Although almost every woman I’ve helped with fertility was using some sort of Prenatal vitamin/mineral there are two recent studies below that show their benefit.   When undergoing IVF there are large non-physiological quantities of hormones that need to be metabolized and certain minerals such as copper and zinc are used as co-enzymes in their metabolism.   Therefore it is possible that deficiencies can develop.

For any kind of fertility issues I strongly feel that Chinese herbal medicine and acupuncture are superior than modern assisted reproductive technologies (ART) for a majority of cases.   With acupuncture and herbs you not only help the woman conceive, but also to create healthier offspring, as well as support the health of the mother.   However I also prefer to use some sort of whole food multi vitamin and mineral to support general health.  If there have been miscarriages I also use potent antioxidants (not ones found in a multivitamin/mineral) to help reduce oxidative stress.  As shown by one of the studies below oxidative stress can be high in some IVF cases.
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A recent review study showed that acupuncture in conjuction with in-vitro fertilization improved the chances of a rates of pregnancy and live births.   (This really shouldn’t come as a surprise since there have been many studies showing that acupuncture helps couples conceive.)   This study was a review of 7 trials and over 1300 women undergoing IVF, so it wasn’t just a small pilot study, it did have some significance. The It was a 1.65 odds ratio which suggests that acupuncture increased the odds of clinical pregnancy by 65% compared with the control groups. However the authors correctly state that this is an overestimation and what it actually means is that for every 10 women that get treated there will be one more live birth.  Consider the exorbernant cost of IVF acupuncture is very cost effective.   Still this is significant, especially if you are one of those 10.

I’m always amazed at how incredible acupuncture is for regulating female hormones.   So it isn’t a surprise that acupuncture helps with pregnancy. The authors concluded: “Current preliminary evidence suggests that acupuncture given with embryo transfer improves rates of pregnancy and live birth among women undergoing in vitro fertilisation.”

In Health,
George Mandler
Licensed Acupuncturist
Licensed Dietitian / Nutritionist

Maynard, MA & Cambridge, MA