Are you booked for your first fertility acupuncture treatment, or thinking about booking fertility acupuncture with Conceive Health? You probably have a lot of questions, or might be unsure about what to expect (especially during COVID-19 times). Well, you’ve come to the right place! This article outlines everything you need to know and what happens during your first visit.
Arriving at Your Acupuncture Appointment
Most appointments take place during our reception hours, however, there may be cases where your appointment may be scheduled outside of that window. Here, we’ll walk you through what to do in both cases:
For appointments scheduled during regular hours:
When you get to the office, check-in at reception to let us know you’ve arrived and have a seat in our waiting room. Someone will be with you shortly to guide you to your treatment room.
For appointments scheduled outside of reception hours:
When you arrive, you’ll see your name on one of our 3 acupuncture room doors. All you need to do is scan the Q-R code on the door and use the Jane App. to self-check-in. Once you’ve checked in, you may enter the room and get ready for your appointment.
During Your Fertility Acupuncture Session
Once you’re in the treatment room, your ND will give you a moment to get change and use the provided sheet to drape over your lower body. Your ND will knock before entering to make sure you’re ready.
Your session includes more than acupuncture. Here are some of the other treatments you can expect to receive during your appointment:
- Guided Meditations – we match fertility specific guided meditations to your individual cycle and fertility care.
- Infrared Heated Lamps – we use infrared heat over the uterus or feet to help increase oxygen and nutrient-rich blood flow towards the reproductive organs.
- Electro-stim Machines – we sometimes use the gentle vibrations of an electro-stim machine to increase the stimulation of our acupuncture points.
Does Acupuncture Hurt?
This is the most common question we hear!
Typically, acupuncture does not hurt and you may not even feel the needles. Normal acupuncture sensations you may feel during the session are: heavy, achy, tender, sore, itchy, warm, throbbing at the needle insertion point.
These sensations typically dissipate throughout the duration of your treatment (if they occur) and are seen as good acupuncture sensations, as it’s an indicator that blood and Qi are moving to the area.
You may also experience a sharp, shooting sensation during the insertion of an acupuncture needle. This indicates that a nerve close by is being bothered and we will readjust the needle for your comfort. With any needle, there may be risk of some small pinpoint bleeding, redness and bruising at the site of the insertion.
After Your Acupuncture Appointment
No need to pay at the front desk, we will email you a copy of your receipt!
Please make sure that you have a valid credit card on file with us by updating your profile on our encrypted Jane App Software.
You can schedule your next appointment using our ONLINE BOOKING system (conceive.janeapp.com) or emailing us at info@conceivehealthclinic.com.
How Often Should You Come In?
Once a week for natural cycle acupuncture
Twice a week for IUI, IVF or medicated and/or monitored cycles
Egg retrieval day for IVF
Pre and post-IVF transfer day
Pre IUI day
Implantation day (4-8 days IUI/Timed, 2-5 days IVF)
Once a week for early pregnancy support weeks 4-12
Acupuncture at Conceive is covered under most extended insurance plans under Naturopathic Services. We also have select practitioners who can be billed under Acupuncture.
Benefits of Fertility Acupuncture
- Regulates your cycle
- Balances hormones (FSH, prolactin, cortisol)
- Promotes ovulation
- Benefits underlying conditions (PCOS, endometriosis, PMS)
- Improves stress response
- Improves the ovarian environment
- Thickens uterine lining
- Reduced ectopic pregnancies
- Supports implantation
- Improves response to fertility medication
- Immune balance
- Helps the male-factor (motility, testosterone)
- Lowers miscarriage rate
- Assists with the two-week wait
How Does it Work?
Conceive Health’s fertility acupuncture treatments are designed to increase your chances of getting pregnant, staying pregnant and improving your IUI or IVF treatment outcomes.
Our fertility acupuncture protocols are based on research studies that use Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM). Fine acupuncture needles are placed in areas over the body to increase and harmonize energy centers, “Qi” within the reproductive organs.
Acupuncture also increases blood supply to the reproductive organs. Oxygen and nutrient-rich blood flow is a predictor for not only good quality follicles, oocytes and embryos, but also for pregnancy outcome after ART. 6, 7
Acupuncture raises the level of endogenous opiates which can be helpful in pain management along with infrared heat for painful periods, low back pain and before egg retrieval during IVF. 1, 8, 9, 10, 11
Acupuncture also helps reduce sympathetic nerve stimulation (fight – or – flight) which can aid in anxiety and stress reduction. 1
Some Important Research
Acupuncture on the day of embryo transfer significantly improves the reproductive outcome of IVF/ICSI, compared with no acupuncture. 1
Acupuncture may be a useful adjunct to gonadotropin therapy to produce follicles in women undergoing in vitro fertilization. 2
Acupuncture can be considered a successful treatment in restoring fertility by improving sperm quality, ovarian function and balancing the endocrine system and hormones. 3
Electroacupuncture enhances the number of mature oocytes and fertility rates for in vitro fertilization 5
The World Health Organization recognizes acupuncture’s effectiveness for over 40 common disorders – many of which play a key role in IVF and IUI treatment (including stress and gynecological disorders). 4
To book your fertility acupuncture appointment, visit conceive.janeapp.com.
Learn more here: Acupuncture 101
REFERENCES:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0015028206002123
http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.509.9930&rep=rep1&type=pdf
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6182526/
https://www.who.int/
https://www.liebertpub.com/doi/full/10.1089/acu.2019.1368
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29479399/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/15374700/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/30389956/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21516008/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16960636/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23320024/