What I have written below, is intended to help couples who are planning to embark on IVF treatment, and who are considering the use of acupuncture to improve their chances of success. You may already have read some of the remarkably positive research findings in the last few years (see under “Latest Research”); you will probably know less about what would be involved in receiving acupuncture to support IVF, and about the full scope of what we might hope to achieve.
The causes of infertility frequently defy clear western medical explanation. However, a traditional Chinese medical consultation may point towards one or more causes; these can translate in non-medical terminology, to things such as stress or overwork, or sometimes other, more subtle disharmonies of body, mind or spirit, are identified. In all cases though, the cause from a Chinese medical perspective, allows me to devise a treatment plan. In very general terms, my preference would usually be to see you weekly for at least three menstrual cycles before IVF treatment begins. This gives us the opportunity to start to correct the imbalances which have prevented conception to date, and which I believe can continue to operate to interfere with IVF.
Once IVF treatment begins, your acupuncture treatment will become more specific to each stage of the IVF cycle. Our broad aims would, in chronological order, be to: 1) help with the side-effects (eg. flushes, sweating, palpitations) of the down regulation drugs (northisterone, buserelin); 2) help with the side-effects (eg. mood swings, abdominal distension) of ovarian stimulation injections (puregon); 3) produce more useable follicles, guided sometimes by the results of your first scan; 4) reduce stress levels just prior to egg collection; 5) treat a male partner prior to semen collection, to try to increase sperm motility and make it more possible for him to provide a sample; 6) after embryo transfer, support a possible pregnancy.
There is no denying that IVF treatment can be a stressful experience for couples, and I feel this can be an in-built counterproductive feature. It is here though that acupuncture can really score, by keeping stress levels lower and by providing a regular opportunity to offload concerns. Although the emphasis in this short article has been on women, male partners too can benefit from acupuncture in several ways. About 50% of IVF procedures are now performed due to some problem with the sperm: poor sperm characteristics and unsuccessful vasectomy reversals have been common reasons in my practice. Men with a low sperm count, motility or morphology, may benefit from a course of acupuncture, ideally commencing at least three months prior to egg retrieval for IVF. For more on male fertility, please see the Infertility section.
There is just one other aspect of IVF and assisted reproduction techniques which is worth mentioning here, and that is recurrent implantation failure. This is where the embryo repeatedly fails to implant in the uterus of an otherwise healthy woman. Such women might undergo three IVF cycles, each of which produces promising embryos , but none of which results in pregnancy. From a fertility clinic’s perspective, this is thought to be due to egg quality (and therefore a woman’s age), a thin endometrium (11 to 12mm at ovulation is optimal), uterine scarring (from a previous caesarean section or a D&C), and/or sperm quality. Equally, from the Chinese medical perspective, there are also explanations, and if you have already experienced recurrent implantation failure prior to considering acupuncture, then we can look to see whether these factors might be at work. A course of acupuncture combined with changes of approach which your fertility clinic will discuss with you (eg assisted hatching, blastocyst culture), might improve your chances of success.
Overall, I hope this has provided a helpful introduction to how I work, but as always, you are welcome to telephone and discuss things further.
IVF and acupuncture is also a lively research area, and below you will find some examples.
“Robin has treated me throughout 18 months’ fertility treatment. This has been supportive both physically and emotionally. I attribute the success of my progress to Robin’s holistic approach and the caring ethos and values he promotes in his practice. I will continue to see Robin during my pregnancy to support my emotional health and wellbeing.” – Sam, Exeter