Fertility Acupuncture for Donor Egg and Surrogacy
*As medical fertility treatments like IVF, IUI, egg donation, sperm donation and surrogacy become more common, so do holistic practices like fertility acupuncture, fertility yoga and fertility massage. At Donor Concierge, we have decades of experience in guiding our clients through the egg donor and surrogacy process.
- We know that many clinics and our clients use acupuncture so we wanted to know: how can fertility acupuncture benefit an egg donor or surrogacy cycle?
What is fertility acupuncture?
Acupuncture is a form of alternative medicine in which thin needles are inserted into the body to stimulate specific anatomic sites, or acupuncture points. Fertility acupuncture is said to specifically trigger acupuncture points associated with fertility. Tamara ZumMallen of LA Acupuncture has worked with fertility clients of all kinds, and has seen its benefits. She shares that fertility acupuncture can be helpful for people with all kinds of fertility journeys including women who are using donor eggs. “Acupuncture is beneficial in the following ways: circulation, balancing hormones, and managing stress.”
How does fertility acupuncture work?
Farrar Duro of Florida Complete Wellness, touched on some of the effects of fertility acupuncture. Farrar says, “We now know that acupuncture affects the pituitary gland and acts on the sympathetic nervous system to reduce stress and regulate hormones. In the treatment of infertility, it has also been shown to increase blood flow to the uterus.” Tamara expanded on this, saying that fertility acupuncture specifically “influences the HPO axis,” or hypothalamus-pituitary-ovarian axis. This is the collective term for several glands that together influence the hormones that control female reproduction.
Who can benefit from fertility acupuncture?
Fertility acupuncture is most common for parents beginning their fertility journey, and is often a first step for those who have recently decided to try for a baby. However, Tamara shares that she has also seen clients from all areas of third party fertility, saying “egg donors, sperm donors and surrogates can all benefit.” Tamara says that the circulatory and hormonal benefits of acupuncture can even lead to “better egg quality over time.”
However, there is a limit to the benefits of alternative medicine. While many people can benefit from trying out fertility acupuncture, Farrar notes that people with specific fertility conditions should opt for traditional medical treatment. Farrar points out that some patients are best off using ART, and that “some patients in this situation pursue “natural” therapies too long when their main or only choice of success is IVF.” She adds that fertility acupuncture works best for those with “relatively minor complications.”
Regardless of where you are in your third-party fertility journey, Tamara and Farrar are enthusiastic about fertility acupuncture’s benefits. Tamara shared, “While all fertility cases are wonderful, I've especially enjoyed being on the team of cases involving surrogates. I love to hear the parents' stories of hope and I love to hear the surrogate's story of selflessness. The miracle is never lost on me.”
So how can you find out if fertility acupuncture could be right for you? Tamara has simple advice: “Just try!”
