Female Fertility Acupuncture Treatment Protocol
Whether you are looking to improve your health before you start trying to get pregnant or you have been trying to conceive (TTC) for some time, acupuncture is a wonderful, fertility-enhancing treatment choice. Here’s a brief overview of what you can expect regarding a fertility acupuncture treatment protocol.
For more information on how acupuncture supports fertility, please see the post Boosting Your Fertility with Acupuncture & Herbs.
PRECONCEPTION CARE
In an ideal world, people who wanted to conceive would start preparing for pregnancy a year in advance—reducing stress, getting adequate sleep, making food choices that support optimal hormone balance, and avoiding toxin exposure. But even if you have already started trying, now is always a good time to start improving your wellness in support of a healthy pregnancy.
Wherever you are on your path, you might consider adding holistic Chinese Medicine to your wellness program. Acupuncture and herbal medicine can help to optimize your health and reproductive function, improving your chances for a healthy, full-term pregnancy. The protocol for preconception care will vary according to your timing and your health profile.
1 Year before TTC
If you are a year out from trying and do not have any hormone imbalances or health issues, a monthly acupuncture treatment may be perfect for you. On the other hand if you have issues with your menstrual cycle, significant stress, or other health issues, you might consider jumping into treatments every week or every two weeks.
3 months before TTC
The quality of your overall health has a significant impact on the quality of your eggs and follicles. The final three months of maturation are especially important, so that means that the positive interventions that you start today will begin to impact the quality of eggs you ovulate three months from now. An ideal acupuncture treatment regimen during this window will range from 2-4 treatments per month.
TREATMENT PROTOCOL WHILE TTC
If you are already trying to conceive and didn’t get a chance to do any preconception care, don’t worry. Consistent acupuncture and herbal medicine treatment paired with targeted lifestyle modifications will begin to positively influence your fertility immediately.
I most often recommend weekly acupuncture with daily herbal medicine. The duration of treatment needed varies quite a bit from person to person depending upon the situation, but if you have been struggling with fertility, you’ll want to plan on a minimum of three months of weekly treatments. Though some conditions like irregular periods can respond in a shorter time frame, most issues of hormone imbalance require at least several months of consistent acupuncture and herbal medicine.
WHEN WILL I SEE THE RESULTS?
You will begin to reap the benefits of acupuncture right away in the form of stress-reduction, improved sleep, and a reduction of symptoms like mood swings and anxiety. Measurable changes in hormone balance and uterine lining can take longer, and we are typically aiming for about a 20% improvement in a month’s time.
As previously mentioned, due to the lengthy cycle of egg follicle maturation in the ovaries, improvements in egg quality require a minimum of three months of consistent weekly treatment and lifestyle changes. The changes and interventions that you begin today will be positively influencing the eggs that you ovulate three to four months from now. (The process of sperm maturation has a similar timeline, so we also recommend a solid three months of treatment and intervention before people with sperm re-take a semen analysis or expect big improvements.)
UNIQUE NEEDS
At the end of the day, your fertility treatment protocol will be unique to your individual needs. Acupuncture and herbal medicine are powerful therapies that can regulate your hormones, boost your egg quality, improve circulation to your ovaries and uterus, and relieve stress and anxiety in a deep way. However, these therapies are gentle interventions that guide, rather than force, the body back to equilibrium. They heal symptoms by correcting the root cause, and powerful systemic changes in the body do not manifest overnight. Consistency in your treatment plan and positive lifestyle changes will be key as you work to optimize your fertility and maximize your chances of achieving the healthy pregnancy you desire.
