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Dr. Maryam Mahanian, DTCM, RAc
Acupuncture Support During IVF Treatment
How Acupuncture & Traditional Chinese medicine will Increase Your IVF (In Vitro Fertilization) Success
Audio Broadcast of the article is available below:
The journey through IVF or IUI can be filled with both hope and uncertainty. For more than 20 years, I have helped fertility patients navigate this experience with personalized acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, nutrition, and lifestyle guidance.
My goal is to help you feel supported, informed, and empowered throughout your fertility journey while optimizing your health before and during treatment.
Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) can be a valuable source of support throughout your IVF journey. It aims to support your overall health, reproductive function, and emotional wellbeing before and during treatment.
Ideally, fertility care begins three to six months before an IVF cycle, allowing time to support egg quality, hormonal balance, and overall reproductive health. However, it is never too late to start. Whether you are preparing for IVF, in the midst of treatment, or approaching an embryo transfer, acupuncture and Chinese medicine can be incorporated at any stage to help support your body throughout the process.
My goal is to provide personalized care that complements your fertility treatments and helps you feel supported, informed, and empowered every step of the way.
Is This Right For You?
You may benefit from acupuncture and Chinese medicine support if you are:
Preparing for an upcoming IVF or IUI cycle
Getting ready for an embryo transfer
Experiencing stress, anxiety, or emotional overwhelm during your fertility journey
Navigating unexplained infertility
Managing PCOS, irregular ovulation, or hormonal imbalances
Concerned about egg quality, ovarian reserve, or low AMH
Have experienced poor response cycles or failed transfers
Looking for a more personalized and holistic approach to fertility care
Main Objectives of Chinese medicine and Acupuncture to Boost IVF Success
When used before and/or alongside IVF, Chinese medicine and acupuncture aim to:
Improve ovarian function to support optimal egg development
Enhance egg quality for better fertilization and embryo potential
Build a thicker, healthier uterine lining to support implantation
Increase pelvic and uterine blood flow for improved reproductive health
Support male fertility by improving semen quality and quantity
Reduce stress and anxiety, which can positively impact hormonal balance
Help the ovaries respond more effectively to fertility medications
Promote successful embryo implantation
Address underlying gynecological conditions such as endometriosis or PCOS
These targeted benefits can help create the most supportive internal environment possible—before, during, and after your IVF cycle.
Improve Sperm Health for the Male Partner
Fertility is a shared journey, yet male reproductive health is often overlooked.
Research over the past few decades has shown a decline in sperm quality and count, making male fertility support an important part of many couples’ treatment plans.
Traditional Chinese Medicine offers a supportive, holistic approach that may help improve overall reproductive health in men. This can include acupuncture, herbal medicine, nutrition guidance, and lifestyle recommendations tailored to individual needs.
For men who prefer a guided, at-home approach, I also offer an online Male Fertility Support program based on the wisdom of TCM, designed to provide practical tools for improving reproductive health.
Gynecological Disorders
Traditional Chinese medicine excels at treating a range of gynecological conditions that may contribute to infertility, including irregular or absent menstruation, endometriosis, fibroids, and ovarian cysts.
These imbalances can often be effectively addressed in the months leading up to an IVF cycle.
By dedicating even just three months to treatment before starting IVF, we can work to regulate your cycle, reduce inflammation, and restore harmony to your reproductive system – creating a healthier foundation for a successful fertility outcome.
The Oral Contraceptives Phase of IVF: What it does and how TCM can support it
Now that you understand how Chinese medicine supports your body before IVF, let’s explore how it can continue to enhance your chances of success during the IVF cycle itself.
Many IVF protocols begin with a short course of oral contraceptives (birth control pills), typically lasting 2–4 weeks. While this might seem counterintuitive when trying to conceive, this phase plays a role in preparing the body for stimulation and improving the overall success of the IVF cycle.
The purpose of the oral contraceptive phase includes:
Regulating the menstrual cycle: Birth control helps create a predictable and controlled start to your IVF cycle.
Suppressing natural hormone fluctuations: This allows your fertility team to take full control of your hormones during the upcoming stimulation phase.
Ensuring multiple follicles begin growing at the same time, which can lead to more uniform and mature egg development.
Preventing cyst formation: Oral contraceptives help reduce the risk of ovarian cysts that could delay or interfere with the cycle.
How Chinese Medicine Supports This Phase
Although this phase is often seen as a “quiet” time in the IVF process, it’s a key opportunity to lay the groundwork for optimal results. Chinese medicine focuses on gently supporting the body during this phase by:
Promoting smooth hormone regulation and liver function to process synthetic hormones effectively
Nourishing blood and qi to prepare the ovaries and uterus for the stimulation phase
Calming the nervous system and reducing stress, which can influence hormone balance and ovarian response
Enhancing pelvic blood flow to support ovarian and uterine health ahead of stimulation
Supporting the Ovarian Stimulation Phase
Two to three days after menstruation begins, the ovarian stimulation phase of IVF gets underway. At this point, fertility medications—typically synthetic versions of FSH (Follicle-Stimulating Hormone) and LH (Luteinizing Hormone)—are used to stimulate the ovaries to produce multiple follicles, increasing the chances of retrieving several mature eggs.
Chinese medicine works alongside this process to enhance the body’s response and reduce side effects.
Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine are used to:
Promote the development of more high-quality follicles
Thicken and nourish the uterine lining in preparation for embryo transfer
Improve blood flow to the ovaries and uterus to support follicular growth
Minimize medication side effects, such as bloating, mood changes, and digestive issues
From a Traditional Chinese Medicine perspective, this is a time to support the Kidney and Spleen systems, nourish the Blood, and calm the nervous system. These actions help regulate the body’s internal environment, encouraging a balanced hormonal response and supporting emotional well-being throughout the stimulation phase.
When used in tandem with IVF medications, Chinese medicine provides a holistic layer of support that promotes better outcomes, both physically and emotionally.
Before Embryo Transfer
Traditional Chinese medicine is especially beneficial during the embryo transfer stage of the IVF process. This is a delicate and critical time when the body needs to be calm, receptive, and energetically strong to support implantation.
Acupuncture around the time of transfer can:
Gently relax and dilate the cervix, making it easier to transfer the embryo into the uterus
Calm the nervous system and relax the uterus, reducing the risk of cramping or contractions during and after the procedure
Improve blood flow to the uterus, creating an optimal environment for the embryo
Strengthen Qi (vital energy) to help the body hold and nourish the embryo post-transfer
By calming both body and mind, Traditional Chinese medicine enhances the likelihood of successful implantation and sets the stage for a healthy early pregnancy.
Post Embryo Transfer and Early Pregnancy Support
After embryo transfer, Chinese medicine plays a crucial role in supporting implantation and early pregnancy. At this stage, the focus is on:
Enhancing blood circulation to the uterus to nourish the developing embryo
Relaxing the uterus to prevent contractions that could lead to spotting or miscarriage
Strengthening the body’s Qi and Blood to maintain implantation and support healthy embryo growth
Once a positive pregnancy is confirmed, continued acupuncture treatments during the first trimester are especially important. They help stabilize the pregnancy, reduce miscarriage risk, and ease early pregnancy symptoms like nausea, fatigue, and anxiety.
To learn more about how TCM can support you at each stage of your pregnancy, take a look at my Guide called Pregnancy & Postpartum Care Program.
IVF With Confidence Online Course
Dr. Maryam offers a self-paced online self-treatment course called IVF With Confidence. Whether you see Dr. Maryam for in-person acupuncture, or if you are not from the local area, this online course will help to increase the success of your IVF cycle. It consists of how-to self-acupressure tutorials/videos, detailed dietary and lifestyle recommendations, and pdf printables all according to each specific phase of your IVF process. This course guides you during your IVF cycle starting from the oral contraceptive phase and all the way to the “two week wait” after your embryo transfer. It gives you the knowledge and awareness of what is happening at each phase of the IVF process from a western and eastern medical perspective.
This online course will give you detailed instruction on what you can do between acupuncture visits. It is also a great resource for those who do not have access to acupuncture treatment. This course offers tools and strategies all based on the wisdom of Chinese medicine.
Intrigued? Visit this page for more information on IVF With Confidence and feel free to reach out to Dr. Maryam with questions. You can also find an introductory video below.
IVF With Confidence introductory video
What You Can Do Right Away
