Call Us Now!
877-302-5603
"Today, I have two beautiful healthy twin boys. But when I first visited the Texas Center for Reproductive Acupuncture in the fall of 2004, I had been going through years of fertility problems and too many devastating miscarriages..."
- Allison O.
Read More Patient Stories
My husband and I had tried to become pregnant for about four years. During that time, I went through two surgeries to remove uterine fibroids, numerous medications, and two failed IUIs. During the summer of 2009, I discovered the work of Randine Lewis (author of The Infertility Cure) and attended one of her fertility retreats. That was my first introduction to acupuncture. Upon returning home to Fort Worth, I found an acupuncturist in the area and began treatments. I believe it did a lot for my stress level, but I wasn't seeing improvements in my fertility, and I started the downward spiral again of anxiety and depression associated with fertility challenges. The hope I had found on the retreat was vanishing quickly. I took a break from acupuncture, and my husband and I revisited the idea of IVF. We thought and thought and finally decided to go forward with it. I still believed in acupuncture and wanted to find someone more specialized. I found TCRA from a google search and at the time didn't realize they had a local location. After reading their success rates, I was honestly trying to figure out how I could get to Austin once a week when I realized they had a Fort Worth location. I knew it was meant to be when I saw that they were using space in my doctor's building!
When I first met Emily Guevara, I was taken in by her calm, caring manner. She listened intently to my history in a way I hadn't experienced except on the retreat. I left that first consult with something I had been losing...hope. I cried in the car and called my husband and said, "this is our answer". I signed up for 12 weeks of treatment with the plan of doing IVF after the first cycle. Well...I got pregnant during that first cycle doing acupuncture, herbs and following the dietary changes Emily recommended! We were all shocked--me, my husband, Emily, and our doctor! I will never forget the shocked but happy look on our doctor's face when I went in for the first appt of our "spontaneous" (as he said) pregnancy!
I simply cannot say enough good things about Emily and TCRA! I recommend her to everyone I meet who tells me they are experiencing a fertility challenge. She is incredibly skilled, intelligent, and competent. Her warm, compassionate manner is extremely sincere--one meeting and you will know how much she cares about you and your health.
I am now 30 weeks pregnant and looking forward to returning closer to my due date for "easy labor" sessions. I honestly don't believe we would be waiting for this little miracle to come without the treatments I received through TCRA.
Sincerely,
Jeanne L.
I came to see Kirsten Karchmer at The Texas Center for Reproductive Acupuncture after almost three years of unsuccessfully trying to get pregnant. I had previously taken birth control for ten years in order to regulate my menstrual cycle. When I stopped the pill, I stopped having a regular period and had no idea when or if I was ovulating.
After three months of acupuncture and herbs, my menstrual cycle was more regular than it had ever been in my life. I believe acupuncture treatments and tea were only two components of my healing. Kirsten checked in with me every session and asked questions about my overall health and well-being. She coached me on issues such as nutrition, self-care, and stress management. She offered me much needed validation when I felt frustrated or emotional. I had never had such a nurturing and holistic experience with a health care provider in all my life. Consequently, my allergies, digestion, and stress level all improved under her care.
I am excited to say that I am now five months pregnant with my first baby, without the help of any invasive procedures or medications! Although the pregnancy did not happen immediately, I do not believe it could or would have happened without the work that Kirsten and I did together to regulate my cycle and improve my overall health. What I had begun to believe was impossible, suddenly became a reality. Thank you Kirsten and TCRA!
Sincerely,
UPDATE: It occurred to me that you might want some more info about Aidan since I wrote the testimonial four months before he arrived! He was born on March 7, 2005, completely natural birth. He was recently given an A+ by his pediatrician at his six month check up, and he is in the 97th percentile for height, 75th for weight, and 97th for head circumference. He is a big, healthy, breastfed boy! (Can you tell that I am proud? smile)
When I first came to the Texas Center for Reproductive Acupuncture last August, I had experienced nearly three years of infertility followed by a difficult In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) cycle resulting in a devastating miscarriage. Once we decided to try IVF again, I wanted to do things differently to ensure that we would have a better outcome – so I began seeing Dave and Kirsten for acupuncture.
I started going twice a week about three months before my second IVF cycle. I loved the treatments and greatly looked forward to each and every visit. The acupuncture totally relaxed me and helped reduce much of the stress and anxiety associated with IVF. In addition, they gave me really helpful tips on diet, exercise and stress-relief that I followed religiously in order to maximize my chances of becoming pregnant. When it was time for my egg retrieval and embryo transfer in late November, I felt that my body and spirit were in the best possible shape for conception – largely due to my time spent at TCRA. My transfer was done on the Friday after Thanksgiving, and I will always be very grateful to Dave and Kirsten for so graciously making themselves available to us on that day (especially at the early hour of 6 a.m.!) when they could have been enjoying their holiday with family and friends.
We were ecstatic to find out that the cycle was successful and we were pregnant, and one of my first phone calls to share the news was to Dave and Kirsten. Those early days of the pregnancy were difficult as we wanted to get past the point when we had miscarried before, so I continued acupuncture throughout my first trimester. We made it through those initial uncertain weeks, after which I proceeded to have a very easy, healthy and enjoyable pregnancy.
Our daughter Madeline was born on August 11, 2006. She is our little miracle and a dream come true. I believe that she would not be with us today if I had not had acupuncture in association with this IVF cycle and early pregnancy – I believe that it made all the difference in the world from the first cycle. I am ever-appreciative of Dave and Kirsten for their kindness and care, and I will, without a doubt, consult with them again when we think about trying for a second child.
Alyssa D. 22 September 2006
Update: Alyssa has just had a second successful round IVF with acupuncture and is pregnant with her second child.
Dear Kirsten and David,
A very belated but heartfelt THANK YOU for your superior treatment last spring and summer. As you may recall I came to you after 2 years of infertility and failed IUI’s. The encouragement, advice and treatment you provided were integral to the successful IVF cycle we completed in June. As you can see (from the attached photo) we have been blessed with twins.
Thank you again and best wishes to you,
Julie Z.
Things were looking a bit bleak for my husband and I at the beginning of 2006. I had spent all of the previous year undergoing test after test and taking Clomid in an attempt to get pregnant. Nothing seemed to be working, and my OB/GYN was pushing for us to try more invasive things, like artificial insemination. Neither my husband nor I were really looking forward to that, but since I had never cycled regularly, and had been diagnosed with PCOS years before, we felt we didn’t have much of a choice.
A friend recommended the Texas Center for Reproductive Acupuncture to us. The more I read up about acupuncture, the more I wanted to at least explore its possibilities before we tried anything more drastic.
I was immediately impressed with the folks at TCRA. During my initial consultation, I was able to share more information about my menstruation/ovulation problems with Kirsten than I had with any previous doctor. Kirsten really wanted to get to source of my problems, not just treat the symptoms. I felt like I was in really good hands when I began treatment in January of 2006.
The treatment consisted of acupuncture twice a week, supplemented with herbal teas and some diet changes.
The results were quickly apparent. I went from having 4 (and sometimes as little as 2) periods per year, to regular monthly cycles. The cycles themselves were also less painful and heavy. My general fatigue improved, and Kirsten also helped with my tendencies toward anxiety and insomnia.
7 months after beginning treatment, my husband and I conceived – naturally with no invasive procedures. Kirsten continued treatment through the first 12 weeks, and the last 4 weeks of my pregnancy. On April 6, 2007 I delivered a healthy baby boy, Matthew. I know if it hadn’t been for all the hard work of Kirsten and all the staff at TCRA, I wouldn’t have my happy little boy today!
Shannon T.
Dear TCRA Staff,
I just wanted to send you a picture of my little one. You were instrumental in her being here and I want you to know I will always appreciate your expertise, advice, and support during the pregnancy. What an amazing experience.
All my best,
IB - Austin, TX
Today, I have two beautiful healthy twin boys. But when I first visited the Texas Center for Reproductive Acupuncture in the fall of 2004, I had been going through years of fertility problems and too many devastating miscarriages. I'd already started seeing a fertility specialist and my doctors were doing all they could to help us start our family. However, I thought Oriental medicine could help support my Western medicine treatments. I'd tried another Austin acupuncture clinic previously, but was searching for an acupuncture practitioner who could offer more open communication and support for my problems. Fortunately I found TCRA, and Kirsten fit the bill perfectly.
Kirsten and David were extremely thorough and detailed in assessing my past health issues, which was so important when dealing with such a personal medical history as mine. I ended up having about 10 weeks of acupuncture and daily herbal tea therapy that was done to coordinate with my doctor's treatments. In addition to that, and perhaps just as important, Kirsten also gave me a better understanding of how my diet affected my body and how I could also adjust my nutrition to improve and balance my overall health. She was so informative and supportive regarding women's health, I wished that I had found her sooner.
Ultimately, our sons were born summer of 2005, and the joy our new family brings myself and my husband is indescribable. For any woman struggling to have a baby... it can be an unbelievably rough journey. I feel my acupuncture helped support me on my journey, and perhaps even helped bring my boys into this world.
Allison O. - Austin, TX
