Your Acupuncture Session
Many patients have asked us to provide acupuncture during their IVF treatment, since some studies have shown that acupuncture can increase the chances of success. At the Zhai Clinic, we’ve designed a three-session package to assist couples who are seeking help with acupuncture whilst undergoing an IVF programme.
First session
Your IVF clinic will ask you to have an ultrasound scan during days 6 to 8 of your follicle stimulation injection, and your first acupuncture appointment should be arranged after you have had this scan.
This initial acupuncture session will concentrate on supporting your follicle development and improving your response to the FSH injection.
We would be grateful if you could bring a copy of your ultrasound scan report to your appointment, as this will be of great assistance to us during your treatment. However, if it’s not possible, please find out the following information from your clinic.
- How many follicles have your ovaries developed?
- What are the sizes of each follicle?
- What is the thickness (mm) of your endometrium?
Second session
This session is carried out after your egg collection and before your embryo transfer. You may find your abdominal wall feels bloated or inflamed after the egg collection. The acupuncture will help reduce any discomfort to the area and restore the blood supply to support the implantation.
We would be grateful if you could inform us as soon as you know when the egg collection and embryo transfer will take place, so that we can do our best to accommodate you.
We recommend that you have acupuncture the day before embryo transfer or, if possible, on the day of the transfer.
Third session
Acupuncture should take place between 4 to 6 days after the embryo transfer. We will be concentrating on improving the blood supply to the reproductive system to maximise the chances of implantation.
At the Zhai Clinic we believe that a successful outcome of assisted fertility treatment is not solely based on a few sessions of acupuncture as the aim of these is to improve the blood supply and relax the patient during IVF. More often, improving egg/sperm quality is the most important factor, which acupuncture alone may not be able to achieve.
Research has shown that certain Chinese herbs, as used in our fertility treatments, have a strong anti-Oestrogenic activity and some anti-Androgenic and anti-Oxidant properties. These proved capable of reducing the chromosome abnormality in women’s eggs and in men’s sperm, so improving the egg/sperm quality. Since it normally takes time for a patient to benefit from Traditional Chinese Medicine, we recommend starting this treatment before you embark on assisted fertility treatment and don’t place too high an expectation on a few acupuncture sessions.