Baby, is this the time of year for infertile couples to get bombarded.

From the babe in the manger to kids at holiday parties, those without them who want them feel especially stressed.

"The holidays are a time for families to be together, but they can be a stark reminder to those without children about the difficulties they are facing in their attempts to conceive,'' says Pamela Madsen, executive director of the American Infertility Association and co-founder of the Focus On Fertility education campaign.

(Check the Web site at www.americaninfertility.org or call 888-917-3777.)

The holidays can also be a time when organizations, such as Madsen's, and doctors want to encourage patients and remind them that there are several alternatives for childless couples to consider for conception.

One of those alternatives has suddenly started popping up in my e-mail in-box: acupuncture.

The use of acupuncture to improve chances for conception isn't new, and the practice of this Chinese art goes back centuries.

But complementary therapies are gaining more widespread attention, particularly as the costs of traditional medicine rise.

Some acupuncturists say they are seeing success rates that far outpace those with in-vitro fertilization, where a human egg and sperm are mated in a laboratory and the resultant embryo is re-implanted, usually in the biological mother.

``I've had success with five out of five patients getting pregnant within the last six months,'' says Stuart Zoll, a Boca Raton doctor of oriental medicine and a licensed acupuncturist.

The women he's treated have been through IVF treatments and failed, he said, but were able to conceive within four months with acupuncture.

One of the reasons might be that acupuncture and prescribed herbs can reduce stress and allow nature to take over.

(Acupuncture, however, cannot unblock a woman's tubes or shrink large fibroids.)

Another infertility specialist, Dr. Mark Denker, also of Boca Raton, doesn't himself practice acupuncture, but he does refer patients to Delray Beach acupuncturist Susan Schiff.

``One of the theories behind acupuncture is its ability to bring balance and stress relief. This is particularly important to women trying to conceive. If stress and frustration levels are reduced, there is a greater likelihood of conception,'' he said.

Costs of acupuncture treatment alone are lower than traditional methods such as IVF, which can run up to $15,000 per procedure and not be successful.

Acupuncture, Zoll said, costs a couple of thousand per procedure, with the average being about $2,000.

Both Zoll and Denker also encourage patients to try yoga, meditation and massage therapy, as does the American Infertility Association.

``Anything that helps the patient relax is a great idea,'' says Denker. ``Even the most traditional of doctors believes there is a significant connection between mind and body.''

From Coxnews.com