Acupuncture - how often?

[Skybid]

I have been advised by my clinic that they don’t advise having an endo scratch, I have therefore decided to do acupuncture Instead as this could be my last cycle due to self-funding.

I am an accupuncture “virgin”, so Can I ask, those if you that have done acupuncture with your cycle, how often you had it done before transfer, during and after?

I didn’t realise it was so expensive @ £50 per appointment!

Thanks

[forMoira]

I started seeing a Chinese doctor a few months before my transfer. She has been absolutely brilliant. I really, really wish I had found her when I was doing my first two cycles. On the first session I had acupuncture and she gave me three sets of medicine to take home and told me to come back ten days later. After that I went roughly every ten days until the transfer and she gave me acupuncture and a few minutes massage and a heat lamp over my abdomen. The acupuncture was £39 and the medicine about £10-15 for each tub.

After transfer she stopped all medicine and I have been seeing her weekly. The first two weeks after transfer she gave me acupuncture to help implantation and for stress. Then last week, knowing that I had had a positive test, she didn't give me any acupuncture, just a very long and very gentle massage over my clothes.

If you find the right person and they are sensitive, they will probably also take your financial situation into consideration. I really recommend it. If you can't afford to go every week, I think it will help you even if you just go once a month. I found a lot of studies online that demonstrated that the success rates for IVF patients were much higher if they were using TCM (traditional Chinese medicine). If you happen to be near Cambridge and would like to know the details of my acupuncturist, send me a pm and I'll gladly share them.

[Lizzielizzielizzie in reply to forMoira]

Please just be aware that my clinic strongly advise against the use of Chinese medicines as they say they can interact with ivf medicine in unexpected ways.

In terms of cost, look into buying a health cash back plan as some of these allow you to claim back some of the cost of your acupuncture.

[Bumbo]

I have a fab acupuncturist who I have used for my last 2 ivf cycles, both were short protocol. He tells me when he wants to see me but at the time of a cycle my head's a little bit all over the place so I can't accurately remember the specific reasons for his timings... Once before the cycle for preparation which is optional, but I have never been that organised so I tend to call him on day 1 (of my cycle, not stimms) and he sees me straight away, then he sees me roughly once per week. I have had 4 appointments in total before my bfns. I don't know if he would ask me to go again if I ever had a bfp, I guess he would.

All the best for your next cycle!! Xxx

[Hidden]

I had acupuncture for my frozen transfer. I had a session every week one week before transfer until my test date. Then it was every two weeks until 12 weeks. On the day of transfer, they recommended acupuncture before and after transfer on the same day but I could not fit it in so had it a few hours later.

I would echo being careful with traditional herbs as you don’t know how they interact with other medication you may be on-remember that lots of drugs are derived from natural things eg heart medication digoxin comes from foxglove flowers!

Good luck with whatever you decide xx

[Skybid]

Thanks girls, I’ve booked one session next week and then weekly in September and One in October up to I go to Prague for my transfer. The clinic is also arranging for me to have accupuncture before and after transfer. X