Fertility Boost - Acupuncture in Bristol
Most of my fertility patients have been on their fertility journey for at least a year. They may have experienced one or more miscarriages or failed rounds of IVF, IUI or ICSI.
Some have PCOS, a thyroid condition, or diagnosed or suspected endometriosis. Others have been diagnosed with unexplained infertility, male factor infertility or secondary infertility.
Many of my patients find acupuncture and lifestyle advice beneficial. They usually come from the Bristol area but sometimes they travel from Bath or South Wales.
Acupuncture for Fertility
I also work with patients who are waiting for NHS fertility treatment. Some want to try a natural approach while they wait. Others are keen to have all recommended tests and investigations before their free round begins.
Some of my patients have irregular cycles. Others have been trying to conceive for less than a year.
Whatever the reasons that have led to you finding me, you’ll be in safe hands as we continue your fertility journey together.
I will:
- Review your blood tests, scan results and semen analysis to get to the root cause of the problem
- Where necessary, recommend additional blood tests, scans, sperm testing and microbiome testing to optimise your health
- Provide you with a plan to help optimise your health. This may include dietary, lifestyle and/or supplement advice
- Support you emotionally
- If necessary, refer you to other professionals such as a Chinese Medicine Herbalist, Gynaecologist, Urologist or Endocrinologist.
- Set out a plan for your acupuncture treatment.
I often see clients who are living with the following:
- Unexplained infertility
- Male factor infertility
- PCOS (polycystic ovary syndrome)
- Premature ovarian failure (POF)
- High FSH
- Irregular cycles
- Short or long cycles
- High NK Cells
- Reproductive Immunology
- Painful periods
- Absence of menstrual cycles
- Endometriosis
- PMS
- Fibroids
- Thyroid imbalance
- Hashimoto’s disease
- Recurrent miscarriage
- IVF/IUI support
- Autoimmunity
- Luteal phase defect
- Pelvic inflammatory disease (PID)
Of course, I can’t promise a natural pregnancy or a pregnancy using fertility treatment. However, following the course of acupuncture treatment and my advice, you will feel infinitely healthier.
Here's how Acupuncture for a Fertility Boost works
Initial 15-minute consultation – free of charge
If you would like to find out more about acupuncture or working with me, please book a 15-minute consultation by phone. In this appointment, we will briefly discuss how I can help you, and you’ll be able to ask questions about me, my process and the benefits of working with me.
To get the most out of this consultation, you should email me with any test results and scan reports that you have so far, as this will help me to recommend the best package for you.
Most people attending this 15-minute consultation go on to work with me. In this case, the next stage is to sign up for your Fertility Boost which will give you access to my "Preparing for your Fertility Boost" information.
Four Month "Fertility Boost" Package
Once you have decided that you are ready to commit to working on your fertility with me and have signed up for your Fertility Boost package, you will receive my "Preparing for your Fertility Boost" information sheet. This is the first essential step so we can do brilliant work together! It contains information about things you can be doing and what test results to collate, and ensures that while you are waiting for your first appointment, you are making the best use of this time so we can hit the ground running.
The four month "Fertility Boost" package starts with an in-person or Zoom meeting which takes around 90 minutes. During the appointment, we’ll cover your medical history, your fertility journey so far, and other areas of your health, so I can build a complete picture of your health (and your partner’s health, if applicable).
I will discuss the changes I recommend making to improve your health and will discuss any testing that I think would be useful. Hopefully, you will have provided your blood tests, semen analysis and any scan reports to me in advance of this first meeting, so we can also review any areas where your results are sub-optimal.
Please note I will not give you acupuncture during this session.
Your treatment begins – Fertility Acupuncture appointments for women and couples
After your first in-person or zoom meeting, acupuncture treatment begins, together with guidance to make positive changes to your health and support with the testing that you need.
Acupuncture encourages good blood flow to the ovaries, enhancing your eggs’ quality, and eggs take around three months to mature, so the next stage of your treatment will be approximately weekly appointments with acupuncture for the rest of the four months.
As well as your acupuncture, during the weekly treatments, there is time to talk about any changes to your health, new test results and updates on your fertility journey.
Male fertility is just as important for achieving and maintaining pregnancy, so I also want to work with the man involved in the pregnancy, where applicable. Acupuncture can increase blood flow to the reproductive organs, encouraging a healthy environment for sperm to be made and matured. Acupuncture also impacts hormones, so it can be helpful where a hormonal imbalance may be present. It takes around 90 days for a sperm to be made and matured, so, in some cases, I recommend weekly treatment for the man involved as well.
Both men and women are invited to come for acupuncture treatments. I expect to see women weekly due to the rhythm of hormones. For men, acupuncture is optional, although if semen analysis results are low or borderline, I recommend that they do also attend sessions for acupuncture for best results. Some men attend weekly, some monthly and some prefer to just follow the diet and lifestyle advice. Both partners, if applicable, will always attend the In Depth Consultation and receive advice around diet, supplements, simple lifestyle changes and functional tests.
Acupuncture treatments are based at my clinics in Bishopston and Horfield, Bristol.
Four Month "Fertility Boost" Package
Investment: £500 per calendar month (over 4 months) or £1,900 payment in full.
The acupuncture itself is relaxing and a time when I would really switch off and rest, which was something I really needed.
Just a big thank you for all your help and guidance as I truly believe this wouldn’t have happened for us so quickly without your help.
Anon, Bristol
You made me feel so much calmer and reassured us that I likely had more time than I was originally told. I started to feel in control of the whole process, whereas I was previously feeling a bit helpless.
You go through so many different aspects of health and lifestyle that I wouldn’t even think could affect fertility, and help to fix small problems that together make a big difference. You were also there to listen at times when I felt overwhelmed and upset and so I didn’t feel stupid for bursting into tears every now and then! If i had any questions or worries I knew that I had my session with you coming up and would get answers and hopefully reassurance which was really comforting. (continued ->)
Anon, Bristol
We knew we wanted to start trying to get pregnant in the next few months, but after being told I had low AMH and would likely go into menopause early, I was completely stressed about our chances of falling pregnant and felt the pressure of time being against us.
We got in contact with you because we wanted to make sure we were in the best possible health to fall pregnant as quickly as possible once we had started trying. (continued->)
Anon, Bristol
I’d had several failed rounds of fertility treatment and several pregnancy losses. I felt deflated, frustrated, confused and very unsure about where to turn. After a really successful round of IVF in April 2023 having started acupuncture with Valerie in August 2022, obtaining four top quality embryos. The third embryo transfer worked and I am now 17 weeks pregnant.
I genuinely believe I would not have made it here without Valerie’s expert support and advice. The fertility journey was long and very hard, but I feel positive about it, as it led me to my rainbow baby.
Just a huge thank you!
Lucy, Wales
We started trying for a baby in 2020 and couldn’t believe that I got pregnant straight away, however, I sadly miscarried a few weeks later. Following that, we’d been trying for around 8 months before I came to see Valerie. I was feeling quite obsessive and lonely with the whole process.
It’s been a long journey since then but I’m now 17 weeks pregnant following our second IVF transfer and we are so excited. I feel relieved, thankful and am enjoying each milestone of pregnancy.
Valerie has supported us with advice and regular acupuncture sessions. These sessions quite quickly lengthened my luteal phase and I found them very relaxing. I also noticed improvements in my energy. I think the most valuable thing over the past 2+ years has been having an ally to navigate the fertility system with, which can feel so overwhelming.
She has advised us on what to push for or do ourselves, from tests with our GP, referrals for additional tests that are not covered by the NHS, IVF and supporting my husband with his varicocele removal. Our funds are limited, and she really helped us to prioritise and persevere through the NHS system.
She’s helped me to feel in control and like we were doing all we can at each stage, despite it being a long process.
Thank you Valerie!
Jess, Bristol
I first approached Valerie after becoming concerned about my short cycle lengths and how it could be impacting our attempts to conceive.
Following an in-depth consultation, Valerie provided insightful advice on my diet, supplements, lifestyle plus some handy tips and tricks. No question was too silly.
After working hard to make some big changes alongside weekly acupuncture sessions, my cycles adjusted and I’m pleased so say I’m now 16 weeks pregnant. Like many women, getting to this point has not been straight forward for me and the amount of information out there is overwhelming.
I decided to build a team of support and I have found working with experts like Valerie to be invaluable. I’m very grateful to her and would recommend her services to anyone who needs help navigating their way through the fog.
Freya, Bristol
Back in December, before working with Valerie I was feeling a bit lost and quite low in energy. I definitely recognized that I didn’t physically feel in a great place. Now, I feel more confident and could not be happier with the outcome we have had post treatment. Acupuncture has really been a game changer for us as we have achieved a pregnancy and are now in our second trimester. The most helpful part has been knowing that we are working with an expert in the world of fertility which can be a bit of a rabbit hole. It has been really helpful to have a plan and be guided through the process. We cannot thank you enough for getting us to this stage and we are so grateful for all your help.
Adam, Bristol
When I started seeing Valerie 5 months ago, I was at the start of my second IVF cycle and felt out of options. I felt unsure of my next steps and how to navigate the fertility process. We spent 3 months preparing for pregnancy and I am now 3 months pregnant and feel positive about the next few months. I now realise the importance of putting me first and making time for me. I have found that having regular acupuncture forces me to stop and gives me time to focus on what is most important.
Kiana, Bristol
“My husband and I first started seeing Valerie in November 2020. We had been trying to conceive through IVF (ICSI) since 2016 and had suffered four miscarriages, as well as two unsuccessful embryo transfers. By October 2020, we had no more frozen embryos and no explanations of the causes of the miscarriages, so we decided to do some research ourselves and contacted Valerie. As well as the acupuncture, Valerie gave us a wealth of other information and advice. After our first appointment, she gave us a comprehensive report with all the tests she recommended we have and where and how to do them, specific dietary and supplement suggestions and other lifestyle changes to make. She referred us to a fertility nutritionist who was also incredibly helpful, and she gave us a huge amount of emotional support in addition.
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Amy, Bristol
It was fantastic to have another avenue to go down and so many changes we could make to try and improve things for us. We saw different consultants recommended by Valerie, which proved very insightful and successful, and we have made huge changes to our diet and lifestyle as well as seeing Valerie for acupuncture every week. She opened our eyes to looking into angles that other fertility specialists had not mentioned to us before (for example, exploring DNA fragmentation) and led to my husband having treatments to improve sperm health that we would not have previously considered.
I am pleased to say we are now 13 weeks pregnant, and I would recommend her wholeheartedly to anyone trying to conceive.”
Amy, Bristol
“I have been very happy with the treatment you provide, and you have a calm and relaxing way. I really appreciated your advice about the supplements to take, and I feel the acupuncture sessions helped me feel prepared for the embryo transfer. It was so helpful on the day of the transfer to have the sessions before and after, especially after the stressful time at the clinic, it helped so much to come back and have an hour to get totally relaxed again.”
A.W. Bristol
“I contacted Valerie when I was a few months into my journey to conceiving, having had a miscarriage six months previously. I really appreciate the thorough consultation Valerie did with me and my partner and her friendly, practical/ realistic and non-judgemental approach. I then started having weekly acupuncture sessions with Valerie and found out I was pregnant within the first month of these sessions. It was incredibly reassuring having Valerie as support through this time. From the simple aspect of having someone to check in with each week in relation to what I was feeling and experiencing and to give advice on diet and symptoms such as nausea; to the more therapeutic aspect of receiving acupuncture treatment helping to maintain/balance my energy, alleviate fatigue/ nausea and general aches and pains. During this time, I also had Covid and a cold and felt immediate improvements to reduced breath capacity/ blocked sinuses after acupuncture treatment with Valerie.”
Helen, Bristol
“I first went to Valerie after my frozen embryo transfer was cancelled due to my uterine lining not being thick enough. The fertility clinic didn’t give any further advice on how to improve the situation for the next cycle, so I was looking for some outside help.
Valerie was really helpful and asked a lot of questions at our first appointment to really understand my situation and general health. She recommended a couple of supplements and gave some advice about diet as well as the weekly acupuncture. The acupuncture helped me to relax. Especially with a new job which was stressful, it was important to take some time out.
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Alison W, South Glos
“I’m now 21 weeks pregnant and so happy to get success with our first embryo transfer, as it had already been a long journey to get to that point. I would recommend acupuncture with Valerie to anyone going through fertility struggles to get the mind and body as ready as you can whether trying naturally or with fertility treatments.
After a couple of months, I was ready for the transfer, and the nurse said my uterine lining looked top quality. Valerie went out of her way to provide acupuncture before and after the transfer, which was midday on a Sunday. It gave me a lot of reassurance and was really helpful to help me relax after the stress of the transfer, as well as having someone knowledgeable to talk to.”
Alison W, South Glos
Further investigations and treatment
Depending on your situation, you may need blood tests, scans and further investigations from medical professionals. I may also recommend supplements. I will discuss the benefits of these and relevant costs with you before booking anything or referring you anywhere.
Payment information
I ask all clients to pay online in advance of appointments. Please let me know if you would like to discuss payment by instalment. Options are available to pay weekly, monthly or in full up front, just let me know what works for you.
Cancellation Policy
I ask for a week’s notice to cancel booked session. If you cancel a session with less than a week’s notice and we can’t find another mutually convenient alternative time that week, you will be required to pay for the missed session.
3 month plan:
If you have a pre-booked holiday during your 3 month plan, if possible, I will offer you appointments either side of your holiday to maintain the treatment regularity.
If you need to rearrange your appointment, I need 7 days notice and I will try to find a mutually convenient alternative.
If I have a pre-booked holiday, I will let you know when you book your plan. I will ensure that you receive the treatment you need during your 3 month plan and in some cases I will arrange for you to see a colleague while I am away, in other cases I will see you before I go away and again when I am back, subject to finding mutually convenient appointment times.