Acupuncture For Female Fertility
Female Fertility Issues
There is a long tradition of using acupuncture to boost fertility in women and men. It can help prepare the body for conception and pregnancy by balancing the reproductive cycle and improving overall health and emotional well being. It can support women undergoing IVF and other forms of assisted conception and there is research to suggest that regular acupuncture can help improve sperm quality and quantity.
Preconception preparation
The most important time to boost fertility is in the four months before conception occurs, as this is how long it takes for an egg to become ready to be released during normal ovulation. The focus of acupuncture over this time is on improving your general and reproductive health in order to positively influence the environment in which the egg develops.
Regulating your menstrual cycle
Acupuncture may be used at specific times in your menstrual cycle to target any areas of your cycle that may not be functioning very well; by resolving problems such as irregular ovulation, irregular cycles and painful periods the menstrual cycle can be helped to run more smoothly and natural fertility enhanced. Treatment may involve using basal body temperature charts to help us monitor your monthly cycle.
Optimising your health prior to conception
Improving your general health can boost fertility in both partners and ensure a healthy pregnancy and baby. It therefore makes sense for both partners to get into the best possible shape prior to trying to conceive. We work with you either individually or as a couple to identify and make healthy changes to improve your health, diet, exercise regimen, life-work balance, lifestyle, sleep patterns and relaxation.
Stress levels and emotional well-being
Couples having problems trying to conceive can experience overwhelming feelings of stress, frustration, anxiety and depression. Prolonged stress can affect fertility, by preventing or delaying ovulation and implantation, and reducing libido and normal blood flow around the reproductive organs. We therefore place much emphasis on providing emotional support and using acupuncture to switch off the stress response and promote relaxation.
How does acupuncture for female fertility work?
There is growing amount of research into the specific effects of acupuncture for female fertility. Initial research suggests acupuncture may help by:
- Normalising the menstrual cycle – regulating cycle length, pain, blood flow and ovulation
- Increasing blood circulation in the pelvis to the ovaries and uterus
- Increasing vasculisation in the uterus improving the endometrial lining thickness
- Down regulating sympathetic nervous system activity and reducing prolactin levels which can inhibit ovulation, reduce progesterone levels and interfere with normal implantation of the embryo
- Helping to induce ovulation by stimulating release of GnRH by the hypothalamus and luteinising hormone from the pituitary gland
- Improving implantation rates when given around the time of embryo transfer
- Positive effects on sperm production, motility and morphology
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