Acupuncture

In our attempts at parenthood, I have done my share of research.  I managed to overcome my needle-phobia so that I could benefit from acupuncture.  The meaning of this became especially clear when I was receiving after-transfer treatment last year.  Even though by then I had been going to acupuncture for some time, that day, it was different.  That day, I carried human life within me.  That day, I was a mother!  And as I lay there taking deep breaths and trying to think of my happy place while the acupuncturist inserted the various needles, I remember mentally telling my kids, “this is for you.” This cycle is the first time I am on estrogen.  I was thrilled that my doctor agreed to an injection-free protocol.  Instead, I wear four skin… [more]

Our first two frozen embryo transfers* took place in natural, (mostly) unmedicated cycles.  We are dealing with strictly male factor infertility.  All of my tests have come back normal. Therefore, we saw no reason to introduce excess hormones into my body when I could ovulate and establish a thick enough uterine lining on my own.  With that in mind, I looked at various natural and alternative remedies that we could incorporate into our cycles to maximize chances of success. One of these alternatives has been acupuncture.  We were lucky enough to have some 20 acupuncture sessions covered by our health insurance annually, as long as they are not billed specifically for infertility.  The purpose of my visits this time around has been to regulate my periods. After our last FET, I noticed… [more]

Much has been said about the benefits of acupuncture for someone suffering through infertility. Of all the crazy, wacky things I tried to help me get pregnant -ingesting Mucinex and Robitussin, anything to do with kegels, holding my legs propped against the wall for an hour, and so much more - the one thing that I never pursued was acupuncture therapy. Knowing that I was desperate and literally willing to try pretty much anything, it is kind of surprising to me that at no time in the five plus years of trying to conceive did I even really seriously contemplate visiting an acupuncturist. I don't know if it was too new-age, alternative for my simplistic and medically conservative outlook… [more]

(a lot of my father's patients seemed to think it cute to give him cactus-related things--get it, needles?--so hence the picture) Friends and acquaintances have been asking about how to find a good acupuncturist, especially as they see how much better I look after seeing Dr. Jiao. The good thing about where I live is that it's small, and the university community is even smaller--everyone knows where the best place is to get sweet Portuguese bread, that there is a great noodle place in one of the nearby strip malls, and we pass the name of this possibly 80-year-old man who is a great furniture slipcover maker. Similarly, that's how I found Dr. Jiao and how he is getting new clients through… [more]

Here's a clip from CBS' Saturday Early Show: http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2004/07/23/earlyshow/saturday/main631441.shtml

My later father, along with being a "regular" doctor (anesthesiologist) was an acupuncturist as well. We lived in a tiny, isolated northern Minnesota town (think of the movie FARGO), and acupuncture (along with other Asian goodies, such as tofu, sticky rice, real soy sauce) was unknown in our part of the woods in the 70s. However, word quickly spread that my dad's treatments really worked, because soon enough it seemed like the whole town was showing up to his pain clinic. To hear his (former) patient tell it, his office looked like Lourdes, what with all the discarded and forgotten canes (as their owners walked out without them), the left-behind bottles of heavy pain and migraine medications, Ace bandages, etc., etc. Even big, burly iron miners came in… [more]