Has anyone tried Acupuncture?

ampmed1 · Post by **ampmed1** » Thu Aug 17, 2006 8:50 pm

hello everyone. I was looking into starting some acupuncture treatments to help with fertility and was wondering if anyone else has tried this technique. Thanks!

wannababy1229 · Post by **wannababy1229** » Fri Aug 18, 2006 1:11 pm

Hello fellow pin cushion---

I have been doing acupuncture since May in preparation for this procedure. I absolutely love it. I'm having retrieval today and won't know if acupuncture has been successful until after my test on September 1. I feel like a new person since doing it. I feel healthy and I equate my stabilized moods (from all the hormones) from it. Because my retrieval is later today, I went yesterday and will see my acupuncturist on the day of my transfer. it was recommended that one start 3 months before retrieval, but I have read some success stories of those who begin right before the retrieval and right after the transfer. I highly recommend it! Good luck!

Champa · Post by **Champa** » Fri Aug 18, 2006 8:16 pm

wannababy1229 - Is there a special kind of accupunture for this?
I've never done it before so forgive me if I ask lame questions.
Can we go to any accupunture shop? What do we need to tell them ?
How long does it last?

Champa

sleepyfoy · Post by **sleepyfoy** » Sat Aug 19, 2006 2:15 am

Hey!!

I had fertility treatment done at Duke and the clinic associated themselves with an acupuncturist (sp?) who specialized in women's fertility/health issues!! Long story short... After my 1st IVF failed they gently suggested I go visit her.. I did... I saw her once a week for 1 1/2 months until the FET was done... She told me that she was helping oxygenate my uterus (main thing) along with destressing me and things like that.... She told me that my once "brown" cycle blood would be bright red...... YES it was!!! She was there for the implantation30 min before the procedure and 30 min after doing some acupuncture on me- Very relaxing.... Longer story short.... we are taking Jack (four months old tomorrow ) on his first get away to the beach tomorrow!!!!

. We hope to try to have another baby real soon and I will start acupuncture back... Well worth the 40 min drive I had to do....

Good Luck!!!!!!

Jodi

wannababy1229 · Post by **wannababy1229** » Sat Aug 19, 2006 1:19 pm

Jodi is right about the bright red blood!

Champa- I got the name of my acupuncturist from a coworker who sees her for arthirist(sp). While she does not specialize in fertility, she has treated women who have undergone IVF and she is 7 for 7. I am hoping to make that 8 for 8. Each session is about 45 minutes. I look forward to going each week. I find it incredibly interesting and have learned so much about my body! I highly recommend it.

Please ask whatever questions you like...how else are you going to learn!

ampmed1 · Post by **ampmed1** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 12:07 am

hello and thanks for the replies. I am going ahead with the acupuncture next friday. I have heard that it really helps. Hopefully it does! This stuff is very nerve racking. Your body goes through so much and your mind is right along with it! Good luck to all!

Mazy++ · Post by **Mazy++** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 2:54 am

Hi All,
I'm curious, have you tried acupuncture with Chinese herbal tea also, or just the acupuncture alone?
I'm thinking of starting because I'm very moody right now.
Thank you,
MZ

JustinesBaby · Post by **JustinesBaby** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 6:23 pm

suzhan · Post by **suzhan** » Fri Aug 25, 2006 11:53 pm

I think I will try acupuncture with next IVF cycle if we can swing it financially. How soon before the birth control pills should I start? I will start my next IVF after my next period (haven't gotten my first 1 since BFN on Monday....)

Also, do you have it the day of ET? I'm not sure how I'd do that since RE always does ET pretty much first thing in the a.m.

Thanks for any info!

wannababy1229 · Post by **wannababy1229** » Sat Aug 26, 2006 12:23 am

I had acupuncture the day before the retrieval, right before the transfer and the morning after the transfer. I would call a few acupuncturists to find out what they require. Some require months before the retrieval (like mine) others specify something different.

I was expecting to be a raving lunatic while taking all of these hormones and surprisingly, I've done really well. I give acupuncture credit for that! Hopefully, all this acupuncture will give me a BFP next week!

Rittie2000 · Post by **Rittie2000** » Sat Aug 26, 2006 2:22 pm

Hi everyone,

I took Chinese Herbal Medicine for 6 months before starting accupuncture a month and half before the IVF cycle. The Chinese doctor said she wasn't going to treat me for fertility straight away as she felt that my core energy was low, the kidney, heart and liver were weak and until I got healthy, treating fertility was going to be difficult. So there I was boiling up a pot of smelling herbal tea everynight and taking it first thing in the morning and last thing at night for 6 months. How did I feel? Well, I got a bit more energy but the most noticeable change was that I did not feel the cold the winter. And I no longer had icy feet or hands.

I used an accupunturist associated with the fertility clinic. This is important as the treatments should be co-ordinated and you don't want someone to put some pins in that will somehow affect or counter the IVF course. I too went the morning before and after the ET. We are now 5 weeks BFP

Give it a go if you have the time and can afford it. But please make you that you find someone who specialises in supporting women doing ivf.

Lots of love
Rittie

suzhan · Post by **suzhan** » Sun Aug 27, 2006 2:18 pm

Thanks everyone for the great info! On your advice I saw an acupuncturist yesterday for a visit. She specialized in infertility and IVF.

I hope you don't mind a few more questions....

I didn't get teas but got herbal capsules, which I'm to take 3x/day, but I have to stop the herbs once I start the IVF cycle (all the way back to starting the birth control pills.) She said that's not so much her recommendation, but she has worked with my RE in the past and knows that will be his requirement. I get the sense she'd prefer me to keep using the herbs. Did anyone else who got the herbals keep using them and, if so, when did they stop?

She also told me to avoid ice/cold beverages, and also to stop using tampons (sorry if TMI.) Just wondering if any of you got that advice?

I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the acupuncture will help me this time! I'm still waiting for AF after BFN a week ago (ugh...hope it comes soon!)

Thanks again!

Rittie2000 · Post by **Rittie2000** » Sun Aug 27, 2006 4:55 pm

Hi there,

I had to stop taking the herbal remedies before the IVF treamtment. This is to avoid incorrectly influencing the effects of the IVF medication. I mean, we sometimes forget Herbal medicine are medicine too. The accupuncture should also co-ordinate with the phase of the IVF treatment. For example, accupunture must NOT stimulate during down-regging but also should not stimulate during stimulation to avoid over-stimulation. My Accupuncture during IVF was focussed on increasing the blood flow to the womb to make it nice and warm, it did not deal with the ovarian elements. To me this make sense so I hope that the info helps.

My Chinese doctor had asked me to stop eating cold food (cold drinks, salads, ice creams etc) from Day 1. Instead, I was told to always have a nice balanced hot meal, take some soup, generally food that you imagine that can warm the body and hopefully the womb will be nice and warm instead of cold and barren.

Once again, personal experience, but hope this helps.

Lots of love
Rittie

cheekymonkey · Post by **cheekymonkey** » Thu Aug 31, 2006 8:35 am

Hi Rittie2000,

I have just read your post about the acupuncture, I was quite interested as I am thinking of giving it a go to help with my IVF, I was wondering if you could let me know how long before taking your medicaion did you start your first acupuncture session? I am also interested in your story cause I too have PCOS and was wondering if you had any other advice you have picked up along the way that might help! I have read alot about diet and wondered if this works!!!
Sorry for all the questions, but I only just joined two days ago and I can't believe how helpful everyone's stories are!!
Big congratulations on your BFP

Take Care
Cheeky Monkey

Rittie2000 · Post by **Rittie2000** » Mon Sep 04, 2006 7:38 am

Hi there Cheeky Monkey,

My personal experience was that I started a weekly accupuncture session about 5 weeks before the ET. As I said before, the accupunturist said the focus of his treatment was to increase blood flow into the womb and unblock any circulatory blocks and help with general health and relaxation. He said he had to avoid stimulating the ovaries at all cost to 1) not spoil the down regging 2) not cause hyperstimulation during the stim phase. The clinic found a 3cm cyst at some stage and the accupuncturist said with the increased blood flow to the womb it should go and it did. So I'm pleased with that.

Re the western medicine, I understand that I was on very low dose stimulation due to the PCOS. This is to avoid overstimulation. I did have to buy additional stim medication and extended the length of stim for a few days at the end. And we had only collected 7 eggs (as compared to what I read all these other women produce). But then it only take 1 good one to have a BFP

I'm still on metformin for the PCOS. I read a lot about diets to control PCOS and personally, I think that losing weight may be the only way (but then my sister is tiny and she too has PCOS). I've been advised to go low carb, low sugar, low fat. I read about the hunters and gatherers diet which is supposed to work for PCOS but found it impractical.

What stge are you at with your iVF?

Lots of love
Rittie

Has anyone tried Acupuncture?

Has anyone tried Acupuncture?

Doing acupuncture 9/1/06

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