Several weeks ago, over on instagram, I shared that I had a chemical pregnancy…. which is a very early pregnancy miscarriage that occurs before the fifth week of pregnancy. I had a few pregnancy symptoms, so I decided to take an early pregnancy test, which came up positive. And, like most women, I took one the next day…. which came back negative… so I took one the following morning, which was positive… and then the following day it was negative (yes, I actually took that many tests). I ended up getting my period several days later, and after talking with my doctor, confirmed it was a chemical pregnancy.  After some research, I learned that chemical pregnancies account for 50-75% of all miscarriages… and that each month you only have a 25% chance of conceiving. Which makes the miracle of creating a child that much more profound.

I also vacillated as to whether or not I wanted to share the chemical pregnancy in such a public forum. Yet, I ultimately decided to do so because I feel as if there is often shame and embarrassment that surround miscarriages… I chose to share in the hopes that possibly just one person will feel less isolated….. and in the process of sharing I also began to talk a lot about my acupuncture experience. So many people were curious about that journey, and how it impacted infertility, and asked me to share a little more about it. While I know this post isn’t applicable to everyone, I do feel that if it helps one person, it was well worth it. Today, I’m sharing a little more about my personal reasons for doing acupuncture, as well as answering a few frequently asked questions….

Personal Journey/Experience: 

Several years ago, when I was trying to get pregnant with Harper, I had a very difficult time getting my period back (after years on birth control). I waited for nine months before approaching my doctor about the issue. She had me do an ultrasound to check for cysts (positive) and put me on clomid. Yet, I couldn’t stand clomid made me feel, so I eventually decided to go off of it and consider other alternatives. Essentially putting our “baby making” plans on hold for a few months. A couple months after that decision my period arrived on it’s own (never thought I’d be so happy for my period to show up….), but my cycles were very long… around 55 days, and I had horrible hormonal imbalances (stomach issues, hair falling out, etc…)….

At that point I decided to give acupuncture a try. She asked me for my medical records (blood work, ultrasound results, and diagnosis) in order to ensure that she was working in conjunction with any Western medical interventions (which I wasn’t using at that point…). She had me cut out dairy and high protein… had me on an herbal regime… and after several months of acupuncture my cycle had dropped to 45 days… and then, when we weren’t consciously trying (at that point I was just trying to get a normal cycle) I got pregnant. I remember returning from our European trip and almost passing out in my parent’s driveway. I knew at that point something was up, took a pregnancy test, and sure enough Harper was in there….. (I also want to note here that at my first pregnancy ultrasound they confirmed that the cysts I once had on my ovaries were no longer present)…..

After I stopped nursing Harper, and my period returned again, it was still a lengthy cycle (35 days). We decided to start trying to expand our family back in May. After the first “attempt” I had my chemical pregnancy and decided that I’d head back to acupuncture since I’d had so much success before. After one round, I had ovulation symptoms I didn’t have the first cycle we were trying (no need to go into detail about those…) and my cycle was shortened to 31 days. Using the Ava women’s bracelet this cycle it appears that my cycle was shortened even further. Whether or not I’m pregnant from this cycle is TBD, but the fact that my ovulation experience was different + my cycles are shorter further affirms my belief in acupuncture…..

FAQs 

1. Does it hurt? 

One of the main questions I receive, and one of the issues I was most concerned about myself. You can feel the needles, and sometimes if it hits a nerve in the wrong spot it can be temporarily painful. Yet for the most part, it’s a simple little poke that doesn’t hurt at all. In fact, once the needles are all positioned, it’s quite relaxing and I get a mid morning nap.

2. What do you look for in an acupuncturist?

You most definitely want your acupuncturist to be licensed and board certified. In CA that would be by the Department of Consumer Affairs Acupuncture Board (that’s for California). My acupuncturist has a Doctor of Acupuncture + Oriental Medicine… and I would most definitely confirm that they have extensive training in Chinese medicine.

3. How does it work for fertility?

Since I’m not really qualified to answer this question, I can give a very general understanding that I have received from my acupuncturist…. and share some additional articles with you here, in case you are curious about research as well. Acupuncture helps to stimulate certain parts of the body, which in turn improves blood flow to the ovaries + uterus. As one article so eloquently put it:

“My guess is that acupuncture is changing the blood supply to the ovaries, possibly dilating the arteries and increasing blood flow, so that ultimately, the ovaries are receiving greater amounts of hormonal stimulation,” says Emmons, who also uses acupuncture in her traditional medical practice.

Chang says acupuncture may also help when the lining of the uterus is too weak to sustain a pregnancy — a problem that is also known to increase the risk of chronic miscarriage.

4. How frequently do you go?

In the beginning (meaning when I was trying with Harper) I went 2 times a week for 5 months. It was intense, but so very worth it. This time around, I started at twice a week until my cycle started over again (I began a week after my chemical pregnancy), and after my period I went down to once a week. I also take herbal supplements after each meal.

That’s it. Again, I know this isn’t a very universal post, but I do hope that it helps someone somewhere in their journey….