Pregnancy and Postpartum Acupuncture in Ottawa

Ottawa pregnancy and postpartum acupuncture

Pregnancy acupuncture in the first and second trimesters

If you’re experiencing early pregnancy symptoms such as fatigue, difficulties with temperature regulation, or nausea, acupuncture can help reduce the intensity of these symptoms. Most people with “morning sickness” actually feel nausea throughout the day. Many people who receive Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) treatments notice that nausea periods become shorter and less severe. These treatments also help people regain a bit of appetite.

It’s also helpful in reducing the risk of miscarriages. If you’re dealing with recurrent pregnancy loss, I’ll recommend further testing to identify why that may be. Please note that I don’t offer the testing myself, and will refer you to the right practitioners for that.

As the pregnancy progresses a bit, we can work together to reduce the body aches and pains that frequently happen. We can also target swelling and water retention in your extremities.

Because acupuncture is helpful in balancing hormones, it can also help with gestational diabetes.

If other rare pregnancy complications occur, I may be able to help. Your best bet is to schedule a Discovery Session so we can chat about what you’re experiencing before deciding if treatment is indicated.

Labour preparation and induction

Treatments can help you prepare for smoother labour. I usually recommend beginning labour preparation around 32 weeks. This can help reduce pain and risk of complications during labour. It can also lead to shorter labour.

We can also do some gentle induction acupuncture. The goal of these treatments is to assist your body in progressing through the steps needed to induce labour. It helps with things like cervical dilation and effacement, as well as getting the hormones to the right level to induce labour. It won’t force your body to do anything it’s not ready to do.

It’s important to note that with acupuncture, this is a gradual process. While we can begin the treatments if you’re already past your due date, you’ll have better results if we start mini induction treatments at about 37 weeks and full induction treatments at about 38 weeks. We can begin sooner if you’ve received the green light from your OB or midwife in cases where medical induction would be indicated before 40 weeks.

In cases where medical induction is still required after having received acupuncture treatments, the body usually responds faster. This means that lower doses of synthetic oxytocin tend to be needed, or people have a better response to Foley bulb induction.

Frequently asked questions about prenatal acupuncture

The sooner we start working on turning your baby, the more likely we are to get results. During the treatments, we’ll work on trying to resolve whatever is keeping baby in the wrong position. Then, I’ll show you how to do moxibustion at home and provide you with the tools. We’ll discuss what else you can do at home to encourage baby to turn. There is no manipulation of your belly to turn your baby. For a more in-depth explanation of everything you need to know, read my post about turning a breech baby.

Yes, it’s very safe! There are a few acupuncture points to avoid in pregnancy, and you can rest assured that we’ll steer clear of these points. Because acupuncture is very gentle overall, it won’t force your body to do anything it doesn’t want to do.

Since your hormones may be all over the place after giving birth, we can work to balance them to reduce a variety of common issues. This can help with issues like postpartum depression. It can also help you lose some baby weight you’re holding onto.

When it comes to lactation support, we can focus on supporting your milk flow to increase milk quantity and reduce issues around blockages and mastitis.


If you’re ready to address your prenatal or postpartum concerns, book your acupuncture treatment!

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