Acupuncture for IVF, IUI & Egg Freezing
Whether you’re preparing for your first cycle or navigating a setback; working with an acupuncturist offers personalised, ongoing support that works with your body.
At Islington Acupuncture, we specialise in supporting women and couples through IVF, IUI, egg freezing and other assisted reproductive treatments (ARTs) — from preparation through to the two-week wait. The process of trying to conceive can take over your life and often feels hard to discuss with friends and family. We are fully aware of these difficulties and aim to provide emotional support as well as health care. We also have experience of working alongside many of the London based fertility clinics and are knowledgable about the protocols and drugs involved.
How acupuncture supports your fertility treatment
We tailor each session to where you are in your cycle — your protocol, your response to medication, and how you’re feeling week to week.
We can support you at every stage:
- Egg freezing support — helping you through the stimulation and retrieval process with calmer, better-prepared cycles
- Before you begin — a three-month preparation period to regulate your cycle, optimise your body’s response to medication, and improve sperm quality for male partners
- During follicular stimulation — supporting your body as it responds to hormonal medication
- After egg collection — aiding recovery and preparing the uterine lining
- Around embryo transfer — treatment the day before and/or day of transfer
- Through the two-week wait — helping to manage anxiety and support early pregnancy
- For frozen embryo transfers — tailored preparation for natural or medicated FET cycles
When should I start?
Ideally, three months before your cycle begins — this gives us time to work with your natural cycle, address any underlying imbalances, and get your body in the best possible position before treatment starts.
Already mid-cycle? It’s not too late. There are specific points in every IVF or IUI programme where acupuncture can make a meaningful difference, and we’ll work around your schedule and clinic appointments.
Our approach
IVF protocols vary — long and short protocols, frozen cycles, natural cycles — as do women’s responses to the medications involved. We pay close attention to how your body is responding at each stage and adapt your treatment accordingly.
We also know that the emotional weight of fertility treatment is significant. Sessions are a space to slow down, be heard, and feel supported.
What does the research say?
Acupuncture for fertility is one of the more studied areas of complementary medicine. Systematic reviews consistently report improved clinical pregnancy rates when acupuncture is used alongside IVF (Xu, Zhu and Zheng, 2024; Wang et al., 2021; Yang et al., 2025), and a 2025 network meta-analysis also found associated improvements in fertilisation and embryo-quality rates. Evidence for live birth rate is less consistent, however, and study quality across this literature varies considerably. Acupuncture is best understood as a supportive, adjuvant therapy rather than a treatment that independently improves IVF success.
Stress and cortisol reduction
Studies consistently showthat acupuncture reduces cortisol levels and anxiety. Given that psychological stress can negatively affect cycle outcomes, this alone makes it a worthwhile addition to treatment. (Magarelli et al.,2009)
Uterine blood flow
Research published in peer-reviewed journals suggests acupuncture may improve blood flow to the uterus and ovaries, which can support follicle development and endometrial receptivity ahead of embryo transfer. (Stener-Victorin et al., 1996)
Embryo transfer support
A widely cited 2002 study by Paulus et al. found a significantly higher clinical pregnancy rate in women who received acupuncture on the day of embryo transfer compared to a control group. Subsequent studies have had mixed results, which is why the field continues to evolve — but day-of-transfer treatment remains a key point of intervention. (Smith et al., 2018)
Sperm quality
Research suggests acupuncture may improve sperm motility and morphology in male partners, making pre-treatment support worthwhile for both people in a couple. (Feng et al., 2022)
A note on the evidence
Fertility acupuncture research is genuinely complex — study sizes vary, protocols differ, and IVF itself has many variables. We don’t make promises, and we’d be cautious of any practitioner who does. What we offer is experienced, evidence-informed care that works alongside your medical team to give you the best possible foundation for treatment.
For further reading, the British Acupuncture Council publishes regularly updated evidence summaries on fertility and reproductive health.
The research evidence
Xu, M., Zhu, M. and Zheng, C. (2024) ‘Effects of acupuncture on pregnancy outcomes in women undergoing in vitro fertilization: an updated systematic review and meta-analysis’, Archives of Gynaecology and Obstetrics, 309(3), pp. 775–788.
Wang, X., Wang, Y., Wei, S., He, B., Cao, Y., Zhang, N. and Li, M. (2021) ‘An overview of systematic reviews of acupuncture for infertile women undergoing in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer’, Frontiers in Public Health, 9, 651811.
Magarelli, P.C., Cridennda, D.K. and Cohen, M. (2009) ‘Changes in serum cortisol and prolactin associated with acupuncture during controlled ovarian hyperstimulation in women undergoing in vitro fertilization-embryo transfer treatment’, Fertility and Sterility, 92(6), pp. 1870–1879. doi:10.1016/j.fertnstert.2008.08.106.
Stener-Victorin, E., Waldenström, U., Andersson, S.A. and Wikland, M. (1996) ‘Reduction of blood flow impedance in the uterine arteries of infertile women with electro-acupuncture’, Human Reproduction, 11(6), pp. 1314–1317. doi:10.1093/oxfordjournals.humrep.a019378.
Paulus, W.E., Zhang, M., Strehler, E., El-Danasouri, I. and Sterzik, K. (2002) ‘Influence of acupuncture on the pregnancy rate in patients who undergo assisted reproduction therapy’, Fertility and Sterility, 77(4), pp. 721–724. doi:10.1016/S0015-0282(01)03273-3.
Smith, C.A., de Lacey, S., Chapman, M., et al. (2018) ‘Effect of Acupuncture vs Sham Acupuncture on Live Births Among Women Undergoing In Vitro Fertilization: A Randomized Clinical Trial’, JAMA, 319(19), pp. 1990–1998. doi:10.1001/jama.2018.5336.
Feng, J., He, H., Wang, Y., Zhang, X., Zhang, X., Zhang, T., Zhu, M., Wu, X. and Zhang, Y. (2022) ‘The Efficacy and Mechanism of Acupuncture in the Treatment of Male Infertility: A Literature Review’, Frontiers in Endocrinology, 13:1009537. doi:10.3389/fendo.2022.1009537.