Acupuncture to help Ovulation/Pregnancy

[luckyfor2]

Hi everyone

Just wanted your knowledge on acupuncture. I'm just recovering from my third mc in a year and feel quiet stressed/depressed about the future. I'm also awaiting AF and have done OPK daily since 14d after mc. I know it can take time for cycles to return and I'm sure the stress of it doesn't help.

Has anyone had a positive result from acupuncture? Any stories welcome.

Thank you

Hi Lucky,
I'm sorry for your losses.
I lost a baby at 19 weeks and one at 8 weeks last year. The second miscarriage followed very quickly after the first. It messed up my cycles A LOT. I'm not pregnant (yet!), but acupuncture has definitely calmed my cycles down, they're almost the same as they were before, but maybe have changed a bit for ever. I am ovulating and getting period regularly and feel very relaxed when I come out from a session, so can definitely recommend it (she even virtually cured me of my cold the last time I saw her - amazing!)
Good luck x

Hello,

I'm sorry to hear your hard news.

I've been using acupuncture, yoga and meditation after a miscarriage (having never done any of them before) and I've found it incredibly helpful to calm me down and let my thinking become more positive.

I did it because 2 very good friends also started acupuncture after miscarriage and found it helpful. When I walk out afterwards I feel warm, fuzzy and happy. My day to day moods have also improved. I think sometimes it really helps to do something positive, sometimes the act itself can be enough to help you to start to feel better.

Have you also been to see your GP, they can be very supportive.

Best of luck.

I tried acu after 2MMCs.

She asked me to stop ttc for 3 cycles so she could get to know my cycle. Was seeing her every 2 weeks. The first month I tried I got pg (sadly that ended in MMC too).

FYI I did get pg first month in my first 2 pgs also, one resulted in DS, one was first MMC.

But after my first MMC for which I needed ERPC my cycle was a bit all over the place, and it took 3 months for a BFP. So I'm not sure if the acu helped regulate my cycle after MMC2, or whether it was because I MC naturally that time?

Sorry that's a bit waffly. In short I do think it helped regulate me. But I don't have a total success story to share alas :(

Good luck.

(I've never felt any different after acu tbh, I had had it before for carpal tunnel which worked amazingly so I do believe in it, but it doesn't seem to affect me in any emotional/physical way IYSWIM).

Hi OP, so sorry to hear about your MCs.

I do have a positive story about acupuncture - I had two early MCs in six months, and then went for a year without conceiving. My cycles were regular, we tried ovulation kits, but nothing was happening.

A year after the second MC I saw an acupuncturist who was recommended by a friend who'd read about his practice in the press. The first time I went to see him we talked for about 45 minutes about why I was there, and I admitted to him (and to myself for the first time) that I was terrified of never conceiving again, but also of what would happen if I did conceive again because I didn't think I could cope with another MC. I cried a lot that day, but it was very cathartic.

He put some needles in, burnt some moxa (a dried herb), saw me three more times over the next eight weeks by which point I'd fallen pregnant. I continued seeing him throughout the pregnancy, which produced DS1.

I've been seeing him ever since, conceived DS2 at the first attempt, and would recommend acupuncture to anyone in your position.

DH thinks it's all coincidence and clap-trap but I do believe that if it weren't for acupuncture I would never have got pregnant again. My problem was psychological and physical, and acupuncture helped to unblock it from both sides.

If you live in London I'd be happy to recommend my acupuncturist to you.

Good luck whatever you decide to do.

Hi everyone
Thank you for all your positive stories, its just what I need right now. I've got an appointment today at 3.30, she said she will be able to help with the stress/depression and hopefully get my cycle back on track so will let you know how I get on. Its just nice to feel like I might be doing something to help and at least it gets me out of the house (which is a struggle at the moment). She also does herbal treatments and said she might prescribe something - has anyone taken anything like that?

My GP has been involved since the second mc and has been very supportive but they say it is normal for your cycle to take a while to get back to normal after mc, I just feel its another thing that I can't control and I can't get right and is so frustrating.

thank you everyone x

Best of luck, OP - I hope that you are celebrating some good news very soon.

(BTW - I'd urge you not to bother with ovulation kits. They take all the fun out of TTC and make it a clinical, miserable business. Much better just to have go at least every other day in the week that you think you might be mid-cycle.)

Hi ttalloo
I know what you mean about the OPK. I have 2DD (5 and 3) and I never had to think of even ovulating I just got pg. It's ridiculous but I feel I need some sort of control, I'm so scared my cycle wont return properly.

lucky I totally get the "needing to feel like you're doing something". That's why I started acu after my 2nd MMC, it just felt like I needed a hook to channel my frustration/anger/upset into.

FWIW I've never done OPKs or temping or whatever and done pretty much what ttalloo said. Am currently trying to get pg for the 5th time, and it's been the longest for a BFP yet. Having said that I'm 42 so inevitably it's fraught with issshoooos.

Good luck hope you get what you want soon x

I am 35 weeks with DC2 thanks to acupuncture. I was 38 and had been trying for a year when I conceived, so things were definitely on the wane.

The first treatment I had didn't result in a pregnancy, but I had the heaviest period I'd had in years (probably a decade, come to think of it) so I do think it gets everything moving. I think it took me about four or five months of weekly treatment.

She is a fertility specialist and works with the IVF unit of the local hospital (I never needed IVF, though). I believe there is clinical evidence that it does work, but nobody knows exactly why.

I'm so excited about my appointment (which I haven't felt in a long time). After the third m/c I had no hope left but reading all these stories its given me something to hold on to. She did say that she specialises in fertility so I'll keep you posted.
thank you x

I do understand the need to feel in control of your cycle, but the trouble with OPKs is that even if you see a smiley face you don't know if it means you are about to ovulate, are ovulating or have just finished ovulating.

I used to wee on a stick at 6am when getting up for work and if I saw a smiley face DH and I would go and have the most soulless sex imaginable, both wanting it over and done with so that we wouldn't be late for work. Horrible. And unsurprising that we didn't conceive under those circumstances.

But you can have an element of control over your cycle by looking out for mittelschmerz - it's a pain similar to period pain, which you feel when you are ovulating. My gynaecologist told me that was what the odd cramps were that I complained to him about since coming off the Pill. DS1 and DS2 were conceived on mittelschmerz days. It's a much healthier way of being in control of your cycle because you are listening to your body, rather than depending on a horrid little stick.

x-posted - OP do tell us how you get on this afternoon!

Hi everyone
So I went for my acupuncture yesterday and thought I'd let you know how I got on.

She went through everything that had happened over the last 9 months and details of the mcs, she looked at my tongue and asked me if I was cold/hot sleepy/energetic and lots of other questions and came to the conclusion that I was extremely anxious and there was trouble with my blood (but didn't go into too much detail re blood) and then checked my pulse a couple of times and put needles in my ankles, knees, wrists, ears and at the top of my head she also burnt a herb on my chest and left me for about 20 minutes. I came out feeling very relaxed and the emotional pain seemed softer somehow.

So my conclusion is that I definitely felt better when I came out not really sure how or why but it calmed me somehow and I've made an appointment to see her next week. She said I would need at least six sessions.

I'm at the point now where I'll try anything to help the future and if it calms and regulates me now then that will be great.

Thank you everyone for all your advice.

sounds like a very thorough practitioner, but most importantly you feel different (I won't say better, that sounds trite).

That's really positive. Good luck x

ttalloo - I'd be interested to get the details of your actupuncturist if you don't mind. I've been going to one but, for various reasons, am wondering whether I need to have a change.

OP, really glad that you felt your acupuncture session went well. I hope that it does the trick and you are posting some happy, happy news on here very soon (and the same goes for all you other ladies who are TTC).

coconutfeet, here's the link to my acunpuncturist's website: www.brucemccallumacupuncture.co.uk/

He's based in Primrose Hill, and I can't recommend him highly enough. If you want to know more about him then do let me know and I'll be happy to answer any questions you may have.

Thank you ttalloo. I will check him out.