What We Treat
Fertility & Perinatal Care
Nurturing, Holistic Support for your Parenthood Journey
No matter who you are or where you’re at in your parenthood journey, we’re here to help those who want to become parents.
Acupuncture and herbal medicine support many fertility treatments. Acupuncture increases pregnancy rates for IUI and IVF. We can also help pregnant moms. When the mother is nourished, the child is nourished, and we’re here to help women feel great through pregnancy and postpartum.
Benefits of Acupuncture for Fertility & Perinatal Care
Fertility treatments and pregnancy often mean you can’t take many supplements, herbs, or medications—but YOU still get acid reflux, back pain, headaches, GI issues!
For those trying to conceive, acupuncture is a non-pharmacological, natural fertility treatment that can safely support western fertility procedures like IVF and IUI. For those who are already pregnant, our acupuncturists know how to safely treat pregnancy symptoms like morning sickness or back pain.
We’re here to help with the birth and postpartum care, too. Acupuncture can safely turn breech babies and help women have vaginal births. Moreover, it can sometimes feel like once the baby comes, the medical team forgets about the mom. At Cherry Blossom Healing Arts, the same acupuncturist that helped you with fertility and birth can also help with milk supply, pain from nursing, stress relief, and recovery from birth.
Our Approach to Fertility & Perinatal Care
You’re not just a pair of ovaries. You’re unique, with your own constitution and health history, and we’ll treat you based on your individual needs. We know that fertility is complicated, challenging, stressful, and can even be stigmatizing.
Our accessible and compassionate acupuncturists will care for your fertility and your mental health all at the same time. We’ll use acupuncture, herbal medicine, and nutrition to help work with your cycle and support western fertility procedures, like IUI and IVF.
Acupuncture
Herbal Medicine
Nutrition
Supporting You on Your Path to Motherhood
How We Can Help With Fertility
Whether you’re just starting to think about getting pregnant or you already have a reproductive endocrinologist—we can help support you on your journey to pregnancy.
For those who are preconception, we can help educate you about your cycle and regulate your menstruation and ovulation. For those who are using reproductive procedures like IUI and IVF, we can help resolve symptoms that prevent successful procedures and increase your chances of getting pregnant.
Acupuncture for fertility
Acupuncture can improve your fertility by increasing blood flow to the ovaries, which improves ovarian and follicular function. Acupuncture increases blood flow to the uterus and endometrium, which can help with implantation, whether through IVF or sex.
No less important is the way acupuncture can help you manage stress. It’s very difficult and frustrating to be trying to get pregnant, waiting two weeks, and finally getting… a negative pregnancy test. Acupuncture can relieve that stress, help your mental health, and uplift your mood, all of which helps reduce the fight or flight response inhibiting ovulation.
Chinese herbs for fertility
Chinese herbal medicine helps to regulate the menstrual cycle, which allows for regular, predictable ovulation. This is especially helpful for those coming off birth control for the first time in years and who are seeking to better understand and regulate their cycle.
Chinese herbal medicine can also help regulate hormones and nourish the uterine lining. Finally, our herbal formulas can help improve overall health by improving sleep and reducing stress. This helps to increase libido and increase the overall chances of implantation.
Procedures and symptoms we support
Fertility is complex, often with multiple causes leading to infertility. No matter what issue you’re facing and where you are in the process, we can help. Some of the main areas we provide support for include:
- Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)
- Low Anti-Mullerian Hormone (AMH)/low ovarian reserve
- Low egg quality
- Unexplained infertility
- In Vitro Fertilization (IVF)
- Intrauterine Insemination (IUI)
- Irregular cycle
- Amenorrhea
- Luteal phase defect
- Male infertility
How We Can Help With Perinatal Care
We focus on taking care of the mother through acupuncture, moxibustion, and nutrition. Our acupuncturists can care for you from “thinking about conceiving” through postpartum with different treatment plans for each chapter of pregnancy.
We believe that if the mother is pain-free, healthy, and without anxiety or stress, the pregnancy is much more likely to go smoothly and be the happy occasion it should be.
What is perinatal care?
Perinatal care deals with the mother during pregnancy and after childbirth. Our acupuncturists can help you not only with the unique challenges of each trimester but can turn breech babies, help induce labor, and assist you with the challenges of postpartum motherhood.
Acupuncture During Pregnancy
Everybody’s pregnancy experience is different—we can help no matter what symptoms you’re experiencing. Some common symptoms we treat are:
First Trimester
- Morning sickness/nausea
- Breast tenderness
- Fatigue
- Low energy
- Insomnia
- Acid reflux
Second/Third Trimester
- Back pain
- Hip pain
- Constipation
- Acid reflux
- Fatigue
- Round ligament pain
- Anxiety
- Stress
Birth and Breech Presentation
- Anxiety
- Stress
- Labor preparation
- Induction
- Low back, hip, pelvic, rib pain
- Breech presentation
Postpartum
- C-section recovery
- Birth recovery
- Nursing/let-down pain
- Back and neck pain
- Milk supply support
- Anxiety
- Postpartum depression
Supporting Your Health & Well-Being
Our Success Rate
Fertility is complex, and each condition is different. Moreover, acupuncture is typically used in conjunction with western procedures like IVF and IUI. The acupuncture and fertility success rate depends largely on the skill of the doctors who do the western procedures.
Our acupuncturists can support the work of your reproductive endocrinologist, relieve other related symptoms as you go through treatment, and increase your chances of getting pregnant.
How Does Acupuncture Help Fertility?
For those who are trying to conceive, acupuncture reduces stress and increases the chances of ovulation. Stress tends to suppress ovulation, as it triggers a fight or flight response, which tells the body it’s not a good time for getting pregnant. Acupuncture’s stress-reduction mechanism helps soothe the body’s fight or flight and reassure it that it is, in fact, a good time to get pregnant.
Acupuncture also helps regulate the menstrual cycle in general, making it easier for women to know when they are ovulating. Finally, acupuncture can help in a number of physical ways, such as improving blood flow to the ovaries and nourishing the uterine lining.
Nutrition and Chinese herbs can also help improve egg quality and retrieval when PCOS and AMH are problems or when you are undergoing IVF.
When to Get Acupuncture for Fertility
The best time to do acupuncture for fertility is as soon as you think there might be an issue—make an appointment immediately! This applies even more so to women who are 35 or older. We’ll begin by working to regulate your cycle to ensure you have the best chances of getting pregnant.
If you need support for IVF, you should come in at the beginning of your cycle, whether you’re doing egg retrieval or embryo transfer—or both.
If you’re not sure whether it’s the right time to come in, please contact us to talk to one of our acupuncturists and get more information. They will discuss your circumstances, what your goals are, and develop a plan to support your fertility needs.
How Many Acupuncture Sessions Will I need?
Acupuncture is highly individualized, so the exact amount of acupuncture you need will depend on your circumstances and unique constitution. However, there are some general guidelines below for you to get an idea what to expect.
How many sessions of acupuncture for fertility will I need?
- IVF support treatments are about 4-8 weekly sessions, depending on exactly where you are in the cycle.
- General fertility support is four sessions (once per week, working with your cycle), and then your acupuncturist will reevaluate.
How many sessions of acupuncture will I need to treat symptoms during pregnancy or induce labor?
- For the first trimester, we usually treat weekly from weeks 6-14.
- For the second trimester, we typically treat monthly, depending on symptoms. If you are in more pain, we will typically see you every two weeks.
- For the third trimester, we usually treat every two weeks, depending on symptoms, then weekly after 36 weeks.
- Breech: twice a week once you have hit 34 weeks.
- Labor preparation and induction: weekly up until 38 weeks, then twice a week.
Do You Do Moxibustion for Breech Babies?
Yes! When using acupuncture with moxibustion, breech babies turn to the correct position for vaginal birth about 60% of the time. Your OB/GYN or midwife will tell you around weeks 34-36 if the baby is not in the correct position for vaginal birth. That’s when it’s time to come see us for moxibustion.
Our acupuncturists will do moxibustion in-office, teach you how to do it at home, and provide you with a moxibustion protocol to follow at home and all the materials needed to help your baby turn. Think of us as your home moxa support team!
Do You Do Acupuncture to Support IVF?
Yes! We synchronize your acupuncture treatments with your IVF treatment protocol. Because we are open 7 days a week, we can easily schedule acupuncture within 24 hours before egg retrieval. We also recommend acupuncture 24 to 48 hours before and after embryo transfer for both fresh and frozen transfers. As a bonus, acupuncture IVF support treatments are very relaxing.
Can Acupuncture Improve Egg Quality, AMH, and/or Ovarian Reserve?
Yes! Acupuncture increases blood flow to the ovaries and uterus. This can improve egg quality, follicular function, and ovarian reserve, all of which are important factors in a successful implantation. Acupuncture can also increase blood flow to the endometrium—assisting with implantation.
Your Acupuncture Treatment Plan
Your journey to better health begins before you step through our doors. You'll be able to easily schedule an appointment online as well as fill out your health history form before you arrive at our office—maximizing conversational and treatment time with your acupuncturist.
At your first appointment, your acupuncturist will discuss your health history, get input from you on what your treatment goals are, and develop a treatment plan. They'll then treat you using whatever services are best suited to your specific symptoms.
Although plans vary depending on the patient, most typically run for four weeks. At the end of your first visit, your acupuncturist will give you a written treatment plan. At subsequent visits, you'll discuss your symptoms and whether they've improved, regressed, or stayed the same. Your acupuncturist will adjust the treatment plan based on your input and their ongoing diagnosis of your condition.
When your main complaint is resolved, you can reduce treatment or work on another symptom. Still thinking it over? Take a look at our Testimonials page to see what other patients are saying.
The Cherry Blossom Team—We’re Here for You
The journey to motherhood and the first steps into it can be complex, stressful, and overwhelming. You’ve got a care team at Cherry Blossom Healing Arts that understands what you’re going through and can help you each step of the way.
We’ll support your fertility procedures and treat the common problems you may encounter when pregnant. From preconception through postpartum, we’ve got your back.
Ready to experience this for yourself? Head to our booking page and schedule your first appointment. If you’d like us to check your insurance benefits, we’d be happy to take care of that for you. We’re in-network with CareFirst/BlueCross and Aetna.
Be well,
The Cherry Blossom Team
