Mother's Day was a sad reminder of a dream unfulfilled for Sharon. Five previous artificial inseminations had failed. Now she waited to see if the latest and last possible attempt would be successful. "Single people can have a rich, fulfilling life without children," she tried to remind herself. But she was unable to shake the deep desire to have a child. She had a rewarding career as a nurse, but at age 40, had not yet met "Mr. Right." Through concerns still remained, she decided to actively pursue becoming a single mom.

Acupuncture and Infertility

After being treated by three infertility physicians, Sharon became more and more discouraged. A large part of the difficulty was her age. In women, fertility begins to decrease after age 35, and more rapidly after age 40. Since multiple eggs are needed for in vitro fertilization, fertility drugs (hormones) are used to stimulate the ovaries to develop and release more eggs. Sharon's ovaries were not responding to the fertility drugs. Her blood estrogen level remained low and the number of follicles (eggs), as seen by ultrasound, were not increasing.

One day a friend told her about a physician named Dr. Richard Feely who could reverse infertility with acupuncture treatments. She decided to give it a try.

After a few sessions with acupuncture needles placed in her hands, feet and across her abdomen, there were signs that her body was responding. Discouragingly, the next attempt at insemination failed. However, she began to experience every possible side effect listed for the fertility drug.

Hormones Respond

"This is a good thing," Dr. Feely encouraged, as she complained about the hot flashes, dehydration, and other symptoms she was experiencing. "This means your body is responding to the hormones. My gut feeling is that this will work."

Her doctor at the infertility clinic was not so optimistic. He told her he would let her try insemination only one last time. On May 13 (the day after Mother's Day) four eggs were retrieved and inseminated with donor sperm. Of the four, three grew into healthy looking seven to eight cell embryos, and one was transferred to Sharon. Now there was nothing to do but wait to see if the embryo would successfully implant in the uterine wall. The day after the pregnancy test, Sharon was at work when she received a page. "Are you sitting down?" asked the nurse from the lab. "You're pregnant!"

Success Rate

The news of Sharon's pregnancy meant that Dr. Feely had a 100 percent success rate in using acupunture to treat women with fertility problems. Of the six women who have completed the treatment so far, six have become pregnant. Most of the women were in their 30's and had tried to become pregnant on their own for one to two years.

Dr. Feely learned the acupuncture technique from Dr. Musset of France at a workshop given in Washington, D.C. in 1994. This acupuncture technique is practiced in various countries around the world, but its use in the U.S. is not widespread, and only a few studies on the subject appear in the medical literature.

Balancing Hormones

Acupuncture will not correct structural problems, such as a blocked fallopian tube. The strength and beauty of this treatment lies in its ability to balance the hormones of the body and there are at least eight hormones involved with conception. Chinese medicine would say acupuncture harmonizes Qi, or the body's natural energy and vitality. Dr. Feely says it seems to work best in women who have low estrogen or high progesterone levels, but doesn't provide a specific treatment for specific hormones.

What to Expect

Once a woman has been identified as a good candidate for acupuncture by a thorough medical examination, treatments are given on the seventh and thirteenth day of the menstrual cycle for two to four cycles. Treatment involves placing nine to fourteen needles in the legs, arms and abdomen, with only minimal discomfort. Most visits usually include acupuncture, osteopathic manipulative treatment and auricular electrical stimulation. It is important for the low back to be in proper alignment, because this is where the nerves that reach the uterus and the ovaries are located.

It takes an average of two to four months to determine if the patient will become pregnant. Based on his experience so far, Dr. Feely says, "A woman can generally expect an increase in energy, a feeling of better health, and quite possibly pregnancy." Of course there are no guarantees, but in many cases acupuncture can help restore the body's natural reproductive processes so that women, like Sharon, can fulfill their desire for a family.