Preparing You for What's Next
Acupuncture treatment may commence at any time, but starting 3 months before any ART (assisted reproductive technology) cycle is the ideal. It takes 90 days for primordial follicles to develop in preparation for ovulating each month and within their journey the quality of these developing eggs can greatly benefit from positive influences. Our goal is to create a vibrant program to optimize egg health in the 3 month lead up. This involves arming you with a nutrient dense diet, quality supplements, the right forms of movement, regular acupuncture, customized herbal formulas, and a guide for cleaning up your home of endocrine disrupting chemicals. This plan also allows for ample time to deal with any apparent hormonal imbalances, which can greatly interfere with how you respond to the medicated process, as well as resolving painful periods, addressing gut health issues, sleep quality, stress management, and any other fine tuning your system may need. This timing is not always possible, as fertility plans can often shift direction rather quickly, so it is important to know that beginning support at any time is better than none at all. We will work together to form a plan for the best course of action in boosting your overall health and reproductive wellness, to compliment your reproductive endocrinologist’s care.
The Timing
During IUI
Weekly acupuncture treatment is recommended leading up to, along with one timed specifically within a day or two of the insemination. Depending on your protocol and whether medication is a component, we may discuss whether Chinese herbs are right for you during the process.
During IVF or Egg Freezing
A more frequent regiment of acupuncture is encouraged in order to facilitate the stimulation of the ovaries and support follicle growth. Sessions are scheduled twice weekly during the injections phase, with one timed for the day before egg retrieval. After retrieval, many women opt to continue care to help with recovering and reseting from the impacts of the cycle, and preparing for any next steps.
Embro Transfer
For embryo transfer, pre and post transfer treatments are then timed within 24 hours on either side of the transfer itself. For those doing a frozen embryo transfer on different month from retrieval, or using donor eggs, weekly acupuncture is also encouraged leading up to transfer day to prepare the uterine lining for implantation.
The Research
The growing body of research around acupuncture benefiting IVF (and thus egg freezing) is profound. The data show how acupuncture and a “whole systems” approach of Chinese medicine (including herbal medicine, dietary, and lifestyle recommendations) as an adjunct to IVF treatment in the 3 months leading up to a cycle, significantly increases the number of live birth rates as compared to no acupuncture or acupuncture just pre and post transfer strongly increases live pregnancy rates(i)(ii), indicating improved outcomes due to the benefit on the reproductive environment.
(i)Hullender Rubin, L. E., Opsahl, M. S., Wiemer, K. E., Mist, S. D., & Caughey, A. B. (2015). Impact of whole systems traditional Chinese medicine on in-vitro fertilization outcomes.Reproductive biomedicine online,30(6), 602–612.https://doi.org/10.1016/j.rbmo.2015.02.005
(ii)Zheng, C. H., Zhang, M. M., Huang, G. Y., & Wang, W. (2012). The role of acupuncture in assisted reproductive technology.Evidence-based complementary and alternative medicine : eCAM,2012, 543924.https://doi.org/10.1155/2012/543924
A large literature review of RCTs (randomized control trials) concluded that there are 4 mechanisms by which acupuncture improves IVF outcomes; modulating neuro-endocrinological factors (this basically means how the nervous system interacts with the endocrine system, ie. stress affecting your hormones);increasing blood flow to the uterus and ovaries(this is a tremendous benefit!); modulating cytokines (regulating immune system and inflammation); and reducing stress, anxiety, and depression.(iii)
(iii)Anderson, B. J., Haimovici, F., Ginsburg, E. S., Schust, D. J., & Wayne, P. M. (2007). In vitro fertilization and acupuncture: clinical efficacy and mechanistic basis.Alternative therapies in health and medicine,13(3), 38–48.
Research shows that acupuncture can help significantly improve pregnancy rates when incorporated before and after embryo transfer. A pioneering study published in Fertility & Sterility (iv) showed that women receiving acupuncture before and after embryo transfer had a 42.5 % pregnancy success rate as compared to the control group without acupuncture of 26.3%. These findings are profound and have been encouraging to both eastern and western integrative modalities of fertility care.
(iv)Westergaard, L. G., Mao, Q., Krogslund, M., Sandrini, S., Lenz, S., & Grinsted, J. (2006). Acupuncture on the day of embryo transfer significantly improves the reproductive outcome in infertile women: a prospective, randomized trial.Fertility and sterility,85(5), 1341–1346.