Acupuncture
Acupuncture for female fertility
How can acupuncture help with female fertility?
Acupuncture can affect your fertility in two ways: firstly, by influencing your qi system in order to help improve your overall health; secondly, by targeting specific aspects of your reproductive process, for example, ovulation. For many women, I may use both approaches. For example, I can help to remedy a general weakness in your qi system. At the same time, I can use specific treatments at different points in your menstrual cycle to remedy specific problems, such as period pain. For women going through IVF/ICSI, similar strategies are used. In this way, acupuncture treatment can help to:
Regulate your menstrual cycle
Enhance and stimulate ovulation
Promote effective implantation
Prevent miscarriage
Regulating your menstrual cycle
In Chinese medicine, a regular and harmonious menstrual cycle can be the key to fertility. Addressing this can make a critical difference to those women who are having problems conceiving. The emphasis of treatment is on regulating the menstrual cycle, trying to ensure that the period flows smoothly and with minimal discomfort. I use your temperature (BBT) chart to help determine the pattern of disharmony affecting your period and, thus, decide the most effective treatment strategy.
Helping to prevent miscarriage
If you have a history of miscarriage, preparatory treatment to strengthen your qi and blood can enhance your ability to hold your foetus in the early stages of pregnancy. Where you have a history of premature birth, giving you acupuncture treatment during pregnancy can be beneficial in helping your pregnancy go to full term.
There is now evidence that acupuncture during pregnancy helps to shorten labour and promote an easier birth.