Acupuncture Treatment In Pregnancy And Childbirth

Acupuncture offers women the choice of drug free treatment and can be successfully used for the treatment of a wide range of conditions. In my private practice and the acupuncture courses I run for midwives, treatment is provided for;

• Miscarriage
• Nausea and vomiting
• Heartburn
• Constipation
• Varicose veins
• Urinary tract infections
• Musculoskeletal conditions
• Fatigue and exhaustion
• Anaemia
• Insomnia
• Anxiety and depression
• Thrush and abnormal vaginal discharge
• Itching in pregnancy
• Sinusitis
• Pregnancy-induced hypertension
• Oedema
• Small for dates babies
• Breech and posterior positioned babies
• Induction
• Prebirth treatment to prepare the body for an efficient labour
• Acupressure for pain relief during labour
• Pain relief and problems during labour
• Postpartum recovery

PreBirth treatment involves a series of four treatments weekly from 36 or 37 weeks to prepare for labour. Points are used according a woman's constition and pregnancy history. These include points to ripen the cervix, to help position the baby in the best presintation for labour and to promote optimal energy and stamina for women to enter into labour.

Data on 169 women was gathered by 14 midwives as part of their midwifery practice in Wellington, New Zealand. It found that when comparing all caregivers (Midwives GP's and Specialists) to those women who had received prebirth acupuncture there was:

• An overall 35% reduction in the number of inductions (for women having their first baby this was a 43% reduction)
• A 31% reduction in the epidural rate.

When comparing midwifery only care to women receiving prebirth acupuncture there was a:

• 32% reduction in emergency caesarean delivery
• A 9 % increase in normal vaginal births.
• There was no differance in the onset of early labour in those women receiving prebirth acupuncture.

For further infomation on research into prebirth acupuncture click here

Breech babies are ideally treated between 34 - 36 weeks gestation . This is often a one off treatment with women being shown how to contiune treatment at home with a moxa stick ( a herb that has been shaped into a cigar like stick). The moxa stick is lit and held over specific places in the body to stimulate the acupuncture points.

For further information on research into using moxa therapy to treat breech presentations click here

Further information on the acupuncture treatment for conditions in pregnancy can be found in the book

The Essential Guide to Acupuncture in Pregnancy and Childbirth