Acupuncture and Pregnancy
Traditional Chinese medicine has recommended specialized care for pregnant women for over 3000 years. Pregnancy, childbirth and postnatal recovery are believed to be a time when there is opportunity to enhance a woman’s health, as well as the health of the growing baby. In many countries such as England, France, Germany and New Zealand, this form of care has become very popular with acupuncturists and specially trained midwives.
Preparing for a new baby can bring up a list of different emotions and physical symptoms. Acupuncture is a safe and effective treatment to help support a woman in the different phases of her pregnancy. Very fine, stainless steel disposable needles are used to stimulate the energy at different points on the body. There should be no pain involved in this process. Treatments should be very soothing to the woman, allowing her to go into a deep place of relaxation or sleep.
During the first trimester, it is recommended that a pregnant woman receive acupuncture every 1-2 weeks, depending on her medical history and symptoms. Treatments center around nourishing the mother and the embryo, while dealing with the common symptoms of the first trimester: morning sickness, anxiety, constipation, insomnia and fatigue. Should a woman have a history of miscarriage, this phase of treatment is particularly important to help secure the growth of the baby.
In the second and third trimester, a woman receives treatments every 2-4 weeks depending on her physical symptoms. The second trimester is typically when a woman feels her best because her growing belly does not hinder movement, and her energy is high. Commonly treated issues in this phase are insomnia, low back pain, carpal tunnel syndrome, sinus congestion, headaches and sciatica. Acupuncture is used in the third trimester to treat the frequent complaints of back and pelvis pain, anxiety, edema, and signs of rising blood pressure.
It is recommended that a woman receive pre-labor acupuncture beginning at week 36 and continuing until she goes into labor. These treatments focus around opening up the energy pathways so that she can move gently into labor. Acupuncture helps to ripen the cervix, move baby into an ideal position (this includes correcting a breech presentation), calm and soothe the mother and strengthen her overall energy. Studies show that prebirth acupuncture can shorten labor times by up to 4 hours, and reduce the need for labor stimulating medications by 61%.
Postpartum treatment is extremely important for a woman. A woman should be coached in a method called “mother warming” in which an herb is used to warm particular acupuncture points beginning around day five after labor. This will begin to strengthen the overall qi (chee) of the body and allow the system to begin to rebuild what it has lost in the labor process. It is recommended that a new mother receive acupuncture to help nourish her system, balance the energy, support and promote lactation (if she chooses), and help to compensate for her lack of sleep. Other conditions that can be helped by acupuncture include; wound healing and scar tissue repair, postnatal depression and urinary incontinence.
How a woman recovers from labor and the postpartum phase can dictate her overall health in the future, as well as her ability to conceive again. The stronger a woman feels, the more able she is to care for her new baby.
