Testimonials

In March of 2008, when I was diagnosed with severe endometriosis, I had no hope that I would ever be able to get pregnant. The endometriosis was so big that only the best and the most experienced surgeon could remove it through four small incisions without cutting out my ovaries. The entire surgery took five hours to complete. I was warned that the most productive time to conceive would be up to six months after the surgery because endometriosis grows back quickly. Only in a year, I and my husband started looking into some other options available to conceive. We tried IUI and it was unsuccessful. Then we decided that it was time to give acupuncture a try. Although I was really skeptical about it, I went online and found “Blessing Acupuncture”. It was a real blessing from heaven to have Rikke Blessing as an acupuncturist. She was genuinely interested in my problem. She was always encouraging and supportive exactly when I needed it. I had no idea how powerful acupuncture could be, especially when it is done by an excellent specialist like Rikke Blessing. It took me only two and a half months to get pregnant. Rikke also helped me to stay pregnant during the most critical times of the first trimester. I am now in my third trimester and the baby is due in August (2010). I have no words to express how grateful I am to Rikke for giving me a chance to become a mother. This baby is a long-awaited one for both me and my husband. Thank you, Rikke, thank you!!! May God bless you!

Albina Khayms

A friend of mine used Rikke for acupuncture treatments while she tried IVF successfully and she had so many great things to say about Rikke.  She told me that one of the couples in her birthing class had started using Rikke after trying for a couple years and two months later they were pregnant.  This definitely gave me a reason to try it out.

We set up and appointment with her and about 2 months after, I was pregnant naturally! She had so much helpful advice.   She is a mom herself so I feel she understands and can really relate to what women/mom's go through. I had never had acupuncture before Rikke's office but I found it to be extremely relaxing and she is so gentle it did not hurt at all.  I will definitely continue in the future.  She is such a good source of knowledge about pregnancy and childbirth for that reason alone I would recommend her.

Feel free to email me or message me if you want to discuss my experience.  I was a little skeptical at first, but it totally worked for us!

Jennifer C, Pacific Grove

I would like to share my great experience with Rikke Blessing Acupuncture to help other women who are in a similar situation:
I tried to get pregnant for a year and a half and my OB/GYN told me that there is nothing he can do for me anymore  and referred me to a fertility specialist. After reading a lot about infertility I decided to wait with fertility treatments like IUI or IVF and give Acupuncture a try first. Before my first appointment with Rikke I didn't have much hope to ever get pregnant, but Rikke was confident that she can help me. I felt in good hands from the first moment on and thanks to her treatments and calming nature I became more and more relaxed and it didn't take long until I regained my normal energy level. My menstrual cycle got regular and I felt very good overall.

After weekly visits for three months I had a positive pregnancy test in my hands! I was so thrilled and thankful that it happened naturally in such a short time! I truly believe this would not have happened without Rikke's expertise. 
I continued seeing her during my whole pregnancy, which was very easy with absolutely no complications.

When I was past my due date I saw Rikke twice a week to help start contractions. It worked! I went into labor naturally the day before my scheduled induction. I had a healthy 7lbs 13oz baby boy and we couldn't be happier! 
I feel very fortunate that I found Rikke and would recommend her to anyone with fertility issues, during pregnancy or with other female health concerns. I can not thank her enough for making our little family possible!

Christina B.

As a medical professional, I was wary of other approaches to health besides the traditional western medicine I had been indoctrinated in. However, after years of suffering with chronic tension headaches and sick of no real help from western medicine, I opted to try acupuncture. I have to say that Rikke Blessing was fantastic. She is extremely professional and completely invested in helping you come up with a solution. After several weeks of treatments I started to notice a definite decrease in frequency and intensity of my headaches. I found that I was no longer reaching for the bottle of Excedrin countless times in the day. I am now a believer in exploring alternative ways of treatment, and think Rikke is a great resource for many suffering with chronic conditions.

S. Bell, M.D.

After a four year struggle with infertility I am finally 7 months pregnant.  I've seen several infertility doctors yet could not carry a child to term.  The last two years we couldn't even get pregnant!  So glad that I found Rikke.  After only two months of treatment I was pregnant.  My husband and I stared in disbelief at the positive pregnancy test after two long years of disappointment. I am kicking myself for waiting so long to try acupuncture. Not only did it get me pregnant but it helped keep me pregnant.  I know that I could not have gotten this far without Rikke. She is so patient and understanding with me (I'm a bit highstrung) and knowledgeable about the female reproductive system.  Every time I go I leave so relaxed and refreshed.  If you are dealing with infertility issues you need to schedule an appointment with Rikke.

Sonya W.

Thank you so much Rikke for helping us to realize our dream of having a second child, a little sister for our son. As a busy physician with a stressful life and at my older age I did not think it was possible. For those considering acupuncture treatment for infertility or other conditions, I would recommend you in a heartbeat. Your competence, caring nature, professionalism, and holistic approach including counseling on nutrition and lifestyle all combine to make you a wonderful and effective practitioner.

B. Miller, M.D.

Dear Rikke, Just wanted to drop you a line to thank you for helping me to conceive my first child. I really feel like your expertise in accupuncture as it relates to fertility gave me a huge advantage in successfully being able to have the embryo attach to my uterus. To top it off, you're wonderful demeanor, kindness and compassion really helped me to relax throughout the entire process. I would definitely recommend you to anyone who wants to increase their chances of conceiving a child. Thanks for everything and I look forward to seeing you when it time for the next baby.

April

I have been wanting to write this review for some time.  I was struggling with infertility.  The odds where not in our favor as I was close to 40 years, my husband close to 50, and my cycles were extremely long and erratic.  Pretty hard to figure out ovulation (even IF I was).

I found Rikke and so happy to report, after a year of trying, we successful got pregnant naturally!  All fertility specialists told us that we had less than 5% chance and they gave us very little hope.  With her treatments and herbs, my cycles regulated!  They were still long 34 days but that is better than 60+!

I am so very blessed to have met and worked with Rikke.  She is a wonderfully compassionate person.  My beautiful little girl is 3 months old now and our whole heart.  I recommend Rikke and acupuncture to any one struggling with infertility.   (Now, I need to got back for my back!  Carrying my little one and nursing is taking its toll!)!

Dawn, Marina

Rikke is SO amazing! I came to her when I had been trying to get pregnant for about 18 mo. My Dr. was very frustrating and I never got to a medical diagnosis of what was wrong, but that didn't matter. Rikke can get all of the information she needs to treat you by observing the symptoms in your whole body. She is so knowledgeable about a women's body and reproduction- much more than my medical doctor was! We got pregnant on our second cycle with her treatment! 
After the second treatment (2 weeks), I got my period and for the first time in over 10 years, I didn't have horrible, debilitating cramps! I had almost zero pain. That was a miracle to me and showed me that this really has powerful effect on the body.

Also, I found the process to be very relaxing. I had been very stressed and tense about getting pregnant (and my husband was, too!), but with her, I felt hope and calm. I believe the herbs really made the difference. I believe they helped my mood but also helped keep the treatment going through the week. Many of my friends did acupuncture with someone else and didn't take herbs- it took much longer to get pregnant. The herbs are definitely worth it.

My favorite thing about Rikke is that she is so incredibly kind, warm, compassionate and nurturing. I looked forward to treatment with her and when I got pregnant I felt she was just as excited/concerned as I was. I had a little scare when I first got pregnant because I had infection with spotting and she was absolutely there for me.  I contacted her freaking out and she called me back even though she was out of town!! She told me some things I could do and reassured me so much, but I still could feel her concern and she wasn't just invalidating my worries. I felt like she cared as much as I did and much more than a doctor would. When I came in to see her, she gave me herbs that stopped the bleeding immediately. I feel like I might have miscarried without her help. 
I can't say enough great things about Rikke and I am proof that acupunture really works. I would strongly recommend her to anyone who has any kind of health problem.

Vanessa C

I feel very fortunate to get to know Rikke Blessing during a critical time in my life. I was diagnosed with uterine fibroids several years ago, and although they were asymptomatic for a while, during the past two years I experienced extremely heavy and prolonged periods and excessive menstrual bleeding. Because of severe blood loss during periods, I became very anemic and fatigued, barely functioned at work and was rushed to emergency a few times to receive blood transfusions. I was offered hysterectomy at the hospital, and in preparation for the surgery, Luprone shots to trigger artificial menopause, to stop bleeding and to bring my hemoglobin level back to normal. I desperately wanted to avoid both the radical hormonal treatment and the surgery and was looking for efficient alternative approaches to treat my condition. Fortunately, a friend of mine who had a very good personal experience with Blessing Acupuncture Clinic, recommended me to see Rikke at that time. Several months later, I am very happy to feel and to tell that the combined acupuncture sessions and the herbal formulas I was given at the clinic improved my condition dramatically: the bleeding is substantially reduced, my hemoglobin level is back to normal, and I am back to enjoy life, sports and work. I am very grateful to Rikke for giving me my quality life back. I also could not praise enough her professional knowledge and devotion to the practice, her attention and care for a patient, her kindness and just the right words of encouragement when one needs to hear them the most.

E.S.

Meeting Rikke has had a profound positive impact on my life. At first, I was very skeptical about acupuncture and herbal treatment and that they could actually help with my specific fertility problem. I am very picky person and it is very hard for me to find the right combination of knowledge, competence, warmth, kindness, and the ability to reassure me in one personality. Rikke has it all. After 5 years trying to conceive without any positive results and 2 miscarriages, I was very depressed. My diagnosis was unexplainable infertility. When I met Rikke, she gave me hope that having children was in fact possible for me. I wanted to keep things as natural as possible. I took the herbs that Rikke suggested to stimulate my ovaries at the right time of the month, to help ensure the best quality eggs possible. And to my pleasant surprise, when I came to see my fertility doctor for ultra sound to see how many eggs I had that month, I had 2 mature eggs. Both of which were ready for fertilization. It was a miracle. I did three IUI, herbs and acupuncture together. And on my third time, it was a keeper. I got pregnant. During my 7th week, I started bleeding again. Rikke was actually the first person I called. It was late, around 8pm, but she took the time to talk to me, and actually asked me to come see here right away. She had a treatment to help keep a fetus in the uterus. The next day when I saw my o.b., he said he was very sorry but thought that I may have possibly had another miscarriage. When he did the ultrasound and saw that my fetus was in fact still in my uterus looking great, he said he didn't know what I had done, but wished all his patients looked that good. I am now 28 weeks pregnant. So far, I have had a very healthy and easy pregnancy. I thank Rikke for making it all possible for me to fulfill my dream of finally having a baby.

Irina Hurka

I highly recommend Rikke Blessing of Blessing Acupuncture. I started seeing Rikke for infertility issues. She is very knowledgeable about infertility both in terms of Eastern medicine and typical Western medical practices. I completely trusted her skills and methods. Since I was new to acupuncture, I was a bit nervous at first. Rikke's warm personality and knowledge put me at ease. Each session was very relaxing and felt like a special treat. I was totally confident that acupuncture would enhance my ability to get pregnant. I was also confident that Rikke's treatments would not harm any potential pregnancy. After several months, I was able to conceive naturally without medical intervention. I am thrilled to be expecting a baby in May.

Stephanie Love

It is absolutely a blessing to have Blessing Acupuncture in Monterey!  Initially, I chose to visit Rikke because she specializes in Woman's Health and Fertility, she is board certified, many reproductive specialists require the incorporation of acupuncture in treatment, and, frankly, I was curious.  When we met for the first time I knew I was in great hands - the hands of a healer.

Rikke immediately put me at ease and started working her magic. In addition to being a leader in her field, she is gentle, calming, compassionate, soothing and reassuring.

Rikke helped prepare me for successful IVF treatment. Later,  she relieved lower back pain, helped me manage through difficult and stressful life situations and used herbs to keep me from getting very sick during the last cold/flu season.

Rikke is now a key partner in my overall health and well-being and has absolutely earned each of the 5 stars -- if I could give more stars, I would.

I encourage all my women friends, young and old, to seek Rikke's support for their health care needs. She can help with each and every stage of fertility from helping prepare for pregnancy and support during pregnancy (including getting your labor started!) to the special needs of women managing the transitions at the end fertility.

Truly, it is a blessing to have access to Rikke and Blessing Acupuncture.

Alicia B.

I'm pregnant!! Thank you so much for supporting my husband and I during our IVF treatments. I know that your acupuncture made a huge difference in how we felt during the process (much more relaxed) and definitely increased our chances of getting pregnant. We highly recommend your services to anyone going through IVF.

Amy P.

I would highly recommend accupuncture - and specifically Rikke Blessing - for assistance with infertility treatment. While I was a bit nervous about the treatment process itself, I can honestly say it was very relaxing. In fact, I fell asleep during each session! Rikke is very knowledgeable about Eastern medicine and uses her expertise to help guide you through the entire conception process. In addition to her extensive skills and impressive background, Rikke also shows tremendous care and concern for her patients. This is a rare combination, and I feel very lucky to have found such a wonderful practitioner to help me through this journey. P.S. I'm 15 weeks pregnant! Thank you Rikke!

J.D.

It is my good fortune to be Rikke's patient. After trying to conceive for two years, and receiving a frustrating diagnosis of "undiagnosed infertility", I opted to give acupuncture a try. After three months of treatments with Rikke, I conceived. During each session she was compassionate, supportive and always had just the right encouraging words that I needed to hear. Being her patient has been life changing. She helped me understand how my nutritional choices, stress levels, exercise and amount of sleep were impacting my fertility. I have had a very easy pregnancy and I believe that acupuncture is responsible for being morning sickness free and my good energy levels. I look forward to being Rikke's patient for a long time to come as I plan on continuing to make acupuncture a part of my life and enjoying all of the good health benefits it has to offer.

Jackie B.

Thank you for all your effort, skill and support during our infertility treatment. Your knowledge, skill and professionalism gave us much comfort and hope during this difficult period. However, it is your kindness, support and understanding that we will remember most. After two unsuccessful IVF’s and discouraging words from IVF doctors telling us that our chances of conceiving were 0%, you never stopped encouraging us. With only 3 months acupuncture treatment from you, we decided to try just a basic IUI and got pregnant on the first try. It is truly amazing and we feel very blessed and grateful!

M and D Agar

Calming colors, pleasant sounds of nature and a warm smile welcome you when you arrive at Blessing Acupuncture. Rikke Blessing has a particular talent for listening carefully to your story while creatively making connections and sorting out the details of your symptoms and complaints as you describe what you are experiencing. She pours her awareness into solving your problem as she feels your pulse and looks at your tongue. I have been using acupuncture and Chinese medicine as my primary form of health maintenance for the past 5 years. About two years ago, after a miscarriage, I was faced with an acute problem and tried a variety of specialists and acupuncturists searching for relief. I was becoming depressed and was sure I would have these symptoms the rest of my life. When Rikke began working with me she was realistic and determined. She tried a variety of herb and acupuncture combinations to bring my hormones back in balance. In just 5 months I was seeing great improvement and in six I was feeling like myself again. After two years of frustration it felt too good to be true! I highly recommend Rikke Blessing and look forward to having her continued support balancing my hormonal changes as I exit the child-bearing years, pass through menopause, and enter into the last stage of being a woman. I am confident she will help me navigate the waters ahead.

Jennifer Gulassa

(Mastitis) No antibiotics! Really couldn't have done it without you. After our last session, the fever stayed down. Was still pretty weak until a few days ago, but didn't get sick again. And the plugs have mostly cleared. Thanks so much again!

HW.

Blessing Acupuncture works! As a registered nurse I am very familiar with the western medicine formula. You go to the doctor, they see you for 15 minutes, they look up your problem and come to a conclusion about your diagnosis and treatment based mainly on books. No discussion, no explanation, and very little education is provided. I was stuck in this system for a year and a half trying to get pregnant. The doctors seemed just as nervous as I was, one doctor declined to treat me because she said, “infertility is too depressing to her!” That was my rock bottom; I knew that I had to try something else. I went to see Rikke at Blessing Acupuncture, and everything was different. In my first appointment with her we sat and talked for almost 45 minutes. She asked me how I was feeling, what was going on in my life, and what my treatment course had been so far. The most impressive part about our meeting was her optimism and confidence. She gave me exactly what I needed to keep going and to keep trying. She was completely supportive and open-minded, incorporating western and eastern medicine. She educated me on all of my options medically and holistically, and helped me to decide what was best for me. Her support was invaluable to my husband and I. Well, I’m sure you want to know…. did I get pregnant….yes! I am now 4 months pregnant and so grateful.

Kari and Nick

I have been seeing Rikke for 4 months now due to my diagnosis of fibroids, endometriosis, and a previous ectopic pregnancy.  Her board certification in fertility was important to me.  She has helped me tremendously with regulating my cycle (I used to ovulate on day 8, now it is day 14) which is so crucial for healthy egg maturation.  She recently started herbs to help with dampness, and my tongue is definetly less pale! And I am less anxious and more grounded!

We are moving towards IVF with Zouves Fertility simply because of our ages and timeline.  I am confident that Rikke will continue to help support us through the IVF process if we aren't able to conceive naturally in the next 2 months.

She used to live up in the south bay area, and we are so lucky to have her here in Monterey!

Rachel S.

After 6 months of acupuncture treatments with Rikke, not only did i get pregnant, my mental and physical health is now the best it has been in years! i received bi-weekly acupuncture treatments as well as herbal medicine to regulate my menstrual cycle and help me ovulate. Rikke always had time to explain and more importantly to listen. (something my obgyn never mastered). Rikke's bedside manner's are impecable and the treatments were wonderfully relaxing!

Nicole C.