When to start acupuncture for IVF?

IVF acupuncture Melbourne

When to start acupuncture for IVF?

By Dr. Zoe Rankin ( Registered Chinese medicine practitioner)

Do you know when to start acupuncture for IVF? Does acupuncture help IVF?

As a Chinese medicine practitioner who works very closely with many patients going through IVF, I have written the following post outlining my recommended approach to acupuncture with IVF, to help give you the best outcomes.

 

Like many, you may believe a common misconception.

Many people believe that they should first start acupuncture when they begin their IVF journey (i.e. taking the fertility drugs).

When to start acupuncture for IVFSome may think that it is only helpful for pre and post-transfer, and others just believe that it is only helpful for keeping them calm throughout the process.

And yes, acupuncture is good for all of the above, but, we don’t just want good, we want great!

This means that acupuncture is very effective at the above times, but for better results, we ideally require more time to prepare the body for IVF.

So, when to start acupuncture with IVF?

You need weekly sessions prior to commencing IVF treatment for 12 months, with a minimum of 6 months of treatment if you absolutely cannot wait.

Hey, that sounds like a lot! I hear you say.

 

Why I firmly recommend this:

What you may have now come to realize, is that for some of us, falling pregnant is not as easy as what our parents may have led us to believe.

It can sometimes take years to fall pregnant without help.

does acupuncture help IVFThere are a lot of factors that go into creating a baby. Therefore, there are many investigations that need to be undertaken to find out why you need IVF in the first place (In our clinic we run all fertility and IVF patients through a 150 point check, to diagnose their underlying factors).

If you are going down the IVF route, then you and your partner, for one reason or another, are unable to conceive naturally ( Not including same-sex couples using IVF, and those who are single parenting).

And oftentimes, your primary health care provider or IVF specialist is unable to give you clear and concise answers as to why you cannot fall pregnant naturally.

Fortunately, Chinese medicine has an entirely unique and comprehensive way of diagnosing infertility, that we can give you a clear reason why you have not yet conceived, and a plan on how to change this.

 

Does doing IVF mean I can get around the underlying causes of my infertility?

Yes, and no.

IVF is amazing in what it is able to achieve, yet there are many factors that contribute to fertility issues that IVF technology is still not able to circumnavigate.

For example, If you have a gynecological condition that is affecting your fertility, such as PCOS or endometriosis, you may have trouble conceiving even with IVF.

Find out more about getting pregnant with PCOS here, and acupuncture for endometriosis pain here.

The reason for this is your body may not be so great at producing good quality eggs ( even with IVF drugs), your endometrial lining for implantation may not be adequate, or you may have a host of other hormonal imbalances that can’t be fixed quickly with IVF drugs.

In other cases, for example, a blocked fallopian tube or very poor sperm, IVF may be the only chance for conception and is absolutely worth doing.

 

Is it worth getting my partner in for acupuncture too?

acupuncture IVFWith fertility, “it takes two to tango” as the famous saying goes.

An embryo is made up of both an egg and a sperm, which means that both parties’ reproductive systems need to be performing at their best.

This means that we need to get you and your partner to optimal health in order to achieve the best results, and there are often plenty of things fellas can do to help optimise their swimmers!

Read our blog post: Why is IVF not working?

Weekly sessions are also very important. Acupuncture works best when given consistently as it helps to regulate and balance the body back into its natural state of health.

If sessions are spread out too long, acupuncture can often be ineffective at balancing the pain and stress factors associated with infertility.

A course of treatment when working with fertility will involve a range of remedies including Chinese herbal medicine, fertility diet and lifestyle, stress relief, and support throughout your entire fertile journey, including recovery after birth.

What if you don’t have 12 months to prepare?

We know that sometimes you only find out about the benefits of acupuncture a few weeks before egg collection, or embryo transfer- and that’s ok.

Acupuncture is amazing at instantly clearing away any stress that will help prepare you for your IVF treatment, whether it is next week or right after a transfer.  

How does acupuncture help IVF?

Many people wonder, how does acupuncture help with IVF. Acupuncture is amazing at instantly clearing away any stress that will help prepare you for your IVF treatment, whether it is next week or right after a transfer.

So even if you don’t have 12 months to fine-tune your system, you can still enjoy the benefits of:

  • Calming the nervous system and reducing stress (which we all know is good for fertility)
  • Reducing pain and inflammation after IVF drugs and egg collection
  • Relief from menstrual pain and stress
  • Helping you with the side effects of drugs by helping to reduce stress, anxiety, and fatigue
  • Coaching, support, and advice through each step of the IVF process

IVF can be scary, overwhelming and expensive. And we want to help you get the absolute most out of the process.

If you would like to have a 10-minute chat with one of our Chinese medicine doctors to find out how we can help you, get in touch on (03) 8394 7665.

 

Other posts you may like

Why does IVF fail? Understand the main reasons why IVF might fail

The best diet for fertility

Understanding your fertile cervical mucus

 

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Book online here or phone the clinic on (03) 8394 7665 to book your acupuncture treatment today.

 

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Qi Medicine Acupuncture Moonee PondsThe clinic is located at Suite 4, Level 1, 151 Pascoe Vale Rd, Moonee Ponds. (Please ensure you take the ground floor elevator to reach us or level one.)

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