Acupuncture for fertility: how it can improve your chances of conception
Written by Anisa Woodall, MS CN in collaboration with Dr. Monee Dulay, DACM, AEMP
When I’m working to support my clients on their preconception journeys, even as a fertility nutrition specialist and prenatal nutritionist, I would be doing you a disservice if I told you that nutrition was the ONLY thing that could improve your fertility and your chances of successful conception.
Sure, a healthy preconception diet IS foundational to supporting fertility and acupuncture alone may not be AS effective if your foundations aren’t optimized, BUT they certainly can play a supportive role, especially if you’re feeling like you’re doing everything from a diet perspective and you’re still feeling stuck.
Side note: if you’re feeling stuck on your fertility journey, book a discovery call with me to see if there’s something you haven’t tried when it comes to boosting your fertility. You’d be surprised, many of my clients often find me thinking they’ve tried it all but realize there is actually so much more potential for growth and improvement!
Alright so, let’s take a look at why acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) can boost your fertility and increase your chances of conceiving naturally or increase your IVF success rate if you’re going the fertility treatment route.
Acupuncture can improve ovulation
Ovulation is the main event in your menstrual cycle where your ovaries release an egg and you finally have the chance to conceive. However, unless you know what signs to look for, it can feel like a wild goose chase trying to make sure you’re timing intercourse at the right time for successful conception. If you’d like to learn one sign that your body gives you (completely FREE) to better predict if ovulation is coming soon, then check out my FREE masterclass where I’ll teach you exactly that!
So how does acupuncture improve ovulation? Acupuncture can increase your regularity of ovulation by modulating:
Brain to ovary communication (The "HPO axis")
The neuroendocrine and endocrine (hormonal) systems
Ovarian blood flow
Metabolism (1)
But why is this important? I’m glad you asked!
If you’re experiencing irregular menstrual cycles or anovulatory cycles, commonly seen among women with PCOS (Polycystic Ovary Syndrome) or HA (Hypothalamic Amenorrhea), not ovulating regularly decreases your chances of conceiving both because it impacts your estrogen to progesterone ratios but also because your simply ovulating less often.
So when your brain can effectively communicate with your ovaries and uterus via hormonal messengers, you can:
Maintain hormone balance (read my post here on why balancing your hormones improves your fertility)
Nourish and improve egg quality (read my post here on why egg quality is important)
Combat oxidative stress (which damages your future baby's DNA)
Receive essential nutrition to maintain a uterine lining conducive to implanting your fertilized egg
And when you ovulate regularly, you have an improved chance of conceiving your dream child.
The unfortunate context about research on infertility, as it relates to understanding ways to improve your chances of conceiving naturally, is that much of it explores women who are already undergoing some kinds of fertility treatments.
So sometimes we need to extrapolate what we can with the research that we have available and pair it with the outcomes we see in traditional practice (TCM is literally thousands of years old!)
Looking at a review of 27 studies on women undergoing IVF and other fertility treatments, the use of acupuncture showed statistically-significant improved fertility outcomes including:
Increased implantation rate (more fertilized eggs implanted in the woman’s uterine lining)
Increased live birth rate (more babies were born)
Increased clinical and biochemical pregnancy rate
Ongoing pregnancy rate (women stayed pregnant longer)
Reduced adverse events (less pregnancy complications)(2)
Another meta-analysis of 22 studies (3) showed that Traditional Chinese Medicine is an effective intervention for women experiencing infertility without undergoing assisted reproductive techniques, meaning they conceived naturally. Benefits observed in this review showed there was significant:
Improvement of pregnancy rate
Increased ovulation rate
Increased endometrial thickness (a better environment to nourish a fertilized egg)
Improved LH levels (the hormone that stimulates the egg to be released at ovulation)
Great, now you know the benefits but if you’re anything like me, you want to know HOW it works.
So, how does this work?
By activating the parasympathetic nervous system (the “rest and digest” or “feed and breed” mode of you nervous system), acupuncture promotes blood circulation to the ovaries and uterus. Improved blood flow in the pelvic region encourages the growth of your endometrial lining, creating a better environment for the embryo and a healthier “soil” for your fertilized egg to implant.
Acupuncture may influence healthier levels of hormones like LH, FSH, estradiol and progesterone. Acupuncture releases beta-endorphin in the central nervous system influencing the secretion of GnRH and thus positively influencing the menstrual cycle and fertility.
This same study reported an increase in pregnancy rate after acupuncture treatment for different types of infertility:
“There is a significant difference in reported pregnancy rate based on infertility caused by:
Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS)
Ovulatory Disorder
Other Factors” (3)
Acupuncture helps reduce stress and anxiety in couples struggling with infertility
There are a variety of emotions surrounding the pressures of conceiving.
Have you ever been told, “just relax and you’ll get pregnant!”? I know that can feel like such a triggering phrase to hear, especially if you feel like you’ve been doing everything to manage stress. Stress definitely does play a role in negatively influencing fertility, but so much of it can go unnoticed, you might not even realize your body is under a stressed state.
I’ve personally noticed my clients who are highly-organized, perfectionistic, “Type A” or “monkey brain” type of people often experience a low-grade level of chronic stress that they don’t even realize they have until they receive treatments like massage or acupuncture that help them wind down a little more.
This is because acupuncture activates the parasympathetic nervous system, calming the body and stimulates the release of the body's natural "feel-good" hormones (4). Specifically, beta-endorphin is released into the central nervous system and suppresses cortisol levels, a hormone that is often too high among most people in our modern society, both because of excessive exposure to artificial blue light but also because of the many sources of chronic stressors.
How do emotions play a role in fertility?
According to Chinese Medicine, "Bao Mai" is a meridian that creates a direct link between the heart and uterus. Blood circulation is governed by the heart's energy flow.
A person's Shen (or their Spirit) is housed in the heart and makes the heart vulnerable to emotional stress. If the heart is not functioning optimally due to emotions that are not processed properly, it cannot send blood to the uterus via the Bao Mai channel, resulting in menstrual and fertility issues.
Acupuncturists look at more than your Western Medicine Diagnosis
Chinese Medicine diagnoses conditions based on the energetics of the body and the organ systems. When there is a smooth flow of Qi (vital energy) then there is health. A disrupted flow of Qi indicates dis-ease.
A single Western diagnosis can be due to a variety of reasons in a TCM lens.
For example, PCOS has 6 different diagnoses in Chinese Medicine, and thus it is important to treat accordingly to restore the proper flow of Qi. Even "unexplained infertility" can be explained in Chinese Medicine.
A licensed TCM practitioner will be able to properly diagnose and treat in a holistic manner with acupuncture, herbs, lifestyle and nutrition advice that is tailored to the specific person's needs.
If you’re local the the Greater Seattle area and are looking for TCM prenatal, pregnancy, and postpartum support, follow Dr. Monee @rootedflowwellness on Instagram, and book with her at her office in Issaquah, WA through her website rootedflow-wellness.com!
You deserve to conceive when you're ready.
That's why I'm inviting you to join my FREE masterclass, Unlock your fertility: How to transform your habits for optimal pregnancy success
Where you'll learn how to properly time intercourse for the most chance of successful conception
What factors may be depleting your essential fertility nutrients and delaying your time to conception and
What you can do to restore your health and fortify your body and womb to become the most inviting space to grow your future baby
This masterclass is for you if:
You're ready to become a mother and want to optimize your experience.
You're want to learn more about the power you have on your fertility journey
You dream of conceiving another child without the complications you experienced in your prior pregnancy
Or you want to have a child someday but you have an irregular menstrual cycle, PCOS, or other signs of hormone imbalances.
Click the button to join and take one more step today towards becoming a resilient mother!
Are you feeling lost and unsupported on your journey to becoming pregnant?
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The strategies I teach in my signature course, Resilient Motherhood have transformed the lives of countless women facing similar challenges. With my program, you'll experience a world of difference.
You'll have more energy, increased changes for successful conceptions, improved menstrual cycles and fertility signs, a clear understanding of your diet, and a newfound sense of control and confidence in your preparation for pregnancy.
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Join us today and let this be the bridge that helps you overcome these challenges and find hope for a brighter future- one with your dream baby by your side.
