Discovery Home & Health

I have got some concerns so please help put my mind at rest.
I went to Dr&Herbs today for a free consultation. She asked me a lot of questions about stress, CD, CM, length of AF etc then perscribed acupuncture and some sort of herbal tea. She said i should have a session now which i found odd and as i have NEVER had acupunture before i thought i'd give it a go. My DF went to buy some shoes so didn't know what was going on. She stuck these needles in my ankles, inside legs, inside elbows, tummy and chest and told me to relax for 30 mins. Because this wasn't mentioned before there was no way i could relax knowing DF was waiting for me so just counted down the minutes until she came back.
When she did she asked if i felt relaxed and if i had fallen asleep, took the needles out and said she had finished.
When i got out she told me to sit down to fill in this sheet of paper and then said i needed 10 sessions at £30 each (2 sessions a week) plus some herbal tea which was £35 for a weeks worth!!! I said i couldn't afford it all in one go so she went on to say 6 sessions and 1 free!! I repeated that i had to pay for it as and when i came and she seemed a bit annoyed. I also didn't buy the tea because after what i felt was a hard sale i felt it was a bit of a con.

My concerns are i'm on CD20, should i have had it today because i OV on CD14 and i'm now concerned that if i did catch it, it could have done some harm?

Also i have had some raised bruising where 1 of the needles was inserted which is still a bit painful now. It's about 3mm wide. Is this normal?

I only had pain when 2 needles went in but i've read somewhere that is normal.

What do you think girls?

This message has been edited. Last edited by: spring,

Hi Spring
Poor you and what a horrible situation to be in!
I am not aware of any good or bad reports re Dr Herb - but I have seen their shops!
I would be very cautious if I were you. I would not go back until you have some feedback about them! My understanding is people shouldnt be set time frames as to how many sessions they need - it should be done on an individual basis! You often will drop to fortnightly sessions after a few weekly ones!
My concerns are that they are out to make money and I would just be cautious as to what they prescribe.
Have a look on the internet and check that they are a qualified accupuncturist. There is a website where you can find all the registered accupuncturists and maybe find someone else on there!
The other thing that I did on Home and Health once was say where I live and if anyone else is from around there, do they have anyone they could reccomend.
I am sure they have done nothing wrong - just get it checked out first!

Hope this helps!

Let us know what you do
Love Emily x x

Thanks for replying Emily. Have you had acupuncture before because i was wondering if you bruised when you had it?

Feeling a bit calmer now but i wouldn't go back there again

Hi Spring,

I saw an acupuncturist/ Chinese hebalist, and I felt the same as you re the hard sell. But I was to much of a wimp to say no, so just paid up. It was £40 for the initial consultation, and £31 for ten days supply of herbs! (Although I did only pay for the first ten days it was still £71!) She said I should take them for at least 6 months!! Although she did say that she only recomended the herbs and not acupuncture. I really wanted the acupuncture as a support through IVF, and I had heard that you shouldn't take chinese herbs while doing IVF.
She did ask me lots of very weird questions, like you, and also lots of horror stories of people who didn't take her advice!!

In the end I never went back, and found myself another acupuncturist, who was a bloke but totaly understood what I said and what I wanted, I had 3 sessions in my back, which hurt at times really badly, but he said it was good because it was getting everything moving! (I did have a bruise after one session too) He was ment to support me through the IVF, but in the end I didn't need it, cos I got my bfp before I started the treatment.
Each session was £28, but he didn't force me into having any more than I needed, he just said to take each week and session at a time, and see how things progress.

I really would recomend acupuncture, but you really need to find someone you feel comfortable with, I would make some calls before you make any appointments, and have a chat with them. If they aren't after your money, then they will be more than happy to listen to you!!

I hope this helps, and loads of luck for the future and getting your bfp!

Nicki xx

Ps, I am convinced this helped me to get my bfp, my dh and I had been trying for 4 years for our second baby, and I had already had 2 m/c's and a failed ivf attempt.

Too much of a coincidence for me!

Nicki xx

Here here Nicki
Your advice sounds sound!
Make those phone calls, get some recommendations.... but go for it Spring!
Anything is worth a go for that BFP - but you dont want to be ripped off along the way!!!

Good luck
Emily xx x

Hi Nicki

Thank you so much for telling me your story. Wow you had a bad time of it too. It just freaked me out. When i think of it more, Dr&Herbs are a shop at the end of the day arn't they so i should have known they were going to try and sell sell sell.

Congratulations on your BFP. What a miracle after a failed IVF attempt!

I'll probably try it again but only with someone who specialises in that area and not a SHOP!!

A happier Spring x

Hey Spring,

I didn't fancy the high street acupuncturist route, either so I think you are right to be cautious. I just wanted to put your mind at rest re having had a treatment at CD20. Although potentially powerful, acupuncture is very gentle, so if you were pg, it's unlikely that you would have done yourself or baby springlet any harm.

From my experience, the sites you were needled in don't sound that odd. I regularly have needles in my wrists, shins, stomach and ankles and I quite often 'OUCH' quite loudly when they go in - depends how sensitive I'm feeling on that day. And I have had a couple of bruises, but only tiny ones - and that's quite normal too. I bleed from my wrists and my forehead sometimes, too - in Chinese medicine this is a sign of heat caused by anxiety & stress.

I am very lucky to have found my practitioner, she is fantastic and practices acupuncture specifically for women's health, infertility, menstrual problems and pregnancy - so to have this 10 mins from home is just amazing and I'm finding it a really positive experience.

If it's any help, she's part of a group of practitioners who work with a company called Nourish Fertility.

If you feel like acupuncture is for you (and if not, there are plenty of other alternative treatments you could try) then def persevere and I'm sure you'll find a lovely therapist that you are comfortable with!

Good luck, hun

xxxx

Dats thanks for that hun.

I found that EXTREMELY helpful at putting my mind to rest. I have got such an overactive imagination and was thinking all sorts.

I do want to try it again but was worried about finding someone. Yours sounds brilliant tho. Might drive up to see her

Once again thank you and good luck with yours

spring xx