Dr Christine Cui 16 Jun 2021
The best timing for acupuncture would be now. Acupuncture will be beneficial for both you and the unborn baby. Acupuncture can help develop good egg quality as well as reduce your stress level and increase blood flow in the pelvic region. Hence, it will thicken the lining of the uterus.
Generally speaking the best timing for acupuncture is as follow:
Acupuncture is strongly recommended for those who will undertake IVF Treatment. As acupuncture can increase the chance of conception by 65%, ideally you would need to do acupuncture 6 to 8 weeks prior to the commencement of IVF. The following guide from Dr Christine Cui will help you decide when doing acupuncture:
However, from the clinical practice experience point of view, it is better if you can do acupuncture within 24 hours before or after embryo transfer. This means that there will be fewer procedures to take and less stress for the mother to be.
Herbal Medicine and Sperm Quality
The egg needs 4 to 5 months to mature, therefore it is recommended to take Chinese herbal medicine in conjunction with the acupuncture. This will improve the condition of your body prior to conception and bring nutrients to your body so that you can have good quality of eggs. Women who take supplements with antioxidants and vitamins will have embryos with less fragmentation.
According to research, 40 to 50% of infertility cases were related to men, therefore it is very important for men to have acupuncture as well as their female partner. As acupuncture will improve not only the semen volume, but also sperm count, motility and morphology. Hence, both parties have to do acupuncture at the same time in order to increase the chance of being pregnant.