How can acupuncture support me through pregnancy and birth?

If you choose to have acupuncture during your pregnancy you can expect to feel a wide range of benefits ranging from milder morning sickness and nausea, reduced musculoskeletal pain, optimal positioning of your baby, and excellent support for your nervous system so you feel calmer and more able to cope. Scientific research from 2020 shows that having regular acupuncture throughout your last trimester can help reduce the need for pain relief and shorten your time spent in hospital.

Is it safe to have acupuncture for my back and pelvic pain while I’m pregnant?

Acupuncture offers very effective relief for musculoskeletal pain during pregnancy, including back pain, sciatic nerve pain, and pelvic pain. By stimulating targeted points on the body we can reduce pain by releasing tension, improving local blood flow, and increasing the production of natural pain-relieving chemicals like endorphins, sleep-promoting melatonin, and mood-enhancing serotonin. Pregnancy is a time when women cannot rely on medications for pain-relief, and acupuncture can be used to provide a completely natural way to address these problems. Your acupuncturist should be trained to degree-level, and licensed with the British Acupuncture Council and the Professional Standards Authority. This will ensure you can relax, knowing you are in safe hands.

How can acupuncture help me prepare for the birth of my baby?

Acupuncture is a gentle and natural method to help you prepare for your labour and delivery. By stimulating specific acupuncture points, we can encourage your body to release prostaglandins and oxytocin, which soften and ripen the cervix and trigger contractions. Additionally, acupuncture helps to relax your muscles and tendons, and reduces any stress and anxiety you may be feeling in preparation for labour. Research suggests that acupuncture may decrease the likelihood of going past the estimated delivery date, shorten labour duration, and minimise the need for a medically induced birth.

Moxibustion for breech babies: an alternative to ECV

Many women whose babies are breech are very keen to explore alternative methods to External Cephalic Version and possible C-section. In addition to acupuncture, I offer specialist treatments using moxibustion, a gentle technique involving the application of heat therapy to specific acupuncture points using herbal moxa rolls. I will then train and support you to perform moxibustion at home using natural smokeless moxa. Many of my patients are referred to me from their NHS midwife. The British Journal of Midwifery supports the use of moxibustion as a gentle and low-risk way to increase foetal movement.

I think I have hyperemesis (severe morning sickness). Could acupuncture help me?

Acupuncture can bring you much-needed relief from morning sickness. Hyperemesis - the very severe form of morning sickness - is distressing and it is important to get a diagnosis of this from your healthcare team as you may need to be evaluated in hospital and given extra fluids and anti-nausea medication. In my experience, acupuncture works well to bring your nausea levels down so that you are able to function and work through this stage.

Can acupuncture support my low mood in pregnancy?

Acupuncture is an excellent way to support your mental well-being during pregnancy. Growing evidence suggests that acupuncture may be beneficial in treating depression during pregnancy and also for post-natal depression. It can have a positive impact on stress and anxiety levels, complementing other methods of emotional support such as talking therapy for expectant and new mothers.

I’m looking for support to breastfeed my baby. Is acupuncture able to help me?

Because acupuncture helps to regulate and balance your hormone production it can work to support you to establish successful breastfeeding. The hormones oxytocin and prolactin, which are vital for milk production and the maintenance of breastfeeding can be stimulated by acupuncture needles into specific points.

Could acupuncture help me prepare for a VBAC? Can you help me with my scar tissue?

Acupuncture plays a vital role in supporting caesarean recovery and aiding those planning for VBAC (Vaginal Birth After Caesarean). If you have undergone a C-section delivery, receiving acupuncture treatment post-surgery and prior to conceiving a subsequent child is highly beneficial. This approach facilitates efficient healing of scar tissue, prevention of adhesions and enhances the likelihood of achieving a successful VBAC. Acupuncture is known for its ability to alleviate pain and speed recovery after any surgical procedure. However, it holds particular significance if you are seeking to avoid a repeat caesarean section.

While acupuncture is a safe and gentle therapy which can be used at all stages of pregnancy. It can also provide excellent support as you recover from the birth of your baby. In China the time after childbirth was known by different names, including "Sitting the Month" or "Zuo Yue Zi." It involved a dedicated period, typically lasting from 26 days to 100 days starting straight after the birth during which new mothers were encouraged to prioritise rest, rejuvenation, and recovery.

Originally, "Sitting the Month" was a luxury reserved for queens, empresses, and affluent women who could afford to look after their well-being after giving birth. Imperial Chinese doctors believed that the postpartum period presented a precious opportunity for mothers to transform their internal constitution. It was believed that by following the principles of postpartum care, mothers could alleviate childhood ailments, allergies, headaches, migraines, and restore their circulatory health, bringing warmth to their hands and feet. This phase, often referred to as the "golden period," symbolised a fresh start, allowing mothers to reset and regain their vitality.

While it may be difficult nowadays to spend up to 100 days resting and rejuvenating from labour and childbirth, the principle of taking things slowly and allowing healing to take place remains the same and acupuncture can be a wonderful support for your physical and emotional recovery during your ‘fourth trimester’.