Acupuncture Treatment for Pregnancy and Childbirth
Acupuncture offers women the choice of drug-free treatment and can be successfully used for relieving a wide range of conditions associated with preganancy:
- Miscarriage
- Nausea and Vomiting
- Heartburn
- Constipation
- Urinary Tract Infections
- Musculoskeletal Conditions
- Fatigue and Exhaustion
- Anaemia
- Insomnia
- Anxiety and Depression
- Thrush and Abnormal Vaginal Discharge
- Itchiness
- Sinusitis
- Hypertension
- Oedema
- Small (for date) Babies
- Breech and Posterior Positioned Babies
- Induction
- Preparing the Body for an Efficient Labour
- Painful and Problematic Labour
- Postpartum Recovery
Pre-Birth Treatment
Pre-birth treatment involves a series of four acupuncture treatments, once a week, from 36 or 37 weeks to prepare for labour. Points are used according a woman's constitution and pregnancy history.These include points to ripen the cervix, help position the baby in the best presentation for labour and to promote optimal energy and stamina for women entering labour.
Data on 169 women was gathered by 14 midwives as part of their midwifery practice
in Wellington, New Zealand. It found that when comparing all caregivers (Midwives,
GP's and Specialists) to those women who had received pre-birth acupuncture there
was:
- An overall 35% reduction in the number of inductions (for women having their first baby there was a 43% reduction)
- A 31% reduction in the epidural rate
When comparing midwifery-only care to women receiving pre-birth acupuncture there was:
- A 32% reduction in emergency caesarean delivery
- A 9 % increase in normal vaginal births
There was no difference in the onset of early labour in women who received pre-birth acupuncture.
For further information on research into pre-birth acupuncture click here.
Breech babies are ideally treated between 34 - 36 weeks gestation . This is often a single treatment with women being shown how to continue treatment at home with a moxa stick (a herb that has been shaped into a cigar like stick). The moxa stick is lit and held over specific places on the body to stimulate particular acupuncture points.
Nausea During Pregnancy
Nausea during pregnancy is often dismissed as a minor disorder. Yet it is comparable to the experience of having persistent food poisoning so it is not something anyone would volunteer to endure for 12 to 16 weeks! Since nausea is estimated to affect one third of all pregnancies it is worth considering ways to relieve it.
Although the nausea associated with pregnancy can arise from a variety of conditions, from a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) viewpoint, these all involve the stomach’s energy. Pregnancy affects not only the process of digestion but also the stomach’s function of aiding the movement of food downward through the digestive tract. Strong upward “rebellious” energy or a weakness in this downward moving function results in nausea and vomiting.
While acupuncture treatment is aimed at strengthening the energetic function of the stomach and correcting any underlying disharmony, dietary changes can also reduce the energetic workload of the digestive system. To get the most out of treatment, it is essential to be kind to your body.
