Fertility acupuncture

[Floralsandsmiles]

Hi,

Has anyone had this? Would love to know what it entails? And also success stories! Xxx

Hi!

I had 2/3 months of fertility acupuncture. It’s just the same as normal acupuncture except it’s about going for points on your body to help depending where you are in your cycle.

It was so relaxing and lovely! Unfortunately I can’t say it worked for us, but that’s due to finding out later on that we had MFI. We’re now pregnant with our IVF miracle, and I also had acupuncture throughout my IVF cycle🤍 no idea if it worked but it was bloody lovely! X

I meant no idea if it helped IVF work in our case hahaha but it did first time x

Aww OK thank you! Congratulations! Wonderful news!
I thought I knew where I was in my cycle but unfortunately don't seem to have ovulated. It's all very frustrating! Does that mean it won't work for me? If we don't know what's going on in my cycle?
Whats MFI lovely? So happy you have your miracle baby safely cooking! Xxx

Waste of money for me. Did it for about a year and no pregnancy.

Aww I'm sorry to hear this @Twizbe ! Xx

It's ok. I was lucky in the end and got pregnant naturally just before starting IVF. I wasn't doing acupuncture at that time and hadn't for about a year.

Aww amazing! Congratulations! Xx

Did it once for ivf, first time success. Doing it again for baby 2, don't know if it has worked yet. There is scientific evidence to say it does improve your chances with ivf but it isn't going to be a guarantee in any way.

Aww OK, I would be doing to help me regulate my cycles and prepare body for implantation. We aren't going down the IVF, yet! Xxx

I personally wouldn't bother until you're also doing other treatments. It isn't going to be the thing that gets you pregnant (i wish it was!)

I was told it helps prepare your body and relaxes you though? And to relax could be what does get your pregnant? I know, I'm clutching at straws.. 😒 xxxx

I had acupuncture before falling pregnant for a second time. I found it amazing relaxing. And fell pregnant after about 6 weeks. This was a second pregnancy for me though. I don't know if it helped but it gave me some fabulous time to relax.

Aww OK, this would be my second also and I'm hoping it will have the same effect, as it did to you! Xxx

I did it. I did find it very relaxing. I had 5 rounds of IVF. Did acupuncture for 4 of them. The one round that I couldn't do it due to covid lockdown I had twins 😂

Lol o goodness! 🤣 xxx

I had irregular long periods so went to acupuncture three months before we started TTC. Within that time she managed to get my periods more
regular, and I got signs like EWCM that I never had before. We then became pregnant the first month trying and I’m now 6 weeks 🤞

Aww this is amazing! Thank you for sharing! Xxx

I had it whilst having ivf. Amazingly the ivf worked and we had twins, obviously I don’t know how much impact the acupuncture had but it made me feel good and like I was doing something to help 😊

I have had 7 rounds of IVF altogether. Might be just coincidence but the last two were successful and those were the ones I had acupuncture before/during.

Me.

Acupuncture makes a small pin prick wound whoch increases blood flow to that area as the body rushes to heal the new wound. If you have a problem thwt can be solved by a small increase in blood flow then it may help you.

Was a huge waste of time for me. Infertility has a medical cause, even ‘unexplained infertility’ just means the doctors aren’t good enough to find the cause.

Get the blood tests, get a transvaginal ultrasound, maybe even a laparoscopy and IVF but don’t waste months arsing around with acupuncture like I did while your eggs age even more.

I had it for about 9 cycles, 2 of them were IVF cycles (1 cancelled, 1 didn’t progress to transfer) and 7 monitored cycles (4 chemicals and 1 MMC).

Oddly enough the cycle I was successful was the one I didn’t have any acupuncture.

So in my opinion it’s nice and relaxing but if you’re going to get pregnant then I don’t think acupuncture is the deciding factor.

It's relaxing, but there are other ways to relax. I didn't find it any better than having a massage, for example.

Also the lady I saw was into all kinds of alternative stuff, e.g. she wanted to do a thing where she would look directly into my eye for 5 minutes to determine how healthy I am and whether I'm ready for pregnancy or some such (I politely declined). She also wanted to give me some very expensive herbs - at £20 for a small bag, I also politely declined.

So I think it really depends how much you like / believe in all this alternative stuff, but it didn't do much for me. I'd have a massage instead :)

I am an acupuncturist and do a lot of fertility work. Acupuncture can help regulate cycles, relieve stress and increase uterine blood flow. There is a specific protocol for IVF that increases your chances of a live birth by quite a chance, but of course if your IVF doctor has deemed your chances to be say 8%, then acupuncture is not going to raise them to 90.

Apart from the acupuncture itself I do a lot of patient education around menstrual cycles, signs of ovulation, timing intercourse to maximise your chances and of course, I lent a sympathetic ear as TTC can be a lonely and stressful road.

What I would recommend is that you find a practitioner with a high level of training (degree level educated and then some specialist fertility training) and have a chat with them to see if you “click”.

*by quite a bit