Anyone else trying Acupuncture for TTC? ✨

[Bellesjp]

Hi everyone

I've just had my second session of acupuncture to help with ttc and wondered if anyone else is doing the same? I've heard really good success stories so I'm hoping it helps 🤞🏼

A bit about my journey.. we started properly trying December 2020, I had an early miscarriage a few years before when we were 'not trying not preventing', I then got my bfp in July but unfortunately we lost her in September to turners syndrome 😞 started ttc again and this is my forth cycle this time round.

My acupuncturist has said to refrain from ttc for a few months to let the acupuncture help my body but we are going to go back to 'trying but not trying' if you know what I mean 🙈 can't bring myself to stop completely after all this in case it was meant to be this month!!

Hi @SarahJFS can't say I've noticed having vivid dreams specifically with the acupuncture but I do sometimes get them anyway, usually to do with taking a pregnancy test and getting a bfp, in the night before I wake up and get a bfn! That is strange, must be confusing as to what actually happened 🙈

@IsabelHerna Thankyou for asking, the new lady was really good. She went through all my history, seemed to think we were on the right track with what we're doing currently. As I also have an overactive thyroid, she focused on treating that in my first session, so that hopefully it will have improved to be able to try properly this month. I'm cd3 today so my next session will be focused on improving follicles prior to ovulation I think she said. Think she tailors to where you are in your cycle x

@Bellesjp I mentioned it to my acupuncturist at my appointment yesterday, and she said it could be a result of releasing toxins from my body (along with many other weird effects I've been experiencing - I guess just proof that it is working?) or it could be the endep starting to work which also make sense because I barely had any pain during my last AF which is UNHEARD of for me.

I had my follicle session yesterday and it was heavenly! They used a heat lamp over my belly where some of the needles were and it was so relaxing I completely fell asleep again! My acupuncturist likes to do the follicle session CD 3-5 but I spoke with one of the other practitioners who said she would normally do it CD 6-11 in a non-IVF patient. I guess it depends on where they trained, and other underlying health concerns.
Will you do an additional treatment around the time of ovulation? My practitioner said she uses the heat lamp for follices and ovulation (which will be my next treatment around CD15-17 I have a slightly shortened luteal phase by like 2-3 days she said so I don't know if the ovulation treatment is always day 15-17 or if thats just specific to my cycle), but not for implantation, so I'm looking forward to the next one.
Hubby is thinking about giving it a go too because of how much my stress has reduced since I started. I'm practically floating :P

Are you enjoying your sessions so far?

Hi @SarahJFS that's really good that she thinks it means the acupuncture is working, guess it must be one of the side effects! Funnily enough after you saying about that, I had a really vivid dream last night so perhaps I just haven't noticed before 🙈

I think my next session is on cd12, but I don't usually ovulate until cd16-18. I can't get another appt until 2 weeks after as she's away training so won't have one around ovulation this month, although I probably would have done otherwise.

Your follicle session sounds really good, I like it when they put the heat lamp on your tummy lol. Will be interesting to hear how your ovulation session differs, hopefully it helps your LP. I think mine has lengthened since the acupuncture, it was 14 days this month and in previous it has been 12! X

@Bellesjp my acupuncturist was telling me today, that dreams can mean different things in the body to do with yin and yang, so definitely worth mentioning any dreams to your acupuncturist.

I ended up ovulating on day 12 this cycle, which is 3 days earlier than normal for me. I'm not sure if it was because I started taking Inositol or if it was because of the acupuncture sessions. I think it was more likely the acupuncture though. I've just had my implantation support session today, 8 days post ovulation. She said we can do 1 more session in 7 days, on day 27 of my cycle, as further implantation support if I have a very good feeling about this month. There were a lot of things she said during my session as well that made me think my body was giving her clues that this might be the one. So I've booked the extra session, and if it doesn't work out, at least its another chance to relax - I keep falling asleep in my sessions lately.

My follicle session and ovulation session were very similar - maybe 1 or 2 more needles? but the implantation they stay aware from the abdominal area completely and focus on extremities to promote blood flow towards the uterus - so lots in my legs and feet this time. No heat on the belly but she covered my feet with a blanket so I wouldn't get cold.

Also recommended lots of tumeric, ginger and cinnamon to help increase yin and the "fire" to helping with "cooking" - I've been consuming as much of these as I can tolerate and she said my pulse was much stronger this time, but still very "slippery" which means I have "damp heat"