Lucy Baker has suffered two years of the stress and disappointment of failing to have a baby.

When she was 18, she was diagnosed with a condition called polycystic ovary syndrome which makes getting pregnant difficult.

It means she has lots of small cysts on her ovaries and, the older she gets, the slimmer her chances of conceiving become.

But now Lucy, 27, of Portland Road, Hove, is confident she will become a mum after a course of acupuncture treatments to help her conceive showed positive results in just three months.

Lucy has been undergoing fertility treatment involving tablets designed to help women ovulate.

But trying for a baby was causing more stress for Lucy which, in turn, wasn't helping her to conceive. She was suffering from lack of sleep, nightmares and migraines.

It was Lucy's GP who suggested she also try complementary therapies and decided to give acupuncture a try.

According to acupuncturists, every part and function of the body is interconnected through Qi or energy. Symptoms arise when there is a disturbance within this network of Qi. A practitioner sees the symptoms not as something he has to get rid of but as a signpost to the cause of the symptom. They believe by treating the cause, the symptoms will disappear.

Thearpists say the most common cause of female infertility is kidney deficiency. Symptoms are late and scanty periods, backache, dizziness and tinnitus. Blood deficiency and cold in the uterus are also said to produce symptoms related to periods.

A practitioner will discuss the patient's problems in these areas as well as their lifestyle, including diet and stress. They will examine the pulse, tongue, body and skin and then devise a treatment plan.

Acupuncture needles are used in certain points on the body which affect the problems. These might not necessarily be in the area of the ovaries - they could be in the hands, face, neck or feet.

Practitioners don't just use needles, they also burn herbs and use massage.

Acupuncturist Tae-Hunn Lee, known as Hunn, has been treating Lucy since October at Archway Complementary Therapies, High Street, Uckfield.

One of Hunn's priorities with Lucy was to reduce her stress. Lucy was also suffering from irregular, painful and light periods which Hunn needed to deal with.

After her second treatment, Lucy already felt less stressed, was sleeping better and had experienced her first pain-free period.

Now, six treatments later, Hunn is working towards his aim of achieving regular periods for Lucy.

Lucy says: "The acupuncture has made a massive difference. I was very sceptical but I could tell straight away it was going to work.

"I am not as tired. The acupuncture has given me an energy boost. I am a lot more relaxed.

"You get times when you feel you will never get pregnant but I am confident it will work."

Hunn says: "In my experience, acupuncture is very effective in treating gynaecological problems. The female organism depends on an exact interaction of hormones and physiological processes.

"This very sensitive mechanism is easily disturbed by many factors which our modern life brings with it, such as stress, emotional upset, bad diet and overwork.

"Any of these factors might start a vicious cycle. Stress might lead to a disturbed sleep, which leads to a depletion of energies, which might lead to menstrual problems, which might lead to emotional upset, which might lead to more stress - the start of a downward spiral.

"Acupuncture works on a subtle, energetic level and is therefore able to pick up and treat this and break this vicious cycle, restoring a dynamic balance and vibrant health."

Acupuncture can also be used to help women going through IVF. A German study found those women who used acupuncture with IVF achieved a 42 per cent pregnancy rate compared with 26 per cent in the group which did not use it.

It is used before, during and after IVF treatment to improve the function of the ovaries and produce better quality eggs, regulate hormones, increase blood flow to the uterus and increase the thickness of the uterine lining, relax the patient and reduce stress, relieve the side-effects of drugs, strengthen and regulate the immune system and reduce the chance of miscarriage.

Anthea Mason treats fertility problems using acupuncture at the Equilibrium Clinic, Station Street, Lewes.

She says: "IVF is expensive and very emotional and can be a huge pressure on a relationship. If you are only going to try it once, you want to make sure you have done everything you can to have that one successful trial."

Anthea, 37, also had acupuncture to treat her own fertility problems, having suffered from the same condition as Lucy, and is now mum to Kai, seven, and Nadira, three.

Anthea says: "I really understand and feel for women. I really know what they are feeling and that is one of the reasons I'm doing it."

She is a member of the Satellite Network Clinic, a group of experts set up by fertility company Nourish, which produces natural products to help women conceive, including vitamins.

"As well as acupuncture, taking the right vitamins, eating the right diet and meditation can all help with fertility," says Anthea.

  • Tae-Hunn Lee is based at Archway Complementary Therapies, High Street, Uckfield (call 01825 761010), Hygeia Health Centre, Edward Road, Haywards Heath (call 01444 416911) and the Elan Studio, Perrymount Road, Haywards Heath (call 01444 474647).
  • Anthea Mason is based at Equilibrium Clinic, Station Street, Lewes (call 01273 470955).