Tuesday, April 5, 2011

Acupuncture anyone?

Let me start by saying, I will try anything to get pregnant at this point.  Over the next few weeks I'll go into other stuff I've dabbled in, but today I wanted to talk about acupuncture since my weekly appointment is tomorrow.
Though there isn't any scientific evidence that acupuncture can help with fertility, they don't say it can hurt.  And really, I do have a lot of faith in eastern medicine.
The first practitioner I visited was at a fertility clinic.  I went in and we spoke for 15 minutes; he asked a lot of questions about my period and said that I should continue through my first trimester.  When asked what my issue was I said I was trying to get pregnant and also wanted to work on reducing stress because I didn't want that getting in the way of my baby making.  Also, I am a cancer survivor and truly believe the cancer reared it's ugly head because of stress in my life.  He took me into a room that looked like a treatment room in a spa.  I took off my shirt and lay on my stomach and the practitioner placed about a dozen needles on my shoulders and back (where my muscles were tense from stress).  When a needle is first placed, it feels like you got zapped by a little current and then the sensation goes away.  He dimmed the lights and told me he'd come check on me in 30 minutes.
Something about acupuncture makes  you fall into a sleep; I had all kind of wacky dreams!  Anyway, end result; after my 30 minute session, my body felt really relaxed - as if I had a really good massage.  I was in a good mental place.  Each session would cost me $90.
My husband asked me to look on yelp to see if I could find someone cheaper; if I was going to go for treatment every week, this would really add up.  I found a great facility not too far from me that had a sliding scale and charged from $20-$40 per session.  The treatment room was also a communal facility; there were 5 reclining chairs in a room that had Chinese acupuncture posters on the wall: not a fancy place.  Apparently there is a theory that the communal space helps with healing.  The owner told me it also allows him to charge his patients less.
For my first appointment, I went and sat down in the empty chair in the room.  All the other chairs were taken and there was a sense of calm in the room (where people had needles coming out of them).  Anyway.  He asked me in a hushed tone what my issues were and I told him I was trying to get pregnant and reduce stress.  He said one thing that made me LOVE him:
'If you are stressed about getting pregnant, then lets get you pregnant; the stress will then go away". He was treating the problem and not one of the symptoms.
I am guessing there are many ways to practice acupuncture.  Instead of placing the needles in my back to assist with treating the stress, he placed the needles in my hands, feet and legs.  Maybe a total of 8.  He then asked me to relax and he'd be back in 30 minutes to remove the needles.  Sure enough, I fell into a light sleep and awoke 20 minutes later feeling really refreshed.
I have been going to David for about a month and a half; I don't know if it's working (I'm not pregnant yet), but I like the thought of him balancing my yin and yang :).  I also really enjoy my 30 minutes in the communal space; it's like taking a break from life.
So in summary: I would recommend acupuncture if for nothing else - peace of mind.  And don't feel obliged to go to a fertility specialist.  They are all treating the same thing.  If you find someone good someplace else that fits in your budget, stick to them.
Some other things I'm trying along with Clomid: Yoga and talking to a therapist.  Those help too.  What would really help is a baby.
PS here is where I go: http://www.squarenergy.com/ and David rocks!
Image of Acupuncture needles:

4 comments:

  1. I have read alot of good things about this! The needles, how bad are they? I am so scared of them ....

    good luck
    Olive

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  2. Hi Olive.
    The needles are about the length of a sewing needle but VERY thin (I'll add an image for you to reference shortly). The practitioner will put it against your skin and then lightly tap it in. You'll feel a bit of a zap and within a second it's gone. You won't feel them while you are being treated. And when they pull them out you won't feel it either. Also, only the tip of the needle is in your skin.
    Last time I was treated a woman came in saying she was scared of needles. David worked with her and slowed her how one worked. By the time he was done, she had needles on her face and was asleep :). You should definitely try it and let me know how it goes. Let me know if you have any other questions.

    Miracle Beans

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  3. Great info on acupuncture! Thanks! I've been thinking about it for a while now, and since I'm off the meds until my first appointment with the RE in June, I might as well try SOMEthing, right?

    Also, the pic helps me visualize the scary-level of the needles, so thank you for calming my nerves. ;)

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  4. I'm doing acupuncture for our IVF cycle. It's not bad at all. I don't even feel the needles. I have quite a few posts on my experience with it on my blog if you're interested :)
    http://www.itsaluvthing.tumblr.com
    xo

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