The infertility journey can be a long, stressful and frustrating road. Couples can suffer for years, with or without treatment and still find themselves unable to conceive. The percentage of women trying to get pregnant over the age of 35 is higher than ever before. With that being said, fertility treatments are on the rise. When conventional methods such as IVF prove to be unsuccessful, many couples have resorted to a more traditional method: Acupuncture. Many couples choose to integrate both treatment types into their regimen and have found that acupuncture treatments allowed them to successfully become pregnant. When used in conjunction with Western fertility treatments, acupuncture increases conception rates by 26%.
We can look at excellent examples of women, including celebrities such as Celine Dion and Mariah Carey that turned to acupuncture to help end their fertility struggles. Are you in need of some extra convincing? Below we are going to share with you two amazing fertility success stories that would not have been possible without the use of acupuncture...
On a forum thread titled “Acupuncture ... any success stories?!” from babycenter.ca, Amy Jak shared her experience with fertility:
“I am an acupuncture success story! I am 28 and have been married for 5 years. I have PCOS and always knew I'd run into issues when I started trying. I started fertility treatment in September 2012, and each cycle my eggs were not performing the way they should, and I thought I might have to start looking at donor eggs. After 10 unsuccessful cycles including 4 unsuccessful IUIs with injections, we were headed down the IVF path. I started acupuncture in July 2013 twice per week to support my cause. I also started eating more organic and natural foods, and for the most part, cut out processed and hormone-laden foods. In September 2013, after we got our 10th BFN [Big Fat Negative], we decided to take the month off and relax a little (drink wine, eat bad food, etc...). I asked the doc to give me just clomid, and thought "I might as well give it one last shot". Even though things weren't looking good, and he had to increase my dose that cycle, we ended up with 1 follicle at 22mm, and decided, just for fun, to do another IUI. Sure enough, we got our BFP [Big Fat Positive]! The one cycle where ALL I was doing was clomid and acupuncture, I got pg [pregnant]! I truly feel that acupuncture helped me relax, unwind, and find my "zen". I would recommend it to anybody!”
Another inspiring acupuncture success story was shared by Whitney C. Harris on fitpregnancy.com in a post titled “Did Acupuncture Help Me Get Pregnant?” (These are short excerpts from the post as it is very long, you can read the full article here!)
“For the first few months I told myself to be patient and not obsess over whatever was (or wasn't) going on with my body. Stressing out is the surest way not to get pregnant, right? But instead of rubbing my pressure points with calming essential oils and practicing some downward dog, I found myself falling down the wormhole of infertility message boards.
By June I was frantically searching for alternative therapies. I had seen my OB-GYN and she assured me that I was healthy and should just be patient. When I told her that I'd been reading about acupuncture and the positive effect it could have on fertility, she gave me the green light to try it. I had heard that acupuncture could help women resume ovulation and preferred to do things as naturally as possible. So rather than step on the gas to a fertility clinic (which was tempting), I decided to give acupuncture a shot. My doc agreed that Traditional Chinese medicine was a good option since I wasn't in a huge rush to get pregnant. --- I endured six months of being poked with tiny needles without so much as a twitch from my fallopian tubes. I could feel tingling sensations every now and again at the insertion point between my eyes but none of the life-changing, chi-balancing magic that was promised. --- Once December arrived, I convinced myself to take some time to enjoy life without thinking about my health. After one last acupuncture session I dove into Christmas shopping and holiday preparations. --- One evening, before attending a particularly wine-fueled holiday party, I decided to take a pregnancy test. Just to be safe. One pink line appeared. And then another. Two pink lines. Pregnant. I figured it had to be a mistake. When my husband came back from the drugstore with two more pregnancy tests and both came up positive, we stared at each other in disbelief. How could I be pregnant? Is this some kind of miracle?”
These two powerful examples of acupuncture success stories send a message, loud & clear: Traditional Chinese Medicine, such as acupuncture treatments, are proven to increase fertility. Try it alone or in conjunction with other types of therapy!*
Are you struggling with fertility? Are you trying to increase your chances of conception with natural methods?
Contact Acupuncture Wellness & Fertility Clinic today to begin your journey towards motherhood.
*Always discuss any potential changes or new treatment methods with your doctor to make sure it is safe with your current regimen.