Fertility and Pregnancy

We  provide inclusive fertility acupuncture and reproductive wellness  support for individuals and couples at every stage of their journey to  parenthood. Whether you’re trying to conceive naturally, using fertility  medications, or undergoing Intrauterine Insemination (IUI) or In Vitro  Fertilization (IVF), our treatments are tailored to meet your unique  needs.

Our  holistic approach begins ideally several months before conception to help optimize reproductive health. However, we also work with patients  actively undergoing fertility treatments. Beginning early is especially  beneficial for those facing challenges such as low AMH, diminished  ovarian reserve, reduced sperm quality, PCOS, endometriosis, thin  uterine lining, or recurrent pregnancy loss.

How Fertility Acupuncture Can Help:

• Enhances blood flow to the ovaries, uterus, and reproductive organs
• Supports regular ovulation and balanced menstrual cycles
• Improves sperm count, motility, and morphology
• Strengthens immune function for implantation
• Promotes hormonal balance via the HPOA (hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian-adrenal) axis
• Builds emotional and mental resilience
• Reduces stress, anxiety, and treatment-related fatigue

We also provide personalized guidance on fertility-boosting supplements, vitamins, and Chinese herbal medicine.

Fertility  specialists and OBGYNs frequently refer patients for acupuncture as  part of their fertility plan. The American Society for Reproductive  Medicine (ASRM) recognizes the benefits of acupuncture for improving  conception outcomes. Research shows increased success rates when  acupuncture is used consistently and especially on the day of embryo  transfer or IUI.

All gender identities, orientations, and family structures are welcome.

A Randomized Study Evaluating Acupuncture as an Adjunct to IVF

A small study was performed at Glendale Adventist Medical Center and the Eastern Center for Complementary Medicine in 2009. The study shows a significantly lower amount of gonadotropins used when IVF is combined with standard acupuncture. A 70% pregnancy rate was also achieved with standard acupuncture and IVF, compared to 25%.

Influence of acupuncture on the pregnancy rate in patients who undergo assisted reproduction therapy

Wolfgange E. Paulus, M.D. et al, 2002 

Clinical pregnancies were documented in 34 of 80 patients (42.5%) in the acupuncture group, whereas pregnancy rate was only 26.3% (21 out of 80 patients) in the control group.

Acupuncture and IVF embryo transfer, ART and PCOS 

Acupuncture Med. 2006 Dec;24(4):157-63 Stener-Victorin, et al.

During the last five years the use of acupuncture in female infertility as an adjuvant to conventional treatment in assisted reproductive technology (ART) has increased in popularity. The present paper briefly discusses clinical and experimental data on the effect of acupuncture on uterine and ovarian blood flow, as an analgesic method during ART, and on endocrine and metabolic disturbances such as polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS). Further it gives a summary of recent studies evaluating the effect of acupuncture before and after embryo transfer on pregnancy outcome. Of the four published RCTs, three reveal significantly higher pregnancy rates in the acupuncture groups compared with the control groups. But the use of different study protocols makes it difficult to draw definitive conclusions. It seems, however, that acupuncture has a positive effect and no adverse effects on pregnancy.

Literature on TCM and Fertility

The Infertility Cure, Randine Lewis

Acupuncture and IVF, Lifang Liang

Making Babies, Sami S. David and Jill Blakeway

We are part of a large peer network of CM providers in California who work with Fertility and Pregnancy http://norcalfertility.com/ and we are familiar with all of the bay area and regional fertility doctors.