Fertility acupuncture?

[Jmarie123]

I’ve just started fertility investigations through my GP as I’m struggling to conceive and have a very short Luteal phase.
I’m considering acupuncture as I’ve seen a lot recommend it, but it’s very expensive so just trying to decide.
Does any one have any experiences with it? I’m worried it’s just a money trap but kind of willing to try anything at this point.

I'm sorry to hear you are going through this. Sending virtual hugs. I tried fertility acupuncture as I too have a short luteal phase. It reduced my headaches and I did feel so calm and relaxed after each session. It bought my ovulation forward but it didn't extend my luteal phase. So it actually made my cycles shorter. I went for about 4 months every 2 weeks but I stopped in the end.

@DisneyGirl2387 thanks so much for the reply, sorry to hear it didn’t work for you. Hope you don’t mind me asking but have you found anything that has helped?

I went because I had come off the pill and my periods hadn't restarted so wanted to try and kick start them. They returned very soon after starting weekly acupuncture and I got pregnant the next month. However, I also got pregnant with my second child the first month following no acupuncture. So who knows!

I had acupuncture and it regulated my cycle from 24-26 days to bang on 28 days every month now. Had two chemical pregnancies during the 4 months I had it but I think they didn't progress due to low progesterone rather than anything else.

@Jmarie123
I had lots of tests done and it was discovered that even though I have a regular cycle and positive opks I don't actually ovulate. So I had 6 months of clomid (which did extend both my cycle and luteal phase) which sadly didn't work. But we were very lucky to conceive on our first round of medicated IUI. My 15 month old son is asleep as we speak. I hope your GP has some answers for you as I tried so many things to extend my luteal phase that didn't work. Thinking of you! If you have any more questions please feel free to ask. I know how much I relied on mumsnet!

There is no known mechanism by which acupuncture could affect fertility and no evidence that it does. Doesn't waste your money.

@DisneyGirl2387 thanks so much, i really appreciate it. I have my first progesterone test tomorrow and I’m kind of anticipating the same results as you, it’s so scary to think I might not ovulating. I’m so pleased to hear you now have your son. I’m hoping it doesn’t take too long to get going with a treatment plan. Do you remember how long it took for you to get started with medicated cycles from when you went to the GP?

@Jmarie123
I remember being strangely relieved that there was something 'wrong' if that makes sense. So I went to the GP in Jan 2019, had first hospital appointment in April, Hycosy in May and then started clomid in June. I then had a follow up appointment in Dec, a medication appointment in Jan and then started IUI in Feb. My son was born in Nov 2020. Good luck for your test tomorrow. I actually had 2 progesterone tests in the end (separate months) on slightly different cycle days one at 21 and one earlier but still was around 14mnol.

@Jmarie123
I'll never forget those feelings of sadness each month. The mental pain each month is unbearable. I will never forget how it feels. I hope you've got a good support network around you to take care of you.

@DisneyGirl2387 it really is awful. Especially when there not even time for hope to build to take a test because my periods there first. I haven’t really told anyone other than my partner (obviously) cause I think I’d find it too hard feeling like everyone’s waiting each month. Trying to stay hopeful for now though, I really appreciate the support.

I used it during my 2 X successful IVF cycles (1 FET). I had 3 X sessions each time at a cost of £40 per session so in the context of IVF it was "cheap".

I'd wait until the results of your GP investigations and see if they give you a diagnosis. Hopefully they can prescribe something that does the trick for you. At least then if you do go for accupuncture a good fertility accupuncturist can recommend something to target your specific issues.

Fingers crossed for answers for you

Where are you based? It’s anecdotal of course but I know a practitioner in the midlands who has helped 3 couples that I know, myself included conceive when they’d been trying for years and told by consultants they’d never conceive without ivf + icsi

@Bluffysummers could you please pass on the details as I am based in the midlands and this is our 15th cycle TTC. I did start acupuncture last month somewhere local to me, but yet to see the benefits. I've had 4 sessions so far but no BFP.

[quote Tinkerbell098]@Bluffysummers could you please pass on the details as I am based in the midlands and this is our 15th cycle TTC. I did start acupuncture last month somewhere local to me, but yet to see the benefits. I've had 4 sessions so far but no BFP.[/quote]
Who are you seeing @Tinkerbell098? We saw ha shuen (might be spelling it wrong) in edgbaston for over 6 months and nothing! Moved to Michael Gorman in Solihull and 2 months and fell pregnant. If you can try and get into Michael himself he’s got quite a wait but personally I think it’s worth it.

Saw one of his associates too to get my started in labour with my second, went into labour that night! Something clearly works lol

@Bluffysummers thanks for the recommendation. He's got availability end of April by the looks of it. I'm seeing Denise Rainford based in Leicester. How many sessions did you have with Michael and if there is such a long waiting list, how would you go about booking more sessions as I'd imagine the first few would need to be quite close to each other?

[quote Tinkerbell098]@Bluffysummers thanks for the recommendation. He's got availability end of April by the looks of it. I'm seeing Denise Rainford based in Leicester. How many sessions did you have with Michael and if there is such a long waiting list, how would you go about booking more sessions as I'd imagine the first few would need to be quite close to each other?[/quote]
Mind me asking what your ‘issues’ are?

Dh has variable sperm parameters- predominantly low morphology. He had 2 sessions and then Michael said he was done.

Me i had long cycles that would vary in length month to month due to pcos . He said to me once before ovulation to basically ensure you do ovulate and then once after to support implantation.

We used our first session has basically a sort of joint diagnosis thing so see what we needed and to then come up with a treatment plan.

Think I had 6 sessions before falling pregnant. He then recommended once a week after til 8 weeks to support progesterone.

After the first session he wrote up a treatment protocol so we saw other practitioners if we couldn’t get in with him as he’s so busy

@Bluffysummers we've been TTC 15 months, with no official diagnosis. I has an ultrasound a few weeks ago that showed very thin lining and I'm waiting to see my consultant regarding this. I think it's definitely something acupuncture can help with.

i understand Im late onto this tread, but wanted to put down my experience as I disagree with some of the comments. So here goes.

had 3 cycles of ivf in my early 20’s with my ex husband, they found no fertility issues it was classed as unexplained.. none worked, 3 cycles and more than 6 embryos transferred all BFN.

fast forward 18years and here I am at 40 undergoing more ivf with my partner

first cycle IVF with ICSI x2 day 5 embryos
no acupuncture
x1 4AA transferred fresh = chemical
x1 4BB transfer frozen = Neg

second cycle IVF with ICSI x4 day 5 embryos
With acupuncture (only myself)
5AA&5BB transfer fresh = singleton pregnancy 10.5 week Missed miscarriage

no acupuncture
frozen transfer of remaining embryos from 2nd cycle.
5bb= negative
4bb = negative

third round IVF with ICSI no acupuncture
4 egg collected only 1 fertalised
day 3 Fresh transfer of grade 1, 8cell
negative

forth cycle both myself and my partner had acupuncture, myself starting a week before the cycle and my partner had two sessions of cupping and acupuncture just before giving sperm sample.

we could do IVF without ICSI
we had 7 eggs collected, all 7 fertilised and all 7 made it to day 5, only 4 made blast so we had 2 transferred fresh, and im now 6 weeks pregnant

beta at 10dp5dt = 279
beta at 12dp5dt = 878

I have never been on any contraception in my life.. I have never been pregnant and seen a heartbeat 💓 until acupuncture.

i thought it was a load of rubbish and having it made me roll my eyes because I didn’t believe it would make any difference at all. I didn’t find it relaxing 😂 but I cracked on just to see whether it was worth it.

seems strange my partners sample was always low until acupuncture and we never seen heartbeat 💓 until acupuncture.