Accupuncture & IVF

[Rose40Berry]

Hi all - I just did my first FET, and it didn’t work out. Failed. Lots of reasons that could be, but we are trying again in a month or two. I’m obviously quite worried about whether it will fail again.

I’ve read some good things about accupuncture to assist in transfer (on the day) and potentially also before in preparing myself, though that looks less clear. Has anyone tried it and could let me know what they thought?

and does anyone have any London based recommendations for practitioners please? I’m a bit wary of holistic therapy usually and want to find someone who knows their stuff for fertility support!

Honestly, I had 6 cycles of IVF and tried everything under the sun. Acupuncture, for me personally, did nothing worthy of note.

Look up the Delphi protocol. It was a trial that showed good results for an increase in live births. It can be a bit tricky to arrange because it involves having a treatment v close to the egg transfer.

Even if it doesn’t result in a pregnancy most people find it relieves stress.

Good luck for your next egg transfer.

I personally had success with the rounds I did acupuncture on so I would do it if it were me (round 5 and 7).

I am currently pregnant after 3 rounds (4 transfers).

On the 3rd round I decided to throw everything at it and started a course of acupuncture after the cycle had already started. There is no peer reviewed evidence for acupuncture in IVF but I did feel more relaxed in this cycle this more positive. I also had a fertility massage (hot stone) the evening before our transfer.

As I’ve said there is no scientific studies for it but I thought what the hell and here we are. I would point out that anecdotal evidence shows it may help in patients over 40 which I am.

I had acupuncture leading up to IVF. Got pregnant at the first attempt

I am an acupuncturist specialising in fertility treatments and have lectured on the topic for over ten years. With more than 40 randomised controlled trials and at least 20 meta-analysis studies, it's no longer accurate to claim that there's insufficient research on acupuncture and fertility. The most recent meta-analysis, which analysed results from 25 randomised controlled trials, showed that acupuncture increases IVF live birth rates by 33.8% (https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00404-023-07142-1).

That said, like all medical treatments, acupuncture won't work for everyone. If a patient's baseline success rate is 5%, even a 30% increase from acupuncture means it still won't guarantee success for all.

Acupuncture is also dose-dependent. Just as one or two IVF stimulation injections are not enough, one or two fertility acupuncture sessions are typically not enough too. Many patients give acupuncture a fair chance, but some only attend a session or two near their embryo transfer time. By this stage, it's challenging to make a significant difference. Ideally, patients should start their treatment at least 2-3 months before IVF to positively influence egg quality—the most crucial factor in IVF success.

As with all medical treatments, there's always room for more research. However, compared to many other costly IVF add-ons offered by IVF clinics, acupuncture stands out as one of the most effective, evidence-based, and safest adjunctive treatments.