While I do treat a wide variety of health conditions, a significant number of my patients come to me for help in conceiving a child. Some come to me after trying to get pregnant for only six months or so, while others come after trying for several years. Some are taking Clomid, undergoing intrauterine inseminations (IUI’s), or are preparing for in vitro fertilization (IVF). Some have luteal phase insufficiency, abnormal

hormonal levels, ovarian cysts, are not ovulating, or have been diagnosed with unexplained infertility. Others simply want to optimize their chances of conception.

Treatment Protocol
It is reasonable to devote a minimum of three months to treatment. This involves three acupuncture treatments per menstrual cycle: one treatment after the end of the period, one right before ovulation, and another shortly after ovulation. I also strongly recommend the use of a custom-made Chinese herbal formula. The herbs in this formula will vary between the follicular and luteal phases of the menstrual cycle. For those undergoing IVF treatments, I typically do not recommend herbs once a woman has begun suppression drugs. Some of my patients have gotten pregnant in less than three months, for others it has taken longer.

Success Rate
People sometimes ask me what my success rate is, as some acupuncturists promote themselves with these numbers. It is constantly changing based on the patients I am treating, and I find it difficult to compare cases, which are so vastly different in history, complexity, and severity. In a phone conversation I am happy to share the experiences of the patients I have treated and provide more detail. I aim to be honest in my practice, and it is for this reason that I have included a testimonial below from a patient who did not get pregnant. As with Western fertility treatments, there is no guarantee of success with Chinese medicine. However, as I have repeatedly seen in my practice, Chinese medicine can improve the likelihood of conceiving and having a healthy pregnancy.

Male Factor Infertility
Acupuncture and Chinese herbs can help increase sperm motility and count, and improve morphology. In one study, infertile males treated with acupuncture two times a week for five weeks had increases in sperm viability, integrity, motility, and in the amount of functional sperm.1  Since it takes two to three months for sperm to mature, I recommend acupuncture treatments and the use of Chinese herbs for a minimum of two months. If you and your partner are planning an IVF treatment, I encourage both the man and woman to be treated. The woman benefits from acupuncture treatment shortly before the IVF treatment is to begin, and then throughout it until after transfer. I believe improving the vitality of sperm prior to the procedure also improves the rate of success. Hence, I recommend the man start taking Chinese herbs and getting periodic acupuncture treatments three months before retrieval and collection.

1 S. Siterman, et. al., “Does acupuncture treatment affect sperm density in males with very low sperm count? A pilot study,” Andrologia, vol. 32, issue 1, p. 31, Jan. 2000.

Testimonials

"After trying unsuccessfully for a year to get pregnant, we went to my gynecologist for help. She suggested several things, including a referral to Kristi. I had never tried acupuncture but was willing to give it a go. I started seeing Kristi and she prescribed a combination of acupuncture and herbal remedies. Kristi was very thorough in her work with me. She took an extensive history and closely monitored my body's reaction to the treatments she was giving me, making changes as needed. After 4 1/2 months of treatment we found out we were pregnant, and I am now in my last trimester! Working with Kristi was very easy. She was extremely sympathetic to our situation and the emotions involved in trying to get pregnant, took time to explain what she was doing, and was very accommodating in scheduling appointments, etc. I would highly recommend her services to anyone." - Julie H.

“I was skeptical to visit an acupuncturist at first. How could needles and herb tea make any difference in my fertility? My husband and I had tried to get pregnant for over a year without success. I was 38 and starting to wonder if it ever would happen. So, we made appointments with a fertility specialist and with Kristi. We wanted to know if there were any obvious hindrances to our fertility, and underwent a battery of hormone, semen and physiological tests. Everything was normal! Meanwhile, I started acupuncture treatments 3 times a month and drinking the herbal teas that Kristi recommended. Nothing happened the first month, but I did find the sessions relaxing and the tea soothing, so I kept coming. In the second month of treatment, however, one of my blood tests revealed a marked increase in my progesterone levels. I learned I was pregnant on day 28 of my cycle!

I know many factors contribute to successful conception, but after so many months of trying, my heart tells me that Kristi’s treatments were an essential component of our ability to conceive. And we are grateful!”
Signed, No Longer a Skeptic

“ When trying to conceive, I realized that I was likely not ovulating. About 48 hours after an acupuncture treatment with Kristi intended to promote ovulation, it occurred and we conceived. Kristi took a thoughtful, compassionate approach to my treatment and I feel lucky to have had her help.” Tera Schreiber

“ At 39, my partner and I had been trying to conceive for a year and a half and were tired and discouraged. I had been taking Clomid and timing artificial inseminations (IUI) with my gynecologist for many months, but had not yet had any success. My body had always behaved well before – I am healthy, take good care of myself, and had been generally worry free – and did not want to go to the next level of “interventions” that a fertility specialist might recommend.

When a friend told me that she had had some success with acupuncture, I called Kristi. I found her to be smart, professional, straightforward, accommodating and warm. Eager to try something that would give me a sense that I was improving my chances of conception, but wary that I would have to choose between Eastern and Western medicines, Kristi assured me that acupuncture and Chinese herbs could be used to support my other fertility treatments . She listened thoughtfully, answered my questions carefully and provided additional research when I requested it. Kristi’s thoroughness inspired confidence and our sessions were brief periods of calm and hope in an otherwise challenging time. Happily, after 5 months of our work together, I am now pregnant and looking forward to the next chapter in my life.” Anonymous

"When I first visited Kristi I was at the tail end of a five year struggle with infertility. I felt too physically and emotionally drained to ever get pregnant or to sustain a pregnancy, and I wanted to feel “well” again. After several failed rounds of Clomid, I just needed to get back on my feet before considering assisted reproductive techniques like IVF. I was drawn to Chinese medicine because I was ready for a treatment that didn’t focus on reproduction to the exclusion or detriment of my overall health and well-being, but instead offered a more holistic approach that could address not just my infertility but also my fatigue and sadness.

Acupuncture was amazing because I felt like I was doing something so positive for myself, without such a focus on achieving pregnancy; this in turn made the dreaded “two-week wait” less oppressive. I enjoyed not worrying so much about getting pregnant, and I really, really liked not feeling a sense of failure every month.

Over the course of several months, my mind turned more and more to my ultimate desire to mother a child, and my husband and I made the decision to adopt. At that time, I stopped treatment for infertility but still visit Kristi regularly just to maintain that sense of well-being and overall health.

Kristi is a kind, warm-hearted and professional caregiver who I believe is guided by a genuine desire to see her patients be healthy. I very much appreciated her willingness to listen to all of my concerns, and to structure my treatment accordingly. I credit Kristi’s treatments with enabling me to get past what had become crippling despair and a lack of hope, to eventually finding peace with a different journey to motherhood. And in the meantime, I have referred my husband and other family members to her and they have all benefited from her treatment as well!" Deborah V.

Given the detail of some of these testimonials, some patients have requested anonymity. They are available as references, if necessary. Additional testimonials may be found on the Home Page.

Articles and Additional Information
I am mentioned in an article called Preconception Planning in Seattle Woman magazine. This article discusses the role of acupuncture in optimizing fertility and provides other local resources as well.

Many are familiar with the German study of the use of acupuncture with in vitro fertilization. 42.5% of the group of patients that received an acupuncture treatment both before and after the transfer got pregnant. In contrast, only 26.3% of the control group, that did not receive acupuncture, got pregnant. (Paulus WE, Zhang M, Strehler E, El-Danasouri I, Sterzik K. Influence of acupuncture on the pregnancy rate in patients who undergo assisted reproduction therapy. Fertility and Sterility, vol. 77(4), April 2002.)

A brief article that I wrote, Infertility and Chinese Medicine can be found in my Reading Room.