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 or if it was the thought of needles and even more probing that scared me off, but even when suggested by many, many people I didn’t ever schedule an appointment.
It seems that acupuncture is now mentioned in the same vein of have you tried not drinking alcohol or caffeine, getting healthy and losing weight, or tracking ovulation? A friend of mine who was struggling to conceive attempted to make an appointment with a renowned acupuncturist recommended by our mutual fertility clinic and found that his availability was pretty limited and that he had a wait list. That the clinic is even making this recommendation, and that so many people swear by the positive benefits of acupuncture make it something I wanted to learn more about. So, in an effort to be a better guide to others struggling with fertility I did a little research on acupuncture and infertility.
Most studies seem to indicate that acupuncture does indeed have a positive impact on fertility and than it can and does enhance the success of IVF. Articles and discussions of acupuncture are careful to point out that acupuncture will not help people who struggle with anatomic fertility issues like scarred or removed tubes or a partner with male factor infertility, but they point to many successes in people who have unexplained infertility or ovulation disorders. The timing and specifics recommended vary greatly, but the general consensus seems to be that acupuncture improves blood flow and most importantly reduces stress, two things that really do help in efforts to conceive. The stress relief is actually the decision maker for me – I had a hard time dealing with the emotional, physical, and financial stress and maybe even just the thought that acupuncture would help would have been enough to alleviate the stress somewhat. I guess that answers my question – do I think acupuncture is worth trying – and I definitely think yes. It is a detour from Western medicine and is not proven but I honestly don’t think it will hurt your chances and why not try something that just might help. I wish I had!
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