A skeptic doctor strongly recommends acupuncture to improve IVF success rate, treatment for pain, nausea and more

Medical researcher Dr Shaun Holt used to belong to New Zealand skeptic society, an organisation known for being critical of acupuncture. Dr Holt reviewed a lot of research on natural medicine and as a result has changed his opinion about some of the natural medicines. Yesterday he appeared on TV endorsing acupuncture as very safe and effective treatment for back pain, headaches and improving success rate of IVF (in vitro fertilisation). Watch the report on TVNZ.

[Comment: this is an older post pulled from archives]

Fertility, IVF and Acupuncture books

Among the good strategies of dealing with stress of infertility and IVF (apart from acupuncture, of course!) 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. I can recommend you a couple of good books.

One, The Infertility Cure, is on acupuncture and infertility, but it also gives you a good roundup of diet and other things you can do yourself.
Another one recommended 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.

Do you have a suggestion? Let us know in the comments.

Summer is best time for fertility treatment

Summer is best time for fertility treatment

Women who undergo fertility treatment during the summer are twice as likely to become pregnant as when they try in winter, British researchers have found.

Longer daylight hours appear to improve the chances of successful treatment, according to the study.

The research was presented at the annual conference of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM).

Chinese medicine bears hope for childless women

March 2, 2005

A combination of Chinese medicine and conventional in-vitro fertilisation treatment is showing promising results in helping infertile couples, reports Hester Lacey -The Independent

Read the story here

To read more about fertility and acupuncture on vitalis.co.nz IVF and acupuncture :: vitalis.co.nz

Acupuncture can improve chances of successful fertility treatment

Acupuncture

Significantly increases pregnancy rate
Significantly reduces the risk of miscarriage
Significantly reduces the risk of tubular pregnancy
Significantly increases the life birth rate

Researchers from USA presented another study on IVF and Acupuncture that convinced even the sceptics. The research highlighted and reconfirmed the benefits and the value of acupuncture to the success of ART (assisted reproductive technologies). The study was presented at the meeting of American Society for Reproductive Medicine (October 2004) by Reproductive Medicine and Fertility Centre (Colorado Springs, USA).

IVF and acupuncture in Auckland, NZ

Acupuncture for infertility is even getting the nod from doctors

Dr. R. Ian Hardy, an M.D. with Ph.D. Board Certified Reproductive Endocrinologist at Fertility Centers of New England said he recommends acupuncture in conjunction with in vitro fertilization to his patients all the time.

IVF and acupuncture in Auckland, NZ

washingtonpost.com: Hard to Conceive

washingtonpost.com: Hard to Conceive: "Hard to Conceive
Unable to Get Pregnant, She Turned East in Quest of Fertility "

And why not? Six months on fertility drugs, two inseminations and one $13,000 attempt at vitro fertilization (IVF) had all failed me -- or I them. I felt I had to try something else. In February, minutes after I realized the IVF hadn't worked, and knowing my husband and I would have a rough time financing a second round of treatment, I hit the Internet looking for an alternative.

I quickly stumbled on Lewis's book "The Infertility Cure: The Ancient Chinese Wellness Program for Getting Pregnant and Having Healthy Babies" (Little, Brown, 2004). Unlike lots of other books that champion this or that single regimen, this one combined a slew of alternative therapies: herbs, acupuncture, diet changes and mind/body work.

IVF and acupuncture :: vitalis.co.nz