Did acupuncture and herbs help you get pregnant?

[Anonymous]

The Infertility Cure book, written by Randine Lewis, was recommended to me by my acupuncturist. She doesn't push the herbs, or the special diet, but I'm curious if anyone has used either. The diet is based on your body's and your infertility. For example, I should eat lots of protein and cooked vegetables, no fruits, dairy, caffeine, and alcohol. No processed food at all.

I've had a few things fail on me with my RE and wonder if I should just start doing this for a few months. Anyone know how much the herbal concoctions from the acupuncturists cost? She said they taste terrible and most people down it fast. She feels it will definitely help me conceive naturally in 6 months or so. I'm 41.

Did anyone do this and conceive naturally? Thanks for listening!!

[Anonymous]

i'm currently doing accupuncture and herbs -- only at it for 2.5 months so unclear yet if it will help... i can say, it certainly helps with my stress!!

i have pcos... i'm having LH surges just still no ovulation....

[Anonymous]

Short answer: yes, in my experience. I had irregular cycles and started acupuncture around the same time that I started seeing an RE. I didn't take herbs initially because I knew I'd be going on Clomid and didn't want to do both. So for hte three months I was on Clomid, I was getting acupuncture, as well. I ovulated regularly on Clomid each time and developed good follicles, but I didn't get pregnant. My RE said that she usually recommends against Clomid for more than three consecutive months, so I had to decide whether to move on to IUI/IVF or take a break. I chose to take a break and focus on traditional chinese medicine -- acupuncture and herbs. My cycles slowly got more regular, and I was pregnant within four months.

I'm not sure how applicable my experience is to yours, since I was 30 at the time and my issue was irregular ovulation. Has your RE diagnosed a specific reason for your problems getting pg? At 41, I might think egg quality was an issue, but if your RE says she thinks you can conceive naturally, perhaps not...

An additional note: My husband had low morphology, which our RE said would make getting pregnant a little harder. He started acupuncture and herbs, too; it takes 70-some days for men's bodies to produce new sperm, and I got pregnant about 90 days after my husband began his treatment. Make sure your husband has been tested, too, to ensure that there are no factors there affecting your ability to get pregnant.

As to taste and cost, the herbs don't taste great, but it's not a big deal. Acupuncture sessions are much more expensive than the herbs, and my practitioner said that the herbs are more important. So I'd recommend doing 1-2 acupuncture sessions per month but taking the herbs religiously.

Good luck!

[Anonymous]

I used acupuncture while doing 4 IUIs and one IVF -- 36 years old. Got pregnant on the first IVF try. My diagonsis was male factor/unexplained. I was ovulating just fine before all the fertility stuff. I did acupuncture before starting IUI and IVF and it didn't seem to help on its own.

I had read a study that said that acupuncture is the most helpful on the day of implantation during an IVF cycle, so I made sure I had it that day, but I was also doing it other days to help with the stress.

I will second the poster above about acupuncture helping with male factor. My husband started taking the herbs, vitamins, and doing accupuncture during our first IVF cycle and that happened to be the time we got pregnant. Not sure if it was the IVF itself, or the combination of IVF and acupuncture, or we just got lucky.

Good luck to you. It sucks to deal with infertility.

[Anonymous]

I got pregnant naturally with acupuncture and Chinese herbs (I'm about 5 months pg). I have PCOS and it took 5 months of weekly acupuncture treatments + herbs. I was also charting my temperature and the acupuncturist switched the herbs from time to time (sometimes weekly) based on what my temperature was doing. Sometimes I'd pay $30 for the herbs (those would usually last me about 2 1/2 weeks) and sometimes it was just a couple of bucks (if she gave me dong quai root). The herbs didn't taste as bad as I had read they would. They certainly weren't tasty, but nothing I couldn't handle (and I'm total wuss!). I also think the acupuncture helped me deal with the emotional aspects of dealing with infertility. I totally recommend it!

[Anonymous]

OP here. I have secondary infertility, all my tests are good, FSH is 6 and our diagnosis is male factor/unexplained. We did ISCI on both IVF's cycles that failed. Lots of eggs last time and 11 made it to blast, 6 planted but nothing took. I'm wondering if it is the RE and transfer procedure? Guess it would be nice to blame someone and not my own body I also did acupuncture during the last IVF cycle and was really hopeful for a postive sign, but it didn't happen.

Husband is on heart meds so the acupuncturist said he couldn't do the herbs, but is taking some supplemental vitamins. After 2 failed IVF's I can't afford another one. I'm hoping that just acupuncture and the herbs can do it now, along with timing everything well with a predictor.

Did those of you were the meds/acupuncture worked changed your diet drastically? I mean no carbs, no fruit, no cold drinks, no this no that... pretty much eating like a caveman. Which I guess is similar to atkins.

[Anonymous]

I'm the previous poster with the successful IVF. I didn't change my diet, but ate pretty healthy to begin with.

I read study after study about diet and fertility, and many contradicted themselves. In one week I read a study saying to stay away from high fat dairy, and then another that recommneded high fat dairy. It's so so so very frustrating. I just don't think the answers are clear yet on diet and fertility. But I was of the opinion that if it were cheap or free, I'd give it a try. If it were me, I'd try the caveman diet for a few months to see if it works. If it doesn't, then I'd try eating a lot of ice cream to see if that works.

And I hear you on the cost of IVF. I was only going to try it once and I just got really lucky that it worked the first time. I could not have afforded a second time.

[Anonymous]

I wish the OP the best of luck. If you want a IVF recommendation, I saw a RE in Reston VA. Its a hike if not nearby. I got preg on first round with history of PCOS. Changed diet (low carb), stopped most caffine, did acupuncture and worked out much less. Everyone has different experience, have a friend that went to same clinic without success first round. I would try to remain hopeful and try new things. if you aren't 100% confident with RE i would switch there are a lot of unusual things that can interfere with IVF that can go unnoticed, such as antibodies and other underlying conditions. You have to feel you are getting the best care you can get and don't turn on your body, it is your vessel.

[Anonymous]

I got pregnant naturally getting relaxed and leaving my worries for a few days. Instead of drinking coffee o regular tea, I stick to the herbal teas. I'm a herb lover: fresh herbs for cooking, herbs for my skin, herbs for my hair, herbs in my garden, etc etc.

[Anonymous]

15:02 poster here--
I didn't change my diet much, but I already eat a pretty healthy vegetarian diet with lots of whole grains, nuts, beans, lentils, etc. My acupuncturist did tell me to stop eating almonds and to eat lots of Brazil nuts, which I did. She also said to avoid cold drinks.

[Anonymous]

13:24 poster here, and I didn't change my diet. My acupuncturist wanted me to give up black tea and stick to green only. I already drank both, and I tried to drink even more green, but I couldn't give up black.

[Anonymous]

I did everything I could naturally: acupuncture, herbs, diet, yoga, and meditation. None of it worked for me. I am now doing my first cycle of IVF.

[Anonymous]

i wonder if acupuncture will work for me

[Anonymous]

I had success with a combination of acupunture + herbs. No way to know if they were the cause or if it was just a coincidence, but I will say that I felt a whole lot more relaxed about it all during the time I was getting acupuncture.

For those in NoVA, I highly recommend my acupuncturist -- Arthur Fan in McLean (across from the Tysons Corner mall).