Welcome to Gaia! ::

I've never tried acupuncture, and the thought of those needles *shudder* just creeps me out.
If it's something that you're interested in trying though, go for it!

I'm an acupuncturist myself, so yes I've been getting it for quite some time. sweatdrop There are many different ways to apply acupuncture in the interests of fertility. There's regulation of the cycle, clearing of emotional blockages, warming the abdomen (preheating the oven, as it were), stimulating ovulation, and supporting the body's ability to hang onto a fertilized egg. There are also special secret tricks to apply during pregnancy to ensure that your baby will be mild-mannered for the first six months of its life at least (my supervisors always spoke highly of KI 10). Some practitioners dismiss those as old wives' tales, but it held true for my sisters, who are pretty skeptical, and for me with my first baby, so I use them on pregnant patients. Also, of course, my best friend and I can both attest to acupuncture's ability to help ameliorate morning sickness.

I know herbs can be a big help as well, assuming you're using someone well-trained (look for a licensed practitioner, not someone who took a weekend course - the abbreviated courses only give broadbrush coverage of popular patent formulas and not much theory, meaning increased risk of misdiagnosis). In my state, herbalism and acupuncture are licensed separately, so I don't know much about herbs and am not qualified to dispense them. Don't freak out, most practitioners who dispense herbs are well-educated in them.

I personally feel acupuncture has been a big help, but of course I *would* say that. Although baby#1 (Lucien, 3 in Aug) was a happy surprise (we were gonna start trying in a month or two), we still had to try for almost two years in order for me to get pregnant with baby#2, due on Thanksgiving. Mitigating factors: hubby went through police training for most of the past year and was overworked and miserable all the year before that, meaning limited/practically nonexistent nookie, and probably a low sperm count.

An interesting side trick that may or may not have helped - my mother is a fantastic believer in the healing power of crystals ( rolleyes , I know), and used a big chunk of a crystal called selenite on my back. It's supposed to clear off negative energy (I had just treated a really toxic client and picked up something nasty), but when applied the way she did (along the lower spine) it's supposed to remove any energetic obstacles to pregnancy. That was the month I got pregnant. (And no, she didn't fess up until after I got my positive result, so it wasn't psychosomatic.)

So, you know, if you're friends with a crystal-waver, see if you can borrow a big hunk of selenite. It grows in a more-or-less log formation, so just lay it along your spine starting just above your pelvis (roughly in between your kidneys). Couldn't hurt, might help.

Oh yes, as for needles, they're quite good. If you're thinking about shots, try to imagine a needle as thin as the *hole* in the needle that gives shots - thinner, in some cases. Acupuncture needles are usually described as 2-3 hairs thick. When inserted, they usually go in about a quarter-inch, and rarely go in more than a half-inch. Most acupuncturists these days use disposable needles too, which means they're only used once. They used to have to re-sterilize them, which I confess I would have found creepy. Oh, and for the very queasy - most of the time, needles are used on the arms and legs, with occasional forays onto the torso or back. Faces and ears aren't needled anywhere near as frequently as newspaper photographers would like you to believe.

Glad to help! I hope it works well for you, since it's never fun to try for ages and ages with no results. Of course, as my best friend told me, it could be taking you a while because Ma Nature knows you're about to have twins or something. ninja I promise not to laugh (much) if you end up expecting multiples. And no, that's not a common side effect of acupuncture.

...And isn't it weird how often someone who's getting acupuncture knows someone with a lot of crystals?

Oh yeah - if you think tension is a big part of your trouble, you might also give regular massages a try. I did that with baby#1, but not baby#2 (and look how much longer that took). At the very least, it's a great excuse to indulge a little. biggrin