Acupuncture and ttc - what's going on?!

[bloomingheather]

Apologies in advance for the long post - just wondered if anyone has any experience of their cycles going a bit haywire after acupuncture? I posted this on the TTC 40+ thread but thought I would start a thread too for more traffic.

I've been ttc #1 for over a year now and turned 40 a few months ago. Not a sniff of a bfp in the time we've been ttc.

Cycles are always 26-28 days and have been aware for the last while that I was ovulating around days 10-12. Confirmed this with opk's but I was pretty certain i was ovulating then anyway. I was worried that I was ovulating very early so visited GP and have been having acupuncture since July. Have had around 4 sessions and my cycle has lengthened slightly which pushed ovulation back to around day 12 so I was really pleased with that and thought things were moving in the right direction. Day 21 progesterone was absolutely fine too and we're waiting for my partner to have sperm analysis done.

However, this month has been really weird and I was wondering if anyone has any advice or something similar happen to them. I had been using clear blue dual hormone OPK's since day 8 and had negatives up until day 15 which was strange for me. I've been ovulating pretty regularly (albeit early) for as long as I can remember. Finally got a flashing smiley on Sat (day 16) and up until yesterday so 4 days of flashing smilies with no peak. Thought I might just ovulate late this month. Then yesterday, I had cramping and a headache and some nausea and what seems to be my period started - on day 19! I've never had mid cycle bleeding before and period never started before day 26. Apologies for tmi but it's quite stringy and mostly brown/dark red. More than spotting though and still have mild cramps. I have no idea what's going on! I wondered if it could be implantation bleeding which is a very very slight possibility but then according to this months OPK's, I haven't ovulated this month and it would have to have been around day 10 which is when I was getting negative OPK results!
I'm not sure whether to see the GP or whether they'll just dismiss it as a weird af due to my age, although this is very unusual for me. I managed to get an appt for today but not sure whether to go or not.
Or is it the acupuncture messing things up? Anyone any advice or something similar happen to them?

I started give elements acupuncture after my second mmc. It helped me so much. I needed to recover from the physical and emotional trauma and it helped with that. It also sorted out my (ahem) chronic constipation! My hayfever has lessened incredibly also. Most wonderfully of all, my third pregnancy was successful - I kept up acupuncture throughout and had my lovely dd a month after my 40th birthday! x

Whoops...I meant five elements not give!

Acupuncture and Chinese herbs did bog all for me (in terms of getting me pregnant I needed the big guns of ICSI and IVIG therapy) but I did find it relaxing and wish you ladies the best of luck.

Ah KarryK that is amazing, huge congratulations! I’ve got a book on the five elements but have yet to read it yet. I get the impression that most places practice the traditional Chinese type of acupuncture.

Tatlerer I hope you were successful in your journey.

@Dandelion89 I used Sunderland Physiotherapy Centre in Roker.

It did do things, my heart rate flattened out on my FitBit and I felt ovulation.

Unfortunately it didn't work for me (couldn't afford it for a second month...) but I'd definitely try it again!

Thanks for replying @juneybean, that’s near me so I will look into it. I know, it’s a lot of money to fork out isn’t it?!

Juneybean I think I know you! From The bc???

Yes... Who are you?

Really interesting reading through this thread for the first time!

I first had acupuncture & chinese medical herbs 2 months ago in September, have had 3 sessions so far. We have been TTC around 16 months since my MMC (bad news at dating scan) in summer 2016.

Also I turned 39 this summer which added to my general panic, with no sniff of a BFP plus I got my GP to refer me to a sub-fertility clinic and was basically told to self-refer for self-funded IVF.

Getting to the point of my post- few days late with period and got a BFP today! Pretty shocked and now really wondering how I'm going to get through the next several weeks until dating scan.

I am not the sort of person who would EVER have considered anything like acupuncture or medical herbs 18 months ago, but it's funny what TTC does to you- all I can say is that it has definitely done something for me!

Give it a try at least, I am now of the opinion that there is most definitely something going on with acupuncture/traditional chinese medicine and fertility.

@freezingwinter think I've worked it out! Are you trying for another? X

Yes! We have each other on facebook, I have a little boy, we've known each other for years!!!
I am trying for another, have been since August. Are you trying then??! AF started today, so I ovulated on day 11-12 so dtd on completely the wrong days and my next period will be due Christmas Day now so that's lovely!! Haha

I've been trying since April :( Just trying at home with a donor. FW starts next week so fingers crossed I'll get a xmas BFP!

Following with interest. Started acupuncture to help with anxiety and fertility as now on cycle 7 post MMC at 10 weeks, with not a sniff of a line to show for it. Been for 4 sessions now and doing it weekly to regulate cycle. Already last cycle noticeable difference - ovulated earlier, 1 day longer LP, temps more consistent. Period blood better quality too. Cd15 today and expect ov soon. Next session Thursday. Will keep you all posted.

@TurquoiseDress that’s really interesting. I think I’ve read your story on another thread. How often did your sessions? Congratulations on your pregnancy!

Bertrand & Mulch

Here’s a BMJ article on the proven efficacy of acupuncture on fertility.

BMJ

I’m in training to be an acupuncturist.

I have a daughter born to me after 7 rounds of fertility treatment, 2 mc and having acupuncture during my final round of IVF.

@Dandelion89

Thank you, it's very early days but obviously hoping things work out ok.
Having had a MMC last year has certainly taken any joy or positivity out of things for me

I can't quite believe I got a BFP

Had first acupuncture session back in September, and have had 3 in total, roughly once a month. Would've done it more often if I wasn't so busy at work.

Plus obviously the cost- have had course of Chinese medical herbs as well, they are bloody expensive!

Kind of wishing I'd found out about all of this ages ago...I know someone mentioned acupuncture to me a few months after my MMC.

But I'd conceived immediately after coming off the pill (twice) so I didn't think I needed to add anything extra! How wrong I was

@Marymaymay
Thank you for posting the BMJ link, v interesting stuff!

Just to add- over the last year I've had regular periods every month (approx 27-29 day cycles).

Bloods showed I ovulated, normal FSH and LH.

But we just couldn't seem to conceive over the last year or so.

Daily Temping since the summer showed I do ovulate every month.

I had tried it last year but got disheartened...really wish I'd persevered.

The book "Taking charge of your fertility" really changed everything for me when I bought it over the summer and helped me get a lot more in tune with what was going on in my body.

Acupuncture wasn't really to regulate my periods, but more for the fertility aspect- I figured we needed to try something different.

Maybe it was one big coincidence? I really don't think so and I am SO not a woo person at all!

I ttc for about 8 years -also suffer with polycystic ovaries. Went to an acupuncturist for fibromyalgia and mentioned that I had been struggling ttc as well. He told me that acpuncture was excellent for fertility and I had sessions for 6 months. One month had a period and then two days later had a little show which I thought was odd. That turned out to be an implantation bleed - so cycle was all weird but had my daughter at age 40 and she's now 8 and I would recommend it to anyone ttc.

This gives me so much hope. I also have regular cycles, ovulating fine, TTC 1 year this Christmas. Had a MMC in May. Having weekly acupuncture now.

Just wanted to say, acupuncture is NOT woo!

It’s an accepted form of medicine, developed over two thousand years.

As westerners we presume that our Western medicine is the only ‘truth’ and all else is superstitious. It is the result of a continuous process of critical thinking by some of the most respected clinicians and theoreticians over thousands of years.

It’s a bit like those flat earthers hundreds of years ago.

Acupuncture is proven to work. Not for everything and not for everybody (much like western medicine!). My local GP is a medical acupuncturist and I also received acupuncture on the NHS whilst pregnant. The NHS and Niace do not approve NHS treatment unless it is proven.

Wishing all you guys good luck on your journey - happy to answer any questions from my limited knowledge if you have any.

Thanks for the input everyone. I’m going to book my first appointment tomorrow.

@TurquoiseDress Ive recently bought that book. Looking forward to reading it. I had a miscarriage in September and the two cycles I’ve had since have been different. One with a short luteal phase. and one with no ovulation at all.

@Marymaymay thanks for the information, that’s really useful. Looking forward to getting started now.

@Marymaymay

Thanks for the extra info- I went into the whole acupuncture experience knowing hardly anything about it.

The more I read, the more I totally agree with your sentiments.

I felt quite belittled by the doctor at the sub-fertility clinic a couple of months ago.

I mentioned having started acupuncture (& Ubiquinol) and she just made some patronising/dismissive comments with a bit of a snort, followed up by saying we should refer ourselves for IVF asap!

Maybe I was being overly sensitive but I felt a bit stupid towards the end of that appointment!

Hello, sorry I know this is a very old post, but I've had exactly the same problem with acupuncture- Regular cycles and then no ovulation with period day 19. Just wondering if you continued with acupuncture and had success eventually?

Hi Katie567, I did carry on yes. I found out later that I had a low AMH and my partner had issues too so we had IVF/ICSI a year later but had luck after our second attempt, and I now have a little boy who is 18 months. I continued with acupuncture throughout and it was really helpful at keeping me feeling grounded if nothing else.
My cycles did go back to their normal pattern after this post so it must have been a blip - it was never really explained but I was under a fair bit of stress at the time so could have been due to that too.