Acupuncture and fertility

[zebedeethezebra]

Hi

If you've had acupuncture please talk to me about it. Did it help you to conceive and maintain the pregnancy? How often do you have to have it? Does it need to be at a certain stage of your cycle? Do you think it helped?

I would love to hear your experiences as I can't find much supporting info on the internet.

Thanks x

[beangrower]

www.guardian.co.uk/society/2008/feb/19/health1

[eurochick]

I'm having it at the moment. It has definitely made my cycles more regular and less painful. I am still not pregnant, much to my own and my acupuncturist's chagrin.

[Pixiepops]

I conceived after 2 accupuncture treatments, following just over a year of ttc. I was also on clomid though, and had just started taking pregnacare conception rather than just folic acid. Who knows what finally made the difference, though the accupuncture definitely helped to relax me and I'm sure that can't have hurt.

[AliceHurled]

I had totally messed up cycles cured by acupuncture. I then got pregnant as soon as I tried, but hadn't tried before acupuncture so that could be entire coincidence. Although with the way my cycles were I doubted I would get pregnant. I am now having it for sustaining preg and helping with symptoms. Early days yet but my nausea feels a lot better today and had treatment yesterday.

In short for sorting out cycles I totally rate acupuncture. For the other stuff I can't say categorically.

[Slainte]

We were TTC for 4.5 years and had decided to go for IVF. While waiting for our appointment I decided to go for acupuncture, I had it between AF and ovulation and got pregnant within about 2 months! Unfortunately I had an early miscarriage. However, the following month I continued with the acupuncture and had one more period then got pregnant naturally again! Thankfully I now have a DD.

We decided to TTC again last year and I went back for acupuncture again. I got pregnant again but had another miscarriage. We're still trying and I'm back to having acupuncture again, so fingers crossed it'll work for me this time too (currently on 2ww).

I must say that prior to this I had acupuncture for pain relief and it worked so I went to it as a "believer"' IYKWIM.

In essence, I would recommend to my friends to use it if they were TTC. I'd start with going pre-ovulation and then set a timetable of appointments with your practitioner.

[barbigirl]

This will annoy people I know but I feel I should give balance. There is no evidence that it works. If it did- why would the NHS spend money on fertility treatment when alternatives are much cheaper? news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/8558527.stm

[InTheSunshine]

I have it. It's not a guarantee to make you pregnant but it can help with cycle lengths, painful periods, PMT and general well being. My cycles were 22-23 days before treatment. Now they're a very regular 28 days.

Most IVF clinics actively promote accu as a complimentary treatment especially on egg transfer day.

[beangrower]

Because conventional fertility treatment is a boom industry too, regardless of the NHS input. Many of the consultants working with the NHS become paid privately to treat infertility. I was offered a referral by my GP to a big London NHS hospital because they do IVF for a fee - no free IVF if you already have a child.

There are some fertility problems that of course acupuncture can't treat - but as a way to balance hormones and increase your chances of becoming fertile and getting pregnant it is a positive less invasive choice.

A lot of people are given IVF when actually they could fall naturally given better lifestyles and understanding of their problem - why are so many people - 20% ish - labelled with 'undiagnosed infertility' by NHS?

[eurochick]

beangrower "unexplained infertility" just means that the basic tests offered on the NHS haven't dedtected the problem, not that there isn't one. For example, all our NHS tests came back as normal and we were diagnosed as "unexplained" and referred for IVF. I had tests privately for NK cells and they came back as positive. However, that is now being treated and I am still not getting pregnant so it seems like we might have an additional issue that is not detectable by the tests we have had to date. So it is not just about having better lifestyles and an understanding of the issues. There is a lot that is not understood about fertility, even now.

Barbi I don't find that annoying at all. I read that article and many others on both sides before I decided to try acupuncture. I was pretty sceptical when I first went but felt that I needed to be doing something whilst waiting for my NHS referral. What I will say is that acu has definitely affected my periods. They are more regular, less clotty and less painful than before. I can't explain how sticking some needles in me has brought that about but somehow it has. I have more than 20 years of natural non-acu cycles to compare it to (I only used hormonal contraception for 18 months when I was young so I know my natural cycle very well).

[beangrower]

Yes - I know what it means and that's why I'm saying that we can't rely on the NHS for everything, Euro - they hit a brick wall with a lot of people. I totally agree that better lifestyles won't necessarily fix us - I'm in the same boat and am sorry to hear that you are still having problems despite everything you've found out - I really feel for you. But, a lot of fertility treatment/IVF is given without a full exploration/consideration of the individual patient - eg, NK cell testing etc. Not that I disagree with IVF, just that there is no harm in exploring all potential assistance during TTC before the IVF route.

Acupuncture is holistic and there's something about this that the NHS just can't seem to get their head around.

I'm not annoyed by the suggestion that acu doesn't work/has no scientific background. We also know that a lot of NHS fertility treatment doesn't work for many people, sadly.

I have been having acu for months (and had a v good exp of it when pg with my DS), but recently found out my DP has issues so he has been going for a few weeks. We will have to see if it helps...

I think we can all agree that there are many mysteries to this TTC business that may never even be solved.