The Benefits of Acupuncture Before, During, and After Pregnancy

Pregnancy can be a journey that brings a lot of joy along with physical changes that may be a bit more challenging. No matter where you are on your pregnancy journey (trying to conceive, pregnant, or postpartum) acupuncture can be helpful for a range of reasons. Acupuncture has been used for hundreds of years to support fertility, improve pregnancy symptoms, and promote healing postpartum.

At our Clearwater acupuncture clinic, we provide safe, gentle, and effective acupuncture treatments tailored to support women through every stage of their pregnancy journey. Today we’ll be going over how acupuncture can help before, during, and after pregnancy. Have questions? Interested in a free 15-minute discovery call? For any of your needs, simply reach out to Dawn Potter Acupuncture today.

Before Pregnancy: Acupuncture for Fertility Support

If you’re trying to conceive, acupuncture can play a significant role in optimizing reproductive health and preparing your body for pregnancy. Whether you are trying naturally or undergoing fertility treatments such as IUI or IVF, acupuncture can:

-Regulate menstrual cycles to improve ovulation timing

-Enhance blood flow to the uterus for a healthy endometrial lining

-Reduce stress and anxiety, which can impact fertility

-Balance hormones to support reproductive function

-Improve sperm quality in male partners

Many women turn to fertility acupuncture as a natural way to increase their chances of conception and prepare for a healthy pregnancy.

During Pregnancy: Acupuncture for a Smoother Journey

Pregnancy brings many changes to your body, some of which can cause discomfort. Acupuncture is a safe and effective way to relieve common pregnancy symptoms without relying on medications. Some key benefits include:

-Nausea & Morning Sickness Relief: Helps ease queasiness and vomiting, especially in the first trimester

-Pain Management: Reduces back pain, pelvic discomfort, and sciatica

-Stress & Anxiety Reduction: Promotes relaxation and emotional well-being

-Improved Sleep: Helps with pregnancy-related insomnia

-Reduced Swelling: Supports circulation and reduces fluid retention

In the third trimester, acupuncture can also help prepare the body for labor by softening the cervix and encouraging optimal fetal positioning.

After Pregnancy: Acupuncture for Postpartum Recovery

The postpartum period is just as important as pregnancy itself. Acupuncture can help new mothers recover more quickly and feel their best as they care for their newborn. Benefits of postpartum acupuncture include:

-Hormonal Balance: Helps regulate postpartum mood swings and reduce the risk of postpartum depression

-Increased Energy Levels: Supports adrenal health and combats postpartum fatigue

-Faster Healing: Promotes circulation and tissue repair after delivery or C-section

-Breastfeeding Support: Encourages healthy milk supply and relieves issues like clogged ducts

By incorporating acupuncture into your postpartum care, you can support both your physical and emotional well-being during this transition into motherhood.

Experience Pregnancy Support with Acupuncture in Clearwater

Whether you’re trying to conceive, experiencing pregnancy discomfort, or recovering postpartum, acupuncture offers a natural, holistic approach to supporting your body. Our Clearwater acupuncture clinic specializes in safe, pregnancy-friendly treatments to help you feel your best at every stage.

Ready to experience the benefits of acupuncture? Schedule your free discovery call or appointment today.

Can Acupuncture Boost Frozen Embryo Transfer/In Vitro Fertilization Success Rates?

For those undergoing fertility treatments like frozen embryo transfer (FET), the journey to parenthood can be both physically and emotionally challenging. While advancements in fertility treatments continue to evolve, many are turning to complementary therapies like acupuncture to boost their chances of in vitro fertilization (IVF) success. A recent study that was conducted by Vios Fertility Institute in Chicago sheds light on how individualized acupuncture before and after embryo transfer may improve fertility outcomes. Today we’ll be discussing this study and why acupuncture may be right for you. Have additional questions? Interested in scheduling a free telehealth consultation? For any of your needs, simply reach out to Dawn Potter Acupuncture.

What Did The Study Show?

In this retrospective cohort study, 2,330 patients who underwent frozen embryo transfers between May 2018 and May 2021 were examined. Out of these, 579 individuals received acupuncture treatments immediately before and after their embryo transfer, while 1,751 patients opted to proceed with FET alone. The key objective of this study was to compare the live birth rates between these two groups.

The Results Of The Study:

The study revealed some positive findings when it comes to acupuncture and IVF:

• Acupuncture Improved Live Birth Rates: The patients who received acupuncture therapy before and after embryo transfer saw a remarkable 55% increase in live birth rates compared to those who opted for FET alone. In fact, the odds ratio (OR) for live births in the acupuncture group was 1.55, indicating a significant advantage for those receiving this complementary treatment.

  
  

• Acupuncture Reduced Biochemical Pregnancies: In addition to improved live birth rates, the acupuncture group experienced a 42% reduction in biochemical pregnancies. This condition, where a pregnancy is lost shortly after implantation, can be both physically and emotionally draining for patients. The odds ratio for biochemical pregnancies in the acupuncture group was 0.58, further highlighting the potential benefits of acupuncture.

  
  

• Acupuncture Made No Significant Differences in Miscarriage or Ectopic Pregnancy Rates: The study did not show any significant differences between the groups when it came to miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy rates. While acupuncture improved live birth outcomes and reduced biochemical pregnancies, its effect on miscarriage and ectopic pregnancy was not statistically significant.

Why is Acupuncture Beneficial for Fertility?

Acupuncture has been a part of Traditional Chinese Medicine for thousands of years and has been known to promote balance in the body’s energy (also known as Qi). When it comes to fertility, acupuncture is thought to improve blood flow to the uterus, reduce stress, and regulate hormone levels, all of which are crucial for enhancing fertility outcomes.

During the embryo transfer process, the body experiences heightened stress, which may affect the success of implantation. Acupuncture helps to relax the body, stimulate the nervous system, and create a more optimal environment for implantation. In this study, acupuncture was administered immediately before and after embryo transfer, suggesting that timing may also play a role in the effectiveness of acupuncture treatment.

What Does This Mean for Those Undergoing In Vitro Fertilization/Frozen Embryo Transfer?

For individuals considering fertility treatments like FET, acupuncture may be a valuable complementary therapy to increase the chances of success. With a 55% increase in live birth rates and a reduction in biochemical pregnancies, acupuncture could serve as a powerful tool to support those on their fertility journey.

If you’re undergoing FET or other fertility treatments, speak with your fertility specialist about incorporating acupuncture into your treatment plan. By combining the best of modern medicine with time-honored techniques, you may increase your chances of achieving a successful pregnancy.

Acupuncture Can Be Beneficial Throughout Your Pregnancy Journey

Along with being helpful during fertility treatments, acupuncture has a range of benefits during and even after your pregnancy. Dawn Potter Acupuncture would be happy to help with any of your acupuncture or other wellness needs. We offer free telehealth consultations and would be happy to tailor a treatment plan to your needs.

Is Acupuncture for Fertility in Clearwater Right For You?

If you have been trying to conceive a child for at least 1 year without success, most doctors would diagnose you with infertility. You are not alone; infertility currently affects about 6 million people in the U.S., at the time of this writing.

Many couples turn to the latest medical technologies to assist them, such as ovulation-promoting drugs, intrauterine insemination (IUI), and in vitro fertilization (IVF). These are collectively known as Assisted Reproductive Technologies (ART).  In vitro fertilization is an incredible technology that has led to many successful pregnancies.

However, IVF is not an easy path to choose: it is a very complex procedure, it is quite expensive, and most find it emotionally difficult. In addition, the success rates are still relatively low (generally 10% to 35% at the time of this writing).  If you decide to invest your time and money into these therapies, you want to be sure you are giving yourself every advantage possible.  Adding acupuncture to your ART can significantly increase your chances of success.

If ART is not for you, due to financial, medical, or other reasons, or if you wish to try something less invasive/expensive first, acupuncture is, again, very valuable, for both female and male factor infertility.

Acupuncture with ART:

Growing numbers of research studies in medical journals are demonstrating impressive results when acupuncture is combined with ART.  A landmark study published in April 2002 in the Fertility & Sterility Journal caught the attention of many reproductive specialists:  women undergoing IVF embryo transfer who received acupuncture had a 42.5% success rate, compared with the 26.3% success rate of those who did not get acupuncture.

A study published in May 2006 (Fertility & Sterility) found that acupuncture more than doubled the pregnancy rates of IVF procedures.  Because of this and other research, many infertility doctors refer their patients for acupuncture.

Acupuncture for fertility, without ART:

Acupuncture has been treating infertility for over 2000 years.  Consider that throughout history in Chinese culture the inability to have a child (especially a son) was considered the worst kind of tragedy.  When infertility afflicted a couple, there was a great deal of motivation for Chinese physicians to develop effective treatments.

Only recently has Western science begun to conduct studies on acupuncture by itself for infertility: one study compared women with endocrine dysfunctional infertility:  one group was put on the common infertility drug that begins with “C” (that Google will not allow me to spell out) and the other was treated with acupuncture.  The result was 45% pregnancy in the “C” drug group, and 65% in the acupuncture group.

Other studies show that acupuncture can stimulate ovulation, reduce the impedance of blood flow to the uterus, and normalize the hormone communication cycle in women.  It also reduces stress hormones and increases endorphin levels, both of which positively affect hormone levels.

And there are numerous studies citing the benefits of acupuncture for male factor infertility.  Acupuncture increases the number and ratio of normal-form sperm; significantly decreases the number of anti-sperm antibodies (in male immune infertility), and increases the quick sperm motility.

Why Does Our Clearwater Acupuncture For Infertility Work?

From an Oriental medicine viewpoint, acupuncture is effective for infertility because it helps to relieve stress, correct imbalances and ensure proper communication in the body.  It increases the circulation of energy, blood, and nutrients to the necessary organs and glands, so that they are healthier, work better, and communicate with each other more effectively.

Recommended Protocol:

In general, I recommend acupuncture treatments weekly for at least 4-6 weeks followed by twice monthly, combined with Chinese herbs, until pregnancy. The more treatments initially, the quicker the results. For those patients whose MD’s have requested that they not take herbs during their ART, I recommend once or twice weekly acupuncture treatments.  These protocols are the same for both men and women.

For the best chances of success with ART, acupuncture treatment should begin 3 months prior to any major procedure.  If this schedule is not possible for you, aim to get treatments for as many weeks as possible before the procedure begins.

What to expect from Acupuncture for Fertility:

In my clinic, I have found that acupuncture can:

1. Regulate menstrual cycles:  Often infertility is associated with irregular menstrual cycles or endometriosis.  With acupuncture and herbs I have seen women without regular periods start cycling regularly again, women with heavy bleeding normalize, and significant or complete reduction of endometriosis.

2. Increase ovulation rates:  Related to irregular menstruation, some infertility patients simply are not ovulating regularly.  With only acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine, one specific patient has been ovulating consistently for 7 months, after more than 12 years of negative ovulation test readings!

3. Increase the number and quality of eggs that are ovulated:  After 2 months of acupuncture, one IVF patient produced 15 healthy eggs that were extracted; that is nearly double her first IVF cycle, without acupuncture, when she produced 8 healthy eggs.

Another patient, with a history of repeated miscarriages, was told by her infertility specialist that she could never use her own eggs to have a baby.  It was his professional opinion that her eggs were too poor quality for her to get pregnant naturally and keep the child; she would have to do IVF with donor eggs.   After 3 months of acupuncture and herbal medicine, she became pregnant naturally, and, at the time of this writing, is due to give birth in 2 weeks.

4. Increase the chances of implantation:  Acupuncture helps to increase circulation to the uterine wall, creating a more optimal lining condition.  It also helps to relax the uterus, so that implantation is more likely.  Often, in IVF, the embryo transfer process stimulates uterine contractions, which can make implantation difficult.  This is why studies find that acupuncture on the day of embryo transfer increases success rates significantly.

5. Increase the chances of a healthy, full-term pregnancy:  Continued acupuncture treatment for at least the first 12 weeks of pregnancy is highly recommended to decrease the chances of miscarriage.   It’s also useful for morning sickness, fatigue, and mood swings.

The journey to overcome infertility can be a very difficult one.  It makes sense to be sure that you are giving yourself every advantage.  Whether you choose to receive ART or not, you can feel confident that including acupuncture in your plan will increase your chances of having the baby you want.

Start Clearwater Fertility Acupuncture Today

Are you having trouble getting pregnant? Interested in a more natural approach to infertility treatment? Contact Dawn Potter Acupuncture today. We'd be happy to schedule a free telehealth consultation to discuss your situation.

Sources:

Berkley, Dr. Mike, Treating Infertility using Acupuncture.  American Pregnancy Association.  Accessed from http://www.americanpregnancy.org/infertility/acupuncture.htm

Chen, By, Acupuncture normalizes dysfunction of hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis.  Acupunct Electrother Res. 1997;22(2):97-108. PMID: 9330669

Dieterle, S., et al.  Effect of acupuncture on the outcome of in vitro fertilization and intracytoplasmic sperm injection: a randomized, prospective, controlled clinical study. Fertil Steril. 2006 May;85(5):1347-     51. Epub 2006 Apr 17. PMID: 16616748 .

Dong, C, et al. Clinical observation and study of mechanisms of needle-picking therapy for primary infertility of abnormal sperm. Zhongguo Zhen Jiu. 2006 Jun;26(6):389-91. Chinese. PMID: 16813177

Fu, B et al.  Effects of the combined therapy of acupuncture with herbal drugs on male immune     infertility – a clinical report of 50 cases.  J Tradit Chin Med. 2005 Sep;25(3):186-9. PMID: 16334720

Gurfinkel E, et al.  Effects of acupuncture and moxa treatment in patients with semen abnormalities. Asian J Androl. 2003 Dec;5(4):345-8. PMID: 14695986

Mo X, et al, Clinical studies on the mechanism for acupuncture stimulation of ovulation. J Tradit Chin Med. 1993 Jun;13(2):115-9. PMID: 8412285

Paulus, Wolfgang, MD, et al., Influence of Acupuncture on the pregnancy rate in patients who undergo assisted reproduction therapy. American Society for Reproductive Medicine / Elsevier Science Inc (Fertility & Sterility, April 2002, Vol.77, No.4).

Robinson, Kathleen and Tracy Hickenbottom, Acupuncture has numerous potential fertility boosting benefits according to New York Weill Cornell physician-scientists.  Cornell News. New York, April 2003.  Accessed from www.news.cornell.edu/releases/April03/fertility.html.

Song, JJ et al.  Progress of integrative Chinese and Western medicine in treating polycystic ovarian syndrome caused infertility. Chin J Integr Med. 2006 Dec;12(4):312-6. Review. PMID: 17361532

Stener-Victorin E, et al. Use of acupuncture in female infertility and a summary of recent acupuncture studies related to embryo transfer.  Acupunct Med. 2006 Dec;24(4):157-63. Review. PMID: 17264833

Westergaard. LG, et al.  Acupuncture on the day of embryo transfer significantly improves the reproductive outcome in infertile women: a prospective, randomized trial. Fertil Steril. 2006 May;85(5):1341-6. Epub 2006 Apr 5. PMID: 16600232

Yang, JR, et al.  Controlled study on acupuncture for treatment of endocrine dysfunctional infertility. Zhongguo Zhen Jiu. 2005 May;25(5):299-300. Chinese. PMID: 16320739

Zhang, M, et al.  Influence of acupuncture on idiopathic male infertility in assisted reproductive technology.  J Huazhong Univ Sci Technolog Med Sci. 2002;22(3):228-30.  PMID: 12658811

Dawn Potter, AP, Dipl.OM

Published in Tampa Bay Wellness, Sept 2007

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