At my fertility acupuncture clinic in Tampa, FL, I help women + men at every stage of their fertility journey. So let me give you the scoop on acupuncture before and during an IVF cycle.
The skinny on acupuncture before IVF
It’s worth doing. Getting the right dose of acupuncture before egg retrieval & embryo transfer can increase your chances of live birth by 30%. If you’ve already had a failed cycle, then acupuncture is even more important & can increase your chances by 42%.
Here’s the deal, acupuncture isn’t magic. Acupuncture only on the day of transfer isn’t a silver bullet to make a pregnancy happen. But it’s cumulative effects can make a HUGE difference in your chances at having a baby.
The real benefit from acupuncture comes from it’s cumulative effect over time. I tell my patients to give acupuncture at least 3 cycles before embryo retrieval, so we can balance your hormones and have the greatest influence over your eggs.
This picture shows the entire growth cycle of 1 egg, which can be >260 days!
(FYI the last 100 or so days of egg growth is when we can make the biggest difference on their quality.)
So here are some guidelines:
Pre-retrieval:
3 months of prep to optimize egg quality. Weekly acupuncture. In some instances a specific chinese herbal formula will be recommended.
Pre-transfer:
Those who get 6+ treatments have a higher pregnancy rate and lower miscarriage rate than those who didn’t.
Acupuncture is just another tool you can use to seriously increase your chances at achieving your goal (a baby!). So make sure you get enough of it to make a difference :).
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