Acupuncture

[GAM]

hi there...
I wanted to share with you that I'm on my 3rd ICSI (test date is Feb. 6th) and I decided to try acupunture this time. I was going twice a week 3 weeks before I started stimming and during stimming. I also went for acupuncture before and after my transfer. It was expensive ($100/week)...but I felt like I really needed to try it to see if it helped.

I'm not sure if it was the acupuncture or not...and I just did the acupuncture, I didn't take the supplements.

But I got 13 eggs this time (I had 12 eggs the 1st try and 16 eggs the 2nd try) and I must admit I wasn't thrilled with only 13,... BUT the amazing thing is that the quality must have been so much better because we ended up with 4 excellent eggs at transfer (only 1 egg the 1st transfer and 2 eggs the 2nd transfer). They transferred 2 and cryopreserved the other 2!

I was also amazed at how much more positive the doctor/nurses were during this transfer than the previous transfers...so we're keeping our fingers crossed.

My acupuncturist gave me a copy of the 2002 German study that said that results were better for those in the test group who did acupuncture... I couldn't find it online but I did find an article that references it and the statistics.

http://www.pregnancy-info.net/infertili ... cture.html

Good luck everyone!

[Smita]

Gam,
Good to see you back and lots and lots of luck with this cycle.
3rd times lucky!!

smita

[missmolly]

For my 1st stim cycle i did'nt have acu & we got 9 eggs of which 7 were fertilised. On our second cycle we tried acupuncture & we got 4 eggs with 0 fertilised. I don't know if it was the acupuncture or not, but that was the only thing we did different.

Missmolly

[NickiMark]

How much does Accupuncture cost????

[Tracii]

Nicki - Acupuncture costs range...my doc in Germany is about 100€ per session!! I was shocked when I got the first bill...but I really enjoy going and DH said he doesn't mind paying because I am so much more relaxed and not so uptight.

I have been doing acu dince my last IVF and am really interested in seeing how I respond this time...last time only 5 follies of which we only got one ok quality embryo.

[NickiMark]

100€

Thats about £70. I think, I guess not bad of one session, but several and it could mount up!!! Ouch!!!

[gailp]

Nicky I am starting accupuncture again this week. Its £33 for the first session and then £28 after that. If you join HSA or healthsure, you can get 1/2 the price of the treatment back and it only costs about £11 per month. I even got paid £32 a day for being in hospital with my OHSS last year, so its been well worth the monthly payment for me.

[sml]

Nikki, If you can find a qualified practitoner who you trust, I would really recommend trying acupuncture. Zita West recommends having several treatments throughout the course of one's IVF cycle -- two during injections, one after ER, and one 8-10 days after ET. The person I see charges 85 GBP, but I have also had it for 45 GBP at my yoga center.

I have been doing acupuncture throughout this IVF cycle -- it is my first so I don't have anything else to compare it to (12 eggs, 5 fertilized, 2 transferred). I am currently on the 2ww. One thing is for sure, the acupuncture treatments have really helped me out with keeping stress levels down. I was amazed (and my husband even more!) that during all the injections, I was quite calm and in a rather good mood -- I had been expecting serious PMS mood swings (which I usually get pre AF!).

But I do think it is really important to find someone who is familiar not only with feritlity issues but also with IVF. The cost can add up, but there are a lot of benefits! Good luck!