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Fertility, IVF and Acupuncture books

Among the good strategies of dealing with the stress of infertility and IVF is getting more information about your condition and what you can do. Another one is reading stories of people who have been in your situation. Here are some books that address both of these approaches.

One, The Infertility Cure, is on acupuncture and fertility, but it also gives you a good roundup of what you can do yourself, offering a holistic approach to overcoming infertility. Drawing on the wisdom of traditional Chinese medicine, the Dr Lewis presents TCM understanding of reproductive health that helps couples identify and treat the root causes of their fertility issues. By combining acupuncture, herbal therapy, and other natural remedies, this book aims to help individuals balance their reproductive systems and achieve optimal health for successful conception. Dr Lewis’s comprehensive guide provides a thorough understanding of the interconnectedness of the mind, body, and spirit in the context of fertility, empowering readers with knowledge and hope. This holistic perspective allows couples to regain control of their reproductive health and improve their chances of conceiving naturally.

Another one recommended read by one of my patients is Legs Up and Laughing. In this book, Vanessa Bates takes you on her “Big Great Fertility Ride”. This one is for you AND your partner. It’s a refreshingly honest and funny memoir that chronicles one woman’s tumultuous yet heartwarming journey to parenthood.

In this deeply personal and often hilarious account, Vanessa shares her intimate struggles with IVF, her fierce determination to become a mother, and the love and support she receives from her friends, family, and a partner who refuses to give up on their dreams of parenthood.

As you delve into Vanessa’s story, you’ll be reminded of the importance of resilience, optimism, and the power of laughter in the face of adversity. Her journey serves as a reminder that even when life throws you curveballs, it’s possible to come out stronger and with a renewed sense of hope.

Why you need to tell your fertility specialist about acupuncture

Tell your IVF specialist about acupuncture

Complementary medicines and therapies including fertility acupuncture are widely used by patients who are trying to conceive. This is a conclusion of a study published in the current issue of the Australian and New Zealand Journal of Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

The researchers insist that health care practitioners and fertility specialists need to be proactive in acquiring and documenting the use of these practices. Additionally, they need to provide further information to patients on the use of complementary medicines and therapies.

Why does your IVF specialist need to know about acupuncture?

Just as you’d inform your doctor that you’re taking folic acid, sharing information about acupuncture is essential because it plays a part in your overall treatment plan.

And it’s not only about acupuncture. It is equally important when your naturopath prescribes tinctures you know what it is in them. Ensure you’re well-informed about the contents of any supplements you take, so you can communicate clearly with your specialist. This knowledge will also come in handy if you experience any adverse reactions.

There is currently no evidence that acupuncture can harm your IVF cycle. In fact, we’ve seen incredible results in some cases and we also prefer that they are documented by your specialist.

For instance, one of our patients had high follicular stimulating hormone (FSH) levels, preventing her from doing IVF. FSH levels dropped from over 40 to 10 after a couple of months of acupuncture. And you should share this with your specialist. Such successes should not be kept secret from your doctors.

And don’t just take my word for it: research has demonstrated the numerous benefits of acupuncture on fertility. It has a potential to improve egg quality, uterine lining, increase receptivity, reduce fertility stress, the risk of miscarriage. Furthermore, in combination with IVF it has been shown to improve live birth rates.

If the male partner takes herbs or has acupuncture to improve his sperm quality, your specialist needs to know this.

You can see fertility acupuncture as a lifestyle factor and as IVF add on. It has to be researched and studied like all IVF components, but first it has to be the part of the treatment plan.

Genetically abnormal sperm? Chinese medicine can help

Many infertile men have an increased proportion of genetically abnormal sperm.

Normally this is not an issue, because the number of unhealthy sperm is relatively small. It only fails to fertilise an egg. However, it becomes a problem in case of ICSI.

In the IVF with ICSI process, a tiny needle is used to inject a single sperm into the center of the egg. It means that the embryologist chooses sperm. The natural selection process is surpassed. That increases the risk of genetically abnormal sperm is injected into an egg.

Moreover, this not only increases the risk of ICSI failure, but as well the risk of transmitting diseases such as Klinefelter’s syndrome, Down’s syndrome, congenital heart defects, etc.

There are no current Western Medicine treatments for poor sperm quality or genetically abnormal sperm. So scientists from The University of Kent looked if Chinese medicine can help.

They conducted research on six men who had very high levels of chromosome abnormalities in their sperm. After a course of traditional Chinese medicine each of the six men participating in the study showed a significant reduction in the proportion of sperm genetic abnormalities.

This research offers promise to male infertility patients. However, more research is needed to investigate further how acupuncture and Chinese medicine can support male fertility.