
Acupuncture and pregnancy
How can acupuncture help you during pregnancy and postpartum?
Pregnancy and the postpartum period can be hard on body and mind.
Morning sickness, back pain, bloating, stomach upsets, fatigue, stress... discomforts that can quickly become unbearable.
Acupuncture, a branch of Chinese medicine that dates back thousands of years, has proven its worth in relieving the many discomforts experienced by pregnant women, as well as helping them to prepare calmly for childbirth and regain their strength afterwards.
It can also help with miscarriages.
1) Acupuncture treats the discomforts of pregnancy
Acupuncture can significantly reduce the digestive discomforts that can occur throughout your pregnancy, such as nausea, heartburn or constipation. These symptoms occur as a result of hormonal changes. According to Chinese medicine, these changes cause energy imbalances which induce these discomforts.
On the other hand, it can help with fatigue, insomnia, anxiety or even depression. Developing life is no picnic! Indeed, "feeding" the foetus can cause voids, particularly in the Kidney meridians. The diagnosis carried out during the session enables these voids to be identified, and acupuncture acts on the subtle rebalancing of the body to boost energy.
In addition, as your belly becomes rounder and heavier, it's very common to start suffering from back, pelvic, rib or sciatic pain. These are all symptoms of disrupted circulation of qi (energy) and blood in the meridians, or of an energy imbalance in the internal organs.
By stimulating the acupuncture points, circulation is restored, and pain is reduced or even eliminated. Alongside your acupuncture treatment, it's of course important to maintain a lifestyle that doesn't exhaust you. If you suffer from digestive problems, keep heavy meals, spicy, rich, fatty or fried foods, canned meats, chocolate, alcohol and soft drinks to a minimum. Consult your gynaecologist regularly and ask all your questions (there are no wrong questions).
2) Preparing for childbirth in the 34th week of pregnancy with acupuncture
As term approaches, the thought of childbirth can be a source of real anxiety for many women. Acupuncture can help you prepare both your body and your baby's.
2.1- The baby's position from the 34th week
With regard to the baby's position, stimulation of acupuncture points increases the baby's ability to move, to turn into the most favorable position for birth and to stay there.
In an Italian study [1] of 260 primiparous women with breech presentation at 33 weeks' gestation, 130 were treated with Chinese medicine for 7 days, and 130 formed the control group. In the first group, 75.4% of babies turned over, compared with 47.7% in the control group.
Other studies [2] have shown that the best time to return the baby to the breech position is at 34 weeks, before he's too big. So don't wait until 38 weeks to come for acupuncture. Maximize your chances.
2.2- Birth preparation from the 37th week
From the 37th week of pregnancy, it is possible for the patient to undergo prenatal acupuncture treatment once a week in preparation for childbirth. The aim of prenatal acupuncture is to increase the efficiency of labor by reducing its duration, and also to reduce the risk of medical interventions and Caesarean sections during delivery.
One study[3] showed that the average length of labor for women giving birth for the first time was 8 hours and 2 minutes for the 70 women in the control group, compared with 6 hours and 36 minutes for those (70 women) who had received prenatal acupuncture treatment.
Some acupuncture points relax the cervix and pelvis, while others can help induce labor. Most women notice an increase in uterine contractions after 1 or 2 prenatal acupuncture sessions. For these reasons, prenatal acupuncture is only performed from the 37th week of pregnancy.
3) Rest and acupuncture to regain strength in the postpartum period
In many Asian countries, the month of rest following childbirth is considered extremely important in helping mothers to make a smooth physiological and psychological transition.
In fact, the 30-day period (some texts speak of 100 days [4]) following childbirth requires the body to be toned in order to replenish the blood and energy lost during pregnancy and childbirth.
Acupuncture, combined with Chinese herbs and a suitable diet, enables the new mother to quickly regain her energy levels, while avoiding unpleasant symptoms such as post-partum depression, often referred to as "baby blues".
In addition, Chinese medicine can help resolve other problems that may arise in the period following childbirth, such as persistent uterine bleeding, uterine cramps or insufficient lactation.
Alongside the acupuncture treatment, it's imperative that the mother has sufficient time to rest, while maintaining an appropriate diet and exercise regime. Let's not forget that the mother has to recover from childbirth and a nine-month pregnancy, which takes time.
4) What about acupuncture for miscarriage?
When there are signs of a potential miscarriage (bleeding, back pain and abdominal cramps), it's imperative to restrict your physical and mental efforts and avoid sexual relations to reduce the risks.
Acupuncture often refers to an energy vacuum, mainly in the Kidney and Spleen organs. We need to act quickly to invigorate these meridians before the cervix begins to dilate.
When miscarriage is inevitable or arrested, acupuncture treatment aims to strengthen the body's ability to evacuate the fetus and help the woman physically and emotionally to overcome the ordeal.
In the event of miscarriage, Chinese medicine can help you recover more quickly by combining acupuncture sessions with tonic herbs.
It is imperative to consult your gynecologist, who will be able to determine with the help of medical imaging whether there is a genuine miscarriage.
At Clinique Naturelle, we offer acupuncture support for women during pregnancy and postpartum. Eric Zhao is an ASCA and RME-certified therapist. He studied in China and worked in hospitals during his training.
References
[1] Cardini F, Weixin H(1998). "Moxibustion for correction of breech presentation", Journal of theAmerican Medical Association, 280 :1580-1584. [2] Kubista E, Kucera H (1974). "Uber die Anwendung der Akupunktur zur Geburtsvorbereitung", Geburtshilfe Perinatol: 178, 224-9. [3] Co-operative Research Group on Moxibustion Version (1984). "Clinical observation on the effects of version by moxibustion".Abstracts of the Second National Symposium on Acupuncture and Moxibustion and Acupuncture Anaesthesia, All-China Society of Acupuncture and Moxibustion, Beijing, p.150 and Cardini F, Weixin H(1998). "Moxibustion for correction of breech presentation", Journal of the American Medical Association, 280:1580-1584. [4] Auteroche B and Navailh R (1986). Acupuncture in Gynecology and Obstetrics. Maloine, Paris : chapter 11.Share this article
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