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  • Q&A with Australian Health Practitioners

    Can acupuncture help fertility?

    Related Topics
    Infertility Trying To Conceive Women's Health
    I’ve been trying to fall pregnant for 2 years now and have been told acupuncture could help with my fertility, is this true?
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    Kaitlin Edin

    Acupuncturist

    Kaitlin Edin has been in practice since 2009 and has worked in a variety of clinical situations including group and private practice; as well as … View Profile

    There are actually many factors involved in getting pregnant.
    Factors such as menstruation and history, general and sexual health, age, sperm quality and even diet can affect your chances of getting pregnant.
    Every case is different so for advice and appropriate treatment that is tailored to you, it is always best to speak with a fertility specialist, a trusted healthcare practitioner or your GP.

    Acupuncture has been beneficial for many women wanting to get pregnant, whether it be conceiving naturally or as an adjunct therapy with ART/IVF.

    Acupuncture treatments for fertility are generally helpful in increasing the blood flow around the uterus and ovaries, regulating hormonal disruption or dysfunction, and/or assisting regular menstruation. 

    Acupuncture can help getting pregnant, but just as importantly, it can really make a big difference to your enjoyment and experience of your pregnancy and of labour and birthing.

    Annedoctal evidence and some preliminary research suggests that women who have acupuncture throughout  their first pregnancy tend to experience shorter labour times and less late stage interventions.

    Generally it is advised to have acupuncture once a week during the first trimester, every second or fourth week during the second trimester and then weekly again from 37 weeks until week 40.

    If you are looking to have some acupuncture to assist you getting pregnant, make sure you see a practitioner who has some experience with fertility and pregnancy.

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  • Maria Nguyen

    HealthShare Member

    I am not sure about acupancture, it might help as well, but I would use traditional medicine to help me to get pregnant if I needed. Good luck to you and I hope you get pregnant soon!

    "Help your loved ones
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    Dr Carolyn Ee

    Acupuncturist, GP (General Practitioner)

    I'm a Sydney GP with a special interest in women's health especially menopause and TTC ( trying to conceive). I specialise in acupuncture, and am … View Profile

    Hi there, I agree with Dr Saba regarding seeing a doctor/specialist to investigate the causes of failure to conceive. Both you and your partner will need to be investigated, as female and male factors account for a third of the causes of failure to conceive respectively, and a third of the time it is unknown why the couple have not yet conceived. Maternal age is now becoming a major factor in difficulty falling pregnant, so if you are approaching or past your mid thirties it is crucial that you see someone as soon as you can.

    There has been a lot of research into acupuncture as an adjunctive treatment for IVF. The research began when it was noted that women having acupuncture as a pain control method during egg collection in IVF were more likely to fall pregnant than women who didn't have acupuncture. Results from the studies have been conflicting, with a meta-analysis in 2012 of all studies concluding that acupuncture increased the chance of pregnancy by 20%, but a more recent re-analysis concluded that it only increased the chance of pregnancy by 14% and that this difference was probably due to chance.

    Acupuncture can help relax you and is thought to affect your hormonal balance, and it has been suggested that acupuncture may help to increase blood flow to the ovaries. It is a safe treatment, so you may still choose to try it if you are interested. However it does not replace usual medical care and should only be used alongside medical care in your case.

    Good luck, I hope it happens soon for you.,

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