​Fertility Acupuncture: Can acupuncture help you conceive?

Written by Teresa Lau, R.TCMP
Teresa is a Registered Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) Practitioner with extensive experience in herbal therapy, acupuncture, and other modalities of Traditional Chinese Medicine. As a mother herself, Teresa is especially passionate about supporting other mamas on the path from fertility to pregnancy to postpartum and beyond. Teresa is in-clinic 3-4 days a week in the Yoga Mamas Wellness Clinic. Learn more here about her services.

Many people use alternative therapies to improve their physical, emotional and mental health. These therapies are also being used by women to prepare their bodies for pregnancy or complement fertility treatments they may be going through. 

In recent years, acupuncture has been gaining attention as an effective therapy during pregnancy to help with morning sickness, turning breech babies, and promoting labor. It is also a therapy that can support women on their fertility journey. Fertility acupuncture is just one tool of Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), a holistic system of medicine and healing rooted in time-tested theories of health. Whether you are just beginning your path towards having a baby, or have been trying to conceive for a while, here’s how TCM and acupuncture can support you on your fertility journey.   

Nourishing the womb
TCM views the creation of new life as similar to the cultivation of a garden. Before planting begins, we first start with preparing a nutrient-rich soil. This is crucial in order to provide a safe nurturing environment for seedlings to sprout and flourish. The same goes for growing babies. Acupuncture increases blood flow to the pelvic region, helping to nourish the ovaries and create a thick uterine lining that can properly support a growing embryo. 

Alleviating stress 
The process of trying to get pregnant can be an emotionally-exhausting experience, especially if it doesn’t happen right away. Feelings of frustration, anxiety, and worry may start to build up over time. All that stress can impact your libido, making it even harder to get pregnant. Acupuncture can help dial down the body’s response to stress, promote relaxation, and generate a greater sense of wellbeing. 

Restoring hormonal balance 
The reproductive system relies on a delicate balance of hormones in order to function properly. Various factors in our environment, diet, and lifestyle can disrupt hormones and interfere with fertility. Acupuncture supports the body’s ability to maintain optimal hormonal balance, without the side effects of drugs and other conventional therapies. 

Moderating other health issues
From the TCM perspective, the reproductive system isn’t isolated from the rest of the body. A dysfunction or imbalance in any system of the body can impact the process of getting and staying pregnant. So when you receive acupuncture for fertility, you are really receiving a whole-body tune up. As a result, you may experience some improvement in other areas of health, such better digestion or more restful sleep. 

Enhance other fertility therapies 
Whether you are trying to conceive naturally with herbal supplements, utilizing hormonal therapy, or undergoing IVF, acupuncture can support these therapies and assist you in conceiving. Many people will be cared for by their acupuncturist in the weeks leading up to an IVF cycle to support their systems and optimize their overall health.

Acupuncture For Fertility is available in the Yoga Mamas Wellness Clinic 7 days a week. We have three acupuncturists specializing in maternal health to care for you. Book an initial appointment and consultation, or book a 20 minute complimentary consultation. 

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