7 Proven Ways Women Can Use Infertility Acupuncture to Help Have a Healthy Baby---With or Without IVF

Amy Galvan • Mar 29, 2020

Does it feel like it's time already to have that baby? I mean, it's really, really time?

Maybe you have been waiting for this baby for some time already, and it is just not happening soon enough . . .

At least, not yet.

And maybe you are weary of waiting . . . impatient . . . frustrated . . . worried . . . anxious. Perhaps in your mind the clock is ticking and the time is NOW. And you are wondering,

How Can I Help Make This Baby Happen?

You are not alone. Many women like you want to know how to increase the chances of having a baby---a healthy baby---that will become a welcome, essential, and loved part of their family.

Or perhaps you have no problem getting pregnant---but staying pregnant is the difficulty. Pregnancy loss can be just a challenging as infertility. For some women with repeated pregnancy loss, the ability to get pregnant is no consolation.

Can Acupuncture Help?

Maybe you have heard that acupuncture might help. Maybe you are considering acupuncture yourself. If you have not already heard it from a reliable source, please allow me.

Acupuncture Can Help

Your next question might be, How much can it help? Good question! Again, you are not alone. Researchers want to know, too. Here is what they have found. The results are significant.

Proof Positive: 7 Research Findings

While acupuncture cannot guarantee results, studies do show it dramatically increases the results for most couples. In some cases, it can nearly double the effectiveness of IVF.

You can imagine how it can improve the odds for someone who does not need IVF.

But let's just focus on the IVF acupuncture studies first.

Current research shows that in an IVF cycle, Chinese medicine can help in the following ways.

Increase ovarian response
Increase estrogen levels (if low)
Enhance follicle and egg QUALITY
Increase follicle and eqq QUANTITY
Improve sperm vitality
Alleviate side effects of drugs
Increase endometrium thickness (if too thin)
Increase embryo implantation rates
Increase maternal egg mitochondria

Would you like to see some highlights from this research? Let's take a look, based on the priorities women are seeking in acupuncture treatment.

1. Embryo Transfer (ET)

Acupuncture 25 minutes before and after embryo transfer increased six-week pregnancy rates to 42.5% compared to a congrol group without acupunctre which achieved only 26.3% pregnancy rates (1).

What about ongoing pregnancy rates?

Acupuncture 25 minutes before and after embryo transfer resulted in an increased ongoing pregnancy rate of 36% in women who got acupuncture, versus 22% in women who did not (2).

2. Egg Quality

What about doing more than just 2 acupuncture visits for embryo transfer?

In addition to before and after embryo transfer, when acupuncture is done during the cycle when eggs are maturing, the pregnancy results had an even higher statistical relevance than just doing acupuncture before and after embryo transfer.

How many studies were done to prove this? This conclusion was based on not just one study, but based on a systematic review and meta-analysis of multiple published studies on acupuncture and infertility (3).

3. Advanced Maternal Age

In a break down by age groups, acupuncture was particularly effective in achieving higher rates of pregnancy for women in the group of women aged 35 to 39. It was also particularly effective in women over 40, with an all-age average of 44.6% rate of pregnancy (4).

4. Poor Prognosis

Some conditions indicate an infertility case will be more difficult to overcome. This is what is called poor prognosis.

Poor prognosis included conditions of elevated peak FSH, longer history of infertility, and poor sperm morphology.

In patients with poor prognosis for achieving pregnancy, acupuncture helps them achieve pregnancy rates equal to patients who had good prognosis without acupuncture (5).

Acupuncture and electro-acupuncture helps produce more eggs per cycle for collection in women who had previously been poor responders to high FSH stimulation cycles (6).

5. Improved Blood Flow to Uterus

In preparing for pregnancy, acupuncture helps ready the uterus for a secure implantation of the embryo. A secure implantation helps reduce pregnancy loss later.

Acupuncture increases blood flow to the uterus with just 8 treatments (8) and increases the uterine lining to the fertile 10 mm thickness in ALL infertile women whose uterine linings were below 8 mm, even when medication failed (9).

6. Reduce Stress, Improve Wellbeing

Acupuncture helps reduce stress and increase overall wellbeing when trying to conceive (TTC).

Specifically, patients report reduced anxiety, increased capacity to deal with stresses of IVF procedures, relief of symptoms and side effects related to IVF, increased energy, increase in relaxation and calmness, reduction in pain reliever use, quicker recovery from surgical procedures, increased self awareness and wellbeing 352-278-7963. reduced stress is believed to play a role in increased pregnancy rates (12).

7. Restore Resiliency and Hope

It is very common for infertility treatments to fail in the beginning. The key to success is being able to try again. You increase the odds when you increase the number of times you are willing to try.

But trying again isn't always easy when you have had a failed cycle or a pregnancy loss.

When pregnancy fails, acupuncture improved the resiliency of patients according to an investigation by Hinks and Coulson in the UK. These patients were more likely to try again with IVF and other assisted reproductive technologies (ART) . . . and thus increase their ultimate chances of successfully having a baby (13).

Does Acupuncture Always Work for Infertility?

Acupuncture can help, but not always. Sadly, like IVF, acupuncture will not always work. Many studies show that while getting acupuncture is better than no acupuncture, it can only increase your chances. It cannot guarantee.

There are studies that show acupuncture only helps a little, based on mathematical computations that determine the increased positive pregnancies and live births . . . are "not statistically relevant."

You can be your own judge.

In fact, after 20 years of research finding success in acupuncture with infertility, the Journal of the American Medical Association (JAMA) documented the failure of acupuncture to work in the treatment of infertility (14).

In this study, acupuncture may have failed to have statistical relevance for a very obvious reason: It was performed with an approach I like to call "Physician as Magician."

I call this failed technique "Physician as Magician" because it consists of the administration of just a few "magic bullet" treatments (in this study, three 25-minute treatments) which were expected to radically reverse years of infertility. It failed.

Well, my friend, you probably know what I'm about to say next.

Acupuncture doesn't work like that. Acupuncture is not magic. There are not magic bullets, or magic needles. Let's leave the magic for once the baby arrives; you will get plenty of magical moments once you are holding that baby!

How to Get the Best Results

"The extraordinary results achieved with acupuncture fertility treatments are due to the rigorous application of Chinese medicine," says world renowned expert Jane Lyttleton in her seminal work The Treatment of Infertility in Chinese Medicine (15).

So . . .

What exactly does she mean by "rigorous"?

Rigorous treatment is about getting a correct Chinese pattern diagnosis, and then applying the correct Chinese treatment.

Unlike studies designed for research, each patient needs a unique treatment for optimal results.

They also need to be treated for the correct duration of time.

Speaking of time, I know your biological clock is ticking! Let's take a look at how long treatment time could take.

How Long Will Treatment Take?

This is an important question to ask. It is especially important for women of advanced maternal age. This helps you determine if you need acupuncture alone, or IVF, or IVF with acupuncture combined.

It often takes more time than research studies imply. But it depends on things YOU can control---such as what you put your body through 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. In other words, it depends on your health and lifestyle.

It also depends on the complexity of your case, and your history.

Putting Beginner's Luck aside, it is likely going to take more than three treatments that were done in the JAMA study. Acupuncture could be a waste of time if that is all you are willing to do. Keep in mind, most studies have women participants who are prequalified. If you don't meet their selection criteria, results could take longer. Most commonly, it takes three months of regular menstrual cycles before it works best---and acupuncture helps make that happen!

Most women are committed to completing a treatment plan of acupuncture for fertility. Some women will quit before three months of weekly visits. For them, I sometimes recommend that it is not worth starting if you cannot finish the treatment program.

It Often Takes 3 to 9 Months of Weekly Treatments

Much like the rigorous approach used in IVF, with all its technological advances, acupuncture is not different in its rigors. Acupuncture rigors are simply less costly, less invasive, and often actually pleasant when they are a viable option.

3 Month Example: Unexplained Infertility

A typical course of treatment for a woman diagnosed with Unexplained Infertility (infertility with no known cause), is 2 visits per week for 30 minutes each, for 3 to 4 months. There may be more or less visits depending on a particular phase of the monthly cycle needing attention (follicular, ovulatory, luteal, or menstrual).

Typically the monthly cycle will become regular and without symptoms in the first month (sometimes second month), and should remain consistent for at least two more months before trying to conceive.

Women typically become pregnant in the first month or two they try to conceive, once we have reached three consecutive normal, symptom-free menstrual cycles.

If you think your cycles are already normal and symptom free, you might benefit from a discovery session with an acupuncturist to learn otherwise. We look at far more signs and symptoms than your OB/Gyn or Reproductive Endocrinologist. We look at signs your body provides throughout your 28-day cycle to determine if you are symptom free, including how your cycles affect your bowels, sleep, headaches, and more. Usually infertile women are not symptom free.

How to Rush Things Along

Of course you could rush the process, get pregnant sooner, and end your treatment program. However, this risks a successful outcome of a healthy pregnancy and healthy baby.

A less-than-healthy pregnancy or baby can have effects that last a lifetime---for you, the family, and your child. We prefer waiting until your body shows signs that it can provide for a healthy full term pregnancy, not just a positive pregnancy test.

When Do You Want to Deliver Your Baby?

Here is an awkward question. It is just to make an illustration.

Let's say you are pregnant. You are past the first trimester. You are past the second trimester. You really just cannot wait to hold that baby in your arms.

Would you have the baby delivered at 7 or 8 months? Of course not. The baby is not ready yet. Just because you want something so much, does not mean it is a good idea to rush it.

Please give your body the time it needs to become healthy and stable, before rushing into pregnancy.

A Rose About to Bloom

I am reminded of a little girl who was given a budded out rose. She could not wait for it to bloom fully. Its petals were starting to open more fully each day. She was so excited, she could not wait any longer. She decided to help nature along. She used her fingers to help pry the petals open.

I think you know what happened next. The petals broke off. The entire rose bud fell to pieces, and there was no putting it back together again.

There may always be another rose, another chance, another opportunity to practice patience. But going AGAINST nature has consequences. Working WITH nature has its benefits.

6 Month Example: Ovulatory Problems

Patience is especially important for women with ovulatory problems such as polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), luteinized unruptured follicle syndrome, or anovulation. Acupuncture fertility treatments take longer in these cases. Let's see why.

It takes 9 months to mature a baby. How many months does it take to mature an egg?

If you are thinking one month---or more correctly, 14 days during the follicular cycle---you are NOT QUITE correct.

It takes 4 months to initially mature an oocyte form the primordial stage to the follicular stage.

The it takes another 2 to 3 months to mature it from the follicular stage to the antral follicle stage, to be released that month as an egg.

That is up to 7 months. Some sources say it can take as long as 9 months to ripen an egg, just like it takes 9 months to mature a baby to full term inside the womb (16).

The egg you want to get pregnant with this month, took about 6 to 8 months of maturing. If it doesn't mature into a healthy egg, we need to consider how far back in time the egg maturation process began failing. That will help us determine how many months of treatment you need to make a healthy egg.

It could take just 1 to 2 months, if your follicles need just a little boost to get the job done right. If your follicles need more support, it could take up to 6 months or even 9 months to get your best quality eggs to prevent miscarriage. We determine this with as assessment of Chinese patterns you have, not what your Ob/Gyn or RE has determined.

Eggs Are More than Genetic Material

Besides having chromosomes to make a baby, your eggs need to have other things inside them to ensure a healthy baby. They need maternal mitochondria and other cytoplasmic material to sustain embryonic growth---especially those 5 or more days after fertilization, before implantation.

Research on some Chinese herbs found some will triple the number of mitochondria present in the egg, helping more fertilized eggs to live to Day 5 blastocyst, ready for transfer or vitrification.

PCOS

PCOS is much more than a problem with the reproductive hormones and ovaries alone. The underlying conditions like insulin resistance need to be corrected for a healthy pregnancy. In some cases of PCOS, it may take up to a year to mature and release a healthy fertile egg.

Treating the WHY, Not the WHAT

Maybe WHAT the cause of your infertility is, is DOR. Or PCOS. Or unexplained infertility. Or something else. That's what we call the WHAT of the problem. Your medical doctor will makethat diagnosis.

What makes one woman's western diagnosis different than another woman's with the same diagnosis? It is the Chinese pattern behind it. It is the WHY. Your acupuncture physician will make that diagnosis.

In acupuncture fertility, we are not looking at the WHAT of the problem. We must diagnose and treat the WHY of the problem. We determine the WHY by looking at Chinese patterns. When we know WHY, we can formulate the HOW: how we can try to reverse the pattern, if at all.

For example, three women with PCOS might get three different Chinese pattern diagnoses, and consequently three different treatments. One pattern might be Kidney Yang Deficiency. One might have a Phlegm Damp Accumulation. One might have a Kidney Yin and Yang Deficiency, with Kidney Qi and Spleen Qi Deficiencies. They would get different acupuncture points and different herbal medicine prescriptions. This is the ultimate in individualized care.

AcuBabies from My Practice

Let's look at some inspirational success stories from patients I have treated.

Patient #1

This patient had advanced maternal age (38 years old) and a crippling autoimmune condition. Her medical doctors told her it was likely impossible for her to have a baby.

My mentor, Leon I. Hammer MD, has a wonderful reminder of how acupuncture works, just for patients like this one. He says, "The difficult is done at once. The impossible takes time. Miracles are by appointment only."

This woman was all in. It took us almost 3 years, but we did the impossible. She got her menstrual cycles back despite starting with an elevated FSH of 55. Within two years and the integration of IVF with acupuncture, she had a successful pregnancy the first try. Her pregnancy continued full term. Her precious child was worth the 3 year wait. He has no health problems, no hyperactivity, no growth and development problems. He is a dream child, so sweet and even tempered. And although her doctor warned her that having a baby could push her health past the edge into a crippling condition due to her autoimmune disease, her health only improved.

Patient #2

This woman I treated suffered from the most common autoimmune condition, Hashimoto's thyroiditis. She had suffered repeated pregnancy loss. Both her hypothyroidism and emotional pain from miscarriages were contributing to her stress and infertility. We worked on healing her body and heartbreak. Once those were healed, she was able to sustain a pregnancy. It took about a year, and then she delivered a healthy baby full term with no complications, no pre-eclampsia. But the story of growing her family did not stop there.

A few years later, something new happened that affected her fertility---and actually threatened her health. Doctors found slow-growing cancer nodules on her thyroid. She chose to treat it without conventional intervention: no chemotherapy, no surgery, no radiation. Her outcomes were very uncertain. She had an uphill battle, nevermind concerns about being able to conceive again. She was closely monitored by her medical and naturopathic doctors. After six months, her tumors stopped growing. Then they began to shrink. Then her menstrual cycles returned. Then, with no further interventions and not even acupuncture, she conceived without trying! Despite cancer, autoimmune disease, and a history of infertility, she delivered another full term healthy baby. Years have since passed. Her cancer has not grown; only her family has grown.

Patient #3

Some patients are not seeking pregnancy yet, but simply to correct their infertility so that they can have the option of having a child later, or to simply correct their reproductive health. In one case of high FSH, it took three months to reduce it from 45.5 to 12.3 and establish regular, pain-free menstrual periods.

Patient #4

This patient had elevated FSH in the 50s. Her doctor told her she was infertile and in premature menopause. With acupuncture and herbs (and no hormone medication), she began getting her periods regularly again. Her OB/Gyn insisted she could not possibly be fertile, but a quick uterine ultrasound showed her uterine lining was thick enough to support implantation of a fertilized egg, which happens from elevated estrogen (with lower FSH).

Healthy Mommas Make Healthy Babies

In Chinese medicine for fertility, we are not just having healthy babies. We are having healthy mommas, healthy eggs, healthy sperm, and healthy babies. We work with nature to get healthy. We cannot rush the process. Natural medicine is not the magic of western medicine, but it has plenty of miracles of its own.

Do I Have to Get Healthy First?

If you do not wish to correct a health problem, you do not always have to. The way to work around a health problem is western medicine. If you want to get pregnant despite your health problem, your best option is IVF.

IVF will typically increase your chances of getting pregnant by 30%. If you combine it with acupuncture, that number usually goes up. And your baby might be born sooner than later.

Although there are rate cases that advanced reproductive technology (ART) can improve your health (open a blocked fallopian tube, for example), generally speaking IVF will not improve your health. Sometimes it makes it worse because it is very demanding on your body and mind. It will also not reduce the risk of health consequences your baby inherits from you beyond simple genetic testing.

Now It's Your Turn!

Are you ready to take advantage of acupuncture fertility treatments? You might be curious about how long it would take YOU to benefit from acupuncture fertility treatments to have a healthy baby. This is what we do to figure it out.

I typically do a workup "discovery session" plus 3 acupuncture visits to see how your body responds to acupuncture. Since very few people get pregnant after 3 visits, we cannot measure if acupuncture is working based on pregnancy. Instead, we are watching for (1) changes in your body, such as improved mood, sleep, digestion, and other markers. Then we are watching for (2) how long those changes last. This helps us to determine if you are a slow, fast, or average responder to acupuncture.

Then I draw up a treatment plan based on your response, history, goals, and complicating factors.

Rx for Self Care

Sometimes I do not do any treatment after the initial workup "discovery session." Instead, I send you home with a Do It Yourself plan for fertility foods, herbs, supplements, and lifestyle recommendations. After two months, we reassess to see if further treatments are needed. Sometimes women get pregnant with just this little bit of guidance.

One Size Fits All---In Theory

Not every acupuncturist creates an individualized treatment protocol. Often they use textbook protocols, or only protocols developed and proven in research studies. Some patients and doctors prefer sticking to the book than customizing care. In Chinese medicine, the best protocols are often customized rather than "one size fits all."

Your Takeaway

Your treatment options in acupuncture fertility are many. So are the benefits. Now you can take some time to talk with your acupuncturist to determine what you can do to help increase your chances of having a healthy baby---with or without IVF.

I wish you the best!

Yours very truly,

Amy Galvan

REFERENCE LIST

Paulus WE, Zhang M, Strehler E, El-Danasouri I, Sterzik K. Influence of acupuncture on the pregnancy rate in patients who undergo assisted reproduction therapy. Fertility and sterility. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/352-278-7963. Published April 2002. Accessed March 29, 2020.
Westergaard LG, Mao Q, Krogslund M, Sandrini S, Lenz S, Grinsted J. Acupuncture on the day of embryo transfer significantly improves the reproductive outcome in infertile women: a prospective, randomized trial. Fertility and sterility. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/352-278-7963. Published May 2006. Accessed March 29, 2020.
Shen C, Wu M, Shu D, Zhao X, Gao Y. The Role o f Acupunctue in In Vitro Fertilization: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Gynecology obstetric investigations. https://www.ncbi.nih.go/pubmed/. Pusblished May 16, 2015; 79(1):1-12. Accessed March 29, 2020.
Dalton-Brewer N et al. Use of acupuncture before and after embryo transfer. Human Fertility 2010 Vol 12 No 352-278-7963. https://familytreeacupuncture.com/au. Accessed March 29, 2020.
Magarelli PC, Cridennda DK. Acupuncture and IVF poor responders: a cure? Fertility and sterility. https://doi.org/352-278-7963/j.fertnstert.352-278-7963 Published April 2004 Volume 81, Supplement 3, page 20. Accessed March 29, 2020.
Emmons S, Patton P. Acupuncture treatment for infertile women undergoing intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). https://www.willowtreeclinic.com Published Spring/Summer 2000 in Medical Acupuncture: A journal for physicians by physicians. Volume 12 Number 2 Aurum nostrum non est aurum vulgi. Accessed March 29, 2020.
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Ho M, Huang L, Chang Y, Chen H, Chang W, Yang T, Tsai H. Electroacupuncture reduces uterine artery blood flow impedance in infertile women. https://www.doi.org/352-278-7963/S352-278-7963-X. Taiwanese journal of obstetrics and gynecology. Published June 2009 Volume 48 Issue 2 Pages 352-278-7963. Accessed March 29, 2020.
Stener-Victorin E, Waldenstrom U, Andeersson SA, Wikland M. Reduction of blood flow impedance in the uterine arteries of infertile women with electro-acupuncture. Human Reproduction. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/352-278-7963. Published June 1996; 11(6);352-278-7963. Accessed March 29, 2020.
DeLacey S, Smith CA, Paterson C. Building resilience: a preliminary exploration of women's perceptions of the use of acupuncture as an adjunct to in vitro fertilization. BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine. https://bmccomplementmedtherapies.biomedcentral.com/articles/352-278-7963. Published 12 December 2009 Article number 352-278-7963.
DeLacey S, Smith C. Understanding women's views towards the use of acupuncture while undergoing IVF treatment. In Press FSA Conference. https://acupunctuurvandekerkhof.be/ivf/ Accessed March 29, 2020.
Balk J, Catov J, Horn B, Gecsi K, Wakim A. The relatioship btween perceived stress, acupuncture, and pregnancy rates among IVF patients: a pilot study. Complement Ther Clin Prac. Published Aug 2010; 16(3); 352-278-7963. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/352-278-7963. doi: 352-278-7963/j.ctcp.352-278-7963. Epub 2009 Dec 24. Accessed March 29, 2020.
Granne I, Cox J, Child T, Sargent I. Human Fertility. Volume 13, 2010 - issue sup1, pages 3-21. Published online 26 Feb 2010.
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