Acupuncture for Fertility, IVF and Pregnancy

female fertility
It is estimated that around 1 in 6 couples now  experience difficulty when trying to conceive. Acupuncture has a long history of being used to improve fertility in both men and women and  can be used to enhance the success rates of assisted conception techniques such as IVF, ICSI and IUI.

Our specialist fertilityacupuncture programmes are designed to improve your chances of a healthy pregnancy and baby by:


Optimising your health prior to conception

Imbalances in overall health can adversely affect fertility. It therefore makes good sense for both partners to get in the best possible shape prior to trying to conceive. Many couples have found that acupuncture plus minor nutritional and lifestyle adjustments has helped them go on to have a baby naturally. According to Chinese medicine the health of both parents at the time of conception determines the health of the child - improving your health can increase the likelihood of a healthy pregnancy and baby; this is likened to preparing the ground before planting the seed – the condition of the soil determines whether it will germinate and how well it will grow.

Balancing the reproductive system

In combination with this approach we may use acupuncture at specific times in your menstrual cycle to target areas of your reproductive system that are not be functioning very well; by resolving problems such as painful periods and irregular cycles the menstrual cycle can be helped to run more smoothly and natural fertility enhanced. Acupuncture can be very effective for conditions such as irregular cycles or endometriosis.
Acupuncture can help with male fertility issues too, having positive effects on sperm count, morphology and mobility.

Helping you stay positive and relaxed

Couples having difficulty conceiving can experience enormous levels of frustration, anxiety and depression. It is known that stress has an adverse effect on the fertility hormones in both men and women and acupuncture helps to promote a calm, positive frame of mind which can bring a more successful outcome for conception.


Fertility Programmes at Liverpool Acupuncture Clinic

Our acupuncture programmes are individually designed to improve your chances of a successful conception and healthy pregnancy and typically include acupuncture, fertility awareness, nutritional advice, and lifestyle adjustments:

The Preconception Programme for Women
Is designed to prepare your body for conception and pregnancy and is suitable for women who wish to maximise their chances of a natural conception or prior to having assisted conception treatment. It is also suitable for women who may have had an unsuccessful IVF cycle and wish to use the break between cycles to rebalance hormone levels. We recommend you start the preconception programme at least three months before trying to conceive.


IVF Support
For some couples, assisted conception techniques such as IVF, IUI or ICSI may be the best option. We can provide tailor made acupuncture treatments  to support you through your particular fertility procedure.

Ideally we recommend that you start acupuncture at least 3 months prior to beginning an assisted conception cycle, such as IVF, ICSI or IUI.  However, if this is not possible regular acupuncture sessions from the start of fertility medication  until procedure date can still be effective.

Treatment is based upon traditional theories combined with the latest evidence based approaches and is designed to:

  • improve blood flow to the uterus and ovaries
  • increase your responsiveness to fertility hormones
  • minimise side effects
  • reduce uterine contractions after embryo transfer
  • Help you to stay relaxed during the treatment cycle

Acupuncture around Egg Transfer
Research has shown that acupuncture given before and after egg transfer can improve pregnancy rates by up to 65%. We offer this treatment as part of an IVF support programme or by itself.

Treating with acupuncture in the weeks after the IVF procedure and into pregnancy is also of great benefit. We recommend acupuncture one week after transfer to help maintain a healthy pelvic blood flow and to relieve the stress of waiting.

Pregnancy Acupuncture
We recommend acupuncture treatment should continue over the first trimester especially if the pregnancy is as a result of a successful assisted conception cycle, or you have a history of miscarriage. The treatments are gentle and are designed to support a healthy pregnancy and ease morning sickness.

We offer acupuncture support throughout the stages of pregnancy for conditions including morning sickness, pelvic pain and breech presentation.

Weekly pre-birth acupuncture from 36 weeks can help to prepare your body for labour and facilitate a normal birth. Research findings show that pre-birth acupuncture reduces labour time and the need for medical intervention making a vaginal delivery more likely.

If you are overdue by at least 2 days acupuncture can be used to promote natural labour by stimulating uterine contractions. At least 3 daily sessions are recommended.