When To Do Acupuncture For IVF

IVF treatments have helped countless couples finally conceive and welcome beautiful babies into their lives. But let’s not pretend that IVF isn’t a major commitment. Assisted conception can be a stressful process. Thankfully, supportive therapies like acupuncture can help tremendously. Of course, acupuncture doesn’t just alleviate stress, it also improves the success rate of IVF treatments. If you plan on starting IVF treatments soon, you may be wondering when to do acupuncture for IVF to boost your chances of conception. 

It’s never too soon to start acupuncture for IVF support. We recommend women begin acupuncture sessions at least 2 to 3 months prior to an IVF transfer. A session within 24 hours of transfer can improve your chances of implantation as well. 

When should you get acupuncture for IVF?

There really is no wrong time to start acupuncture treatments for IVF, but we always advise our clients to begin acupuncture sessions at a minimum of 2 to 3 months before transfer. This protocol is ideal for women who have otherwise regular cycles and just need a little extra help conceiving. 

But, for women who experience infertility as a result of an underlying hormonal condition, like PCOS or luteal phase defect, getting acupuncture up to a year in advance may be a better idea. The reason being that routine acupuncture sessions help normalize hormone levels. 

For women struggling with irregular cycles, acupuncture can work wonders to restore healthy menstruation. Acupuncture has a normalizing effect on estrogen and progesterone levels, lengthening short cycles and shortening long cycles. 

If your periods are coming every 26 days or less, or if you’re going 36 days or more between cycles, that’s a sign that your reproductive health could use a little extra TLC.Acupuncture increases blood flow to the reproductive organs, and mediates the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis to support cycles that are closer to the 28-day mark. 

And not only does acupuncture support healthy menstruation, but it can also help reduce period pain. Talk about impressive!

How does acupuncture support you during IVF treatments?

Research shows that acupuncture can enhance the success rate of IVF treatments. The question is, how exactly does it do so? Well, there are several reasons why acupuncture is so helpful when it comes to enhancing fertility. The first is that acupuncture sessions regulate stress hormones.

Stress hormones, particularly cortisol, can throw all of your sex hormones out of whack. If the body senses that you’re under stress, it may decide that current conditions are not ideal for a baby, and basically block conception. Acute stress is bad enough, but if you’re under chronic stress? That’s a big red stop sign that can prevent you from conceiving. 

Keeping stress in check is necessary for supporting normal menstrual cycles and healthy sex hormone levels. And because IVF treatments can be such an overwhelming process, it’s doubly important to manage your stress. So consider acupuncture a safety net for your IVF treatments.

Acupuncture also helps by increasing blood flow to the reproductive organs. This provides them with oxygen, red blood cells, and other materials they need to stay healthy and function properly. Studies show acupuncture improves ovarian function, a clear sign that it benefits fertility. Getting acupuncture in the months leading up to IVF treatments is an excellent way to prime your body for transfer, and make your uterus more receptive to it.

Should you get acupuncture after IVF?

Getting acupuncture prior to your IVF treatments is such a simple way to increase your chances of getting pregnant. But a few well-timed sessions after transfer can improve your chances of successful implantation even more. We advise our clients to schedule an acupuncture session within 24 hours of transfer. 

Acupuncture has been shown to promote embryo implantation by regulating certain hormones, including progesterone and prolactin. Both of these hormones play an integral role in conception by preparing the endometrium for implantation.

In some cases, we even recommend our clients come in very shortly afterward for another follow-up acupuncture session. A short round of acupuncture sessions post-transfer supports your body, making it more receptive to implantation. Acupuncture can help make IUI treatments more successful, too.

Following a successful IVF transfer, many women choose to continue with acupuncture treatments throughout their pregnancies. Acupuncture is a non-invasive way to ease pregnancy symptoms, and has been shown to be an effective alternative treatment for morning sickness, as well as pelvic pain and back pain. 

What else can you do to support your chances of success after IVF transfer?

Fertility acupuncture is a great first step, but it’s not the only thing that you can do to increase your chances of getting pregnant. There are several other alternative therapies that we rely on to help women achieve success in their first round of IVF treatments. Depending on your situation, we may combine therapies to support your body during this process.

Aside from acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine is perhaps one of the most helpful therapies for assisting women during their IVF treatments. The right adaptogenic herbs provide your body with the support it needs to boost your fertility naturally.

In cases where stress has proven itself to be a major stumbling block to fertility, massage therapy can be especially useful. A good massage is like a sigh of relief for your whole body. Use in tandem with acupuncture, regular massages can really prep your body for pregnancy.

And you should never underestimate the power of a healthy lifestyle and diet. Adding the right superfoods to your diet is an easy way to boost your fertility naturally. Getting in some exercise — something as simple as adding a 20-minute walk to your daily routine — is also excellent for supporting reproductive health. 

Get in touch with Integrative Healing Arts today

The path to pregnancy looks different for everyone. If you’re planning on undergoing IVF treatments in the future, acupuncture can help you cope with the stress of the process, and boost your chances of a successful transfer to boot!

Contact Integrative Healing Arts today to book your first appointment, and to learn more about how acupuncture can help you on your fertility journey. We have years of experience assisting women as they begin expanding their families.

We don’t believe in one-size-fits-all solutions. We treat all of our patients as individuals, so we’ll take the time to listen to your health history and come up with a support protocol that aligns with your fertility goals.