ACUPUNCTURE DURING PREGNANCY
Congratulations on your pregnancy!
"You are your baby’s world; your body is working hard to grow and nourish your beautiful baby."
Acupuncture can support you and your baby on your special journey. Acupuncture is a natural therapy and completely safe during pregnancy. Now found alongside Western maternity care and is routinely offered in some NHS Maternity hospitals.
Acupuncture during pregnancy may help with:
Regulation of Digestive Function
Insomnia
Stress and Anxiety
Morning Sickness
Acupuncture helps to provide more nutrients to baby by improving blood flow to the uterus and may help with more complicated conditions.
Threatened miscarriage
Heartburn
Anaemia
Pregnancy Induced hypertension
Itching in pregnancy
Antenatal Anxiety & Depression PMID
Oedema
Small for dates babies
Constipation
Urinary Issues/ Pain, infections, incontinence
Breech or posterior presentation
Haemorrhoids
Vaginal discharge and itching
Preparation for birth
Prebirth acupuncture in the final weeks of pregnancy is a natural, gentle, and nourishing treatment which helps to prepare women for childbirth and promote labour. There is evidence-based research that acupuncture may help reduce the chance of post-dates Induction of labour and may reduce length of labour.
Acupuncture reduces the chance of postdates Induction by prompting health, wellbeing, and relaxation, encourages the body to naturally release oxytocin, helps to relax muscles and tendons encouraging the baby to get into the best possible position for birth. A relaxed mummy is more ready to ‘let go’ and meet her beautiful baby.
Treatments include Chinese medicine pulse and tongue diagnosis to treat any underlying imbalances. In addition, patients will be taught acupressure points to promote natural onset of labour.
Baby’s position for birth
The ideal position for your baby to be in for labour and birth, is head down facing your back, so their back is towards the front of your abdomen with his / her chin tucked into their chest. Most babies naturally settle into this position between 32 and 36 weeks of pregnancy. If your baby needs a little encouragement into the optimal birth position acupuncture and Moxibustion is a natural method to help.
Moxibustion is herb called Mugwort and is commonly used in traditional Chinese medicine to turn breech babies. The moxa stick is lit and burnt close to an acupoint located on your little toe. First Moxa treatment will be done in the clinic patients will be given advice and a moxa a stick to take home for continuation of treatment.