Support Your Pregnancy with Acupuncture
The following blog post is authored by Licensed Acupuncturist Michelle Young of Alchemy Acupuncture + Herbs. Michelle has been supporting clients in clinical practice for 15 years.
Did you know that acupuncture can help support a viable, healthy, and comfortable
pregnancy?
Pre-Natal Acupuncture
After conception, acupuncture and herbs can prevent miscarriage by promoting overall health
and proper circulation throughout the body, ensuring that essential nutrients are passed to the
baby for growth and development.
Acupuncture is also effective at easing pregnancy discomforts such as:
Nausea/vomiting
Heartburn
Fatigue
Insomnia
Constipation
Anxiety & depression in pregnancy
Itching
Breech & posterior presentations
Edema
Pregnancy sinusitis
Lower back and hip pain
Varicose veins, hemorrhoids, and vulval varicosities
Pre-Birth Acupuncture
Acupuncture at the end of the third trimester can help prepare the cervix and pelvis for labor. A
series of 3 weekly acupuncture treatments using a specific point protocol has been shown to
reduce mean labor time from 8 hours and two minutes in the control group to six hours and 36
minutes in the group who received pre-birth acupuncture. Midwives have also reported a lower
rate of medical intervention when pre-birth acupuncture is administered starting at 36-37 weeks
gestation.
Acupuncture for Labor Induction
From a Traditional Chinese Medical viewpoint, labor is expected when three factors occur
simultaneously. Yang activity becomes predominant over Yin growth, qi and blood begin to
move freely, and the uterus dilates. When these events sync up, an easy harmonious labor
ensues. Our acupuncturists have had the honor of inducing hundreds of births naturally. Many
pregnant people report increased fetal movement during acupuncture, with labor following 2-4
days later. We recommend treatments are continued every 3 days.
The Journal of Maternity Fetal and Neonatal Medicine, published a study in Aug 2006
conducted by Harper TC and others. The study was conducted to evaluate the utility of
outpatient acupuncture for pregnancy and labor induction treatments. The results were very
encouraging. Compared to controls, pregnant people in the acupuncture group tended to be
more 70% more likely to labor spontaneously and 39% less likely to deliver by cesarean
section.
But this is not surprising; such evidence was available decades ago. One study conducted in
1977 and published in the Journal of Obstet Gynecol. Under the care of Tsuei JJ, Lai Y, Sharma
SD, et all showed that acupuncture for pregnancy and labor induction resulted in a
success rate of 91.6%.
If you are pregnant and are concerned about labor pain or the delivery, we encourage you to
consider acupuncture to encourage labor, shorten the duration of labor, relieve pain, and avoid a
medical induction.
References
1. Elden H, Ladfors l, Fagevik Olsen M, Ostaard H, Hagberg H. Effects of acupuncture and
stabilising exercisers as adjunct to standard treatment in pregnant women with pelvic
girdle pain: randomised singleblind controlled trail. BMJ 2005;330:761
2. Deadman P, Al-Khafaji M, Baker K. A Manual of Acupuncture. Journal of Chinese
Medicine Publications, Eastland Press; 2001 p 103& 318
3. West Z. Acupuncture in Pregnancy and Childbirth..Churchill Livingstone; p2001
4. Rabl M, Ahner R, Bitschnau M, Zeisler H, Husslein P. Acupuncture for cervical ripening
and induction of labour at term – a randomised controlled trail. Wien Klin Wochenschr
2001; 113 (23-24): 942-6
5. Smith C, Crowther C, Beilby J. Acupuncture to treat neasea and vomiting in early
pregnancy: a randomized trail. Birth.2002Mar:29 (1):1-9
6. Smith C, Crowther C, Beilby J. Pregnancy outcome following women's participation in a
randomised controlled trial of acupuncture to treat nausea and vomiting in early
pregnancy. Complement Ther Med. 2002 Jun; 10(2):78-83.
7. Cardini F, Weixin H. Moxibustion for correction of breech presentation. JAMA 1998;
280:1580-1584
8. Kubista E Kucera H. Geburtshilfe Perinatol. 1974; 178 224-9
9. Lyrendas S, Lutsch H, Hetta J, Lindberg B. Gynecol. Obstet.24; 217-224
10. Tempfer C, Zeisler H, Mayerhofe Kr, Barrada M Husslein P. Influence of acupuncture on
duration of labour Gynecol Obstet Invest 1998; 46:22-5
11. Betts D, Lennox S. Acupuncture for prebirth treatment: An observational study of its use
in midwifery practice. Medical acupuncture 2006 May; 17(3):17-20
12. Rabl M, Ahner R, Bitschnau M, Zeisler H, Husslein P. Acupuncture for cervical ripening
and induction of labour at term – a randomised controlled trail. Wien Klin Wochenschr
2001; 113 (23-24): 942-6
