Chinese medicine may be used for habitual miscarriage, discomforts of pregnancy (see below), and to help postpartum recuperation. Chinese medicine strengthens and balances your general health, and also helps Assisted Reproductive Technology (A.R.T.) procedures, such as IVF, to be more effective.

Chinese medicine has clinically proven that it can help to improve the success rate of IVF by 40-60% in a number of ways!

Treatment frequency and duration will vary depending on your condition, goals and other treatments you are receiving. Acupuncture is usually recommended once and sometimes twice per week. If you are trying to conceive naturally, at least three months of regular treatment is recommended. Treatments are timed prior to any procedure and around ovulation and embryo implantation.

Once you have reached your goal of conception, it is often recommended that you continue through the first trimester, especially if you have a history of miscarriage.

Acupuncture can also help you with: morning sickness, fatigue, depression, constipation, sciatica and general well-being during your pregnancy. It can safely treat unrelated problems such as sinusitis, helping you avoid medications during pregnancy. Acupuncture can also ease labor pain and stimulate contractions of the uterus and help induce labor.

Stress has been shown in many instances to decrease your chances of conception, whether you are a woman or a man. Therefore, it is so important that you incorporate a stress reduction program into your life when you are trying to have a child. The success rates for fertility procedures such as I.V.F. and G.I.F.T. increase when you use stress reduction techniques. This is one of the reasons why acupuncture can help you.

What about the men?
Issues with male fertility, low sperm count, motility and mobility can also be treated with acupuncture and herbs. Clinically, the best results occur when both male and female partners receive treatment. The couples that consistently get pregnant in a shorter period of time are those where both partners receive treatment.

What else can you do?
Your acupuncturist may recommend herbs, exercise and nutritional support depending on your imbalances and Western treatment. Rhonda does not recommend herbs when a patient is undergoing western treatment such as IVF.

Acupuncture: A Cure for Infertility? By Catherine Donaldson-Evans
Chinese Medicine and Assisted Reproductive Technology for the Modern Couple, by Roger C. Hirsh, OMD, L.Ac.
Acupuncture for Infertility: Acupuncture Increases the Success of In-Vitro Fertilization, By Lynda Harvey, OMD, L.Ac.
Resolve Article "Treating Infertility with Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine".
Fertility Friend - charting your fertility signs plus support.

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