Is that a dozen needles in you or are you just happy to see me?

I had never even considered acupuncture until I started going through fertility treatments. I had no idea what to expect when I went in to my visit except there are scary needles involved that supposedly don't hurt.

Here's what really goes on during a typical visit:

First of all, acupuncture and TCM (Traditional Chinese Medicine) have been around for thousands of years, so they've had lots of time to perfect their methods and the doctors and practitioners deal with you as a person and not just you as a problem to solve.

During a typical visit, I am asked about my mood, stress, sleep, exercise, and diet. But they also ask for the most basic signs that my body may be telling me something is not right. They ask about my bowel movements (this was quite surprising when they first asked and I was like, "... er, fine. Beautiful. Would you like to see?") But now I just describe "it" to them. I always keep a straight face as I go into poetic detail about my poopy but Inner B is giggling behind me like a ten-year-old.

Then they ask to see my tongue and they check my pulse. If my pulse is sluggish, for example, it means my circulation is poor and they will do treatment to increase my blood circulation. The science behind it is much more complex but this is what I can tell you in layman's terms.

Now some women say they went to acupuncture JUST ONCE and OMG they got pregnant! And, yes, that does happen, but more likely your body will need time. It's like exercise, you can go once and it may make you feel good, but it takes times for your body to respond and improve.

What does it do for pregnant women (besides improve their overall health)? It can increase your hormones, improves your egg quality, and FSH levels, among other things.

But I know what your real question is: DOES IT HURT? 

The answer is no. Okay, sometimes you feel a tiny pinch when the needle goes in but if you have a Doctor who has been doing it for years, you'll hardly feel anything.

As you lay on the table you're meant to relax, sleep, or meditate but I often find my mind wandering to darker thoughts... about an earthquake happening in the middle of the treatment and me having to run out with all these needles sticking out of me or what if I fall of the table and onto all those needles?!! Of course, that never happens. But what if??

The other part of acupuncture treatment are the herbs. If you really want the treatment to work, you need to take herbs. How do you take them? As a tea. You can either take them as a powder that dissolves into hot water or boil raw herbs into a tea. I do the later b/c it is more effective (though it tastes like dirt with cinnamon on top. But the benefit is so great, I don't mind. Or at least, I put up with it.)

So that's your 101 on acupuncture. I hope you have enjoyed this honest look into the world of Eastern medicine. I will be quizzing you next week.

Cheerio!