And I'm not very fond of the glue residue they leave behind. I've been clawing the glue out with my nails, and yes, I know that's probably not the best thing to do. I tried lotion etc, and nothing helps. DH suggested trying to rub the glue out with one of those hundreds of alcohol swabs we now have, courtesy of a fresh new box coming in with every prescription that includes injections and syringes! I'm not sure if that's a good idea. Although I had a wilder idea - has anyone heard of "Goo Gone"? I'm wondering if I should try that to remove the glue "goo". Probably not, I know! :-)
Coming to another thought on my mind - acupuncture.... I had done acupuncture before my last IVF cycle in May / June 2008. I did not go back to the acupuncturist after that pregnancy didn't work out. By the time we got started on this IVF cycle, so much more time had gone by, and I just never took up the acupuncture routine again. Reasons being multifold - financial reason being the biggest one. So here we are, in between ER and FET, with no acupuncture at all.
CCRM offers pre and post transfer acupuncture at their clinic, and I haven't confirmed to them if I will take it or not. What do you think? We know acupuncture helps in de-stressing the mind, and also in channelizing the "chi" or energy flow in the body, but usually it needs about 10 - 12 sessions for the benefits of acupuncture to kick in. In isolation of any other sessions, will the pre and post transfer sessions help in any way? Part of the deciding factor is cost, but if the benefits of the 2 sessions are substantial, then a some more $$ on this cycle won't matter in the long run.
Any of you who have done a cycle at CCRM - did you do the acupuncture? If you did - what made you decide for it, and did you find it worthwhile? If you didn't, what made you decide against doing it?
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15 comments:
Hey Nikki - lol, I was going to suggest goo gone - I use it on the stuff that gets left behind after band-aids..
As for acupuncture, I did it for both cycles I got pregnant but I am not doing it anymore...
I just had my first 'successful' acupuncture appointment and it was great. I too am not getting 8-12 sessions in prior to transfer, but from what I've seen, most research that shows an increased pregnancy rate were based more on the pre/post transfer rather than the long-term therapy. So, I figure something is better than nothing!
I did do acupuncture for the whole cycle, and while the stim phase involved a lot of points to compensate for my particular areas of concern, the ER-ET points were "holding" only, mostly in my ears and head. I'm sure CCRM has it's own methods, but my experience was that the holding was more about relaxing and calming than anything reproductive.
I say, do whatever feels good to you. If acupuncture makes you feel rejuvenated and strong, do it!
I also did acupuncture for the whole IVF cycle, but concentrated a few sessions around retrieval and transfer, and it was successful (thank G-d). I highly recommend doing it.
Hi Nikki,
I have really mixed feeling about acupunture too. I am going to do it this cycle, but only when I feel like it. Let us know what you decide!
I guess what can't harm you is something you can do. I obviously havent tried it but have heard good things about it.
PS: I am not posting this on my blog coz Dan will freak out. But i need suggestions. I again had BAD cramps yesday night. So much so, tht i hyad to take painkillers...any ideas?
I'm a fan of acupuncture. But you have to be sure your acupuncturist knows how to specifically treat IF.
There's a study that my fertility clinic shared that said if pre/post transfer acupuncture is done ON-SITE it is helpful. But not if you have to travel for it...as traveling just after transfer can add more stress and unknown factors.
I feel your pain. I had the same problem with the Vivelle patches and ended up with huge red whelps before it was all over. Anyway, baby oil works very well to remove the sticky residue!
i think that most of the published research only involves the sessions before and after the ET. I asked my acu about it b/c i thought that when i started for this cycle it was too late and she said that there are benefits at any stage of the cycle. she also said that the one before the et really helps to keep the uterus relaxed... who knows. i'm convinced a little that it is voodoo magic, but if it works, it works. :) wonder what it's like at ccrm???
I use the alcohol wipes to get off the residue. But mostly I just left it on there and let it wear itself off...
Good luck deciding about the acupuncture. I opted not to do it, but the nurse told me "it can't hurt", I just didn't think I could add another thing to the process.
~HUGS~
I didn't do the acu at CCRM. But then again, I sobbed through my entire transfer because it was so sad. Maybe it would have helped me relax. I say, go for it! At this point, what's a few hundred more dollars, right?
Well...I know nothing about acu in relation to IVF/FET, but everything I have heard about it in general is that it's incredibly helpful.
Very excited for you! Nothing but positive thoughts!
I did pre/post transfer acupuncture. I've been doing acupuncture for the past 3 years. I opted for the pre/post because research shows pretty clearly that it definitely has a track record for increasing the success rate of IVF.
The acupuncturists at CCRM follow the exact same protocol that was used in the research.
Hey Nikki, I haven't had a transfer with them yet, but will definitely do the acupuncture when my transfer is finally here. They use the pressure points from a German study that showed great success rates when acu was provided immediately before and after the transfer. I believe the success rates from this study were unrelated to whether someone had had acu as an ongoing thing or just those two sessions. It helps to calm the uterus and make it less susceptable to spasms from the transfer catheter. I'd say go for it. I'm really excited for you! Less than two weeks to go. Woohoo!
Hi Nikki. I did accu before and after the transfer and would definitely reccomend it.
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