asked what happens with ET and she said it was only important to have it near ET, not necessarily right before and after. She said she would try and squeeze me in maybe the evening of ET, but couldn't do before if it wasn't on her self-emp days. Having googled, they do say 'around' but there is a lot of talk about it being right before too. I imagine with our fertility issues we aren't going to get a great response again and will probably be looking at a 2 day transfer if we get that far, so I want to do everything possible to help the ET go smoothly and for my body to be as ready as possible.

So should I stick with the first practitioner even though appointments will be at best tricky and at worse, a big stress, or gamble with the new one and prepare to take the risk that if ET falls on her non-working day(s), I'm not going to be able to have a session before, which I feel was of great benefit.

WWYD?

[BadgerFace]

Are there any other practitioners you could try? I think someone local to the clinic/your house who could do before and after is what you really want. As you say, there's no point doing it if the logistics are stressful!

I had a transfer last week and my acupuncturist was away for a course that week but I saw another practitioner in my area before my transfer (which my guy arranged for me so I was covered) and then I saw his usual locum after transfer (she wasn't available for the morning session).

You could ask the part-time one if they have any contacts? I think it's fairly usual for fertility specialists to know others to provide back up as transfers are so often last minute.

Whereabouts are you? Someone might be able to give you a recommendation...

[samjammy]

Thanks BadgerFace, good luck to you and hope the 2ww doesn't last forever.

She was quite certain I would just have to fit in around her and didn't have a backup to recommend (I too understood this to be the usual thing). But this morning, I have found another practitioner who is even closer to home, the clinic and works FT so have booked in with him. Feel loads better now as the logistics of the other two really weren't good!

[BadgerFace]

That's fab news! I'm pleased you found an even better option.

Best of luck with your cycle.
I have a 2 year old DD from my first cycle, here's hoping for some some miracles!

[keeponjuggling]

Hi, glad you've got everything sorted. Please can I ask when you say right before and after transfer do you mean the night before and then day after? I'm looking into acupuncturist in my area and have no idea when I should aim to have sessions. I'm starting stimming on Thursday and I'm incredibly nervous, it sounds like acupuncture could help. I also need to persuade DH that spending more money is a good idea...