By AFEA member Mandy Laing
Just started your IVF journey? Here’s how acupuncture can be used to improve your experience
If you are thinking about turning to IVF treatment, just had your first consultation or have had previous unsuccessful IVF rounds, have a little read!
What is Five Element Acupuncture and how does it help IVF?
Five Element Acupuncture is a holistic form of ancient medicine that doesn’t treat the symptoms but instead treats the person. It’s very common in western medicine to just focus on the direct symptom that is causing a problem to our health and wellbeing, however, more often than not it can be an underlying issue that has resulted in the symptom. When our body is imbalanced we experience some form of resistance this can be emotional or physical and the goal of acupuncture is to restore the body’s natural flow of energy and create whole-body wellness.
The use of acupuncture prepares the whole body for a cycle of IVF, the first of these is ensuring the reproductive organs are receiving all the right nourishment and that they are working together with the whole body. Acupuncture can increase the blood flow to the ovaries and uterus, having a rich strong blood flow is so important when trying to conceive and undergo IVF as the blood is vital to produce a thick uterine lining, creating the optimal environment for implantation. This is the first way acupuncture is used to help the body feel it’s best and prepared for IVF.
“I started seeing Mandy following a miscarriage. I have several health concerns, the main one being endometriosis. Treatment with Mandy has improved my condition and overall general well being immensely. Mandy always takes time at the beginning of each session to do an in-depth assessment of my progress and any areas of concern, to ensure that each treatment is tailored towards my specific needs. I always leave feeling calm, well balanced and can definitely see a big improvement in my energy levels.
Mandy is a highly skilled practitioner and I can’t recommend her enough. Her manner puts you at ease straight away, she is extremely professional, caring, warm and kind.”
Our body is often under a lot of stress when trying to have a baby, this can be both emotional and physical. The process of trying to conceive has become very planned and pressured and in fact the body responds best when it’s relaxed and working with rather than forcing the natural cycle. Acupuncture treatments place the needles at specific points of the body that release “natural painkillers” and these endorphins are responsible for feeling relaxed, our breathing slows, the mind calms and muscles/tension releases.
I believe the acupuncturist is also an instrument in ensuring the patient has the best experience with acupuncture. Having someone to talk to, listen and understand you as a person is something we are deprived of in this world. Every person is different and are all uniquely treated through the holistic approach. And my role is to provide the highest standard of acupuncture and support so you are in the best position to have a successful IVF treatment.
“Mandy is a highly-experienced practitioner. She treated my daughter who’d experienced 4 miscarriages. My 13-month-old grandson is a testament to her care and love. I’m sure we wouldn’t have him if it hadn’t been for Mandy. She is a warm, loving and caring person inside and out! She is also a highly skilled and trained practitioner too.”
My acupuncture treatments for women undergoing IVF vary from person, as some of my work is focussed in-house, where I am at a fertility hospital on the day of embryo transfer and provide acupuncture prior to the treatment. But in other cases, I help women for the months leading up to their treatment. Based on their experience with acupuncture many women continue to include it as part of their normal life, as a way of dealing with stress, any mental concerns and to maintain a high quality of health for themselves and their family.
For more stats and figures, have a read of the British Acupuncture Council’s recent report on their 2018 review of Acupuncture for IVF.
If you’d like to chat, head over to my booking page for a 15-minute consultation!
