Acupuncture and Pregnancy

Pregnancy is an exciting, life changing experience that involves an extraordinary physical and emotional transformation. Taking care of one’s well-being during this time is important for both birthing parent and baby. Acupuncture offers a holistic drug free approach to support their pregnancy and birthing experience.

 Acupuncture can address

• Morning sickness

• Miscarriage

• Breech or mal-position of fetus

• Insomnia

• Anxiety and Depression

• Muscular Skeletal pain

• Pelvic pain

• Constipation

• varicose veins

• Hemorrhoids

• Fatigue

• Urinary tract infections

• Itching during pregnancy

• Pregnancy induced hypertension

• Preparation for Labor

• Labor and delivery pain

• Labor induction

• Insufficient lactation

• Mastitis

• Postpartum recovery

Pre-birth Treatment

(also known as Cervical Ripening)

This consists of weekly treatments beginning at week 36 or 37. Treatments are tailored to each one’s individual constitution. Pre-birth acupuncture is different to induction treatments. Pre-birth acupuncture is done to calm the sympathetic nervous and improve blood flow to the reproductive organs. In doing so it  brings one out of the Flight or Flight response and into Rest and Digest and helps regulate hormones. During pre-birth acupuncture muscle tension and alignment can be addressed encouraging optimal fetal position. Pre-birth acupuncture supports what the body is already doing and helps it happen more efficiently. 

 Advantages to pre-birth treatments

• Softening the cervix

• Encourage optimal fetal presentation for birth

• Increasing energy

• Improve stamina for labor

• Shorter labor times

• Reduced need for medical intervention

• Calming and centering the mind improving the birth experience

For further thoughts on acupuncture and cervical ripening click here

For a summary of research on the benefits of pre-birth acupuncture click here