Acupuncture and Oriental Medicine have long been used to treat infertility and subfertility, and are highly effective in creating healthy pregnancies and healthy “take-home babies.”

At FLOAT we respect and treat a wide range of patients who are trying to conceive, including:

• Heterosexual couples
• Homosexual couples
• Single mothers
• Nontraditional families
• Surrogates

An Eastern approach to fertility enhancement dovetails nicely with Western methods. Whether you are just thinking about getting pregnant soon and have no known fertility problems, you’ve been trying to conceive for a while without success, or you’re trying to conceive using Assisted Reproductive Technology, Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine can help.

Following are some of the fertility issues we treat:

• Advanced Maternal Age
• Subfertility
• Primary/Unexplained Infertility
• Secondary Infertility
• Recurrent Miscarriage
• Premature Ovarian Failure
• Endometriosis
• PCOS (Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome)
• Luteal Phase Defect
• Post-Surgical Infertility (owing to scarring from previous C-section, etc.)
• Male-Factor Infertility (Low Sperm Count, Low Motility, etc.)
• Anxiety/Depression/Fear affecting your ability to conceive

NATURAL CONCEPTION & ACUPUNCTURE

If you are trying to conceive via Natural Conception/Timed Intercourse, we can help you determine when you’re ovulating and time acupuncture treatments accordingly. Most of our patients chart their cycles and fertile signs using a Basal Body Thermometer and free software via www.fertilityfriend.com.

• “The Infertility Cure,” by Randine Lewis, PhD
• “Taking Charge of Your Fertility” by Toni Wechsler
• “Fertility Wisdom: How Traditional Chinese Medicine Can Help Overcome Infertility,” by Angela Wu, L.Ac.
• “Making Babies,” by Sami S. David, MD and Jill Blakeway, L.Ac.
• “Inconceivable: A Woman’s Triumph Over Despair and Statistics,” by Julia Indichova
• “A Few Good Eggs: Two Chicks Dish on Overcoming the Insanity of Infertility,” by Julie Vargo and Maureen Regan

ASSISTED REPRODUCTIVE TECHNOLOGY & ACUPUNCTURE

If you are trying to conceive using ART (Assisted Reproductive Technology, i.e IUI, IVF), we will, with your permission, work in tandem with your Nurse Practitioner, OB/Gyn or Reproductive Endocrinologist to prepare your body and mind for egg retrieval and/or transfer.

We highly recommend that patients planning to undergo IUI or IVF get treated with Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine regularly for at least three months prior to insemination or retrieval/transfer. We are familiar with most of the RE’s in the area, and we use modified versions of the Paulus and Stener/Victorin Protocols for patients going through ART. If you do not have 3 months to devote to Acupuncture & Oriental Medicine before proceedng with IUI and/or IVF, we may still be able to work with you. Please call for a phone consultation if you have specific questions.

Abigail offers on-site acupuncture treatment before and after embryo transfer (at your Reproductive Endocrinologist’s clinic), an approach that has been shown to dramatically increase your chances of conception.

Once you are pregnant, we will treat you weekly to secure the pregnancy until a heartbeat is detected, at which point you may join our Prenatal Acupuncture program!

A relevant study on acupuncture and fertility.