Acupuncture for infertility/in general

[aredrosegrewup]

Has anybody had acupuncture either for infertility or just because? I know it's classed as a complementary therapy with no definitive evidence, but I thought I'd try it and worse case scenario, I get poked with pins for an hour. Any experiences? Thanks!

Yes! Sort of. I had a very positive experience with acupuncture but it involves miscarriages so if you’re ttc I won’t share it unless you don’t mind that.

I'd love it if you'd share? I've had multiple losses myself and no live births so far.

Anecdotal. And no diagnosed infertility. TTC no luck, the month I had acupuncture I swear I felt ‘a shift’ in my blood which sounds bloody insane. However got pregnant that month.

Thanks for sharing. Do you mind me asking how long you had tried for?

I’m sorry to hear that, it’s a really crappy place to be.

I had 4 MCs, all conceived pretty quickly but I couldn’t get them to stick and was under the RMC but tests were clear. And then I didn’t conceive for a year, I thought I’d used up all my luck and was absolutely battered by everything. I was open minded if not that optimistic about acupuncture but I’d have tried anything (crystals, reflexology, reiki, I was getting desperate) and I found it genuinely incredible.

I got on very well with the practitioner which helps and I used the sessions as a chance to grump or rant or cry then lie down while she did her needle thing and always left feeling so much lighter. I got pregnant again after a couple of months and had another missed miscarriage but it was so much easier both physically and mentally as I was in a less fragile wobbly place. I can’t really explain it, it was another mmc at 11 weeks and I was obviously sad about it but I only cried once and the recovery was fine, I just dealt with everything better as I felt stronger and less desperate.

I then got pregnant in the second cycle after the mmc surgery and she’s 6. I was managed with kid gloves by the RMC and on a big meds plan and carried on with acupuncture till I had her and had one session after. It was an emotional life line in a stressful ttc, mc, recovery, ttc, pregnancy period of my life and honestly kept me as level as I could have been. If I ever said I needed to cancel a session DH would insist I prioritised it as I got home slightly high on life, chillled out and happier. I suppose I could have gone to talking therapy but that’s what worked for me.

My lady did 5 elements acupuncture which is what I’d have if I ever wanted acupuncture again. The other thing is that before I conceived the first time after starting to see her my periods changed completely in a really positive way and that continues until my successful pregnancy. It definitely did stuff on a number of different levels.

Thank you so much for sharing. It's made me cry but in a good way. I'm having therapy and have been since January - I'm a bit of a hard nut to crack!

I've had one miscarriage and 2 ectopics. The second ectopic was on my ovary and that had taken me nearly 2 years to conceive. I had been referred and had my first appointment for IVF when I got the positive test. It absolutely broke me. Its been 2.5 years nearly since that and I've only just been rereferred for IVF because I couldn't face another loss or the stress of it. I haven't been pregnant again in that time but equally we haven't tried very much.

I was thinking that even if it didn't do anything that it might be a nice thing to have while I wait for my IVF appointment.

Sorry thought I’d said! 9 or 10 months TTC x

Oh my heart really goes out to you. You’ve had a fucking awful time, no wonder you’re exhausted inside and out. Have a hug, I really honestly do get it 💐

PM me where you are in case it’s nearby and I can recommend my lady to you if you like.

I think when you’re in this shite place you just need to find whatever works for you. To keep faith with your body. To anchor yourself. To care for yourself. I baked, walked and had acupuncture. Give acupuncture a go if it appeals, you’ll know if it’s for you pretty quickly.

Yea I did for infertility when going through ivf. (I was only infertile as I had to have tubes removed due to problems rather than sperm or eggs or other issues). However!!! I had 5 rounds of ivf and had acupuncture thorughout and very regularly- used the zita west approach. (Google zita west). I did have a baby but I wouldn’t attribute it to the acupuncture . I had 1 baby at the end of 8 transfers and used acupuncture throughout. More beuxase my insurance paid it and there was no harm in in and I saw it as talking thereapy and it kept me in check. Wouldn’t say it helped with bfp.

Thank you! I'll look into Zita West.

I had it after a MC and I'm not sure how I would have got through that experience without. It didn't help me to conceive afterwards, I'm afraid, but I was early 40s by then. It helped me come to terms with that situation. It was an extraordinary thing, I will never forget the amazing sensation after my first, very intense session.

If you feel drawn to it I would recommend giving it a try. You will know from the first session if it will help you or not, even if it doesn't deliver the child you want.

Not to overstep the mark so feel free to ignore , but something that helped me was a book by Rebecca fett/ it starts with the egg. Fantastic . I followed that and got pregnant after 5 years. It transformed my ivf cycle from bad to amazing results. And works either way natural or ivf route. I got given that advice on here and am so thankful for it as it resulted it my DC- so feel like I should pass on

I had acupuncture after my first pregnancy ended in miscarriage. Fell pregnant again 4 months later, that baby is now a totally feral 2.5yo. I continued the acupuncture throughout that pregnancy and always felt lighter and very zen after treatment. No idea if it helped the pregnancy to stick, but it worked wonders for my mental health at the time and I liked feeling like I was doing something to improve my chances of things going right.

Thank you for sharing. I'm glad it helped you to deal with your loss and coming to terms with everything. It sounds as though you really benefitted from it from a mental health point of view. My mental health has been terrible so I might give it a try just for that!

No you're not overstepping at all. I have heard of that book, but I haven't been in a place to want to read anything about fertility - I've been that low, but I'm not in that place so much now. I might give it a go. Thank you!

I'd love to feel zen! The more people are saying it positively impacted their mental health, the more tempted I am!

Yes I had it weekly 3 months before my second round of ivf and then up to 13 weeks pregnant I definitely feel it contributed to my more successful round and transfer.

I had it out of desperation for secondary fertility for about 6 cycles - no success at all. I didn't experience any change in myself during/after each session - well it was nice to have a lie down in a quiet room for a while but I could do that for free at home! I had no emotional connection with it. I wasn't doing ivf and hadn't had any miscarriages.

I did eventually conceive but it was months after I'd stopped the sessions and generally given up on ttc and stopped doing any kind of monitoring or timing or changing my behaviour (although not using any contraception).

Yes I had it after miscarriages and IVF, my hormone levels were so out that my ivf Dr thought the test results must have been incorrect… I had acupuncture with an amazing woman who trained at the Zita West clinic and she transformed mg hormone levels and I fell and stayed pregnant

I had acupuncture but it didn’t help me. I didn’t feel the things that others seem to feel when they have it. It was an ok way to pass an hour though, wasn’t painful or anything and I suppose I did feel chilled out.
4 years later I had ivf, 1 month before my 41st birthday. Worked first time. The only supplements I took were high strength vitamin D and folic acid, on the advice of my nhs ivf consultant.
I don’t drink alcohol & reduced my sugar intake before ivf. I eat very clean, meat, veg, full fat butter, milk etc. No caffeine at all. No take aways, avoid ultra processed foods. Everything is home cooked. My BMI was 23 when I had my ivf.
A positive mindset is very important, do whatever you need to do to achieve it.
10 years of infertility, no known fertility issues with myself or my husband. Just couldn’t get pregnant. Now have a very active toddler.
Best of luck 🍀

Yes I had it for three months before treatment and two weeks after transfer.

DD is 18 in a month! 🥰

I swore by it, it sorted so many symptoms I had and the lady I had was a fertility expert in acupuncture.

If you're near Kent I can give you her name.

The positive mindset is my biggest battle currently. I might give it a go, I'm not losing anything by having one session. Thanks!

Ah I'm the opposite end of the country but thank you!

I've PM'd you. 😊

Hi :)

I hope it's not too late for me to jump on this thread. I'm so sorry for all your pain and heartache, I really hope the next steps forward start to make sense of a horribly painful journey. I am feeling similar, I had an ectopic back in March 2024 and not a sniff of a positive since. We are now on the route to IVF ourselves and actually I feel a lot better mentally for taking this step, but it is very terrifying. I started acupuncture back in June and I really love it, it makes me feel as though I'm doing something proactive and just purely for me - I'm a primary school teacher, so sometimes this offers me an hour a week for myself. It has improved some spotting I was having just before my period and also lessened some PMS symptoms I can get frequently.

Xxx