If you are having difficulty conceiving, Traditional Chinese Medicine – acupuncture and Chinese Herbs – may be the answer.
Acupuncture can regulate the menstrual cycle, and helps to lessen the effects of stress on the body, which can otherwise cause problems with ovulation and thus be detrimental to conception.
Ideally treatments are carried out for 3-6 cycles. Some couples conceive naturally while others decide to take on IVF. At this point acupuncture treatment is continued, but with a different protocol.
Acupuncture is a great adjunct to IVF treatment. Studies have shown that pregnancy is more likely to occur when acupuncture is given. It improves blood circulation to the ovaries and uterus and enhances follicular development in order to improve egg quality. During regular acupuncture treatment the lining of the uterus is thickened so when fertilisation of an egg has occurred, the embryo can implant more easily. Therefore the capacity for conception is increased.
Many women have discovered these benefits, but most tend to use it only before and after embryo transfer. Optimum chances are achieved however when treatments are given for between three and six months before IVF procedures and medication are commenced. Clare can then ascertain the best points to be used as she observes the particular patterns in the individual patient’s menstrual cycle.
Statistics: In relation to IVF, in a study of 160 women, published in April 2002 in the reproductive journal, Fertility and Sterility, a group of German researchers found that by adding acupuncture to the standard IVF treatment protocols substantially increased pregnancy success.
Increasing the odds of IVF is not the only way acupuncture can help. It can also work to stimulate egg production in women who cannot, or do not want to, use fertility medications in order to help them get pregnant.
