Natural Fertility Acupuncture in
Pasadena & Los Angeles
At taproot, we have helped hundreds of patients get the positive pregnancy test they were hoping for.
Acupuncture & Chinese herbs can help both partners optimize fertility, regulate hormones and reduce stress.
​
Our fertility protocol is most effective with a minimum of 3 months of consistent treatment.
​
Acupuncture goes to the root of things, and fertility is a slow race, no a sprint !If you have an underlying condition, or are over 35, it may take longer, but do not despair, success is very possible.
Who Natural Fertility Acupuncture Is For
Natural fertility acupuncture is beneficial for just about anybody trying to conceive. You do not need a diagnosis to benefit. You do not need to have been trying for a specific length of time. What matters is whether there is something in your cycle, your hormonal pattern, or your overall health that is creating friction in the conception process.
​
​
You are over 35
Age-related decline in egg quality is real but not a fixed sentence. The 90-day treatment window represents an opportunity to improve the quality of eggs developing within the existing reserve. Patients over 35 who commit to three to six months of consistent treatment before attempting conception give themselves a meaningfully better biological starting point.
​
You are coming off hormonal birth control
The return to natural cycle function after years on the pill, IUD, or hormonal implant is rarely as immediate as expected. Post-pill amenorrhea, post-pill PCOS, and blunted cycle signaling are common. Acupuncture accelerates the return of ovulatory function and helps recalibrate the HPO axis.
​
You have low AMH or diminished ovarian reserve
AMH measures the quantity of remaining follicles, not the quality of the eggs within them. Patients with low AMH who improve egg quality through treatment, via improved blood flow, reduced oxidative stress, and targeted herbal formulas. They consistently produce better outcomes than their AMH number would predict.
​
You have Irregular or long cycles
cycles longer than 35 days, unpredictable ovulation timing, or cycles that vary significantly month to month. Each of these reduces the number of conception opportunities per year and makes timing intercourse accurately nearly impossible.
​
You have short cycles or luteal phase defect
Your cycles are shorter than 24 days, or a luteal phase (the time between ovulation and menstruation) shorter than 10 days. A short luteal phase means insufficient progesterone support for implantation. An embryo that fertilizes successfully cannot implant and sustain if the hormonal environment collapses too quickly.
​
PCOS (now called PMOS)
Polycystic ovary syndrome disrupts ovulation, elevates androgens, and in insulin-resistant presentations, impairs the hormonal signaling required for regular follicular development. Acupuncture restores ovulatory frequency and addresses the metabolic component of PCOS without the risks associated with ovulation-induction medications.
​
Endometriosis
The inflammatory environment created by endometriosis impairs egg quality, disrupts fallopian tube function, and creates a hostile implantation environment. Treatment reduces pelvic inflammation, addresses pain, and improves the conditions for conception. Patients with endometriosis who are trying naturally generally need longer treatment courses — six months is a more realistic timeline than three.
​
Thin uterine lining
A lining below 7mm at ovulation significantly reduces implantation probability regardless of egg quality. Acupuncture improves uterine artery blood flow, which is the primary driver of lining thickness and texture. This is one of the most consistently and quickly responsive presentations in the clinic.
​
Recurrent pregnancy loss
For patients who conceive but do not sustain pregnancy, Chinese medicine addresses the implantation environment, the adequacy of luteal phase hormonal support, immune regulation, and uterine blood flow. Recurrent loss requires a detailed intake and, where appropriate, coordination with an MFM or reproductive immunologist.
​
Unexplained infertility
Normal bloodwork, normal ultrasound, normal semen analysis, no explanation, no pregnancy. This is one of the most common and most frustrating presentations in fertility medicine. It is also one of the strongest indications for acupuncture. When conventional diagnostics find nothing, the issue is functional, not structural — and functional imbalances are precisely what Chinese medicine diagnoses and treats.
​
​
Treating the 4 phases of your cycle
Chinese medicine divides the menstrual cycle into four distinct phases, each with its own hormonal and physiological character, and each requiring a different treatment approach.
Menstruation
days 1–5 approximately
The focus is on supporting smooth, complete shedding of the lining and addressing pain or clotting. Herbal formulas during this phase promote blood movement and reduce stagnation. Acupuncture addresses cramping and supports the downward movement of blood.
Ovulation
around day 14
The transition from yin to yang requires a smooth hormonal surge. Patients with delayed or absent LH surge, poor cervical mucus, or mid-cycle pain receive targeted treatment in this window to support the ovulatory transition.
Follicular phase
days 6–13 approximately
Estrogen rises and follicles develop. Treatment focuses on building blood and yin (the Chinese medicine equivalents of the nutrients, circulation, and hormonal environment required for follicular development and lining growth). Patients with thin lining or poor follicular development receive targeted treatment in this phase.
Luteal phase
days 15-28 approximately
Progesterone dominates. Treatment focuses on warming and supporting the luteal phase — kidney yang in Chinese medicine — to maintain adequate progesterone support for implantation. Patients with luteal phase defect, early spotting, or habitual early loss receive their most intensive treatment during this phase.
The diagnostic framework of Chinese medicine identifies patterns that do not appear on standard bloodwork or ultrasound. This is not mystical — it is a different level of resolution.
​
A patient with heavy, clotty periods, cold extremities, and pain that improves with heat has a blood stagnation with cold pattern.
​
A patient with scanty, pale periods, fatigue, and anxiety has a blood and yin deficiency pattern.
A patient with irregular cycles, irritability before menstruation, and breast tenderness has a liver qi stagnation pattern.
These are not personality types. They are physiological patterns with specific treatment implications.
​
The same symptom — irregular cycles — has five or six distinct underlying patterns in Chinese medicine, each requiring a different herbal formula and acupuncture point selection.
Treating them identically produces inconsistent results. This is why individualized diagnosis is not a marketing term at Taproot — it is the mechanism through which the medicine works.
​
At your first appointment, the intake covers your full menstrual history, cycle characteristics, medical history, lifestyle, sleep, digestion, stress, and any prior fertility workup. This produces a Chinese medicine diagnosis that guides every subsequent treatment decision.
How Chinese Medicine Diagnoses Natural Fertility
What the Treatment Protocol Looks Like
Month one: Weekly acupuncture, comprehensive intake, Chinese herbal formula prescribed to your pattern. Baseline cycle tracking begins — basal body temperature, cervical mucus observation, and any monitoring you are already doing with your OB. Treatment in month one focuses on identifying and beginning to shift the primary pattern.
​
Month two: The cycle begins to respond. Lining improves, ovulation timing becomes more predictable, luteal phase lengthens, or pain reduces — depending on the presenting pattern. Herbal formula is adjusted based on treatment response. Lifestyle and nutritional recommendations are introduced based on your specific diagnosis.
​
Month three: The eggs developing now are the ones that were in early maturation stages when treatment began. This is the month where egg quality improvements become relevant. The full treatment effect is present. Most patients notice significant cycle changes by this point. For patients who have not yet conceived, this is also when a decision about continuing natural treatment versus adding IUI or IVF is worth discussing with your RE.
​
For patients with PCOS, endometriosis, low AMH, or a history of recurrent loss, six months is a more realistic treatment timeline before expecting consistent results.
FAQ
How is natural fertility acupuncture different from just taking fertility supplements?
Supplements address specific nutrient deficiencies or provide raw materials for biological processes. Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine address the functional patterns driving the problem — poor circulation, dysregulated hormonal signaling, inadequate luteal phase support, systemic inflammation. These are different levels of intervention. Supplements are one tool within a broader treatment plan, not a substitute for it.
​
I just started trying to conceive. Is it too early to start acupuncture?
No. Starting before you begin trying is the optimal timing. Three months of preconception treatment produces better baseline conditions — egg quality, cycle regularity, uterine environment, stress baseline — than starting treatment after several months of unsuccessful attempts. If you are planning to start trying in the next three to six months, now is the right time to begin.
My OB says everything looks normal. Why am I not getting pregnant?
Standard fertility workups measure a limited set of parameters. They assess whether ovulation is occurring, whether tubes are open, and whether sperm count and motility fall within normal ranges. They do not assess egg quality directly, uterine receptivity beyond lining thickness, sperm DNA fragmentation, immune factors affecting implantation, or the functional cycle quality that determines whether a fertilized egg can successfully implant and develop. Chinese medicine addresses several of these unmeasured factors.
​
Can I do acupuncture while also seeing an RE?
Yes. Most REs are neutral to supportive of acupuncture during natural conception attempts. We do not require a referral and we do not need to communicate directly with your RE, though we can provide documentation of your treatment if requested. Bring any relevant lab work to your first appointment so treatment can be calibrated to your specific test results.
Is there an age cutoff for natural fertility acupuncture?
No. Patients in their early to mid forties conceive naturally with acupuncture support at Taproot. Age affects the statistical probability of conception per cycle, but it does not eliminate the opportunity to improve the biological conditions that influence each attempt. Patients over 40 are advised to pursue parallel evaluation with an RE rather than treating exclusively with acupuncture for extended periods — the two approaches are not mutually exclusive.
​
What if I want to try naturally for a few more months before considering IVF?
This is a reasonable plan and one we support. Acupuncture during natural attempts improves the conditions for each cycle while simultaneously building the biological foundation that produces better IVF outcomes if you eventually proceed. Time spent in treatment is not time wasted — it is preparation that benefits whatever path you ultimately take.
​