It is torture or is it Chinese medicine?

My last IVF cycle, in which I got pregnant with my daughter, I tried acupuncture. In the least, I thought it couldn't harm my cycle and with any luck it might actually help. I honestly can't say whether or not it really helped but I got pregnant so as far as I'm concerned it was a positive not a negative part of my cycle.

So, I'm trying it again. I went for my first treatment last week. Before the fun could start, I discussed my reasons for being there and the acupuncturist looked at my tongue. He said I looked good but he saw some anxiety there (hmm...could that be from trying to balance work, baby, house and hubby?). We decided that my first treatment would be about getting the energy flowing through my body.

The treatment started with me lying on my back and having needles inserted in to my feet, knees and wrists as well as one near my belly button and one in between my eyes. When the needles are inserted it doesn't really hurt but occasionally I get a feeling like a jolt of electricity. It definitely tells me the acupuncturist hit a spot. After relaxing for awhile the needles are removed and I turn over on to my back. More needles are inserted around my spine and my shoulder blades (apparently where I hold all my work stress). Again I relax.

Eventually the acupuncturist returns and this time applies heat to my back by burning some Mugwort (called Moxibustion). This actually feels really nice but that is where nice ends and torture begins because after the needles are removed, the acupuncturist performed Gua Sha on my back. This is where he takes a porcelain Chinese soup spoon and runs it over my back, really deeply! This causes a bunch of blood to rise to the skin (a bit like a hickey) and it suppose to help get my blood moving around my system but boy does it hurt in some places. For me it hurt the most on my lower back.

All I can say is that my children better appreciate what I go through to conceive them! And acupuncture is only the beginning of the all the needles that will be stuck in to me and all the invasive procedures I have in my future.