The Fertility Support Program at Acupuncture Collective
We offer a comprehensive and individualized fertility acupuncture program in Calgary, Alberta. Our 3-pillar approach provides care every step of the way—from conception to pregnancy, postpartum, and beyond. We also specialize in treating male infertility, recognizing its crucial role in family building. At Acupuncture Collective, all of our fertility acupuncturists have undergone advanced training to provide expert care tailored to your needs.
Fertility is such a unique and personal journey. That’s why we suggest you book a free 15 minute meet & greet so we can connect and discuss how fertility acupuncture can support you. We look forward to meeting you.
1 / Prepare
3-6 months of fertility acupuncture treatments to equip your body for successful conception. We also prepare for IVF, IUI and egg retrievals.
-
Weekly or biweekly Acupuncture treatments
Herbal Medicine protocols tailored to your body’s unique constitution
Diet Therapy curated to optimize your cycle & fertility
Movement & Lifestyle recommendations aligned with your treatment protocols
Education on cycle tracking and monitoring with your practitioner
High quality supplements to enhance your reproductive health
-
Women experiencing conditions such as:
Irregular Menstruation, amenorrhea
Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)
Endometriosis
Uterine Fibroids
Recurrent Miscarriage
Low Progesterone
Low Ovarian Reserve
Poor Egg Quality
Males experiencing conditions such as:
Hormone Imbalance
Erectile Dysfunction
Varicocele
Low Sperm Count
Poor Morphology/Motility
Low Testosterone
Females undergoing IVF and IUI treatments and looking to increase success rates while also mitigating hormonal side effects including:
Dizziness, headaches
Hot flashes, night sweats
Nausea
Mood swings, anxiety, depression
Fatigue
Abdominal bloating and tenderness
2 / Reinforce
Continuous treatment through conception and the entirety of pregnancy - to keep you and your baby in the best possible health.
-
Biweekly Acupuncture treatments to encourage successful gestation and mitigation of pregnancy side effects
Diet Therapy tailored to meet the changing needs of you and your baby
Integrative care through constant communication with your OB/GYN or Doula/Midwife
Movement & Lifestyle recommendations aligned with your treatment protocols
-
Women looking to ease pregnancy-associated symptoms while ensuring optimal growth and development of their baby.
Pregnancy associated symptoms include:
Heartburn
Swelling in the legs
Carpal tunnel syndrome
Sciatica
Back pain
Headaches
High or low blood pressure
Morning sickness
Insomnia
Pelvic Floor Prolapse
As we near your due date, treatments will shift to include a focus on labour induction & pain management, turning of breech babies, and calming your mind for the process of labour.
3 / Restore
Becoming a mother is a wonderful and challenging job. Childbirth is strenuous on the body so we offer continuous support to ensure postpartum healing and restoration.
-
Acupuncture treatments every 3-4 weeks
Focus on herbal therapy to restore balance and strongly rebuild Mom’s physical constitution
Nourishing and tonifying Dietary Therapy, Movement & Lifestyle recommendations
-
Anxiety
Depression
Insomnia
Fatigue
Hair loss
Excessive Bleeding
Insufficient Lactation, Mastitis
Tearing, cesarean scarring, delayed healing
Fertility Support Program Investment
Fertility Support Program
15 Minute Meet & Greet
Initial Consultation & Treatment
Follow Up Treatment
Connect with us today! Schedule a complimentary meet & greet with one of our fertility acupuncturists.
Free
$135
$90
How Acupuncture
helps with fertility
A study published in the medical journal Fertility & Sterility found that acupuncture increases chances of a successful pregnancy when used with other assisted reproductive techniques. The study concluded that acupuncture:
Enhances Blood Flow
Improves the chances of ovum implantation by increasing blood flow to the uterus, and supports sperm quality with blood flow to the testes.
Regulates Ovulation + Menstrual Cycles
Helps balance the endocrine system, especially for women with PCOS, leading to more regular ovulation and menstrual cycles.
Boosts Immunity + Lowers Inflammation
Lowers inflammation and enhances immune function for overall wellness.
Reduces Stress & Anxiety
Lowers stress hormones that can negatively impact fertility.
Supports Hormonal Balance
Positively influences the hypothalamic-pituitary-ovarian axis, essential for fertility.
Improves Sperm Quality
Research indicates that acupuncture can improve sperm count, motility, and morphology.
Research on the success of fertility and acupuncture
-
A 2015 study looked at the effects of “Whole Systems Traditional Chinese Medicine” (WS-TCM) Modalities including Acupuncture, Herbal Therapy, and Diet and Lifestyle recommendations on success rates of IVF. They compared live birth rates in three groups: Women undergoing IVF only Women undergoing IVF with only 1 Acupuncture treatment on the day of embryo transfer Women undergoing IVF as well as receiving WS-TCM (WS-TCM) was defined as 11-12 acupuncture treatments in the 2-3 months leading up to embryo transfer, and 1 treatment on the day of transfer, with additional herbal/dietary/lifestyle recommendations. Results: IVF-only group had a live birth rate of 48.2% With 1 treatment on transfer day, the rate rose slightly to 50.8%. The group receiving WS-TCM treatment had the highest live birth rate at 61.3%, a 13-point increase in success.
-
Source: National Library of Medicine
-
Chinese Herbal Medicine and Fertility A meta-analysis of 40 randomized controlled trials, including over 4000 women, found that women with infertility were nearly twice as likely to become pregnant with the help of Chinese Herbal Medicine than with western fertility drug therapy alone. This included women with PCOS, endometriosis, anovulation, fallopian tube blockage, or unexplained infertility. They also found ovulation rates, cervical mucus score, biphasic basal body temperature, and uterine lining thickness to be positively influenced by Chinese herbal medicine.
Source: Science Direct -
Another well-known prospective randomized study found the clinical pregnancy rate for their group that received acupuncture shortly before and after embryo transfer to be 1.6 times as effective than for the control group who received no acupuncture. In the Acupuncture group, Acupuncture treatment was performed 25 minutes before and after embryo transfer. In the control group, embryos were transferred without any supportive therapy.
Source: PubMed
-
One randomized clinical trial used Acupuncture in patients with a decline in ovarian reserve that were undergoing IVF treatments. If you have diminished ovarian reserve, this means that the number and quality of your eggs is lower than expected for your age. Diminished ovarian reserve can affect people of all ages. This study found that acupuncture increased estradiol, antral follicle count, number of follicles retrieved, number of high-quality embryos, and fertilization rates. They also observed an improvement in implantation rate and clinical pregnancy rate, as well as a decrease in cycle cancellation rate.
Source: PubMed
Why acupuncture should be part of your fertility journey
-
In many Eastern cultures and lineages of medicine, it is recommended that women rest for 40 days after childbirth. They believe that ‘how we spend our first 40 days postpartum is how we spend our next 40 years’ - we can chose depleted, or nourished and thriving!
“The natural rhythm of the Earth and Life—is that there is a period of growth and a period of rest. This is how balance is created. Pregnancy represents the time of growth, and therefore the postpartum period represents the time of rest. In the modern world, there is no value given for rest—modern culture is focused on constant growth. To reset in the postpartum time, is to be in harmony with the natural rhythms of Life. To be in harmony with the natural rhythms of Life is our path to health” —Rachelle Garcia Seliga, CPM
In many worldwide postpartum traditions, it is inherently understood that in the time following childbirth, the mother is more open than ever before. If she takes this time to care for herself, she stands to strengthen her body, mind and heart in profound ways that will benefit her for the rest of her life. Simultaneously, this will address and mitigate any weaknesses, imbalances or ailments that had been prevalent prior to birthing. Conversely, ignoring this critical period of self care and rest can cause pre-existing imbalance to worsen and new health problems to arise. Postnatal care also promotes hormone health and fertility for future pregnancies.
Studies have shown that mother’s who have support in this time are more likely to thrive and specifically less likely to experience postpartum anxiety, depression and difficult breastfeeding. -
Because it takes three months to grow a follicle that will become the egg (oocyte) at ovulation, it is ideal to start treatment three months before you are hoping to conceive. This gives us time to work with the follicles from the very beginning of their cellular growth, ensuring optimal quality and health of the oocyte released at ovulation, and therefore increasing chances of successful conception.
Sperm production also occurs in 3 month cycles, so for optimal sperm health the same treatment timeline is recommended. -
Male infertility is implicated in about 30% of cases where couples cannot conceive. Research has also shown acupuncture can boost fertility in men. A number of studies demonstrate the benefits of Acupuncture on sperm health, quality and motility:
A 2005 study published in Fertility and Sterility showed acupuncture treatments increase the number of normal sperm and decreasing the number of defective sperm.
When a group of infertile men received twice weekly acupuncture for 5 weeks, they observed a significant increase in the percentage and number of sperm with no structural defects, and there was a notable improvement in the sperm’s structural integrity. pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16009169/
In a randomized trial of 57 patients with very low semen parameters, those who received twice weekly acupuncture for 6 weeks showed significantly improved sperm motility as compared to the sham (fake) acupuncture group. www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0015028209004312
A before and after study looked at the change in fertilization rates for IVF/ICSI (intracytoplasmic sperm injection) procedures involving men with semen abnormalities and at least two previous poor outcomes with IVF/ICSI. After 8 treatments of acupuncture, their fertilization rates increased from 40.2% to 66.2% - that’s a 165% increase! pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12658811/
Necessary nutrients for sperm production: selenium, zinc, L-carnitine, CoQ10, omega-3 fatty acids, lycopene, and Vitamins A, B, C, and E.
Male fertility support: Ubiquinol: supports energy production in reproductive cells L-Arginine: benefits sperm formation and motility Acetyl-L-Carnitine: benefits sperm formation and motility Omega 3s: reduces inflammation, supports health cell growth and hormone production Vitamin C: supports healthy sperm cell growth Vitamin E: improves sperm motility and overall quality Selenium: lost in semen and deficiency is linked to poor sperm count, motility, & morphology Zinc: supports sperm production and testosterone metabolism Vitamin B12: promotes healthy cell replication
common myths about fertility
-
If there is no physiological issue, women will still conceive even under extremely stressful conditions (war, trauma, etc.).
-
Infertility affects men and women equally. In fact, each sex has their own set of symptoms that may suggest infertility.
-
After the age of 40, a man may also start experiencing decreases in semen volume and motility.
-
Smoking, excess weight and alcohol consumption can be associated with smaller sperm counts. Living a healthy lifestyle can help improve your sperm count.
sources: Procrea | Health Line
What to expect at Calgary Acupuncture Collective
You’re welcomed into our relaxing clinic located on Calgary’s vibrant 17th avenue SW. You may be surprised at the depth we go into to learn about your health. As Acupuncturists, we believe that each individual is unique and place great importance on making personalized diagnoses and treatment plans.
Each detail of your visit has been designed with a comfortable Acupuncture experience in mind. Our rooms are equipped with heat lamps, paging systems, tailored playlists, dim lighting, blankets, bolsters... everything to help you feel relaxed and comfortable.
We look forward to seeing you.