pregnancy acupuncture in the first and second trimesters
Acupuncture is a great tool during your pregnancy, as well as after giving birth.
It’s a useful treatment to correct discomfort you may experience. It also helps with prevention of issues, as well as preparation for labour.
Frequently Asked acupuncture in pregnancy Questions
acupuncture and pregnancy: 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.
My baby is breech. Can you help turn my baby?
The sooner we start working on turning your baby, the more likely we are to get results. I will use needles on your arms and legs, as well as moxibustion to encourage baby to turn. I’ll also show you how to do moxibustion on yourself so that you can continue it at home. There is no manipulation of your belly to turn baby. For a more in-depth explanation of everything you need to know, read my post about turning a breech baby.
Is acupuncture during pregnancy safe?
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.
Can you help with my Postpartum?
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.