3 Reasons Acupuncture Can Help Improve Your IVF/IUI Journey

One of the most common questions I get asked as a Naturopathic Doctor with a clinical focus in fertility care is: "should I be getting acupuncture during my IVF and IUI cycles?"

My answer is always a resounding yes. Here are three reasons I think you should consider adding acupuncture as a complementary treatment to your IVF and IUI cycles. 

1. Acupuncture is being studied specifically as an adjunct to fertility treatments. There is a large body of evidence that acupuncture can help to improve implantation rates, ongoing pregnancies, and live birth outcomes. More research is needed to continue to validate and build this body of evidence but existing studies continue to demonstrate clinically significant findings.
2. Acupuncture helps to modulate physiological activities such as releasing endorphins to support mood, improve parasympathetic activity (relaxation in the nervous system), and improve blood flow in the uterine arteries. These physiological outcomes are key contributors to acupuncture's ability to reduce pain and bloating in the abdomen, improve follicle development, support uterine lining growth, build resilience to stress, reduce anxiety during treatments, and improve sleep during treatments. 
3. Acupuncture treatments can support mental health and help build resilience to stress for folks going through assisted reproductive therapies (ART). It is clinically observed that the chances of conceiving increase as attempts increase, however, one of the main reasons people terminate treatment is the emotional and physical toll failed attempts have; Yoga, mindfulness, counseling, and acupuncture are forms of treatment that are designed to support the mental health of patients and help build the resiliency needed to continue pursuing IVF/IUI treatments through failed cycles. 

Our assisted reproductive therapies and procedures are amazing. However, the nature of these treatments can feel impersonal and intimidating. Struggling with infertility and going through treatment can be incredibly stressful not only for the body but the mind as well. Working with an acupuncturist trained in fertility care can help provide a space and team that ensures your mental health and stress levels are addressed and supported every step of the way. 

Our Approach

At our clinic we combine these acupuncture sessions with the Circle & Bloom™ frozen embryo transfer program or the mind body IVF/IUI. We also recommend checking in with our virtual counselors and using the FertiCalm™ app to help build coping strategies and space to work through vulnerable moments. 

Your mental and emotional health matters and you deserve a team who can help support you through this journey. 

I am rooting for you, 

Dr. Céline Leduc, B.Sc, ND

@eastnd.pei

@drcelineleducnd

EASTND PEI Website