Acupuncture During Pregnancy

 

Benefits of Acupuncture during pregnancy and post partum.

Science has very carefully evaluated the safety of acupuncture during pregnancy and found it to have no negative side effects to the mother or the baby. Women should feel very confident in utilizing a form of medicine that has been helping women during pregnancy for more than 3,000 years.

Pregnancy is a very special time for women that can also present some unwelcome physical and emotional challenges. It is often very overwhelming to experience the many changes in your body and confusing as to how to best take care of yourself nutritionally and medically. Thankfully, acupuncture and carefully prescribed herbs can make a world of difference in making your pregnancy the joyful and exciting experience you dreamed it would be.

What conditions are treated by acupuncture during pregnancy and post partum?

Acupuncture is effective in treating many conditions during pregnancy including Morning sickness, heartburn, hypertension, breech presentation, and as a routine pre-birth treatment to prepare the pelvis and cervix for labor. It treats postnatal conditions such as excessive uterine bleeding, post partum depression, perineal pain, lactation problems, mastitis, and as a general postnatal tonification treatment.

Acupuncture as a Pre Birth Treatment

According to the theories of Chinese medicine, the woman ’s body right before birth presents an optimal time to balance hormone levels, strengthen the organ systems and make sure her and her baby’s bodies are in harmony. Acupuncture treatments leading up to birth have proven to increase the likelihood of delivering on the due date, reduce the time of labor and substantially reduce the need for interventions and caesarean sections. Certain points are known to help the cervix soften and dilate and others aid in helping the ligaments relax and loosen for the easy passage of the baby. Women who receive pre-birth acupuncture and do not go into labor spontaneously usually respond very well and quickly to induction either by acupuncture or medication.

I recommend that women begin to come in for acupuncture treatments periodically throughout the third trimester. The time for the treatments gives the woman a chance to lie quietly and connect with her baby, preparing for the birth. Regular acupuncture through early third trimester can help convince the baby to take a head-down position and avoid the scare of being breech. Starting week 36 I have women come in once a week and we work to get her body ready for the labor process. The acupuncture is gentle and the experience is deeply relaxing for the mom-to-be.

Acupuncture for Labor Promotion

Generally a woman can begin treatments to stimulate labor the week of her due date. Most of the time it is recommended for the woman to receive treatments daily in order to maintain the momentum created after each session. The effects are not as instantaneous as a medical induction. Depending on how far into pre-labor the woman’s body is will dictate how many sessions will be needed.

During the acupuncture treatment the mom may notice increased movement of her baby and some contractions. Most women experience increased contractions in the evening and night after a session. Each subsequent day of treatment the mom should feel stronger contractions and like she is moving more in the direction of active labor.