Acupuncture

I haven’t really discussed my experience with acupuncture on here that much and thought I’d finally share my views on it.

The first thing I tell people about acupuncture is, “If it does nothing else, it gives me one hour each week where I do nothing but relax.” It’s all about me; I don’t have to be running from one place to another, trying to remember what I need to get at the store, wondering if my dogs need food, etc. There’s no other time throughout my week where I can lay on a bed/table and do nothing but relax and meditate.

My acupuncturist, Kirsten, is a wonderful woman. At first I thought we wouldn’t get along that well, she was quiet and I’m a chatterbox but as time goes on, we’re talking more and more at each appointment. I feel that she is almost my counselor and a shoulder to cry on in addition to being my acupuncturist. It’s like I have another cheerleader on the sidelines for me and Hubby.

We don’t just focus on Infertility at my acupuncture appointments, Kirsten asks how I slept in the past week (Did I fall asleep easily? Did I stay asleep?), we also talk about my appetite, my stress and energy levels and anything else that she may be able to help me fix.

Yesterday, for example, I told her I have been having vivid dreams and I keep waking up during the night (I dreamt of Kathleen Turner for God’s sake! And not in a nice way!) and I’m not falling asleep again very easily. Whatever she did to help me yesterday worked. I fell asleep immediately after putting my iPod down (listening to Linkin Park – Shadow of the Day before bed of course) and next thing I knew, it was 6:00 a.m. and my alarm was going off. I had slept through the night and not noticed my dog snoring on the floor next to me once. I felt so refreshed this morning and ready to start the day.

I know that some people get freaked out by the thought of the needles and I was one of those too. Believe it or not, it doesn’t hurt that bad. Most of the time there is no pain involved at all. The only time I have ever felt uncomfortable with the needles are when they are inserted on the tops of my feet where there’s not a lot of fat to cushion the prick of the needle. Even then, the pain is really just a pinch for a split second.

After the needles are in, Kirstin makes sure I’m warm enough and turns the lights off for me (a small desk lamp is usually left on). For the next 40-50 minutes I just lay there and breathe slowly and refuse to think about anything that may stress me out. Sometimes I fall asleep, but most of the time I just lay there, comforted in knowing that I’m getting a chance to relax.

The following are the places I’ve had needles in my body, the top of my head in my scalp, the spot between the eyebrows, my temples, my jaw line, near the top of my ear, near the top of my chest bone, my wrists, my abdomen, my calves, my ankles and my feet. A few times I’ve also laid on my stomach and she’s inserted them in my lower back and hooked them up to a wire with a very low voltage. It almost feels like a massage when she uses this method.

I honestly cannot say if the acupuncture is helping me Infertility wise, but I know it has helped me in other ways with stress, eating, sleep, etc. All these things can play a part, especially in Unexplained Infertility, so I have to believe it’s doing more good than harm for me. I don’t know how long I’ll keep going because we only have so much money to work with in our flexible spending account for 2011 and I’d rather use it on treatments but I am going to keep going as long as it’s financially possible without putting a strain on our finances.

I’ve found the best place to look for an acupuncturist is through your RE. It seems many are firm believers that it helps out in some way. To quote my RE, “I can’t prove that it’s helped my patients but I truly feel it’s a good idea for you to go and give it a shot.”