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The evidence is pretty clear- acupuncture can definitely help you get pregnant! If you are trying to conceive and it is taking a little longer than you would like, or if you are struggling with decreased fertility and all sorts of icky Western medicine diagnoses… then get thee to an acupuncturist! I absolutely believe my acupuncturist helped me get pregnant with my miracle child. However, I also spent a year seeing an acupuncturist that absolutely did NOT help me get pregnant. I’ve also seen three other acupuncturists for other issues during the course of my life. It can be incredibly frustrating to spend time and money on the wrong acupuncturist or healer, and an incredible blessing to find your perfect acupuncturist. Here is my list of things to look for when finding a great acupuncturist for fertility!
- They helped someone else get pregnant. The number one, absolute, best way to find an acupuncturist for fertility is if a friend, colleague, or stranger on the street says, “You have to go to her/him, they got me pregnant!!” I would say hands down, if you can find someone who helped get someone else get pregnant, then you should start there. This is how I found my second fertility acupuncturist. I was going in for a massage and talking with the receptionist about how stressed I was about trying to conceive, and how long it was taking. This total stranger who just worked at spa said, “Ohh!! You have to go to Clair! She got me pregnant after I couldn’t on my own!!” Done.
- They trained in women’s health. If you are just trying to conceive and don’t have any big issues, you probably don’t have to worry about this. But if you are like me and are juggling multiple reduced fertility / infertility related conditions, then you probably want to find someone who is trained in women’s health. My acupuncturist was trained in Korea, and spent an entire year in an OB/GYN ward of a hospital as part of her normal training. Now to be clear- her specialty isn’t women’s health. It’s actually pain reduction. BUT, part of her normal training was an ENTIRE year spent practicing women’s health acupuncture. GOLD!
- They practice Traditional Chinese Medicine. There are actually a few different kinds of acupuncture training and practice, and all of them have their strengths and their weaknesses. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is the kind that studies have shown to be very beneficial for fertility. I’m not saying the other kinds won’t work, but if you start with a TCM practitioner you’ll thank me.
- They tell you your diagnosis. My first fertility acupuncturist didn’t give me a diagnosis the entire year I saw her. At one point she actually said, “I don’t really know what’s wrong, or what else to do.” The second fertility acupuncturist was like, BOOM, “Cold Uterus, Kidney Yang deficiency, Qii stagnation.” This is very important, because with your diagnosis YOU can then go google, or even better, reference my absolute favorite TCM fertility book The Infertility Cure. Get your diagnosis, go home and read up about it in this book. You’ll get detailed diet plans and lifestyle advice to address your specific condition. Which leads me too . . .
- They provide you with diet and lifestyle advice. Any TCM practitioner worth her salt is going to give you a tailored diet as well as lifestyle advice to address your specific condition. For example, mine advised me to avoid cold and raw foods, and eat lots of bone broth, chicken soup, and other blood-building foods. She also strongly suggested I do a hot foot soak every night and go to sleep with a hot pad on my feet (which in turn would help keep my uterus warm). She also suggested wrapping my stomach to always keep my belly warm. I remember her also asking about my hobbies. When I said I played the piano but hadn’t in months, she told me to go home and play. The next visit she said, “Have you been playing the piano?”
- They give you Chinese Herbs. Ladies! Chinese Herbs are amazing for fertility! I spent that whole first year going to an acupuncturist who wasn’t able to prescribe herbs. Big mistake! The acupuncturist who helped get me pregnant gave me different herbs for 3 different parts of my cycle- menstruation, pre-ovulation, and the luteal period. You want this kind of tailored attention to your needs.
- They go the extra mile. It was 9pm on a Tuesday night when I got a text from my acupuncturist. “Anna, I was looking back at your file and I realized we weren’t treating you for the miscarriages in addition to your high FSH. I need to change some herbs and do some needles differently.” What kind of doctor would be looking back at your file in depth on a Tuesday night at 9pm? I loved this lady.
I hope these tips help you find a great acupuncturist to help you get pregnant! And remember- just because you love your acupuncturist personally, you get along, you are friends, they are like a therapist, etc., if they aren’t providing you with Chinese Herbs and giving you your diagnosis, you need to move on. Otherwise you are paying for a friendly chat.
Oh– and be warned, for some people acupuncture does hurt! I’d say about half the needles always hurt me a little. I just imagine I am a princess and my father has found the best acupuncturist in all the land to come treat me. And, as my acupuncturist says, as she cranks up the electrode machine connected to the needles, “No pain, no gain.” She actually said that. And—- she was actually right.
Do you have any other tips for finding a great acupuncturist? Leave them in the comments below!
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Anna Rapp is a fertility journalist and non-toxic living expert. When Anna Rapp was struggling with infertility and recurrent early miscarriage, she was diagnosed with diminished ovarian reserve, High FSH, low AMH, low follicle count, endometriosis, and an MTHFR mutation. Despite being told donor eggs were her only solution, Anna used her graduate training in research methods and analysis to read everything she could find on fertility and egg health. Ultimately, she lowered her FSH and got pregnant naturally (twice). She blogs about how she did it and encourages her readers to take charge of their fertility journey and get happy, healthy, and pregnant!
Nice article. Women should give acupuncture a chance when they want to get pregnant.
Can you give the information to able to see Clair?
Thank you for talking about how it is important to choose an acupuncturist that goes out of their way and review your file to make sure you are getting the proper treatment for fertility. It is important to remember that taking the time to research the clinic can help you find the best person with the best reputation to treat you. My wife has been talking about how she wants to try acupuncture to see if it helps her get pregnant, so I’ll share your page with her for some good tips.
Thanks for stopping in Marcus! Please do send your wife this way, and anyone else you know who is trying to get pregnant! Best wishes,
Anna
Good afternoon,
Ms. Anna,
I’m Yasmin from Dhaka Bangladesh. I tried to get a pregnant since 2 years. Already I have seen 2/3 doctor’s but no results yet. I’m trying for our 1st baby and am 43 years old. Everything was normal except that I have very less follicles. I want to need acupuncture and herbs that I need to mix with water. I want to get pregnant naturally. I want to need acupuncturist urgent. I can’t go anywhere. Could you please suggest me anything which is helpful for an early pregnancy.
My sister and I are both trying to get pregnant and seem to be taking longer than we want. I thought I should look into how acupuncture could help boost fertility for both of us and you made a great point on finding the right person doing the job. I never would have thought to look at how they diagnose you the first meeting you see them. This is a great relief for me to know that they can understand what is wrong and know what to proceed with in terms of treatment.
Barbara,
Definitely look into acupuncture and any other healing modalities that call to you!
Anna
Can you recommend anyone in Southeastern Michigan?
Patti, I’m sorry, I don’t know! Ask around and google like crazy! Baby dust!
Hi Anna,
Love your blog! I came across this after making a visit to a fertility acupuncturist, I was disappointed that my AMH was 0.2, made me real sad and depressed. We are trying for our 2nd baby and am 40 years old. My first child is 8 years old and the pregnancy was natural. I did a SHG and the RE said everything was normal except that I have very less follicles. My question to you is, should I continue acupuncture and see? She gave me herbs that I need to mix with water. Do these numbers really mean anything? Is IVF the only option?
HI Sammy!
I think acupuncture is helpful no matter if you are trying naturally, via IVF, or even donor egg or embryo. Heck, its helpful for your personal well-being even if you are adopting! For your particular situation, I am not a doctor. But I can tell you I was 32, AMH undetectable once, then I think it was .08, FSH 34, and I got pregnant naturally. Then again when I was 35 (now). I truly think acupuncture was very important to my journey and that the herbs made a big difference. Good luck making a decision about your journey!! Follow your heart to find your next steps!
How specifically did you wrap your belly? During the day? Or a short time each day?
Hi Ani! My acupuncturist literally wanted me to wrap with a scarf all the time day and night. Mostly I just made sure my belly was always covered. So, for example, if I wore I dress I wore tights or hose, so cold air wouldn’t blow on my tummy. At night I’d wear pants that went over my belly (hot, right?) and a shirt that went over it. Good luck!
Hi, Anna,
My acupuncturist did give me a diagnosis and herbs but she does not discuss what is going on with the treatment. She did not give me prescription but she prepares herbs from her herb stock. I just recently had an early pregnancy loss. I am worried that the herbs she gave me during luteal phase may not be good. Also she used several points at the level of umbilicus during the luteal phase. I read that no needles should be placed in the abdomen during luteal phase. I am getting scared that this is actually causing harm. She is Chinese and does not speak much English but she is quite well known in the town. She is specializing in fertility and she has helped other women get pregnant ( google reviews). I am getting nervous. Should I be asking the acupuncturist what herbs they are mixing for me if they are giving me out of their own stock? is it just that we are supposed to trust that the herbs they are mixing will not cause harm? or Can we ask them what herbs they are giving us so that we can google their side-effects and if they are contraindicated in early pregnancy? I would like to know your opinion.
Thanks,
Anu
HI Anu!
So on the one hand, she sounds a lot like the acupuncturist who got me pregnant- she gave me herbs but didn’t tell me what they were, used points around my belly button in luteal period, and doesn’t speak much English. And she has worked 2 miracles for me. On the other hand, I trusted her. If you don’t trust your provider. It seems like she might be doing all the right things but the lack of communication is scary for you? Before leaving her, can you try some more communication? Ask her for more details so you feel more assured? If you don’t already have it, get The Infertility Cure by Randine Lewis (https://amzn.to/2GgNDhd) so you can look up treatment for your diagnosis there and diet advice, etc. Baby dust!
Anna
Thank you so much. That was certainly helpful. Your website and all the advice has helped me a lot and inspired me on this journey. I had some questions though. Did you drink herbs after 4th week of pregnancy or after knowing you were pregnant and how long did you drink the herbs provided by the acupuncturist? Did you continue acupuncture after 4th week of pregnancy and how long did you continue?
Hi Anu! My acupuncturist would give me different herbs for the different parts of my cycle. If I got my period, I would switch. She would give me herbs to support the early pregnancy. Later in this second pregnancy I had some bleeding, and she gave me some herbs for that. I did not continue needles, but many women do.
I am in dc who is yoour accupuncturist pls
Clair- omdpeaceacupuncture.com
Hi Anna,
Thank you for great article. I live in Northen VA, DMV DC area.
Who is your accupunturist? If you can share who you see, I’d really appreciate it.
Thanks!!!
HI MIn! Absolutely! Her name is Clair and here is her website: https://www.omdpeaceacupuncture.com/
Hi Anna,
Could you give me the contact of Clair the acupuncturist you used in Washington DC? Thank you!
Hi Diya! Sure! Her name is Clair and here is her website: https://www.omdpeaceacupuncture.com/
Would you recommend doing acupuncture after ovulation during your 2 week wait? I would be nervous that it would impact implantation.
Lauren,
Absolutely!!! But obviously only if the acupuncturist knows you are trying to conceive and knows you are in your luteal phase/ 2 week wait. They have special protocols to try to enhance the chances of ovulation and special herbs they can give you!
>My first fertility acupuncturist didn’t give me a diagnosis the entire year I saw her
Oh my… I would think this would be a huge red flag! I’m surprised you stayed with her for so long…
Well, this was before I empowered myself to take control of myown journey! I was still host listening to the “experts.” Finally I took control! Its part of how I learned the lessons in this blog! From my mistakes!
Hi Anna!
Curious as to how many times per month you had acupuncture done when you conceived both your babies? The place I’m thinking of going to charges $85/session. I would go broke if I tried to go even once a week! That would be an extra $340/ month 😓 thanks!
-Lindsey
Hi Lindsey! I went anywhere between once a week and 2-3 times a week! The first time it was paid for by my HSA- so pre-tax money we set aside for medical bills. The second time it was out of pocket. It sucks!!! But so much cheaper than IVF or donor eggs!!! Best wishes!!
Hi Anna! Love your blog.
At what stage of your cycle did you wrap scarf around your belly? Thanks
Peggy,
All stages I tried to keep my feet and uterus warm- but especially during the luteal phase!
Love your articles! Acupuncture has been amazing on our fertility journey so far. May I ask when/where your practitioner used electrodes? Mine only used them on my uterus needles when my period disappeared and we needed to bring it back. It worked! My prescription is written in Chinese so I don’t know what’s in the big bags of herbs, but I enjoy cooking them every night. Different ones before and after ovulation.
Sophie,
I usually had my eyes closed by that time, haha :-). It felt like she did the electrodes all over my body. That is so cool that she brought your period back!!! Enjoy those herbs, and BABY DUST!
Anna
Hi Anna! Your page has been so helpful! THANK YOU!! Did you continue to do acupuncture after you got a positive? Is this something you did throughout your whole pregnancy or just while TTC?
Amanda,
I stopped getting acupuncture, but in my second pregnancy my acupuncturist supported me with herbs. Acupuncture can absolutely help when you are pregnant though, especially with nausea!
Anna
Hi Anna – first off, thank you so, so much for your blog. I’ve gotten so much value out of it in a short amount of time, and I feel like I’m taking back some control with your advice.
I recently started acupuncture to help with fertility (I have elevated FSH at 12.6, age 36). One question I’ve tried to research, and I’m just not finding the right info – is it normal for the acupuncturist to not put any needles around the abdomen area? I had my second visit today, and she didn’t put anything in my mid section which I found kind of odd (she did do this during my first visit). I’m certainly no expert and assume it varies from visit to visit. This just seems like a fairly crucial area to me, especially as I believe I’m around the time of ovulation in my cycle! Did you have that with your experience? I’m debating switching to someone else before I invest too much time and money with this one. I am getting Chinese herbs from her, but not a ton of explanation with what’s going on otherwise. Appreciate your thoughts here.
Thank you!
Kate
Hi Kate!
Great questions! So, a good acupuncturist will treat YOU and not just do a standardized treatment for each part of the cycle. Ideally they are asking for symptoms each time, asking what part of the cycle you are in, and tailoring accordingly. It would be weird for them to always put needles around your abdomen. They only do it when they need to. Also, if you look up the different points and lines I’m Chinese Medicine, you’ll see that there are (for example) spots on your feet and legs that are deeply connected to fertility. My point is that I would not be overly concerned about the locations. I would however, ask as many questions as you can. What is your diagnosis? What is the treatment plan? Are there lifestyle and diet changes she reccomends also? Etc. You want to trust your gut after these conversations.
I feel newly inspired by finding your blog! I’m (almost 43) and we had our first son via IVF (no reason for our fertility challenges … just “age”) and now trying for our second naturally. Any ideas for a fertility minded acupuncturist in Kansas City?
How long did you do acupuncture before getting a BFP with both of your pregnancies?
Hi Christina! With each one, I’d say it was a solid two months of going twice a week. Before that sort of on and off, once a week, once a month, etc. Does that make sense?
Hello Anna,
I have been unable to find an acupuncturist who does TCM in my area that I can afford, will acupuncture alone be effective.
Thank you
Stumbled upon your blog and just wanted to say thank you and I couldn’t agree more with what you wrote! I’ve been to several acupuncturists but earlier this year I knew I was going to TTC some point in the near future so decided to go to a new acupuncturist who is a fertility specialist just to prepare in case I had issues once I tried. Best decision ever and I highly recommend to other women who maybe aren’t even TTC yet. She’s been a life saver in so many ways to help get my body and mind in the best place for when I’m ready. I have severe eczema and allergies that no western medicine has been able to help – she’s healed almost 90% of that. I have crazy anxiety and she’s vastly improved that for me. I’m just starting TTC and feel so ready bc of her!!! I’d note for people that none of these things are “cured” but the incredible difference can’t be ignored! So she’s definitely doing something right!
Another thing I share with others – when I told her my husband and I were going to start trying, I assumed she’d give me a whole bunch of new herbs/supplements/treatments- but she so kindly and gently said “that’s great! You’re going to have so much fun!! And if in 4 cycles you’re not pregnant we can talk about it!” And I loved how calm and reassuring that was. It’s obviously different for anyone going in knowing they have fertility issues, but make sure the acupuncturist is someone you trust and feel a sense of calm when they treat you, that’s HUGE!!
She sounds wonderful! I’m so glad you found someone so great!!
Dear Anna
where can I find a good acupuncture/TMC practitioner in Europe (except UK) ?
thanks a lot, Roman