Acupuncture with IVF

[Seattlite]

Tomorrow morning I will receive my call to determine the number of eggs I will have to transfer. Thursday, May 18th, I had my egg retrieval. I'm a real worry wart, and have been freaked out that this will affect my outcome. I'm trying sooo hard to tune everything down. So far so good.

I will be 40 in the fall. I've been married for almost two years to a wonderful man, who I know will be an amazing father. We went through three failed IUI cycles and of course trying on our own, and lots of head standing on my end.

I am injection phobic, so getting this far is HUGE for me. I really didn't know how I'd do it, but somehow I have.

It took a little longer for my follicles to marinate to their proper size, but they made it. I was cautiously optimistic. They retrieved 18 eggs. Fourteen of my eggs were mature, and all were fertilized with ICSI. My guess is that we will have a few left over to put in the deep freeze. My hope is that we won't need any more attempts, because this will be successful.

I coupled my IVF cycle with acupuncture at a clinic specializing in such. I really think that this is why I did well with the retrieval. I also found it to be very relaxing during this intense time in my life. I went once a week up until I started my stim meds, and then twice a week. I will go in for another treatment right before the transfer. My docs are supportive of this.

The other thing I did, which maybe most do anyway, is that I completely stopped drinking alcohol (a big deal for me), caffeine and almost all processed foods. I have taken two weeks off of work to concentrate on this and attempt to be "stree-free" - yah, right!

Anyway, who knows what my outcome will be? Not I - but so far, I feel good about where I am and I really think acupuncture has something to do with this. Try it!

best of luck to all my IVF sisters!

lisa in Seattle

[USP]

Hi Seattlite,
GOOD LUCK for your ET. Hope your embies are doing good.And during the 2ww just like now,take it easy and relax.Be optimistic and Hope for BFP.
Well, I am also doing acupuncture along with my cycle now.This is my second IVF cycle.I didnt do acupuncture last time.I am on my 5th day stimms. now.I am going for acu. session tdy AN.She will tell me when to come again.Till now everything looks good.ALL the BEST.

[Seattlite]

Thanks USP!
I had good news yesterday - I'm going to Day 5 (tomorrow) for a blast transfer. Yesterday I had 12 embies that were looking good, ranging from 6 to 9 cells (four at 8). However, I'm a little nervous with an additional two day wait.
Best of luck to you with your stim's.
take care!
seattlite

[twins@43]

Good luck with everything. You will get used to the injections. I ended up doing them myself, easier for everyone. I had my treatment in Seattle, great Dr.I'll cross my fingers

[DaniaBB]

Hi Seattlelite,

I read your story and I find it great that you feel acupuncture helped you throughout your cycle. I am starting next week with an Asian acupunturist which has been approved by my clinic. I wish I would have done it during my 1st IVF cycle as it was bfn. I would love to know if it has helped you be more relaxed during the 2ww and best of luck for a great big BFP- baby dust to you!!! Let us know when you get your results.

Dania

[kristin]

hi seattlelite
I agree with what you have said about the acupuncture. It has really helped me stay healthy and calm and it was wonderful on the day of the transfer as it just felt that there was someone else rooting for us and helping us out. The session before the ET was fine but I was a little jumpy for the one after. My acupuncturist does not want to see me during the 2ww, she told me to take it easy and eat healthy food (SUCH a difficult thing to do!!!!).
fingers and needles crossed for you all!
kristin

[Ann-Marie Kerr]

Hi there, I am just wondering how the IVF cycle went when you combined it with the accupuncture? I am 41 and just about to do my first IVF and have been doing accupuncture and herbs for a few months now in prep for the IVF.
I hope all went well for you

[jt1974]

hello,

my husband and i both have been doing acupuncture. he has been doing it for about a year now. off 3 months in between. it has really helped with his sperm count. we did ICSI and we really don't need much, but we need ones that are of good quality. as for me, i love it! is very relaxing. we both go twice a week. i start 2 months before eggs retrieval and continue until my beta test next week. if anything, it has helped with my state of mind and the quality of my eggs i think.

hope this helps.

jt

[jt1974]

opps. forgot to mention that i also went in for a session right before and after the transfer.

we ended up having 16 eggs, 15 fertilized, 12 good ones on day 3. 2 blasts on day 5 (AB and BB) and 1 blast on day 6. so we transfered 2 and froze 1.

jt

[Ann-Marie Kerr]

Thanks so much for replying so quickly. It sounds like accu had a very postive effect so for both of you. I find it relaxing too but hope that it will have the postive effects in egg retrieval and of course in fertilization and implantation and throughout. It does make me feel good event though it took me a long time to embrace it, the whole idea freaked me out for the first 5 sessions. This is the first forum I've been on and first time I've talked to someone in the middle of all of this. I am very nervous about the side effects of the IVF drugs. We are beginning in a week or so and I understand teh whole process from beginning to end of one cycle is 8 weeks.
I'm 41 and so that is a factor I know, i certainly hear about that from Western doctors, my Chinese doctor (who is also a Western physician) doesn't seem to be dwelling on age in the same way.

I wish you all the best and appreciate your words,

Ann-Marie