First time acupuncture just before transfer - yes or no ?

[rainbowvanilla]

Hello 🤗
I have my transfer this Friday. Wondering if I can do acupuncture to improve the chances. But this is my first acupuncture session and I am scared of needles.

Shall I go ahead with the acupuncture or better not to ?

Bumping

I am also scared of needles and honestly I wouldn’t. The one time I went for acupuncture (outwith IVF) just found it really stressful! Even though my muscles relaxed, mentally it just didn’t help and I almost felt dissociative during if that makes sense. So I wouldn’t do it now when there are already heaps of needles 🫣🫠

That said, we’re all different obviously so if you’re curious and think it might help, why not?

From my experience acupuncture was a total waste of time and money.

Stress is not good for transfer. So, if you are afraid of needles I would advise against it.

I did it once and didn't find it relaxing, I am also too impatient to lay there for an hour. It didn't implant that time.

I had acupuncture with all of my transfers: fresh transfer worked, resulted in my DD, second FET was an early miscarriage, third was BFN (different acupuncturist) and last was a positive (went back to my old acupuncturist and currently 9 weeks pregnant). I personally really rate it and think it did help (there is a lot of research around it).

HOWEVER, as the others said, if you are scared of needles and the session will be stressful then the stress will probably outweigh the benefits. I’m not keen on needles but it’s only a few seconds for them all to go in and they are very fine so they’re not really painful and you don’t feel them after that. You could also try reflexology which is also meant to help and a lot more relaxing and doesn’t involve needles.

Hello @rainbowvanilla I have used acupuncture and found it very relaxing. First round BFN, second round early miscarriage and 3 round BFP, who is now my 3yo. I used acupuncture again for my current round. I test tomorrow.
However, if you are scared of needles and have not done acupuncture before, it might be best not to rush into it.
Good luck

Hi, I hope your transfer went well? Just seen your question and I am an acupuncturist. I know I might be accused of being biased, however it is amazingly good at helping with fertility. Not only in calming you, but also in increasing womb lining thickness and helping with drug side effects. We all work in different ways, and what I would say is that there are acupuncturists out there that use a very gentle needling technique, and very few needles (I tend to use just 2 or 3). Also some of us will quite happily treat using acupressure alone if the person really can't be persuaded to try a needle. When I have done acupressure I'm often left wondering why we use needles in the first place!

Happy incubating! :-) xx