Fertility
Acupuncture covers a wide range of treatments and approaches to help boost fertility and achieve a successful pregnancy. Renate is an Affiliated Acupuncturist founding member of the Zita West Network for Reproductive Health.The Zita West Clinic is the largest integrated (medical and complementary) practice in the UK specializing in all aspects of male and female reproductive health. All acupuncturist members of the network receive training and ongoing support in Zita West's comprehensive, holistic approach to achieving optimum reproductive health.
Over the last 15 years, I have taken a special interest in Fertility and how I can help at this stage of a woman's life. This could be supporting natural fertility, IVF/ICSI or Frozen Transfer Cycles.
Acupuncture is used by women with recurrent miscarriage, polycystic ovaries, endometriosis.
How can Acupuncture help my fertility?
- Regulating the menstrual cycle
- Helping to counteract stress levels
- Improving blood circulation to the pelvic organs, including the ovaries and uterus
- Helping to support ovulation dysfunction in some women (PCOS)
- Helping to improve sperm health
- Regulating fertility hormones - stress and other factors can disrupt the function of the hypothalamic pituitary-ovarian axis, causing hormonal imbalances that can negatively impact fertility.
- Acupuncture has been shown to affect hormone levels by promoting the release of beta-endorphin in the brain, which affects the release of gonadotrophin releasing hormone by the hypothalamus, follicle stimulating hormone from the pituitary gland, and oestrogen and progesterone levels from the ovary.
- Increasing blood flow to the reproductive organs - stress also stimulates the sympathetic nervous system, which causes constriction of ovarian arteries. Acupuncture inhibits this sympathetic activity, improving blood flow to the ovaries, enhancing the environment in which ovarian follicles develop.
- It also increases blood flow to the uterus, improving the thickness of the endometrial lining and increasing the chances of embryo implantation.
- Counteracting the effects of polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS)
PCOS is one of the most common causes of female infertility and by reducing sympathetic nerve activity and balancing hormone levels, acupuncture has been shown to reduce the number of ovarian cysts, stimulate ovulation, enhance blastocyst implantation and regulate the menstrual cycle.
Female fertility & IVF
Acupuncture has positive impact on the birth rate of sub fertile women undergoing IVF/ICSI
- A recent high-level review found acupuncture to significantly improve birth rate
- Experimental research should explore the impact of acupuncture on follicular development with the aim to improve embryo/blastocyst quality
- Acupuncture is a suitable treatment option to help reduce stress and anxiety levels.uncture improves emotional wellbeing during IVF
Assisted reproduction treatment can be stressful and acupuncture aims to support the psychological impact of the fertility treatment. Studies indicate that acupuncture treatment can reduce stress and/or anxiety and increase women’s ability to cope with the IVF process.
When should I have acupuncture?
A comprehensive acupuncture treatment management strategy may be required leading up to an IVF/ICSI cycle (pre-treatment), and then during ovarian stimulation, with an aim to influence the development of ovarian follicles. In addition, treatment may also be provided around embryo transfer, and afterwards during the two-week wait prior to a pregnancy test, to possibly influence implantation and relieve stress and anxiety resulting from uncertainty. The effectiveness of acupuncture may be increased by having a sufficient number of sessions over an adequate period of time, not only pre and post embryo transfer.
Male Fertility
Male factor in becoming a more significant role and a semen test gives some information about motility, mobility and count in the sample given. New sperm is manufactured all the time and a sensible heath management over a few months can have a positive effect. Acupuncture, nutrition, e.g increasing antioxidants in your diet are just some techniques to improve your chances.
How acupuncture may help male fertility:
Improving general health and stress levels, lowering temperature, enhancing microcirculation and reducing inflammation and improving sperm maturation.
"Thank you Renate for making me a mum! I truly believe that without your skills I would not have had the blessings of becoming a mum and my days would not be lit by George."