Acupuncture and Infertility: The Old Ovaries Story
Caution Ladies: This is rant article.
43 year old client goes to an IVF clinic. She does several rounds of IVF. Her response is poor and each cycle is moved into an IUI. The doctor tells the client her “ovaries are old” and the best options at this point are “donor egg or adoption”. The client starts acupuncture but also continues her journey with a new IVF clinic. The clinic suggests several rounds of IVF with banking of any embryos. After 4 cycles of IVF, she banks 3 embryos, which are transferred on a natural cycle. She ends up having a beautiful little girl.
39 year old client has 2 rounds of IVF. Though all her hormonal levels are normal (including FSH and AMH) her doctor feels her “ovaries are old” due to her poor response to the drugs. She produces 4/5 follicles resulting in 1 embryo for transfer, none for freezing. The doctor recommends donor egg for the next cycle. The client has weekly acupuncture and herbs for 5 months and gets pregnant. She returns to the IVF clinic for monitoring and is told that since she has “old ovaries” more than likely the pregnancy will lead to a miscarriage. She ends up having a health handsome baby boy.
Over and over in my practice I see women conceiving even after the “old ovaries” speech. I find it frustrating. Why? It tells the client nothing and labels a women when their infertility is a mystery. Western medicine has a limited protocol to treat infertility and if the women doesn’t fit into the category then it must be the fault of the women’s ovaries.
I find myself asking these questions:
If a women’s ovaries don’t respond to IVF does that really mean she has old ovaries? Can’t “old ovaries” still produce a good follicle? If an IVF cycle fails, does that automatically rule out other therapies? Why do I see “old ovaries” leading to pregnancy?
I believe the statement “old ovaries” is too easy to say. It allows Western medicine to have all the answers. The statement doesn’t acknowledge the many variables in treating fertility. When Western medicine can’t contain all of the variables, does the doctor have a right to label a women’s chance to conceive?
The most damaging part of it all: it takes the power and hope away from a couple.
Many women come to me completely broken and overwhelmed after hearing the “old ovaries”. Suddenly the diagnosis becomes the women’s repetitive monolog. She will recite the statement over and over, allowing it to become a part of her body and mind. If your boss told you were lazy every day, wouldn’t it hurt you? By restating the “ovaries are old” and “I’m out of options and time”, how much of this becomes the truth?
I wonder if doctors realize how damaging their statements are. Why can’t doctors say something like “IVF is probably not the right treatment direction for you. You may want to investigate some different treatment avenues. If you are interested in donor egg, I will be here to help you. I wish you the best on your journey”. Wouldn’t that be different? It acknowledges that IVF is not the best treatment, but doesn’t define the outcome for the couple.
So to answer my question: Who gets to tell a women she can’t conceive? Who gets to tell a couple how their family will manifest?
Only two people – the couple. It’s your decision how long the journey will be, where it will take you and the potential for the future.