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Acupuncture for infertility
Finally achieving a healthy happy pregnancy Acupuncture for fertility is widely used, and sadly problems with fertility seem to be on the rise. If you're experiencing difficulties with your fertility this can be a deeply distressing time in your life. Your normal experience of life has probably been that if you work hard, you can achieve the goals you set out for. To try for a baby and have this very basic biological drive seemingly denied to you, while others around you seem to fall pregnant with ease, can be a very cruel experience. You may have had a specific problem diagnosed, or your partner may have (see Jessica's page on male fertility), or it may just be a frustrating mystery. The good news is that acupuncture may be able to help!
A multi-faceted approach Acupuncture does not take a 'one size fits all' approach to your fertility. Jessica starts out by asking you to complete an extensive health questionnaire, and at your first appointment will discuss your fertility and your wider health in detail, to reach a fully individualised assessment and treatment plan. Typically treatment will address several areas at once:
Harmonising your emotions People experiencing fertility problems often experience significant levels of depression, anxiety, mood-swings, and other marked signs of stress. From the point of view of Chinese medicine the physical effects which accompany these emotional states can themselves provide a block to conception, so simply rebalancing your emotions can be a real help.
Acupuncture treatment often starts with points to calm and strengthen your emotions in what is often such a trying time, which in itself may bring you closer to a successful conception.
Optimising your health overall At the same time, the holistic nature of acupuncture means it will seek to address any other health imbalances you have, to bring you into optimal condition overall to support your reproductive energy.
From the point of view of Chinese medicine, almost no-one is in perfect health, and there will generally be some signs indicating the likely imbalances or blocks which are impeding the smooth flow of this natural process. Chinese medicine is often concerned with quite subtle signs of disharmony, which would be viewed as 'sub-clinical' by conventional medicine.
Addressing any specific blocks to fertility If you have a known gynaecological or obstetric condition, Jessica's page on gynaecological problems discusses the benefits of acupuncture for conditions like endometriosis, PCOS, or fibroids. The page on pregnancy describes acupuncture treatment to reduce the chances of miscarriage for those at risk.
Supporting your reproductive energy throughout your cycle And to boost our reproductive chances, different points are treated at different stages in the month:
Supporting you during any medical fertility procedures (eg IVF) Acupuncture can be used to help support you during any conventional medical fertility treatments you may undertake, such as IVF, IVF with ICSI, IUI, etc.
The ideal is to come for treatment in advance, to address any health issues which may impair your fertility, and get you into optimum condition before the procedures. If you're in good health in the first place, 2-4 weekly treatments followed by monthly treatments would be ideal. Then in the cycle with the fertility procedures, weekly treatment is ideal, including one treatment just before eggs are taken (if relevant), a treatment as soon as possible before the transfer, and a treatment as soon as possible after the transfer.
Reviewing your lifestyle Jessica will also review your lifestyle with you, and may suggest specific dietary changes and other steps that could help support your fertility.
Timing The effects of acupuncture on fertility are rarely immediate. It works more subtly to bring you back into better harmony and build up your reproductive strength. No amount of acupuncture treatment can 'make' someone fertile, but its aim is to bring you into optimal health, as the best foundation for conception and a successful pregnancy.
Some experts in the field will encourage the couple to take as long as three months off from trying for a baby when starting acupuncture treatment. This is to give time to attain better balance and stronger health, as the soundest foundations for conception and a healthy and successful pregnancy. Jessica is not keen to place this kind of additional burden on a couple who are already going through a difficult time! However it is generally after at least 1-2 months of acupuncture treatment for infertility that its successes seem to come.
Ideally treatment is weekly, in order to meet the body's different needs during different parts of the cycle, as above.
Optimising the male contribution too Even if it seems the difficulty in conceiving or carrying may lie with the female partner, the male contribution is also critical, with top-quality sperm a great start for a successful conception and sustained pregnancy. Acupuncture treatment aims to improve the number, formation, and motility of your partner's sperm. Each sperm takes about nine weeks to reach maturity. If your partner is already in good health an optimal approach while trying for a baby is for him to have 2-4 weekly treatments followed by monthly treatments, to give you both the best possible odds.
Contact Jessica
Other conditions Acupuncture can help with a wide range of health problems, click below to find out more:
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