Acupuncture During Pregnancy
Acupuncture is commonly used to relieve discomfort that can often be regarded as a ‘normal’ part of pregnancy. It helps to relieve common pregnancy complaints including pregnancy-related fatigue, headaches, back neck or body pains, heartburn, constipation, nausea or vomiting, dermatitis, swelling or puffiness in face or limbs, cramps and more. Not only that but research has shown acupuncture can be an effective tool to treat more complex conditions such as stopping bleeding and preventing miscarriage. It can stimulate development in ‘small-for-dates’ babies, support an incompetent cervix and reduce maternal blood pressure to prevent eclampsia and more.
If, like most women, you are busy working, looking after a home and you may already have other children, you will find the extra effort of growing another human being is draining. A regular acupuncture session will boost your energy and make you feel lighter, brighter, calmer and more focused.
After your baby is born your body must rapidly adapt to a new set of demands. Acupuncture can help your body recover from the challenges of pregnancy and childbirth. Acupuncture will be beneficial for you after birth if you are fatigued, depressed, feverish, sweating, restless, bleeding, dizzy, constipated or in pain. It is effective in treating mastitis and regulating your milk supply and it can also help to restart your menstruation and protect your future fertility.
First Trimester
Weekly acupuncture treatments for the first twelve weeks are recommended. They lay a healthy foundation for your pregnancy. Treatment is given to help divert your resources to nourishing your baby and to support the rapid growth of the baby, the uterus and lining. By continuing to stimulate blood flow to the blastocyst, acupuncture helps to maintain the health and strength of the blastocyst-corpus-luteum relationship, thereby maintaining the proper level of progesterone. Then, after between eight and twelve weeks, your placenta takes over the role of secreting progesterone. Acupuncture stimulates blood flow to the placenta helping it to do its job of protecting and nourishing your growing baby.
There can be such a lot of questions at this stage and consulting the internet can give you conflicting advice that in turn causes unnecessary anxiety. Having regular acupuncture treatments during this time gives you an opportunity to discuss concerns about your cycle, hormonal symptoms such as lack of libido, as well as general physical and emotional wellbeing.
Fatigue
Acupuncture helps to optimise your fuel production and your sleep to function optimally throughout your pregnancy. Evidence shows acupuncture provides a substantial and positive increase in energy levels for all expectant mothers. This is achieved by enhancing the production of blood and promoting healthy function of the internal organs. If there is an underlying reason for fatigue, such as nausea preventing nourishment or sciatica preventing sleep, acupuncture treats the root cause of the problem and thereby restores energy.
Morning sickness
If your nausea is mild, small dietary adjustments may be enough to manage it. If your nausea is more debilitating, then acupuncture can treat your digestive system to benefit both you and your baby and if you are unfortunate enough to be regularly vomiting then you may be compromising nourishment of yourself, as well as your baby – in this case acupuncture can be vital to you both.
Research shows acupuncture reduces nausea and benefits the mother from the first treatment. Acupuncture treatment is usually carried out twice in the first week then followed up with a weekly session until symptoms resolve. Specific acupuncture points are used to harmonise the stomach, regulate digestion and rebalance the body. Chinese herbs may be offered in addition to the acupuncture treatment, if necessary.
Threatened miscarriage
A miscarriage could be imminent if there are signs such as vaginal bleeding, aches in the lower back and/or abdominal cramps. This could be a terminal threat to your pregnancy. These signs are a warning that the lining of the uterus is breaking down. It is advisable to seek medical help immediately. Acupuncture can be used as an adjunct therapy at this stage to help protect the baby and stop the bleeding.
Acupuncture is carried out twice within a week and then once a week till the pregnancy is safely established. Chinese herbs are added to the treatment if necessary, to strengthen the uterus and support the pregnancy. Acupuncture and Chinese herbs may need to be continued throughout the entire pregnancy.
Second Trimester
Once your placenta is established, your digestion improves with a resulting increase in energy. Many women enjoy pregnancy without concerns in the second trimester and do not require acupuncture support. You may however prefer to continue regular acupuncture during the second trimester to maintain energy or address ongoing complaints from the first trimester.
Third Trimester
During this trimester your tummy will rapidly expand and change your centre of gravity. Your ligaments will loosen to allow the pelvis to open. Your baby will fill the abdominal cavity, putting pressure on the surrounding organs. The work of rapidly growing your baby causes a rise in your body temperature. You may experience fatigue, back pain, hip/sciatic pain, leg heaviness, disturbed sleep, shortness of breath, palpitations, changes in bowel motions, pregnancy reflux or heartburn, restlessness, agitation, skin rashes etc. Acupuncture will help regulate your body and limit the discomfort you feel while your body adjusts to all of the necessary changes.
Towards the end of the third trimester, acupuncture prepares you for your labour and delivery. Studies show that women who receive regular acupuncture during the third trimester typically have a shorter, less complicated labour. Weekly prebirth treatments are recommended from 36 weeks on.
Turning a breech baby
Acupuncture can relax the muscles in the uterus and abdomen, while regulating the movements of the womb to create the ideal conditions for the baby to turn. For thousands of years Traditional Chinese medicine has been used for the treatment of breech presentation. It is successful 70 per cent of the time (although anecdotally in my clinic I would put the figure at more like 90%) and carries no risk to mother or baby.
Treatment involves combining acupuncture with moxabustion (heat which is applied to the feet) and is generally carried out between weeks 32 to 36 when there is still room for the baby to turn. When successful the baby will turn within 24 hours of the treatment. Moxabustion techniques are then taught to the mother to do at home. Breech or posterior babies may turn from the first session.
Preparing for labour
A weekly session of acupuncture at the end of your pregnancy (from 36 weeks) helps focus your energy on the task to be performed. Midwives tell us that women who have had acupuncture pre-birth treatments have more efficient contractions, their cervix softens and opens smoothly and the pelvic ligaments do not strain. Labour room statistics show: Acupuncture reduces the length of time women spend in labour, especially women having their first delivery and there is a noticeable reduction in medical intervention, including induction of labour, use of epidural anaesthesia and caesarean delivery.
Inducing labour using acupuncture
Acupuncture offers a safe and natural method for inducing labour. Once your due date has been and gone and the baby is ready, an acupuncture treatment can stimulate the changes necessary to trigger the delivery process. Treatment is given while you remain upright or are seated comfortably. Research has shown a success rate of 88 per cent in stimulating labour in overdue mothers.
After the Birth (Post Partum)
Asian culture preserves a tradition of supporting a mother for one month after delivering a child. In contrast, in Australian society, within days of giving birth, you are likely expected to be keeping house and supporting your family. During this time, acupuncture and herbs can provide some support for your physical and mental recovery. If you cannot have bed rest then some blood tonics can prevent months of fatigue, mood swings, disrupted sleep, colds and fevers. Treatment to improve blood circulation, after the birth, will result in a good quality breast milk supply which can calm, satisfy and nourish your new baby. A well-fed baby will also enable you to rest and recover more effectively.
Acupuncture also offers solutions to common post-natal complaints such as lack of decent sleep, anxiety, insufficient lactation, urination difficulty, abdominal cramps, bleeding, hair loss, constipation, fever, post natal depression, night sweats and mastitis.
After giving birth to a baby, most of the attention tends to focus on the health of the child. Please don’t ignore your own health during this time though. Being a new parent can create a wired but tired state.
Self-care is essential to a mother to feel supported and capable of undertaking the sometimes overwhelming prospect of motherhood. You need to remember that you will be a better mother when you take time for yourself and advocate for your own healing and recovery. Acupuncture after the birth should be part of each mother’s postpartum plan for continued physical and emotional health and wellbeing.
Recommended Reading:
“The First Forty Days” by Heng Ou
The first 40 days after the birth of a child offer an essential and fleeting period of rest and recovery for the new mother. Based on author Heng Ou's own postpartum experience with zuo yuezi, a set period of "confinement," in which a woman remains at home focusing on healing and bonding with her baby, The First Forty Days revives the lost art of caring for the mother after birth. As modern mothers are pushed to prematurely "bounce back" after delivering their babies, and are often left alone to face the physical and emotional challenges of this new stage of their lives, the first forty days provide a lifeline - a source of connection, nourishment, and guidance. The book includes 60 simple recipes for healing soups; replenishing meals and snacks; and calming and lactation-boosting teas, all formulated to support the unique needs of the new mother. In addition to the recipes, this warm and encouraging guide offers advice on arranging a system of help during the postpartum period, navigating relationship challenges, and honoring the significance of pregnancy and birth. The First Forty Days, fully illustrated to feel both inspiring and soothing, is a practical guide and inspirational read for all new mothers and mothers-to-be - the perfect ally during the first weeks with a new baby.