Acupuncture for fertility and IVF
Expanding your family isn’t always easy and sometimes it takes longer than you thought it would. Many families use acupuncture as an adjunct therapy to improve their chances of conceiving naturally, as well as assisting them through IVF or IUI. Acupuncture for fertility or to assist if you’ve been given an infertility diagnosis and are pursuing IVF, involves finding out what your diagnosis is from a medical perspective, but also from a holistic Chinese medicine perspective. Dr. Pierce has been assisting women and families in Orange County wishing to expand their families in her Newport Beach acupuncture clinic for years.
The fertility acupuncture focused Chinese medicine diagnosis will involve inquiry around the following:
The timing of menstruation: this relates to the predictability of your period and the overall length of your menstrual cycle: is your cycle short, long or unpredictable?
The volume of menstruation: this relates to the pattern of your menstrual flow. How light or heavy are your periods? How many days do you bleed? Have you observed any changes in your menstrual flow over the preceding weeks and months?
The color of your menstrual blood: Fertility acupuncture practitioners look for discrete changes in the color of your blood across the menstrual bleed – is it dark like plum jam or is it pale pink like a rose? The color of the blood tells us – from a Chinese medicine perspective – a little bit about the uterine lining.
Menstrual pain: You will be asked questions about the timing of pain (before, during or after menstruation), the nature of pain (dull, stabbing, constant or intermittent) and the location of the pain (in the belly or lower back, in the thighs or somewhere else).
How you feel before your period comes: this time is known as the ‘pre menstrual phase’ and Tara will be interested to know if you experience any regular or predictable signs and symptoms at this time. These changes might include headache, irritability, a negative mood or tears, abdominal bloating or changes in how your bowels function.
The answers to these and other questions will inform how Dr. Pierce proceeds with therapy.
Who would benefit from fertility acupuncture?
Fertility acupuncture may be of benefit to women (and couples) who:
have been trying to conceive without success
have been given a medical diagnosis which might impact conception
identify issues with their menstrual cycle which bother them or cause distress or discomfort
are about to undergo assisted reproduction with ovulation stimulation or IVF
Are you ready to include acupuncture as a means to support your chances of conception or to accompany your IVF or IUI treatments? Book online now!