Acupuncture Infertility Care

"I began working with Porter in July of 2022 after about a year and a half of TTC. I was also working with VCU REI and had numerous unsuccessful IUIs and was gearing up for IVF. At this point I was feeling the weight of my fertility struggles in every way and Porter gave me hope that I desperately needed. Not only is Porter extremely passionate and skilled at his job but he is also one of kindest, most genuine individuals I have met. I looked forward to my weekly sessions with Porter and left feeling calmer and more hopeful each time. After a disappointing egg retrieval very early into my acupuncture experience (I attribute this to the quality of eggs and sperm at the time) Porter helped me troubleshoot what we could do differently. We both started reading a book called It Starts With The Egg (get it!), I made recommended lifestyle adjustments and my husband and I started taking supplements. When my transfer failed Porter helped me back on my feet and again instilled hope in the journey. I was confident that my next retrieval would be strong! Porter suggested I add a fertility tea he made from Chinese herbs the next cycle and after multiple unsuccessful IUIs, an unsuccessful IVF transfer and 22 months of TTC I became pregnant in December 2022. I never in my wildest dreams thought I could conceive without REI but Porter helped us get the missing piece in our lives. I now have an extremely healthy 4-month year old boy and recently returned to Porter for a postpartum tune up. Porter was a vital part of our journey, and I am so appreciative and thankful for him. I have no doubt Porter and I will stay in touch, and I will look forward to my weekly sessions again when we are ready for baby number two. Struggles with fertility penetrate every part of your life and a strong team is vital…you need Porter on your team!"

"I am so grateful for Porter's guidance and support throughout my pregnancy journey. Infertility can be a tough and lonely road to travel, and one of the things that I appreciated most about Porter's practice is the degree to which I felt like he really walked alongside me for the whole thing. There are few other people in my life who cared as much as I did about things like ovulation windows and cycle lengths-- from an emotional perspective, it felt really supportive to have Porter so engaged and reflective around these sorts of details that can feel like minutiae to others but feel monumental to someone struggling to become pregnant. In terms of the care Porter provides- exceptional. His practice is a unique blend of acupuncture, heat/warming treatment, and relaxing bodywork/massage. His heartfelt dedication to his client's successes is immediately evident, and I felt like he approached each appointment with unique care and determination to supporting me. It never felt like he was "going through the motions"- time with Porter truly felt healing, and I appreciate his ongoing efforts to improve his practice and bring innovations to his treatment, and his dedication to remaining on top of the latest research and advances in infertility care. I worked with Porter for about 9 months before becoming pregnant with my daughter. During this time I saw improvements to my gynecological health directly attributable to my work with Porter. I have uterine scarring from a prior gynecological procedure, and I'll plan on returning to Porter's care if I decide to expand my family in the future. I heartily recommend Porter to those I know who are having difficulty becoming pregnant, and I'm so grateful that the Richmond community has Porter."

"We used Porter several times through multiple attempts at IVF. He was so supportive and even checked in during our pregnancy journey. We have now 2 kids due to his supportive treatment. Going through infertility is hard but to know we never went through it alone made it all worth it. Thank you Porter for everything since 2019! We will be back if we decide on Baby#3."

"I will be forever grateful for finding Porter when I did. I was very close to giving up after struggling for years with infertility. I had been diagnosed with stage 4 endometriosis, low ovarian reserve, and possible POS at the age of 40. I had seen several fertility specialists and was told the best option would be using donor eggs and IVF. I was grieving and feeling discouraged. I was not looking for acupuncture specifically but his name popped up in my google search for other fertility options. After reading his reviews, I felt some hope creep back in. I've always loved acupuncture, so I decided to give him a call. I found his presence to be so warm and nurturing. He was incredibly knowledgeable and diagnosed some issues that had been overlooked by previous providers. He is so compassionate, positive ,and hopeful with a strong focus on relaxation. He used a combination of acupuncture, massage, and moxibustion. I left my appointments feeling so relaxed, calm, and hopeful. He always listened to my worries and gave me space to feel anything, while always speaking hope into me. I looked forward to my weekly meetings with him. My cycles began to improve immediately and after 4 months I was pregnant! I continued to see him until 16 weeks for continued relaxation and support. I truly cannot say enough good things about Porter. He is truly a gift! It's obvious he cares about his patients and is incredibly skilled and knowledgeable in infertility care. He was a well of hope for me during a difficult time. My husband and I are so grateful for Porter!"

"Over the the course of about 5 months, I saw Porter for infertility then prenatal acupuncture. I cannot speak highly enough about my experiences with Porter! I sought out an infertility acupuncture specialist to support an emotional IVF journey after several losses. We probably did one session both after egg retrieval but before the implantation procedure. I had one egg and it took! I even consistently drank “ the tea”. You’ll know if you go. It was definitely successful, in addition to creating a supportive place to experience peace, acceptance, and joy in my body again. Porter was knowledgeable, warm and responsive to my needs and goals. That very first session I was afraid. I really didn’t want to be there. I didn’t want to need to be there. The idea of needles was not my idea of a good time. I couldn’t imagine someone describing acupuncture as relaxing. And YET. Yet his specific knowledge set allowed him to select the width of needle, placement of the needle and exhale technique to overall make it a virtually painless experience. In that very first session I felt a rushing sensation at my core. He unlocked something internally. Almost intercession for the pain and frustration I’d held inside for years. Porter is magic. I don’t know what he knows. I don’t now how he knows it. But I’m in my third trimester and I never thought that was possible. I continued to see him to manage the anxiety of first trimester. I saw him until I was physically unable to be on my back OR stomach for treatment at about 16 weeks. Overall, Porter has created a space that feels welcoming and responsive to wherever you are at in your fertility journey and I highly encourage you to check him out! You literally have nothing to lose and everything to gain!"