This is a question that we hear more frequently than perhaps any other, and it’s a terrific question!  Before you begin any treatment plan, you want to know what kind of commitment you’re going to have to make both in time and money.  Often this question is answered with, “It all depends on your situation”, which is very, very true, but here are some guidelines that should actually give you a little more to work with.

Generally speaking, if you are a woman trying to conceive, the most important times to have acupuncture are during the follicular phase -  day 5, 6, 7 or 8 of your menstrual cycle (day 1 being the first day of heavy flow), the day of, day before or day after ovulation (as indicated by your LH surge), and during implantation time (7 – 10 days after ovulation).  This works out to be approximately once a week except when you’re menstruating, so most women should be receiving acupuncture treatments roughly three to four times per month.

If there is something more significant going on, like lining issues for example, your acupuncturist may want to see you twice a week until it is properly addressed.  However, the majority of the women we treat fall into the once a week category.

If you are going through an IVF cycle, it’s best if you can start acupuncture 6 to 8 weeks prior to transfer.  The most important times to have acupuncture are the same as above, however, once you begin your stimulation medications you may be seen twice a week depending upon information gathered from your ultrasounds.

In an ideal world, we would like to begin seeing you 3 – 4 months prior to conception/transfer so that we can help with egg quality, work on any cycle or lining irregularities, address any nutritional concerns, and help reduce stress.  If you are going through IVF, FET or DET we are also working to prepare you for your transfer.

If you are considering acupuncture, I encourage you to get in for your initial visit as soon as you can.  That way you and your acupuncturist can develop a treatment plan that best suits you, even if you don’t start the treatment plan until later.  Getting that first appointment under your belt also allows you the opportunity to determine if acupuncture is right for you and if it’s something you want to continue to pursue.

If supplementation or herbs are warranted, they take time to work, so beginning earlier is best.  Even if you decide to wait to start acupuncture, don’t wait to start supplementation.  It takes 3 – 4 months for an egg to mature.  If you can get started on a good quality preconception formula 3 – 4 months prior to conception/transfer, your eggs are going to have the opportunity to grow and mature in a nutrient rich environment.  Our experience is that women who supplement their diets with appropriate amounts of vitamins and antioxidants typically have embryos with less fragmentation.

Why acupuncture?  Blood flow, blood flow, blood flow!  This is how we nourish every single cell in our bodies – blood flow.  We want to get you into a deep state of relaxation, taking you out of your fight and flight mode, and encourage blood flow to the internal organs.  Why acupuncture?  Acupuncture helps regulate and balance the hormones by affecting the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis and is a very important tool in the fertility process.

Do you need to come twice a week?  Probably not.  Do you need to come once a week?  It all depends on your particular situation (you knew I was going to say that, right?).  If you are 4 months away from your IVF transfer, maybe you need to come every two weeks.  If you’re 60 days away, maybe once a week.  If your lining is thin, maybe twice a week.  It really and truly does depend on where you are in the process, what specific difficulties you are experiencing, and how you are responding to your treatments.

National Infertility Awareness Week has passed, but I think awareness is something we can strive for everyday, and in particular on Mother's and Father's days.

I truly believe in my heart that most people mean well, but if you haven't walked in the shoes of a person who is struggling with fertility, it can be difficult to understand how hurtful even well meant comments and circumstances can be.

I want to share this article from CNN.com in honor of Mother's Day and in advance of Father's Day to simply help remind all of us to not only appreciate the lives that our parents gave us, but to remember that life truly is a gift.

I still can't believe it's already May, but I have to say, I'm ready for a little sunshine!

In my life I spend a lot of time focusing on fertility issues, trying hard to help men and women achieve their goal of having a child by helping them to conceive.  I think sometimes it's good to remember that not all families begin this way and that for some of us there are alternatives.

May is Foster Parent Appreciation Month, and in an effort to help all of us become more aware and perhaps open our hearts to something we aren't yet truly familiar with, I want to share a letter with you that I received from a client and friend.

Dear Friends and Family-

As you know we have been a part of the Angels Foster Family Network as Foster Parents for some time now. Angels has been a very rewarding experience for us and we want you to know more about them. Angels is the only foster family agency in San Diego specializing in infant care and inclusive of all races and ethnicities.  Angels is a licensed, private, non-profit foster family agency, run solely on private donations.  What makes Angels unique is they have created a solution to prevent RAD (Reactive Attachment Disorder) an incurable disorder, by rescuing foster babies in the earliest months of life and placing them in loving, nurturing homes (like ours) where they can heal and learn to trust again.

Facts about Child Abuse in San Diego:

• Nearly 5 children die every day as a result of child abuse, of which more than 75% are under the age of 3.

• There are currently over 7,000 foster children in San Diego County, with more than 1/3 of them under the age of 3.

• Since 2000, more than 30 children have died in foster care in San Diego county.

• If a baby does not have one consistent caregiver with whom he/she can bond with in the first 24 months of life, that baby may be doomed with Reactive Attachment Disorder (RAD) meaning the chances of that baby being able to develop the ability to bond with others in its lifetime is highly unlikely.

• 80% of prisoners nationwide have spent time in foster care.

• The annual cost resulting from child abuse and neglect in the US is $104 billion.

In recognition of  May as Foster Parent Appreciation Month, we are accepting the challenge to help raise money for Angels.  If each Angels family is able to raise $500 from all our friends, family and associates, Angels could place another 8 new babies in 2010, perhaps one that we’ll be lucky enough to care for!   Would you consider helping us help more babies in need by making a donation of any amount today.  You can do this by simply clicking the “donate now” link on our website, http://www.angelsfoster.org or by mailing a check today to Angels at, 6160 Fairmount Ave., Ste H, San Diego, Ca. 92120.

It truly “takes a village” to raise babies who fall victim to the foster care system, so please help us help these babies who can’t help themselves.  Please pass this on to all your friends as well – we’d like to be the family who raises the most money for Angels, so please help us in our efforts!

Thank you so much!

Click this link to donate now:  Angels Foster Family Network

Click this link to Visit the website:  http://www.angelsfoster.org