10 Ways Acupuncture can help with pregnancy and post-partum care:
Acupuncture has seen an increase in mainstream attention due to its potency and efficacy in treating fertility. However, not many people know just how useful it can be during pregnancy and for post-partum care. Acupuncture can treat a wide array of symptoms, prepare the body for labor and help speed up recovery postpartum. Below are my top 10 reasons to use acupuncture for maternity support:
1) Fatigue: Your body is going through a lot of changes and using up all the energy and nutrients it can get to grow your baby. Acupuncture, and especially moxibustion, is a gentle and effective way to replenish vital energy stores, promote relaxation, and optimize digestion to ensure adequate nutrient absorption.
2) Morning sickness: In acupuncture theory we look at morning sickness as a disharmony in the energy flow between your stomach and uterus, which can have many causes depending on your individual picture of health. Acupuncture can quell nausea, stop vomiting and even reduce associated heartburn.
3) Emotions: Acupuncture is great at balancing hormones. Acupuncture is great medicine to help support the nervous system in emotional processing.
4) Turning a breech baby: There is a growing body of research to support what many have done in China for thousands of years — acupuncture and moxibustion to turn a breech baby into position for cervical engagement. Optimally this is done around 33 weeks.
5) Labor prep and cervical ripening: usually beginning around 36–37 weeks on to make sure the body is prepared for the birthing process. Acupuncture helps to loosen the ligaments and fascia around the hips and pelvis, and to promote cervical thinning and dilation needed as labor approaches. Starting early with cervical ripening treatments can also help to keep due dates on time and ease the body into induction treatments should one be needed.
6) Induction: Acupuncture is great at helping to induce labor. Acupuncture stimulates the body to produce oxytocin, one of the primary cascade hormones needed for labor onset. It also helps to relax, calm anxiety and reduce labor pains.
7) Post natal recovery: if you’ve had a baby chances are you are now exhausted. Ideally, you'd have a month to be pampered, brought nourishing and warming foods to repair your body, and to rest in bed. However, this often isn't the case in our Western culture. Acupuncture and moxibustion can help warm and restore the body and especially the uterus.
8) Scarring and tears: While most do not want needles near a torn perineum, C-section wounds and scars can benefit from acupuncture by speeding healing time, breaking up adhesions from scar tissue and reducing the size and appearance of wounds and scars. Take home moxa sticks are helpful for vaginal tears.
9) Milk supply: Insufficient lactation is a common problem, especially if labor was especially intense and prolonged, and/or if there was significant loss of blood. Whatever the reason, acupuncture has a long history of usage with blocked milk supply or insufficient lactation by balancing hormones, releasing tension from the nervous system and increasing circulation to the breasts. Acupuncture is also useful to halt milk production when you are ready to stop breast feeding.
10) Postpartum depression: Chinese medicine works to replenish a depleted system by balancing hormones, nourishing an over stimulated nervous system, and integrating emotional patterns triggered by new parenthood.
Acupuncture is a safe and compassionate way to take care of yourself before, during and after child birth.
Come in and see how Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine can help support you.
Yours in health,
Anne
Kirkland, Wa
