Acupuncture During IVF: A Week-by-Week Guide From Stims to Transfer

IVF comes with a lot of calendars. Shot schedules, monitoring appointments, a trigger time set to the minute. Let’s add one that’s actually calming.

If you’re planning IVF, you’ve probably heard that acupuncture during IVF can help you feel more supported. But what does that look like in real life? When do you come in, what happens at each visit, and what does the research really say?

Here in Nashville, these are the questions we hear all the time. So we made you a stage-by-stage guide, from the months before you start all the way through the two-week wait.

Already wondering about timing? Our post on when to start acupuncture before IVF covers that. This one is about what happens once you’re on the calendar.

What does acupuncture during IVF look like?

Acupuncture during IVF usually means regular sessions in the months before your cycle, then visits timed to key moments like stims, egg retrieval and embryo transfer. The goal is to help you feel calmer, sleep better and feel cared for while your fertility clinic handles the medical side. It works alongside your IVF protocol, never in place of it.

Every plan is a little different, but here’s the general flow.

What should you do 2 to 3 months before IVF?

This is the prep window, and it’s a great time to start. Most people come in about once a week.

• Get to know your body. We look at your cycle, sleep, digestion, energy and stress, not just one lab value.
• Build a calm baseline. IVF can be a lot on your nervous system. Starting early gives you a routine before things get busy.
• Talk about the basics. Sleep, food that feels nourishing and movement that works for you. Nothing extreme.

From a Chinese medicine view, this is when we focus on nourishing and balancing, so you’re not starting your cycle already running on empty.

Can you get acupuncture during stims?

Yes. During ovarian stimulation (stims), many patients come in once or twice a week. The focus is on comfort and calm while your follicles grow and your clinic monitors you closely.

Stims can bring bloating, mood swings and a lot of driving back and forth for bloodwork and ultrasounds. Sessions are a chance to lie down, breathe and let someone else take care of you for an hour. We keep treatment gentle and adjust as your ovaries get fuller.

Should you get acupuncture before egg retrieval?

Many patients like a session in the days before egg retrieval to help them feel grounded before the procedure. It isn’t required, and timing depends on when your clinic schedules your trigger shot and retrieval.

After retrieval, your body needs rest. If you come in during this window, we keep things extra gentle and skip anything that could bother a tender belly. Always follow your clinic’s instructions first.

What happens with acupuncture on transfer day?

Transfer day acupuncture is often a session shortly before and after your embryo transfer. The main goal is to help you feel relaxed on a big, emotional day.

At Shen, we use the Paulus protocol: about 25 minutes of acupuncture right before your transfer and 25 minutes right after. It comes from a 2002 study in Fertility and Sterility where 160 women going through IVF were randomly assigned to have their transfer with or without acupuncture. In the acupuncture group, 42.5% had a clinical pregnancy, compared with 26.3% in the group without it.

We coordinate with your clinic’s timing so nothing feels rushed. For a deeper dive, read our post on the benefits of acupuncture for embryo transfer.

Can acupuncture help during the two-week wait?

It may help you feel calmer. The two-week wait, the time between your transfer and your pregnancy test (beta), is famously hard. You’re hopeful, nervous and analyzing every twinge.

During this time we use gentle, pregnancy-safe points and focus on rest, sleep and settling your mind. Think of it as a weekly pause button. If you’d like to understand more about the stress side of fertility, our post on how stress affects fertility is a good read.

Does acupuncture during IVF improve success rates?

Several studies suggest acupuncture during IVF may help. Research has linked it to higher pregnancy rates and lower anxiety, especially around embryo transfer.

Here are a few of the numbers that stand out:

• Higher pregnancy and live birth odds. A 2008 review in the BMJ pooled 7 trials with 1,366 women. Acupuncture around embryo transfer was linked to 65% higher odds of clinical pregnancy and 91% higher odds of live birth compared with control groups.
• Transfer day support. A 2025 review of 11 trials found that women who had acupuncture on transfer day had a 25% higher clinical pregnancy rate than women who had no acupuncture.
• Less anxiety. A 2019 randomized trial found that women who got acupuncture reported less anxiety at embryo transfer than those who got a placebo treatment.

We think of acupuncture during IVF as support for you, the person going through it, alongside your fertility clinic’s care. Lower anxiety, better rest and a calm space matter. No one can promise a baby (anyone who does is a red flag), but the research gives you good reasons to consider adding acupuncture to your plan.

How do we support IVF patients at Shen in Nashville?

Our team builds a plan around your clinic’s calendar, not the other way around. You’ll find us at 2505 21st Ave S, Suite 400, Nashville, TN, and here’s what support looks like with us:

• A plan timed to your protocol, whether you’re doing a fresh cycle or a frozen embryo transfer
• Gentle, adjusted treatment at each stage, from stims to the two-week wait
• Care that works alongside your fertility clinic. Your doctors lead the medical plan, and we support you around it
• Practical guidance on sleep, stress and nourishing food that fits a busy IVF schedule

Learn more about our fertility acupuncture care, or book your visit when you’re ready.

Quick FAQ

When should I start acupuncture before IVF? Ideally 3 months before your cycle, but it’s never too late to start. Even a few sessions before transfer can help you feel more supported.

Can I do IVF acupuncture in Nashville if I’m coming from out of town? Yes. Many people travel to Nashville for treatment at one of the city’s fertility clinics, and you’re welcome to come to us even if it’s just for your pre and post-transfer visits. We’ll plan around the dates and times your clinic gives you.

Is acupuncture safe during the two-week wait? Yes, when it’s done by a licensed acupuncturist who knows you may be pregnant. We use gentle, pregnancy-safe points. Let your clinic know you’re getting acupuncture too.

Will acupuncture interfere with my IVF medications? No. Acupuncture doesn’t change your medications. If you take any herbs or supplements, check with your fertility doctor before and during your cycle.

Wherever you are in your IVF journey, we’d love to walk alongside you here in Nashville.

With love (and very fine needles),
The Shen Medicine Team

Sources

• Paulus et al. Influence of acupuncture on the pregnancy rate in patients who undergo assisted reproduction therapy. Fertility and Sterility, 2002
• Manheimer et al. Effects of acupuncture on rates of pregnancy and live birth among women undergoing in vitro fertilisation: systematic review and meta-analysis. BMJ, 2008
• Wang et al. Acupuncture as an adjunctive therapy on embryo transfer day: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Frontiers in Reproductive Health, 2025
• Smith et al. The effects of acupuncture on the secondary outcomes of anxiety and quality of life for women undergoing IVF: a randomized controlled trial. Acta Obstetricia et Gynecologica Scandinavica, 2019

This post is for education only and isn’t medical advice. Talk with your healthcare provider about what’s right for you.