FERTILITY - FEMALE & MALE
Many Irish couples are turning to acupuncture as a way to improve their chances of conceiving and maintaining a healthy pregnancy. The theory behind it, according to Traditional Chinese medicine, is a bit like with gardening & preparing the soil – the idea is to prepare the body for pregnancy by regulating the menstrual cycle, de-stressing, maximising blood flow to the reproductive organs, regulating hormones and then allowing nature to take it's course - unimpeded by our hectic lifestyles/poor diets/stress levels etc!
In my opinion the best approach is to combine conventional fertility testing/treatments with TCM approaches. Neither system alone is ‘perfect’ but when both combine I have seen great results. My focus is on the TCM treatments and I ask you, with your GP and/or fertility clinic, to get the appropriate medical tests & treatments. By helping to keep your stress levels in check (and through the other ways it works), acupuncture can play a hugely important role in your fertility quest whether you are trying naturally, or undergoing IVF.
I strongly believe acupuncture can make all the difference when used appropriately.
Acupuncture can be of help whether you are trying to conceive naturally or alongside IVF or other ART treatments. Men are also beginning to use acupuncture as an aid to maximising their chances of producing enough good quality sperm.
While the research is sometimes confusing and contradictory (more, better quality studies are needed) acupuncture may help in several ways: (See Research Link Below)
- Reducing the negative effects of stress hormones ie. Cortisol and Prolactin
- Increasing Blood flow to the reproductive organs
- During IVF acupuncture around embryo transfer Acupuncture seems to improve chances of success significantly
- In males it may help with a general improvement in Sperm parameters
In general, the main aim is to have both partners as healthy as possible, and de-stressed in order to attempt to maximise the chances of achieving and maintaining a healthy pregnancy.
Back to conditions“I never responded well to IVF drugs and my left ovary never produced any follicles. I looked into acupuncture on the net and found Mark Goulding and began acupuncture straight away. After the first week of IVF drugs on my next IVF cycle I had a scan and I couldn’t believe it! There were 5 follicles on the right ovary and 2 on the left. I went on to have a healthy baby. Acupuncture helped me to relax during my IVF cycle, gave me more energy, and also seemed to ‘kick start’ my left ovary. I can’t recommend acupuncture enough.”