How Acupuncture Can Support Your IVF Journey: A Blend of Science and Chinese Medicine
May 29, 2025

IVF can be a deeply emotional, physically demanding, and often overwhelming journey.

At Pack Health, we understand the vulnerability that can come with wanting to fall pregnant—and the rollercoaster of hope, disappointment, and uncertainty that sometimes follows. Acupuncture offers a gentle, supportive way to complement your IVF cycle. It's not a magic fix, but growing evidence suggests it can play a meaningful role in enhancing outcomes, reducing stress, and helping you feel more grounded throughout the process. Here’s how it works from both a scientific and Chinese medicine perspective.

How Acupuncture

can Support

the IVF Timeline

Acupuncture can be used through each phase of an IVF cycle to support your body and mind:

  • Before Stimulation
    This is a great time to work on regulating the menstrual cycle, improving sleep, stabilising digestion, lowering stress levels, and supporting a fertile uterine environment. It’s also when we begin to focus on improving blood flow and ensuring your body feels nourished and balanced.
  • During Stimulation
    At this point, treatment is aimed at supporting follicular development, balancing hormone levels, and reducing side effects from medications (like bloating, irritability, or digestive disturbances).
  • Before Embryo Transfer
    Treatments around this time often focus on calming the nervous system, improving uterine receptivity, and helping you feel more emotionally settled.
  • After Transfer
    This can often be the most emotionally charged phase. Acupuncture can help to support implantation, regulate stress and anxiety levels, and nourish the body during this hopeful waiting period.

What the Research says:

Acupuncture has been shown to positively impact IVF outcomes in several key ways:

  • Improving blood flow to the uterus and ovaries
  • Regulating the endocrine system (which influences hormone balance)
  • Supporting the nervous system to reduce cortisol and promote relaxation


One of the best-known studies in this area found that women who received acupuncture both before and after embryo transfer had significantly higher pregnancy rates than those who did not. While further research is always welcome, this study as well as and similar studies in the field continue to support acupuncture as a valuable adjunct to fertility treatment.

Our Approach

At Pack Health, we create a calm and supportive space for IVF support. We tailor each session to where you’re at—whether you're feeling wired and anxious, tired and run-down, or just wanting to feel more connected and resourced during the IVF process.


Ellen, our go-to practitioner for hormone health and fertility, offers a grounded, compassionate approach backed by clinical experience and ongoing learning in this field.

If you’re currently undergoing treatment or exploring IVF and are also looking for ways to support your body and mind through the process, Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine can be a beneficial adjunct modality. You can book a session with Ellen or reach out if you have any questions! We’re here to support you at any stage of your journey.