Acupuncture & Chinese Herbs

I provide acupuncture treatment before and after embryo transfer at The New Hope Center  in Virginia Beach.

Case 1 November 2007, Female late 30's

The patient is a physician who had never been pregnant before. After being married for three years, she and her husband finally decided to try In Vitro Fertilization (IVF). As a patient in a local reproductive medical center, she knew that acupuncture can improve the success rate for IVF. So she decided to try acupuncture during the IVF process outside of the medical center. After three acupuncture treatments, she told me that lab test showed the eggs' quality and quantity were all improved. She was very excited about the results and hoped her first IVF would succeed. But unfortunately, the lab test result turned out very dissapointing. But she still came back for acupuncture because acupuncture already helped her to have better eggs. I told her from Chinese medicine perspective, her body may need a little bit more time to respond to the natural intervention; so it will be better for her to wait three months before trying the second IVF. But she was worried about her age; after each passing day the chance is slimmer for her. She could not wait and she scheduled her second IVF. One day I got a phone call from her, she sounded very excited over the phone. She said "I have some good news to share with you, I will see you in half an hour." When she came in the door, she said happily "I am pregnant, I can not believe it. It is a miracle. I've never gotten pregnant before......and it's all because of acupuncture!" So she never had to try the second IVF.

Case 2  Auguest 2008, Female mid 30's

"T" is an interesting person. After an unexpected miscarriage and a failed IVF. She decided to try something natural. She bought a book about how Chinese herbs help infertility issue and circled all the symptoms she had from the book. During the first visit she asked me if I can do something to help her. After asking a few questions, taking the pulse and inspecting the tongue. I gave her my explanation why she had a hard time to get pregnant which is pretty common in women "kidney deficiency". I suggested her try acupuncture and Chinese herbal therapy altogether. I also let her husband to do moxa on her. After four treatments, She went on vacation for a month. One day I got a phone call from her. Over the phone she told me she was pregnant for seven weeks.

Case 3  October 2008, Female early 30's

"J" had two miscarriages after two successful IVF. She was referred by "T" in Case ②. I convinced "J" to try acupuncture, herbs and moxibustion. She did everything I suggested, and she got pregnant after 6 acupuncture treatments. It is always the patients who follow the insturctions will have the best result!

Case 4  Feburary 2009, Female mid 20's

"L" had a failed IVF due to the lining of the uterus is not thick enouth. She was referred by her doctor to try acupuncture. After 6 weeks of acupuncture treatments, she tried IVF the second time. She got pregnant.

Case 5  April 2009, Female late 30's

"K" originally came in for anxiety. I noticed that she had some infertility issue. I explained to her that anxiety and infertility are all realted to kidney energy deficiency. I can add two points to help her infertility at the same time of treating anxiety. She agreed. After 6 treatments(once a week), she was preganant.

Case 6  May 2009, Female late 30's

"K" has tried IVF four times but with no success. For the fifth time, she decided to try acupuncture one month prior her IVF. After 7 treatments(twice a week), She had a success IVF now.

Case 7  May 2009, Female early 30's

"J" tried IVF twice with no success. After her second IVF faild, she came for acupuncture treatment. After 5 acupuncture treatments(once a week), her period delayed for seven days. She told me after her first IVF failed, the period was still on time.  So she felt something good might happen this time, but she was too nervous to do the pregnancy test. I told her "You are still young, the chance to get pregnant is still very good. There is nothing to worried about. Do not let this bother you anymore. Go home and do the test." She did the test and the result is negative. She scheduled an appointment with her doctor to see what is wrong for the delayed period. The doctor told her the blood test showed positive. She was pregnant. 

Case 8  July 2009, Female mid 30's

"M" got pregnant after 8 acupuncture treatments.

Case 9  January 2010, Female early 30's

"K" got pregnant after 6 months acupuncture treatment.

Case 10

One day I got a phone call from Paula. Paula is in her 30’s; she and her husband Shawn have been married for several years. Paula had been diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), so it was difficult for her to conceive a child. Recently the couple was happy to find out Paula was pregnant and in her first trimester. They were very excited and hoped everything would go smoothly. Yet a problem had arisen. Paula’s doctor discovered she had a 10cm hemorrhagic cyst on her left ovary. Her gynecologist highly recommended surgery however it could result in a miscarriage. The couple did not want to risk the chance of a miscarriage so they looked into alternative medicine. She called because she wanted a consultation with me.
 
During the consultation Paula asked me if I could treat her with the Chinese medicine. I felt her pulse and inspected her tongue and eyes then I gave her a diagnosis from a Chinese medicine perspective. The cyst was caused by blood stagnation. I thoroughly discussed the treatment options, which included the use of blood-invigorating herbs to enhance the circulation to help shrink the cyst. I explained to her that there was a slight chance of a miscarriage, but that I was confident my diagnosis was correct and a miscarriage would be unlikely. Paula decided to take the chance and give my treatment a try. I performed acupuncture around the belly button, which is normally taboo during a pregnancy, but in this case it was necessary. Then I prescribed an herbal formula for her to take for two weeks. Just a few days later Paula went to the doctor for an ultrasound and the cyst had already began to thin. It is now much smaller and no longer a concern to her gynecologist. Paula was thrilled and could not believe it had begun to work in such a short period.
 
At six months in her pregnancy the doctor discovered Paula had developed gestational diabetes and prescribed Glyburide. She suffered awful side effects and once again called me for help. I explained to her that gestational diabetes is normally caused by a kidney deficiency and that using herbs to strengthen her kidney would help. After two weeks of taking Chinese herbs, she no longer has to take Glyburide.

（Little Shanta was born in September 2010. Isn't she cute!）

Case 11 Feburary 2011

"K" (Female mid 30's) had a successful IVF(2nd time) after 13 acupuncture treatments.

"V" (Female mid 30's) had a successful IVF(3rd time) after 16 acupuncture treatments.

"K" (Female early 30's) had a successful IVF(3rd time) after 7 acupuncture treatments.

Case 12 March 2011

"S" was diagnosed with PCOS. She got pregnant after 7 acupuncture treatments.

“It only takes once!”  That’s what I clearly remember Ms. Smith saying in my 9th grade sex ed class, “Remember that kids, it only takes having sex one time for you to get pregnant.”

Fast-forward 13 years later and suddenly “It only takes once” seems to only be true when you are 16 and in the backseat of car.   I’m now married, with a steady job and ready to start a family.  At 5’2” and 120 pounds, I swim laps for 30-minutes every morning before work, aim to eat my five fruits and vegetables, don’t smoke or drink (not even coffee or soda), and I feel healthy – never a broken bone or even a cavity.  So why has it been a year and we’re still not pregnant?

In Jan 2009, I was diagnosed with PCOS, which helped to explain a lot.  I was put on Metformin and watched my diet more closely. More trying and waiting.  And in January 2011, I did searched the Internet for acupuncturists in the area and found Luke Sui. 

Luke was wonderful – on my first appointment, he asked me questions about why I had contacted him, took my pulses and took my history.  He recommended a treatment plan and had a few needles placed that afternoon.  I was sent home with a small packet of Chinese herbs and instructed to take them twice a day.

I continued to see Luke once a week for acupuncture and religiously took my herbs.  And in March, my husband and I were thrilled to have a positive pregnancy test!  A few weeks later, we saw our baby’s heartbeat on the ultrasound and both of us could not believe our eyes.

If you are struggling with starting a family like we did, I’d encourage you to give acupuncture a try, too.  Best of luck to you and a big thank you to Luke!

Case 13 April 2011

"J" got pregnant after 20 acupuncture treatments.

Case 14 June 2011

"J" got pregnant after 8 acupuncture treatments!