Shu Fan is a fertility miracle worker as far as I'm concerned
https://dc-acupuncture-chinesemedicine.com/

It's a very low cost and low risk, and we're pumped with drugs and undergoing surgical procedures with IVF. It would almost feel irresponsible of me not to increase my odds with accupuncture.

Anonymous wrote:PP here. I hadn't read the post just above mine when I posted. But the comment about "hour to myself" -- just felt very meaningful to me, and I was so much calmer and happier for the rest of the day.

All this. I started acupuncture partly as a way of getting past my fear of all the shots I would need for IVF treatment. I used it during the IVF process, post-partum (I found it helped with swelling) and now any time I'm really agitated (ask for the point on the top of your head).

My favorite Shady Grove person left but now I go to Pekoe on 9th St.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:There is plenty of well conducted research (not the fake stuff put out by alternative medicine companies) that shows acupuncture doesn't help with basically anything at all more than a placebo. There is some evidence that it may help with some neck/upper shoulder muscle issues but not much beyond what massage or other stimulation can do. Given that it can't treat 99% of what it claims to treat, even in the tissue where the needles are directly inserted, it seems outlandish to think inserting needles into the outside of your body would ever affect your hormones, uterus, or much of anything else. But if you want to spend money, I guess there all kinds of things you could waste it on and acupuncture is just one of them

It's also worth noting that in terms of menstrual cycles, cramps, etc., stress and worry can exacerbate menstrual problems. To the extent someone believes acupuncture helped them with these symptoms, it seems totally believable that a placebo effect could do this. I'm sure yoga, massage, meditation, dietary changes, and sugary pills could all help achieve a similar result without the need to visit a fake doctor. What I'm saying is that both facts can be true simultaneously - acupuncture could have solved some women's menstrual cycle problems, AND acupuncture could also not be anymore effective than a sugar pill.

13:00 here. I had zero expectations from acupuncture. None. Certainly not getting rid of cramps, nor changing the color of my menstrual blood. My cramps were not from stress or worry. They were a constant in my life from my first period at the age of 15. I was shocked when they disappeared and I got through a period without pain meds. I told my acupuncturist in amazement about it, and she thought it was no big deal, as she saw that all the time. I know you don’t want it to be possible for acupuncture to have any real effect, but I’m here to refute that belief. And if a woman is dealing with infertility, I would absolutely encourage her to try it. I managed to have two kids after the age of forty, with only one ovary as well, after years of trying. I’m sure acupuncture wasn’t the only reason for my success, but I’m also sure that it was part of it.

PP here. I hadn't read the post just above mine when I posted. But the comment about "hour to myself" -- just felt very meaningful to me, and I was so much calmer and happier for the rest of the day.

I did acupuncture with Deborah Earley during two successful IVF cycles. I don't know if it helped medically, but she is wonderful. Very experienced with fertility issues and talking with her is like quasi-therapy. It definitely helped me relax and also feel like I was doing something "for myself" during a stressful time. It depends a lot on your personality and the fit IMO.

I am not a crunchy person more generally. This was just part of "throw everything at the wall" during the struggles. But it was a really positive part of it.

After 8 months of trying for our 2nd at 38 with two chemical pregnancies and bad labs (very high FSH, low AMH), I got pregnant after 6 weeks of acupuncture and on the first cycle of clomid. Don't know if it was the acupuncture or the clomid, but I would definitely recommend acupuncture. Even without the fertility angle, I found it very relaxing and it was an hour to myself that I would not have otherwise gotten. So maybe that in and of itself helped.

Pp here - ps - I realize northern CA is more “woo” than some places, but I know of two fertility centers here that require you to do acupuncture as a condition of them treating you.

I live in CA now. My (Chinese American) OB gyn told me that she actually did work on a a study involving acupuncture in med school. When I was considering it (fully covered by insurance) she said not to do it at the same time as medication (I’d been trying clomid). I had tried to conceive for 14 months. I kind of threw a lot at the wall - sex daily during the fertile window instead of every other day, an Hsg (no notable results), and did acupuncture. Person I saw listed fertility as one of his areas but didn’t specialize in it. As I recall, he’d ask if there was a chance I was pregnant but we didn’t discuss specific days. Needles were generally in my feet and hands I think - maybe some in my back? (He also placed pins to help clear congestion.) I was skeptical but whether it worked or just relaxed me (a) I’d always feel less stuffy after my appointments and (b) I conceived about 6 weeks after I started! He did explain what certain pins were linked to and said I had cramping Fallopian tubes. Who knows, it wouldn’t shock me. I’d always had strong mittleschmirtz. I suspect the HsG helped but, as I said, there were no results. (With my older child, I didn’t ovulate and then took clomid and conceived immediately. With my second there was never an explanation.) Also, in terms of needle placement, when my first was born I found squeezing my hands into fists and pressing hard at the base of my thumb was the only thing I wanted to do when contractions hit. Years later I found out that spot at the base of the thumb is a spot in acupressure for reducing abdominal cramping - so spots aren’t always obvious. Also, for me personally I would almost always doze off and nap while the needles were in! He’d put them in, wrap me in a warm blanket, and leave for 15-20 mins and then do the other side. The meditation and rest certainly couldn’t have hurt the process!

Anonymous wrote:There is plenty of well conducted research (not the fake stuff put out by alternative medicine companies) that shows acupuncture doesn't help with basically anything at all more than a placebo. There is some evidence that it may help with some neck/upper shoulder muscle issues but not much beyond what massage or other stimulation can do. Given that it can't treat 99% of what it claims to treat, even in the tissue where the needles are directly inserted, it seems outlandish to think inserting needles into the outside of your body would ever affect your hormones, uterus, or much of anything else. But if you want to spend money, I guess there all kinds of things you could waste it on and acupuncture is just one of them

It's also worth noting that in terms of menstrual cycles, cramps, etc., stress and worry can exacerbate menstrual problems. To the extent someone believes acupuncture helped them with these symptoms, it seems totally believable that a placebo effect could do this. I'm sure yoga, massage, meditation, dietary changes, and sugary pills could all help achieve a similar result without the need to visit a fake doctor. What I'm saying is that both facts can be true simultaneously - acupuncture could have solved some women's menstrual cycle problems, AND acupuncture could also not be anymore effective than a sugar pill.

There is plenty of well conducted research (not the fake stuff put out by alternative medicine companies) that shows acupuncture doesn't help with basically anything at all more than a placebo. There is some evidence that it may help with some neck/upper shoulder muscle issues but not much beyond what massage or other stimulation can do. Given that it can't treat 99% of what it claims to treat, even in the tissue where the needles are directly inserted, it seems outlandish to think inserting needles into the outside of your body would ever affect your hormones, uterus, or much of anything else. But if you want to spend money, I guess there all kinds of things you could waste it on and acupuncture is just one of them

Anonymous wrote:I did acupuncture as part of trying everything I could. I had zero expectations that it would help. I was shocked that it eliminated my monthly cramps, and it was also clear to me that (tmi warning!) that the blood was a much brighter red and the flow had less clots in it. IVF failed for me three times, but I got pregnant on my own while waiting to start another cycle.

I wouldn’t be so quick to dismiss it.

+1
Was wild but my bleeding changed immediately

I did acupuncture as part of trying everything I could. I had zero expectations that it would help. I was shocked that it eliminated my monthly cramps, and it was also clear to me that (tmi warning!) that the blood was a much brighter red and the flow had less clots in it. IVF failed for me three times, but I got pregnant on my own while waiting to start another cycle.

I wouldn’t be so quick to dismiss it.

Anonymous wrote:I would be pretty surprised if clincal trials ever are able to establish a link between accupuncture and enhanced fertility. To date, no reputable study has disproven the null hypothesis for pain reduction, i.e. Never been able to show more than placebo effect. Accupuncture like other forms of "alternative medicine" is pretty much hokum.

This x 1000. Save your money ladies!

I also didn't hear anything like that. But what I know for sure, I heard that acupuncture can help to balance hormones and reduce stress. I visited an acupuncturist once. I found him here https://kosakchiro.com/. When I had some back pain and I didn't want to take any medications because I lead a healthy lifestyle and I don't consume any product containing chemicals. So, acupuncture helped me a lot. It even helped me to get rid of the stress that I accumulated through the years. I also started to go to the gym to tone up my body and muscles. And I also decided to meditate to clear and relax my mind.

Bronwyn Clark in Georgetown is amazing, and she does acupuncture for fertility.