Lola specialises in treating both female and male infertility. She has undertaken further training in infertility with experts such as Jane Littleton. The treatment optimises the chances of natural conception. It is also a relaxing treatment that prepares the body and mind for conception. A detailed initial consultation would primarily be taken and a diagnosis would be made in order to treat the imbalances that are preventing pregnancy. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) diagnosis is used to find the causative factor and the root of the problem that is inhibiting natural conception and formulates a treatment that will support the female and/or the male. The treatment will be adjusted according to which part of the cycle the patient has reached as different parts of the month require different treatments. It also aims to restore and rebuild general wellbeing as well as to regulate hormones.
Acupuncture can help with menstrual irregularities, lack of ovulation, polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS), endometriosis, ovarian cyst, hormone imbalances, thyroid issues and stress, amongst others.
For the male, it will help to improve the motility, mobility and count of the sperm and the overall general wellbeing.
Regulating fertility hormones
Regulating the menstrual cycle
Increasing the blood flow to the reproductive organs
Promoting the growth of follicles
Increasing the thickness and quality of the endometrium
Helping to unblock the fallopian tubes
Helping the promoting ovulation (by facilitating the movement of the ovum in the fallopian tubes)
Promoting blood supply to the uterus in order to encourage implantation
Helping you relax which will help to regulate hormones
Improving the quality and quantity of sperm
Lola will give multiple recommendations on how to enhance the chances of conceiving through diet and advice.
The patient would be supported both physically and emotionally. The treatments are focused on improving the chances of getting pregnant. Research shows that couples who have acupuncture have an increased chance of getting pregnant naturally.
According to research from the University School of Medicine, Washington and the University of Amsterdam in Holland, having acupuncture during an IVF cycle increases the chances of getting pregnant by 60%.
Acupuncture would be given to help optimise follicle growth, ovarian response, pelvic blood flow and endometrial thickening. It can also help in relaxing the uterus if given at the time of transfer.
Acupuncture is given after egg collection to aid post-operative recovery and to reduce internal and abdominal swelling. The healing process would help implantation of the embryo at a later date.
It can also help to relieve the side effects of the drugs as well as calming the mind, releasing endorphins and relieving stress at this challenging time.
Lola recommends seeing patients about 8 weeks before starting IVF or IUI or ICSI, in order to work on any imbalances that are there beforehand.
Optimising follicle growth and ovarian response
Optimising pelvic blood flow
Increasing the thickness of the endometrium
Help in relaxing the uterus if given at the time of transfer.
Promoting blood supply to the uterus in order to encourage implantation
Aid post-operative recovery and to reduce internal swelling and abdominal swelling.
Helping you relax
Helping with side effects of drugs such as bloating, mood swings and gas amongst others
Improving the quality and quantity of sperm
Apart from preparing the body for pregnancy with acupuncture, the patient is recommended to have a treatment before and after embryo transfer.
Most clinical trials to date suggest that acupuncture may be useful in the embryo transfer stage of in vitro fertilisation, and results in an increased pregnancy rate and a greater number of live births (Cheong 2008, Manheimer 2008, Kong 2009, Chen 2009, Smith 2006, Westergaard 2006).
Acupuncture treatment is given before and after embryo transfer to improve the blood supply to the uterus in order to encourage the embryo to attach to the endometrial lining, therefore reducing cramping and relaxing the uterus for better implantation. This treatment also helps the patient to relax and to calm the mind.
The treatment would be given on the same day of embryo transfer – before and after the transfer.
The same principles apply to IUI and ICSI. Acupuncture would be given before and after the procedure.
Male fertility (the following information has been taken from the website of the British Acupuncture Council BAcC).
Again, there have been a number of small trials over the years, with promising indications for acupuncture in improving various sperm characteristics. A systematic review in 2015 included 12 studies with 2177 patients. Acupuncture was found to be superior to medication, or superior when combined with it, for sperm concentration and quality and response rates (He 2015): ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26333228.
Some clinical trials suggest that acupuncture improves sperm motility (Dieterle 2009), increases sperm count (Siterman 2009, Siterman 2001), improves sperm quality (Pei 2005; Gurfinkel 2003) and has a beneficial effect on psychogenic erectile dysfunction (Engelhardt 2003) (see Table overleaf). The research results are promising but still at a preliminary stage in terms of numbers and quality of studies.
Acupuncture may help in the treatment of male infertility (Stener-Victorin 2010), by:
lowering scrotal temperature (Siterman 2009);
enhancing local microcirculation, by increasing the diameter and blood flow velocity of peripheral arterioles (Komori 2009);
reducing inflammation, by promoting release of vascular and immunomodulatory factors (Zijlstra 2003);
by improving sperm maturation in the epididymis, increasing testosterone levels, and reducing liquid peroxidation of sperm (Crimmel 2001).
Infertility (the following information has been taken from the website of the British Acupuncture Council BAcC).
Acupuncture may help in the treatment of infertility by:
regulating fertility hormones - stress and other factors can disrupt the function of the hypothalamic pituitary-ovarian axis (HPOA). Acupuncture promotes the release of beta-endorphin in the brain, which regulates gonadatrophin releasing hormone from the hypothalamus, follicle stimulating hormone from the pituitary gland, and oestrogen and progesterone levels from the ovary (Anderson 2007).
increasing blood flow to the reproductive organs (Ho 2009, Anderson 2007), which can improve the thickness of the endometrial lining, so increasing the chances of embryo implantation.
increasing egg production (Jin 2009) and improving oocyte quality (Chen 2009), which could increase the chance of fertilisation.
enhancing luteal function (Huang 2009).
regulating follicle stimulation hormone-receptor expression (Jin 2009).
normalising cortisol and prolactin levels on IVF medication days (Magarelli 2008); reducing stress (Anderson 2007)
"My friend recommended I should go and see Lola after I'd been trying for almost a year to get pregnant with my second child. Not only am I due to give birth within the next few weeks, but it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that Lola has helped me change my life! Right from the first appointment, Lola was warm, kind, understanding and very generous with her time. She made me feel safe, normal and cared for. Our appointments became about so much more than just the acupuncture - I felt like I was getting a holistic therapy service every week.
I saw enormous changes to my menstrual cycle, as well as my mental and physical health. I had a much healthier and more regular menstrual cycle, felt physically more energised and found out I was pregnant after a few months of treatment.
Her treatments have continued to support me through my pregnancy and I intend to carry on with treatments through the post-natal period." - Bridget