Here is my acupuncture experience so far....
Was on BCP for 10 years, stopped them last year, got AF for two cycles and was tracking my ovulation/temping and noticed that my LP was short. We were going to wait another couple months to start TTC#1 but decided not to wast anymore time. First month we tried I got my BFP 12DPO. On 22DPO I started bleeding and miscarried naturally since I was so early. Tried for 5 more months and nothing, all the while noticing that my LP was short (9-10 days). Decided to get CD3 blood work done and found that my FSH was high, which can indicate that I'm running out if eggs or going inti early menopause. Did a lot of reading and found that acupuncture can help.
I found an acupuncturist who is skilled in treating infertility and she has a board in her office with pictures or her "acupuncture babies". I was thrilled! First 6 weeks, I went twice per week. Since then, I go once per week just because it's very expensive and not covered by insurance. I also drink Chinese herbs in the form of tea twice daily. And in chart my temps and my acupuncturist reviews my chart at every session.
I noticed immediate improvement in my first cycle. My LP was 13 days long and my AF was bright red and heavier instead light and dark brown/black. The first two cycles we prevented since it takes 90 to improve egg quality. We tried in October and I swore I was pregnant - and my temps looked great - but I got AF. My doc thinks my lining wasn't thick enough so now I'm going to try progesterone in my LP.
I would suggest that if you try acupuncture you should find someone that is trained specifically for treating infertility and that they have success stories to share. He/she should be familiar with terms like luteal phase, follicular phase, FSH, how the pituitary gland regulates hormones, etc. You acupuncturist should also insist that you chart your cycles because that tells him if and when you are ovulating.
You should also be prepared to give it three months at least. I am going to continue acupuncture for one more cycle after this one, so in total 5 cycles (two not trying and three of TTC). DH lost his job recently so unfortunately we can't afford any more than that. Well, we can, but we don't want to spend any more!! In case you are curious, each session costs me $90-$100 and my herbs cost an additional $70 per week. So it adds up quickly!
Oh, one more SUPER important thing! You should get your partner's sperm tested just to make sure that there are no issues there. You don't want to "waste" so to speak the acupuncture treatments TTC with subpar sperm, so if there is any issue with the sperm you should get that fixed first. Good luck!
This was my first month with acupuncture for fertility. I know it has worked wonders for my shoulders. My cycles aren't crazy and BBT indicates that I ovulate every month on my own without the acupuncture, but after a year of not conceiving my acupuncturist suggested it....fingers crossed for my next cycle! Good luck to you!
