Acupuncture offers women the choice of drug free treatment and can be successfully used for the treatment of a wide range of conditions during pregnancy
Nausea during pregnancy is often dismissed as a minor disorder of pregnancy.
As it can be compared to the experience of having persistent food poisoning it
is not something that one would volunteer to endure for 12 to 16 weeks. As
nausea is estimated to affect one third of all pregnancies it is worth
considering the alternatives.
In traditional Chinese medicine, although the nausea associated with
pregnancy can arise from a variety of conditions, these all involve the
stomach’s energy. If pregnancy interferes it affects not only the process of
digestion but also the stomach’s energetic nature of aiding the movement of
food downward through the digestive tract. Strong upward rebellious energy or a
weakness in this down bearing function results in the nausea and vomiting.
While acupuncture treatment is aimed at strengthening the energetic function
of the stomach and correcting any underlying disharmonies, dietary advice is
directed at reducing the energetic workload of the digestive system.
To get the most out of treatment, it is essential to be kind to your body.
Breech Presentation
Breech babies are ideally treated between 34 - 36 weeks gestation. This is
often a one off 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 in the body to stimulate
the acupuncture points.
Miscarriage
The use of acupuncture to promote circulation to the uterus, support healthy
egg maturation, and ensure healthy uterine lining, thereby enhancing your
chances to sustain a healthy pregnancy. Following conception, acupuncture and
herbs can prevent miscarriage by promoting overall health and proper
circulation throughout the body, ensuring that essential nutrients are passed
from mother to baby. In addition, acupuncture assists the body in managing
stress better and reduces anxiety.
Prebirth Acupuncture
PreBirth treatment involves a series of four treatments weekly 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, to help
position the baby in the best presentation for labour and to promote optimal
energy and stamina for women to enter into labour.
Data on 169 women was gathered by 14 midwives as part of their midwifery
practice in New Zealand and it found that when comparing all caregivers
(Midwives GP's and Specialists) to those women who had received prebirth
acupuncture there was:
there was:
- Induction
- Breech and posterior positioned babies
- Nausea and vomiting
- Heartburn
- Miscarriage
- Constipation
- Varicose veins
- Urinary tract infections
- Musculoskeletal conditions
- Fatigue and exhaustion
- Anaemia
- Insomnia
- Anxiety and depression
- Thrush and abnormal vaginal discharge
- Itching in pregnancy
- Sinusitis
- Pregnancy-induced hypertension
- Oedema
- Prebirth treatment to prepare for an efficient labour
- Pain relief during labour
Nausea during pregnancy is often dismissed as a minor disorder of pregnancy.
As it can be compared to the experience of having persistent food poisoning it
is not something that one would volunteer to endure for 12 to 16 weeks. As
nausea is estimated to affect one third of all pregnancies it is worth
considering the alternatives.
In traditional Chinese medicine, although the nausea associated with
pregnancy can arise from a variety of conditions, these all involve the
stomach’s energy. If pregnancy interferes it affects not only the process of
digestion but also the stomach’s energetic nature of aiding the movement of
food downward through the digestive tract. Strong upward rebellious energy or a
weakness in this down bearing function results in the nausea and vomiting.
While acupuncture treatment is aimed at strengthening the energetic function
of the stomach and correcting any underlying disharmonies, dietary advice is
directed at reducing the energetic workload of the digestive system.
To get the most out of treatment, it is essential to be kind to your body.
Breech Presentation
Breech babies are ideally treated between 34 - 36 weeks gestation. This is
often a one off 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 in the body to stimulate
the acupuncture points.
Miscarriage
The use of acupuncture to promote circulation to the uterus, support healthy
egg maturation, and ensure healthy uterine lining, thereby enhancing your
chances to sustain a healthy pregnancy. Following conception, acupuncture and
herbs can prevent miscarriage by promoting overall health and proper
circulation throughout the body, ensuring that essential nutrients are passed
from mother to baby. In addition, acupuncture assists the body in managing
stress better and reduces anxiety.
Prebirth Acupuncture
PreBirth treatment involves a series of four treatments weekly 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, to help
position the baby in the best presentation for labour and to promote optimal
energy and stamina for women to enter into labour.
Data on 169 women was gathered by 14 midwives as part of their midwifery
practice in New Zealand and it found that when comparing all caregivers
(Midwives GP's and Specialists) to those women who had received prebirth
acupuncture there was:
- An overall 35% reduction in the number of inductions (for women having their
first baby this was a 43% reduction) - A 31% reduction in the epidural rate.
there was:
- a 32% reduction in emergency caesarean delivery
- and a 9 % increase in normal vaginal births.