ART - Assisted reproduction
IVF - ICSI - IUI
Your IVF journey
Whether you’re just contemplating doing IVF, are already committed to going that way, or are already in the throes of a cycle, there’s a lot that you can do to improve your chances of success.
You may have had difficulty conceiving naturally or perhaps you’re a little older and worried that you’ve left it too late to start your family.
Whatever your age and stage, it’s always best for both you and your partner to get into tip top condition before you start, by improving your diet and changing unhelpful lifestyle habits.
In fact, It’s really no different than if you are trying to conceive naturally, the better the eggs and the sperm, the better your chances.
I have been supporting couples through IVF since the very early days of my practice, more than 23 years ago. If you’d like an informed and ‘neutral view of what these ART cycles entail and what you can expect, why not book in for a 30 minute ‘Nice Cup of Tea and a Chat’?some
While acupuncture and herbs can’t guarantee success, they can be really supportive of an IVF cycle
Before the event they can help balance your hormones, improve blood flow to your ovaries and uterus, regulate immunity, reduce inflammation, and improve your partner’s sperm count and quality.
Also, they may help reduce FSH levels and improve AMH and so reduce the risk that your clinic won’t not want to run the cycle.
During the cycle acupuncture is tremendously helpful in reducing stress and adjusting levels of cortisol and endorphins. It can also help offset any side effects from the IVF drugs, such as headaches, irritability, mood swings or hot flushes and may reduce the chance of ovarian hyper-stimulation..
Acupuncture at embryo transfer has been shown to be helpful for implantation. It can be useful if you’ve been told you produce too much fluid in your fallopian tubes which can also de-rail implantation. This condition, called hydro-salpynx, can also be treated herbally in the months before IVF.
If this isn’t your first cycle, you’ll know that it can be quite a stressful process, with constant scans and blood tests – and then the dreaded 2 week wait after embryo transfer.
Whether it is or not, almost everyone I’ve ever treated is grateful for the calming effect of acupuncture, and the emotional support and space that their treatment session gives them, to ask questions and talk through their feelings.
IVF cycles can be quite unpredictable, and I always try to work as flexibly as possible to accommodate that.
Acupuncture & herbs for IVF
lease get in touch if you’d like to know if I can help, or make an appointment. Or book in for a half hour ;nice cup of tea and a chat‘ if you want to talk about your situation and explore your options.
