I was a year into trying to conceive our second child when someone first mentioned acupuncture to me. I had just been to the doctors and had the conversation about what was next in our fertility journey. With no real answers in the blood work my doctor ran, I thought trying out acupuncture wouldn’t be a bad idea. I reached out to a Seacoast acupuncturist who specialized in fertility with some questions. After a few emails back and forth I was driving into my first acupuncture session. I was a little nervous, a little excited, and pretty scared about the thought of needles everywhere. But what happened next was pretty amazing…
The First Visit to Acupuncture
I filled out a pretty hefty questionnaire prior to my fist visit to acupuncture. A mix of some health related questions but also a lot about whether my body felt warm or cold, how my bowels were functioning, and my energy level. The acupuncturist looked over my answers before I got there and we jumped right into why I was there and what the benefits of acupuncture would be. Overall the plan was to balance my hormones and body to hopefully be able to conceive. After we chatted for a bit she asked to look at my tongue. The reason for this is because its the only inside organ you can see outside, which can give the acupuncturist good info about what may be going on inside. Next we moved onto her feeling my pulse in three different places on my arm at three different depths of pressure. As I understand it these points and pulses correlate this an organ or system in the body. From this information she knew where she was going to put needles and why. I didn’t ask anymore questions but just laid down on the insanely comfortable and heated table and tried to relax. Once she placed the needles she left me in a quiet room for about 30 minutes. It was very relaxing — definitely not as scary as I though it would be.
What Happened Next
I don’t know much about Chinese medicine but I can tell you my acupuncturist picked up on something that my doctor missed. After our my first session were chatted a little more about what she thought might be going on. She told me that when she checked my kidney pulse it was slow and that usually means there is a thyroid issue, which can really mess with hormones. Knowing I had just come back from getting blood work that showed no issues in the thyroid, she urged me to ask the doctor to run 6 other thyroid tests. These were all checking something different and would give the complete picture of what was possibly going on. So off I went back to the doctor and convinced them to run these for me. Sure enough my thyroid antibodies were very high and the doctor put me on a medication to help. A few months of acupuncture and consistent medication and I was pregnant with our second! Who knows what shifted but something worked. If you are dealing with fertility issues be sure to check out this post.
Seeking Alternative Therapy
Doctors and nurses are AMAZING but they’re not perfect and they (like everyone else) practice what they know. I am a strong believer in having someone – whether its an acupuncturist, massage therapist, chiropractor, in your corner. These people ask different questions and they actually put their hands on you, which can be pretty powerful. You may not be dealing with fertility issues but maybe chronic pain, illness, stress, or any number of things. Using alternative therapies along side seeking medical attention really allows you to be a strong advocate for yourself.
If you are looking to explore acupuncture for yourself, check out one of these great places right here on the seacoast!
Portsmouth Community Acupuncture
