Preparing for IVF: Acupuncture and other ways to Support Your Body Before Treatment
Preparing for IVF can feel like A LOT.
Alongside the medical side of treatment, you can be bombarded with advice about what to eat, which supplements to take, how much exercise to do and how to prepare your body.
The good news is that you don't need to do everything.
Acupuncture can sit alongside your medical treatment, providing support for your physical and emotional wellbeing throughout the IVF process. Research into acupuncture alongside IVF is encouraging, with systematic reviews finding positive effects on some IVF outcomes, although the quality and results of the research vary.
Ideally, I recommend starting acupuncture and making any lifestyle changes around three menstrual cycles before IVF.
This gives us a useful window to prepare your body before treatment begins. It isn't essential to have three cycles of preparation, and having less time doesn't mean IVF won't work. It's simply an opportunity to support your body as much as possible before treatment starts.
What else can YOU do to prepare your body for IVF?
Eat well — but don't try to be perfect. There is no magic IVF diet or perfect preparation plan. The aim is to support your overall health without creating more stress for yourself.
Focus on a varied, Mediterranean-style diet containing plenty of:
Vegetables and fruit
Whole grains
Beans and lentils
Nuts and seeds
Eggs, fish and good-quality protein
Healthy fats such as olive oil and avocado
Try to avoid extreme diets or restricting calories.
Your body needs enough energy and nutrients during fertility treatment.
Take your prenatal vitamins
Folic acid is particularly important before pregnancy. UK guidance recommends 400 micrograms of folic acid every day before conception and during early pregnancy, unless your healthcare professional has advised you to take a higher dose.
It can also be worth discussing nutrients such as vitamin D, iron and B12 with your GP or fertility team if there is a reason to suspect you may be deficient.
Look after your stress levels
This doesn't mean you need to "stay positive" or somehow avoid feeling stressed. IVF is a huge emotional experience, and you will cope better on some days than others.
Instead, think about creating more opportunities for your nervous system to switch off.
This might include:
Acupuncture
Walking
Gentle yoga or Pilates
Breathing exercises
Meditation
Massage
Time outdoors in nature
Journalling
Reducing unnecessary commitments
Prioritising sleep
You don't need to do everything. Choose the things that genuinely make you feel better.
Keep moving
Regular, moderate exercise can support general health and wellbeing. Walking, swimming, Pilates, yoga and strength training can all be useful.
Don't suddenly decide to start running marathons!
During ovarian stimulation and around egg collection, follow the advice from your fertility clinic, as your ovaries can become enlarged and some activities may need to be reduced.
Reduce smoking and alcohol
Smoking can negatively affect fertility and IVF outcomes, so stopping is one of the most valuable things you can do if you smoke.
When preparing for IVF, I would also recommend avoiding alcohol or keeping it to a minimum, particularly once pregnant.
Keep caffeine sensible
You don't necessarily need to give up coffee completely.
Once you're pregnant, UK guidance recommends keeping caffeine to 200 mg per day or less. If you're preparing for IVF, keeping your caffeine intake moderate is a sensible approach too.
If you're unsure, check with your barista how many shots are in your usual coffee.
Male fertility
And don't forget sperm health — IVF preparation isn't just about the woman. Smoking, alcohol, recreational drugs, poor sleep and general lifestyle factors can all be relevant to male reproductive health.
I often treat couples as they go through the IVF process, as supporting both partners can be an important part of preparing for treatment.
Keep yourself warm
From a TCM perspective, keeping the body warm is particularly important when preparing for fertility treatment.
The Kidney channel, which is closely associated with fertility in TCM, ends in the soles of the feet, so I recommend keeping your feet warm — socks in bed and no bare feet on cold floors.
It's also sensible to keep your lower abdomen and lower back covered and warm. Think "bun in the oven"!
During this preparation period, and particularly around embryo transfer, I would avoid extremes such as saunas, steam rooms, hot tubs and cold plunges, and follow your fertility clinic's specific advice.
Reduce exposure to plastics
There is growing evidence that chemicals associated with plastics — particularly phthalates and bisphenols such as BPA — can interfere with hormonal signalling and may affect reproductive health.
This doesn't mean that plastic causes infertility, and you don't need to eliminate every piece of plastic from your life. That would be unrealistic — and potentially quite stressful.
Instead, focus on a few simple changes:
Don't heat food in plastic containers. Use glass, ceramic or stainless steel instead.
Avoid putting very hot food or drinks into plastic where possible.
Reduce your use of plastic food containers, particularly for hot, oily or acidic foods.
Use a glass or stainless-steel water bottle.
Choose glass jars and bottles where practical.
Reduce highly packaged and processed foods.
Where practical, reduce unnecessary exposure to products containing fragrances or plastics.
Don't become obsessed with it — reducing exposure is the goal, not achieving a completely chemical-free life.
The most important thing: don't overwhelm yourself
There is a huge amount of information online about fertility diets, supplements, exercise, detoxes and IVF preparation protocols.
You don't need to do everything.
The aim is simply to create a supportive environment for your body — good food, adequate sleep, regular movement, appropriate prenatal vitamins and ways to manage stress..
Acupuncture can then sit alongside your medical treatment, giving you dedicated time to support your body and wellbeing throughout the IVF process.
Most importantly, you don't have to navigate it all on your own.
Male fertility
And don't forget sperm health — IVF preparation isn't just about the woman. Smoking, alcohol, recreational drugs, poor sleep and general lifestyle factors can all be relevant to male reproductive health.
I often treat couples as they are going through the IVF process.
How House of Holistic can support you
At House of Holistic, acupuncture treatment is tailored to you and where you are in your fertility journey.
Whether you're preparing for IVF, going through stimulation, recovering after egg collection or approaching embryo transfer, your treatment can be adapted throughout the process.
If you're planning IVF, starting around three cycles beforehand gives us valuable time to prepare and support you before treatment begins.
Appointments can then continue throughout your IVF journey, including the Paulus Protocol around embryo transfer.
Book a free 15-minute fertility discovery call to discuss your IVF journey and how acupuncture could support you.
Clinical evidence
Acupuncture and IVF — 2023 systematic review and meta-analysis: 58 randomised controlled trials involving 10,968 women. The review found acupuncture was associated with higher clinical pregnancy and live birth rate. PubMed
Acupuncture and IVF — 2025 updated systematic review and meta-analysis: 42 trials involving 7,400 participants. The review found improvements in some pregnancy outcomes. PubMed
Phthalates and IVF — 2024 systematic review: 16 studies examining phthalate exposure and reproductive outcomes in couples undergoing IVF. PubMed
Phthalates and assisted reproductive treatment — 2025 systematic review and meta-analysis: Research examining associations between phthalate exposure and reproductive outcomes, including reproductive hormones and gamete quality. PubMed
BPA and IVF — 2025 systematic review and meta-analysis: 14 studies examining BPA exposure and IVF outcomes, including fertilisation and embryo quality. PubMed
ASRM – Optimizing Natural Fertility: Guidance covering preconception health, nutrition, folic acid, caffeine and lifestyle. ASRM
ASRM – Tobacco or Marijuana Use and Infertility: Evidence and recommendations relating to smoking and reproductive outcomes. ASRM
