HOW OFTEN TO HAVE ACUPUNCTURE

[Karron]

Hi Everyone

I was just wondering how often you should have acupuncture ie. weekly, fortnightly, etc and also when should it be started in relation to your treatment. Should acupuncture be started prior to your treatment or only during and should it be increased whilst undergoing treatment.

My next cycle is a FET and I have already had 2 sessions of acupuncture but am only having it every third week at the moment and wondered at what point I should increase the sessions.

Good luck to you all.


Karron

[cycy]

Hi Karron...
Well, with my first IVF, as well as my FET, I had acupuncture every week for about a month prior. Then I had it at the time of the transfer. I had it done right before and right after the transfer. After the transfer, I saw her a week after. When I got the +ive result on the 16th, I waited a couple of weeks to see her. I actually go in tomorrow, which is about 2 weeks. My acupuncturist suggests to see her once a week until I reacfh my third month. Hope this helps!

[Tracii]

With acunpuncture it really depends on you and the acunpuncturists...just like our IVF protocols..we are all different and therefore the acu will be different for everyone as well....so it is best to talk to your acu.

My acu likes to see IVFers 3 months prior to cycles beginning and I have been going on average every 2weeks. She will not perform acu during stimming. She will do a session after ET and then throughout my pregnancy.

[k]

Hi Karron

Like Tracii says, it depends on you and your accupunturist. My treatment was the same as cycy. However, the last treatment was following ET. I also had treatment during stimming, unlike Tracii's treatment. I found having a treatment once a week helped relax me. I started a month before ET because thats when I found my accupunturist, so I possibly could have started treatment sooner. However, she wasnt particularly treating a fertility problem with me as we have male factor. It was mainly to destress and help the embryo attach. (and help cure a hip problem I have-it worked!).
Good luck with your treatment!
Love Kim

[pauline69]

Hi

I had the same question!!

I had my first acupuncture treatment yesterday - it wasn't as painful as I thought it would be.

My acupuncturist suggested once a week for a month and every 2nd week for a month and back to once a week for a month. He said that as well as working with needles he would also be doing cupping - has anyone out there had this done?

He also said I had low blood energy and low kidney energy.

I was hoping to start IVF in mid/late October - we are due to move house at the end Sept/beg Oct so want to get that out of the way first but he (acupuncturist) suggested (when I asked) waiting until the new year or longer.

Not sure I want to wait that long before starting treatment again.

Pauline x

[Tracii]

Pauline - we had originally planned the next round in July but based upon my acu's recommendation we postponed until September which for various other reasons we postponed again until end of September. I have low blood flow, weak stomache and low liver function...all big issues. I have been going to the acu since May and she says I am getting slowly better. I know it is hard to put off the IVF but I also wanted the best results possible. I suggest seeing how the next couple of sessions go and see if you are making progress and then decide (if possible).