Monday, October 17, 2011

More women including acupuncture to boost chances of pregnancy


Courtesy: WINK-TV
Stacey Adams is expecting her first child in February. She credits fertility acupuncture.

After suffering through the pain and sadness of three miscarriages and spending around $20,000 on fertility treatments, WINK-TV news anchor Stacey Adams, 40, felt she had run out of options for ever having a child.
Then Adams turned to acupuncture. The research is mixed on whether and how acupuncture can improve fertility, but Adams said she saw results almost immediately after nearly giving up hope.
“I really had to readjust my life and my life story, thinking having a family just wasn’t going to happen for us,” Adams said tearfully.
The popular Florida journalist didn’t meet her husband, Tony Schall, until she was in her 30s and, after they married, they weren’t ready for a family right away. She was 37 when they started trying, with no luck. Both were tested, but doctors couldn’t find the source of the problem. 
The couple decided to use an assisted reproductive technology called Intrauterine Insemination, or IUI. In all, they tried five IUI treatments. Adams got pregnant twice, but miscarried both times. She miscarried once prior to treatment.
“I was drained and out of hope,” Adams said.
That’s when Adams came across Huffman Wellness, an acupuncture and herbal center in Tampa, Fla. She read the story of a Tampa news anchor who had used acupuncture to help become pregnant, and decided she had nothing to lose. She contacted owner and practitioner Carolyn Huffman.
“I think the world of Stacey and she and I instantly connected,” Huffman said. “This was her last straw and her heart was fully on board.”
Huffman asked Adams to fill out an extensive questionnaire, trying to find out as much as she could about her fertility treatment history, health and eating habits. Huffman suggested Adams give up coffee, alcohol and processed foods and also limit dairy. She decided Adams would benefit from two acupuncture treatments a week while taking a variety of herbal and nutritional supplements such as Vitamin D and prenatal vitamins.
Acupuncture involves having small needles placed into specific parts of the body to trigger and activate the body’s “Qi,” or life energy. Adams had needles placed in her stomach, head, ears, calves, forearms and back. Huffman tailors the placement based on where a woman is in her monthly cycle and on patterns associated with traditional Chinese medicine. Huffman studied at the Florida Institute of Traditional Chinese Medicine in St. Petersburg.
Adams said she instantly saw results. “I could see the physical manifestation of it. My periods, which had always been short in duration were longer and healthier looking,” she said.
For the next two months, Adams drove two hours to Tampa, underwent two hours of treatment followed by relaxation sessions and then started the two-hour drive home so she could go to work.
“Stacey was so committed, which helps tremendously. She gave it her best,” Huffman says.
Adams started the process in late March and, by May, she was pregnant. She got the news just two days after celebrating her 40th birthday. She’s now five months pregnant, expecting a little boy in February.
“I’m so excited, overwhelmed. I still have to pinch myself,” Adams said.

So how could acupuncture be related to fertility?
Huffman said it helps improve blood flow, reduce stress, regulate hormones and open up the pathway from the brain to the reproductive organs such as the ovaries. She said the acupuncture can be done alone or in combination with fertility treatments, such as IUI’s or in vitro fertilization and also aids in preparing the body for such treatments.
Alice Domar, a Ph.D. in health psychology, is the executive director of the Domar Center, a mind/body/ fertility program near Boston, Mass. The Domar Center focuses on combining relaxation with health programs by offering acupuncture, couples and nutrition counseling and yoga.
Domar, who herself studies infertility as part of her work as an assistant professor of obstetrics, gynecology, and reproductive biology at Harvard Medical School, said the jury is still out when it comes to linking fertility success with acupuncture.
“So why, you may ask, do I have six acupuncturists on staff? No one can prove it doesn’t work. In my opinion, it’s worth trying because it’s inexpensive, relatively non-invasive and it helps women relax and know they’re doing everything they can to help" have a baby, Domar said.
Domar said research on fertility acupuncture offers mixed reports. But she said she knows personally that acupuncture has worked for her in other ways. In December, she had back pain so intense she wanted to cry, she said. She turned to acupuncture and said she felt better after one 90-minute session.
“There’s something there,” she says.
Domar warns that people shouldn’t just use acupuncture, they should also go to a doctor to make sure nothing is wrong, such as blocked fallopian tubes. She said she discourages women from taking Chinese herbs. She said there hasn’t been enough research to make sure they’re safe.
Huffman said she asks women to choose whether or not they want to take herbs. 
Women are routinely advised to consult with their obstetricians about taking vitamins, supplements, prescription and over-the-counter medications during pregnancy. 
The cost of acupuncture treatments varies, but usually ranges from $80-$150. Adams says it was much cheaper than the IUI treatments she received which cost around $5,000 each.
In terms of how many babies have resulted from her work, Huffman said she hasn’t been able to keep track, but said success also comes in other forms, such as women having more regular or less painful periods.  
“I’m so overjoyed for Stacey,” Huffman said. “This is exactly why I do this, to help women. It’s so rewarding.”

(The article above is a reprint from Medill Reports - Chicago, Northwestern University)

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