Can acupuncture help my stress and anxiety?
spence — Sun, 02/05/2012 - 02:53
Yes.
Acupuncture is well known for its potent effect on relieving stress. Many couples turn to acupuncture before and during their IVF cycles to help reduce stress and alleviate anxiety. During these stressful times, finding coping mechanisms that work for you is important to optimize your chances of conception.
When one is inflicted with high levels of stress the body reacts by flooding the blood with 'stress' chemicals that direct blood flow away from the reproductive organs. Blood is the messenger of nutrients, oxygen, and gonadotropic IVF medications to the developing eggs and uterine lining. This simple correlation emphasizes the need to manage stress and anxiety when trying to conceive and carry to term.
Generally, 1-2 treatments per week in the weeks leading up to embryo transfer help reduce stress and optimize the ovaries response to IVF.
See what women have to say about receiving acupuncture on the day of IVF embryo transfer
I was thankful for the treatment before and after the transfer. Because it was onsite, it was only a few feet a way, which meant more time to let the embryo "snuggle in". It greatly helped to relieve all the tension that I felt leading upto the transfer. Dr. Pentland was of course (and still is) a good sounding board and offered some great advice for the day of the transfer.
I found it to be relaxing and calmed me down a little. I was super nervous as not knowing what the outcome is going to be in a few weeks time especially since I have had treatment done many times and have been unsuccessful so thought I would give accupuncture a try as it is supposed to help with blood flow and all. Having the clinic onsite is great, helps decrease some of the stress of having to drive around to places and make it for the transfer on time. Thank you so much to Dr Pentland he was great!
Loved it ! Just having you there was calming for me because you've been there right from the beginning with us and it would have been weird if you hadn't been there. I went into the transfer very relaxed and I'm certain it contributed to our success.
Amazing service. Relaxing, great to be on site, all questions were answered. And successful, can't be better than that!
The acupuncture was helpful in that it was relaxing --- taking your mind off the transfer. The heated bed and blanket was quite nice as the room is somewhat cool. Overall... enjoyable experience.
I found the whole acupuncture experience to be very relaxing. I would highly recommend listening to the IVF meditation mp3 that Dr. Pentland suggested, before embryo transfer. It made what could have been a stressful day a very positive experience. I was also very appreciative that Dr. Pentland is on site at the PCRM clinic and that there was such a smooth transition to the embryo transfer procedure.
After 6 rounds of Clomid and a failed IVF cycle, I explored the option of IVF acupuncture for my second IVF cycle. Having acupuncture on my embryo transfer day gave me the confidence that my body and mind were at their epitome of relaxation. Also, having it done on site gave me the calming, positive and warm thoughts I was seeking for the moments leading up to my embryo transfer - and the relaxation right after. I am currently 22 weeks pregnant with twins. I truly believe Dr. Pentland's help has contributed to my success!
I enjoyed the service, it was quite relaxing to be in such nice surroundings, I particularly enjoyed the heating pad
It was relaxing during a stressful time. Great to have it next door. Nice to try and relax pre-transfer. You feel rushed with the procedure it's great to have the "down" time to relax and focus on the embryo transfer afterward.
When I first heard about a new acupuncture service on site at PCRM, I was so glad because of a convenience. I had a really great relaxing experience on the day of embryo transfer. In my opinion, it is very important to be comfortable on this day of treatment. I was surprised of the calm environment: warm bed and blanket, pleasant scent of essential oils and relaxing meditation. Many thanks to Dr. Spence Pentland.
