A poke in the 3@*

We had our most recent round of IVF last week. Stats show that acupuncture increases the chances of success. Now, I've always been extremely squeamish when it comes to needles, but I've been poked so much through this process that it doesn't faze me anymore. So I decided to give it a shot.

After doing a bit of research, I located a suitable acupuncturist situated in a great old house in a cool neighborhood. She informed me that we'd need to do a session before the embryo transfer, and then 2 sessions the day of the transfer.

The appointment began with the usual paperwork, followed by introductions and a round of questions from the therapist. Had I ever been pregnant? What are my sleep patterns like? Do I tend towards constipation or diarrhea?

Once that was done, the real fun began. She had me strip waist up and lie face down on a nice comfy massage table. Once I was situated she placed needles down the length of my spine. The only one that made me flinch was one she said was connected to the kidneys, and a sensitive spot (I pee far more than normal humans do so this made total sense to me). Once done she left me for 20 minutes to baste.

The entire process was extremely relaxing. I left feeling like I'd had a massage.

The next day was a little weirder. The intent for the pre-transfer session was to increase blood flow to my uterus, thicken the lining, etc. etc. Womb preparation, if you will. So needles went into my hands, feet, calves, scalp, ears(!), and forehead. She also placed 2 needles in my tummy in what she called The Infant's Door. This time I only had to sit for 10 minutes. And may I just say, needles in your ears are not fun.

After the transfer I went straight back to her office. The process was very similar this time, except she left the baby door closed. Wouldn't want those little cells sneaking out now!

But anyway, I'm feeling good about the whole process. We'll know more next week.