Traditional Chinese acupuncture can be very helpful in enhancing fertility for women who are struggling to get pregnant for many different reasons, and is in many cases worth trying before resorting to drug therapies and IVF.
If you have already headed down the conventional IVF route, acupuncture can also enhance your chances of it succeeding. There are recognised protocols around the stimulated cycle and embryo transfer that have been shown to help IVF success rates.
Regulating the Menstrual Cycle
The menstrual cycle can be irregular, painful, the bleeding too light or heavy, or ovulation unreliable. You may have PCOS or endometriosis, or possibly a hormone imbalance, but often there is no obvious problem. Acupuncture can help get a regular, more fertile monthly cycle established.
Reducing Anxiety
Anxiety over becoming pregnant is almost universal in women when it takes more than a month or two to achieve. Acupuncture is very effective at treating anxiety and this strength is useful with fertility issues, allowing the body to work without the brain getting in the way.
Relieving Stress
Stress from work or personal circumstances is a common backdrop for women trying to get pregnant, which can really affect the outcome negatively. Acupuncture can help you cope with the effects of stress and thus improve fertility.
Promoting Optimum Health
Fertility is a very delicate, complex process, which is only partially understood by modern medicine. As a general rule, the better your overall health, the more fertile you will become. Acupuncture can help improve overall health by treating the body as a whole, relieving other conditions at the same time as regulating the menstrual cycle. Diet and exercise are also important, so you may need to look at your lifestyle choices.