S5:E25 - Acupuncture and Fertility with Dr Michelle Smith

Acupuncture for IVF & Fertility — What Solo Mums Need to Know | Dr Michelle Smith, Ova Acupuncture

Most fertility specialists will tell you to try acupuncture. Very few of them explain why.

This week I'm joined by Dr Michelle Smith — acupuncturist, Chinese herbal medicine practitioner, and director of Ova Acupuncture in Brisbane. Michelle specialises in fertility and women's health, has two clinics in Brisbane, and sees women from all over Australia, including many solo mums by choice. She's also, as of this recording, 13 weeks pregnant via IVF — her first transfer — doing this solo, and very happy to talk about all of it.

This episode is Acupuncture 101 for anyone who has been told it might help, has no idea how or why, and wants to actually understand the mechanism rather than just taking someone's word for it.

We cover everything — the science and the philosophy, what's actually happening when a needle goes in and why that matters for egg quality and implantation, the ideal timeline for starting treatment before an IVF cycle, what to do if you have PCOS, what's different for known donor home insemination, how acupuncture supports perimenopause, and what to look for when finding a practitioner near you.

Michelle is also refreshingly honest about what acupuncture can and can't do, why the pre- and post-transfer appointment is not as essential as the industry often suggests, and why her first priority with most new patients is to get them off half the supplements they're on.

If you've been on the fence about whether to add acupuncture to your IVF cycle — this episode will help you make that decision.

Ova Acupuncture — Brisbane, two clinics, telehealth available for interstate patients. Visit ovaacupuncture.au

Note: Michelle can also provide referrals to trusted colleagues around Australia for those not in Brisbane.

In this episode:

• How Michelle came to specialise in fertility — her own PCOS diagnosis, five years of study, and why she says she has the best job in the world

• Why fertility specialists telling you to "get acupuncture to relax" undersells what it's actually doing

• The sympathetic versus parasympathetic nervous system — and why the goal of acupuncture is to move you out of fight-or-flight

• How acupuncture supports IVF: blood flow to the ovaries, follicle quality, immune regulation and implantation

• The whole-systems approach — why the 12 weeks of weekly sessions before your cycle matters more than a pre- and post-transfer appointment

• What to do if you haven't had 12 weeks — the alternative protocol for stim phase

• The post-transfer window — what acupuncture is doing during the two-week wait, and when it's worth coming in

• What Michelle looks for when reviewing solo mums' IVF histories — and the basic things she sees missed because "we assumed everything was fine"

• Diet and lifestyle for fertility: Mediterranean diet, blood sugar regulation, eating enough, and why ice baths are off the table

• Acupuncture for known donor home insemination — optimising ovulation, luteal phase support, and vaginal microbiome testing

• PCOS and fertility: irregular ovulation, AMH, OHSS risk, and how Chinese medicine treats the individual rather than the protocol

• Perimenopause and why this generation of women is experiencing it differently — and how acupuncture helps

• How to navigate acupuncture with a needle phobia or as a neurodivergent person

• How to find a qualified fertility acupuncturist near you — what to look for and what to ask

• Michelle's IVF journey: first transfer, 13 weeks pregnant, doing it solo, and what she'd tell anyone just starting out

Key Takeaways

• Acupuncture does more than help you relax — it shifts the nervous system, directs blood flow to reproductive organs, and supports immune regulation for implantation

• The whole-systems approach means regular weekly sessions in the lead-up to your cycle are more valuable than a single pre/post-transfer appointment

• Ideally start acupuncture 12 weeks before your IVF stim phase — or twice weekly during stim if you haven't had that lead time

• Solo mums often have basic things missed in their fertility workup because everyone assumes the only reason for IVF is the absence of a partner — advocate for full investigations

• Less is more with supplements — a good practitioner will help you stop rattling, not add more to the pile

• Mediterranean diet, regular meals, blood sugar stability, warmth, and adequate sleep are the foundations — before anything else

• Ice baths are not recommended when trying to conceive — in Chinese medicine, warmth supports blood flow and a fertile environment

• For known donor/home insemination: focus on ovulation regularity, luteal phase quality, and vaginal microbiome health

• When choosing a practitioner, check AHPRA registration and ask about post-graduate fertility training specifically

• You deserve to feel safe, listened to and advocated for in acupuncture — just as you do in any medical setting

This episode is brought to you by City Fertility

Exploring fertility treatment as a solo mum in Australia? City Fertility offers an exclusive 20% discount for No Need for Prince Charming listeners. Claim your discount here.

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