Fertility &Acupuncture in Charleston, SC
Support for your fertility journey, wherever you are starting from.
Trying to conceive can bring a lot of uncertainty, stress, and questions. Your body may not be doing what you expected, your cycle may feel unpredictable, or you may suddenly find yourself navigating medications, procedures, appointments, and a lot of information.
At Balance, we work with women through all stages of the fertility journey, from cycle irregularity and conditions like PCOS and endometriosis to IVF, IUI, pregnancy, and postpartum care. We take the time to understand your health, your cycle, your goals, and what you’re going through. Your care is tailored to you and can work alongside the medical care you’re already receiving.
How Acupuncture Can Support Fertility
Fertility care is about more than conception. We look at your health as a whole and consider how you’re feeling physically and emotionally throughout the process.
Acupuncture and Chinese medicine can be used to support:
Menstrual cycle health and reproductive health
Hormonal and endocrine health
Stress, anxiety, and the emotional demands of trying to conceive
Overall well-being during fertility treatment
Your Fertility Care
If you’re just starting to think about having a baby, navigating infertility or fertility treatment, or recovering from pregnancy loss, your care will be based on where you are now and what you need.
When possible, we typically recommend weekly treatments for about three months when beginning fertility care. This gives us time to get to know your cycle, support your overall health, and address things like stress, sleep, digestion, and other concerns that may be affecting how you feel.
Your treatment may include acupuncture, Chinese herbal medicine, dietary and lifestyle recommendations, moxibustion, cupping, or other supportive therapies. Treatments can be adjusted throughout your cycle and as your needs change.
IVF & IUI Support
Acupuncture can be incorporated into your care alongside IVF or IUI. For IVF, we often recommend 9–12 treatments leading up to embryo transfer, depending on your individual needs and treatment timeline.
Our focus is on supporting your overall well-being, helping you manage stress, and giving you a place to slow down during what can be a physically and emotionally demanding process.
We’re happy to work alongside your fertility specialist and other healthcare providers so your care feels connected.
Acupuncture During Pregnancy
Your needs can change quite a bit throughout pregnancy, and acupuncture can be adapted along the way.
First trimester: Weekly treatments may help with common concerns such as nausea, fatigue, stress, and anxiety.
Second trimester: Visits may become less frequent, often around once a month depending on your needs. We commonly address concerns such as aches and pains, heartburn, swelling, and disrupted sleep.
Third trimester: As you get closer to your due date, treatments may become more frequent again. Weekly care during the final month can focus on supporting comfort and preparing for labor. We use props and bolsters throughout treatment to help you stay comfortable.
Breech Presentation
If your baby is breech, acupuncture and moxibustion may be used as part of supportive care between approximately 30–38 weeks.
Moxibustion uses the mugwort herb to provide gentle, warming heat over a specific acupuncture point on the little toe. We can also teach you a simple moxibustion technique to use at home.
As always, we work alongside your prenatal care team and can help you understand your options for supportive care.
Postpartum Support
The fourth trimester brings a lot of change, physically, emotionally, and hormonally. Acupuncture and Chinese medicine can offer support during this transition, with care focused on physical recovery, nourishment, stress, emotional well-being, and adjusting to life with a new baby.
And because we care for the whole family, we also offer pediatric acupuncture and Chinese medicine. We’re happy to answer questions about care for your baby or child and help you understand what might be appropriate.
You Don't Have to Navigate It Alone
Trying to conceive, going through fertility treatment, and becoming a parent can feel like a lot to carry.
Your care at Balance is a place to slow down, ask questions, reconnect with your body, and have someone in your corner along the way.
Wherever you are in your fertility, pregnancy, or postpartum journey, we’re here to help you feel supported and cared for.
Patient Testimonials
The following month my cycle was as if it was straight out of a textbook - something I’d never experienced in the 20 years since getting my first period.
“I found Lauren through an essential oils candle-making class at Candlefish. At the time my husband and I were about to start trying to get pregnant so I took note of some of the essential oils to avoid when pregnant that she mentioned during class. Fast forward 7 months and we still weren’t pregnant. Even though my cycles had always been screwed up, my doctor said she wouldn’t address it until we had tried for a year at which point they’d give me medicine. I contacted Lauren on a long shot to see if there were oils that could help me get pregnant and set up an appointment for a consultation. What did I have to lose? In the first 15 minutes of that appointment, Lauren was more thorough in her questions about my cycle than any GYN I had ever seen. She drew up a plan to treat me for blood stagnation (suspecting endometriosis, which my doctor later confirmed) and asked me to give her 4 months to get my body operating the way it should. She sent me away with oils, instructions, recommendations for food, and information on acupuncture should I decide to try it. At my appointment the following month I opted to add the acupuncture as I was already starting to see changes in my cycle. The following month my cycle was as if it was straight out of a textbook - something I’d never experienced in the 20 years since getting my first period. I got pregnant that month and became a Chinese medicine proponent for life! Lauren helped me through my entire pregnancy, with the added bonus of getting to share in the excitement our first pregnancies together (she was five weeks behind me). I gave birth without any complications and have a beautiful 2 year old girl I tell people to this day would not be here if it wasn’t for Lauren (with a little help from my husband). To top it off, Andrea recently helped get my friend pregnant after they struggled for almost a year! Thank you both for giving us the best gifts you can receive in life!” - J.P.
Lauren worked with me on the underlying autoimmune disease, and on preparing my body for another pregnancy.
“I started seeing Lauren for fertility treatments after my first pregnancy resulted in miscarriage. After being told by one OB-GYN that my miscarriage was likely due to my Hashimoto’s hypothyroidism, and by another (in the same practice) that my thyroid had nothing to do with it, I wanted another opinion. Lauren worked with me on the underlying autoimmune disease, and on preparing my body for another pregnancy. Once I felt ready to try again, I got pregnant in my first month of trying. I continued to see Lauren throughout my pregnancy where she helped with the usual aches and pains that come with carrying a baby, and I enjoyed the added benefit of stress relief that comes with every session. Lauren actually listens to you, and her warm demeanor makes you comfortable enough to ask any question. I can’t say enough how highly I recommend her for fertility, autoimmune, and stress-of-everyday-life treatments!'“ - M.E.