IVF Acupuncture in Ottawa

Preparing for an IVF cycle can feel like a lot of work. I can help support you ahead of an egg retrieval, and before and after an embryo transfer. If part of your treatments are taking place in another city, I’m happy to help you find support in your city of treatment, and will support you with IVF acupuncture during the Ottawa portion.

When to start acupuncture before IVF

The ideal period of time to start fertility acupuncture before your IVF cycle is about 3-4 months ahead of your treatments. This gives us time to focus on balancing any imbalances that may contribute to fertility challenges. This includes but is not limited to egg and sperm quality, hormonal balance, and stress management. With time much time to prep, treatments are usually spaced about 1 week apart (give or take a few days).

I work with my patients to figure out where there are undiscovered factors that may be affecting their fertility. During the initial assessment, we’ll speak in detail about your fertility journey. Many of my patients go for additional testing after we start working together. In many cases, they’re able to identify ways to improve the turnout of their IVF treatments. For some, that looks like more eggs retrieved, while for others, the number of blastocysts is much better than expected based on the number of eggs retrieved.

That longer time window to work on your fertility allows time for testing without delaying your IVF cycle. The acupuncture also helps focus on egg and sperm quality about 3 months ahead of the retrieval, as that’s about how long it takes for the full maturation of egg and sperm. Additionally, we can help balance other factors that impact egg and sperm quality, such as hormones, blood sugar levels, and stress management.

Some people delay starting their IVF acupuncture until they’ve received their IVF start date. In my experience, fertility clinics rarely give enough of a heads up to then be able to budget 3 months’ worth of time. Patients frequently report that they’ve been given an estimate of 4-5 months, but then get a call that they’re ready to start after 2 months instead.

If you’ve just found out that your IVF cycle is starting in less than 3 months, we will prioritize what needs the most attention in your particular case. Every improvement helps.

How IVF acupuncture works

When we’re still a few months away from your egg retrieval, the main focus is to re-establish balance in the aspects that will impact egg and sperm quality. Even if none of your testing shows known imbalances, we’ll focus on optimizing your internal environment based on clues your body gives us. This includes things like how your cycles look, symptoms you’re experiencing, and general day-to-day. Additionally, when I check your pulse, it can give me a lot of information about key areas to focus on.

Because we’re focusing on addressing a lot of the underlying issues during this time, points needled are often located below the elbows, below the knees, and on the head. We may still rotate in some points on the back or the abdomen, but they are usually not the main focus.

The best of the best results are achieved when everyone involved in the conception process works on prep. This includes the person providing eggs, the person providing sperm, and the person going through the embryo transfer (if different from the person providing the egg). I know that in donor situations, there’s usually nothing to be done on the donor’s side. We can still do a lot to prep you for better chances of conceiving.

Acupuncture during ovarian stimulation and egg retrieval support

If we’ve had enough time to correct underlying imbalances before you start stims, treatments may look different once you start stims. We often shift to abdominal treatments during this time. Once you’ve had your first ultrasound, I may use electric stimulation on the needles if your ultrasound results call for it. The device sends a small current through the needle that feels similar to a small twitch. It’s non-painful.

Depending on how your follicles look on your ultrasound, I may recommend coming twice a week during this period. In some cases, the acupuncture helps shave off a few days from stims. This may be a more economical option for those who don’t have IVF drug coverage.

Embryo transfer support

IVF acupuncture can also help you prepare for your embryo transfer taking place in Ottawa. Even if you didn’t get acupuncture for your egg retrieval, we can focus on optimizing your body for the transfer. Again, a longer lead-in time can help us identify additional testing that would be useful in your particular case. This can include undiagnosed autoimmunity and asymptomatic infections that would impact implantation.

Acupuncture on the day of your embryo transfer can help increase the chances of success. Without the prep work to address key imbalances, the best scenario is to have acupuncture before and after your embryo transfer. If you’ve had lots of acupuncture, doing one or the other can be enough.

Location for IVF Acupuncture in Ottawa

My acupuncture practice is located in the Carlington Business Area in Ottawa at Woodward Health. We are a short drive away from the Ottawa Fertility Centre, Polin Fertility Ottawa, and CARE Fertility and Women’s Health.

If you have an IVF cycle coming up, book your fertility acupuncture treatment today!