Acupuncture for Fertility and IVF - Your questions answered

Experienced fertility acupuncturist, Judy Bowen-Jones explains how acupuncture can help couples who are trying to get pregnant, how acupuncture works, what happens at your fertility acupuncture consultation and what else you can do to help you conceive naturally.
Who should have Fertility acupuncture? Every case is different. I see young women with irregular periods or PCOS, who want to sort out their fertility issues well in advance of starting a family….to women in their early 40s who are having their last round of IVF.
I help women with severe period pain, pre-menstrual symptoms and other fertility related symptoms. I also treat men with low sperm count and other poor semen parameters.
With fertility issues, one third of cases are due to women’s fertility issues. One third of cases are attributed to male fertility problems, but in a third of cases, all the fertility tests come back as normal and you are diagnosed as having ‘Unexplained infertility’, it is likely you are sub fertile not infertile. It may well be stress or other lifestyle factors that are stopping you from falling pregnant.
Research evidence shows that acupuncture: Regulates fertility hormones in men and women. Acupuncture increases blood flow to the pelvis and reproductive organs and increases egg and sperm production and quality. Promotes embryo implantation. Counters the effects of poly cystic ovary syndrome and reduces stress and anxiety.
It’s helpful to start your acupuncture several months before trying to conceive. One of the key priorities is to regulate your menstrual cycle. This can take a couple of cycles.
At your first consultation, I will take a detailed personal medical history, including: Any blood tests and medical investigations you have had done; your lifestyle, diet and exercise; work and stress levels, your emotional as well as physical health.
How many treatments you need depends on your individual circumstances. Eg if your cycle is regular, you have a healthy lifestyle and all your fertility tests came up normal, you may only need a few treatments. If you have a long history of PCOS with no periods, you will likely need to make significant lifestyle changes and have regular acupuncture treatment for 6 months or more.
For women’s fertility issues, I like to see you weekly for a full menstrual cycle, to monitor what is happening at each stage in your cycle.
What happens then, depends on your circumstances. Eg if your periods are irregular, you may have a long ovulation phase or you may not be ovulating every month. From then on your appointments will be arranged to coincide with the time of the month to help your periods to become more regular.
If you suffer from pre-menstrual symptoms, I would see you just before the pre-menstrual symptoms start.
This phase of treatment may take a few months and I would see you once or twice a month depending on your situation.
If you are having IVF, it’s a good idea to start treatment a few months before, so we can address any issues in advance. Once your IVF treatment starts, I would see you weekly. Then before and after egg collection. ..and before and after embryo transfer.
A major review of more than 3000 women in 12 studies has shown that acupuncture on the day of egg collection and the day of transfer increases birth rates for women having IVF or ICSI. The same review also suggests that the effectiveness of acupuncture increases the more sessions you have.
There’s lots you can do to help your fertility: Reduce your stress levels; avoid overwork; take more exercise; get plenty of rest; eat well – take fertility supplements; remove perfume and toxic chemicals from your bathroom and kitchen cupboard; reduce your exposure to EM radiation from mobile devices. Men should avoid carrying their mobile phone in their jeans pocket.