Within the context of Chinese medicine, I’m always amazed at the power of being consistent. Don’t get me wrong— acupuncture and Chinese herbs are powerful on their own, but they really get an extra oomph when used with consistency.
Acupuncture and IVF
The proof is in the pudding with IVF. There have been a few studies (in 2014 and 2019) which have shown that nine to 12 acupuncture treatments before an IVF embryo transfer greatly improve success rates.
Acupuncture, compared to no treatment, is effective for increasing:
• Clinical pregnancy rate by 28%–32%.
• Ongoing pregnancy rate by 42%.
• Live birth rate by 30%.*
I love it when I get difficult fertility cases and the patients persevere with their herbs and acupuncture treatments. Not surprisingly, these patients often end up pregnant. I always encourage my infertility patients to take heart, be patient, and understand that Chinese medicine results don’t happen overnight.
Fertility Drugs
Chinese Medicine works much differently than fertility drugs like Clomid or Letrizole, which stimulate follicle production and generally cause you to produce more follicles than you would normally. Instead, Chinese medicine stimulates the full body holistically, thus allowing it to heal and become healthier so your hormones are able to normalize. An inability to get pregnant is often due to blocked energy in the body, which Chinese medicine works to solve.
Patience
What does that mean in terms of results? For most of my fertility patients, it typically takes three months to regulate their cycle and improve egg quality. The average time it takes to achieve pregnancy – after consistently having acupuncture treatments and taking herbs – is around six months.
So the next time you think, “What’s the point of these herbs anyway?” or “Meh, I’m going to skip acupuncture this time,” don’t give up! All these components of Chinese medicine add up to recreate a whole and healthy you, so stick with it—you’ll be glad you did.
And if you’re still not sure about acupuncture? Do some research, like listen to this episode of The Egg Whisperer about Acupuncture & IVF Outcomes with Dr. Lee Hullender Rubin, or, get in touch with us for a free Discovery Call!
