Rarely would you find a pregnant woman who would put acupuncture on her “to do” list. But, the truth is this Oriental healing modality is a safe, natural and very helpful way to guarantee a healthy pregnancy, prepare for a smooth delivery, and achieve a fast post-partum recovery.
Why Choose Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture?
Over tens of hundreds of years, Chinese medicine produced effective treatments that aid couples get pregnant. It also advances healthy pregnancies and problem-free deliveries.
Chinese medicine and acupuncture in Bellingham aim in maintaining and/or restoring a natural and healthy balance of the circulation of life energy (which the Chinese call Chi or Qi), inside the body. This Chi is the reason why physiological and organ processes such as reproduction function normally. Chi is the force that provides the potential for physiological efficiency, structural stability, healing, and well-being in a person.
Practitioners of Chinese medicine and acupuncturists believe that Chi flows throughout the body in energy channels known as meridians. In Chinese medicine, a person is considered to be in good health when Chi flows freely and is balanced, when it flows in sufficient amounts in the body and the flow is in the proper direction. An imbalance of this life energy, its blockage, or a deficiency in its flow will mean the rise of disease, discomfort, and pain.
The correct placement of acupuncture needles will normalize and directly access the circulation of Chi in the meridians that in turn rectify imbalances, thus resulting in harmony and healing within the body.
A natural and safe way to relieve pregnancy-related symptoms is through acupuncture. This treatment accomplishes this sans the side effects and risks of pharmaceutical drugs, which most, if not all, should not be taken when one is pregnant in the first place.
A Healthy Mother and Baby Because of Acupuncture
For both mother and baby, a once- or twice-a-month treatment of acupuncture can guarantee good health. This treatment helps secure great health for the mother-to-be and her fetus at various phases of its development, especially during cell growth and differentiation. Acupuncture can also treat and prevent the occurrence of symptoms associated with pregnancy.
For pregnant patients, a lot of acupuncturists utilize the K9 acupoint (the Zhubin acupoint). This point is also called “the point of the beautiful baby” and is situated on the inner part of the lower leg. The K9 is known to benefit the fetus by building its blood, relieve anxiety, and calm the mind.
When the stage of pregnancy reaches the last 4 – 6 weeks, a once a week acupuncture treatment is highly advised. This is to assist the body in preparation for labor. A typical session may take 30 to 45 minutes to finish and the patient may sense a mild heaviness and pressure at the place where the needle was stuck.
There are women who may have pre-existing medical issues that can exacerbate during pregnancy; however, these issues can be resolved safely with acupuncture. This modality is a very practical alternative when pharmaceutical products should not be used or if the woman desires a natural and safe treatment for herself and her unborn baby.
Acupuncture for the Symptoms of Pregnancy
Bleeding, migraine headaches, anxiety, and fatigue and even morning sickness can often be experienced during the first trimester. A study done in Australia and published by the journal Birth stated that about 600 pregnant women (all in their 14th week of pregnancy) who were all suffering from morning sickness and who all were administered with acupuncture treatment showed shorter and less episodes of nausea compared to the women who did not receive acupuncture.
Acupuncture can completely relieve hemorrhoids, constipation, heartburn, sinus congestion, stress and all the symptoms related to the second trimester of pregnancy. It can also help control potentially dangerous second trimester symptoms such as excessive weight gain, high blood glucose, and high blood pressure. However, since these symptoms are quite dangerous, they should also be closely monitored by a western-trained midwife or doctor.
Common third trimester symptoms such as carpal tunnel syndrome, joint pain, pelvic pain, back pain, and sciatica can be relieved with acupuncture without the need for pharmaceutical drugs. This has been proven in a study that was featured in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology which found that acupuncture combined with conventional treatment proved much better in treating pregnancy-related back pain and pelvic pain than conventional treatment alone.
For quite severe symptoms acupuncture treatments once a week may be required in order to safely get through a certain period of time during the pregnancy.
At the 32nd to 34th week, specific acupoints will be integrated in to the treatment to foster the correct head-down positioning of the baby for birth. Those weeks will also see mean weekly sessions of acupuncture in order to optimize childbirth.
Preparing for Birth with Acupuncture
Acupuncture is an ideal way to boost the flow of energy of the mother, calm her anxiety, strengthen her vital energy, and lower her stress when she is preparing for labor. This will aid her in going undergoing labor smoothly and naturally as well as facilitate the natural processes in her body to bring about a healthy delivery.
Post-partum recovery with Acupuncture
Acupuncture aids in quickening the normal recuperation phase of the mother after delivery. It can relieve the pain in her perineal area, alleviate backache, and help stop discharge and bleeding. This treatment may also be helpful in healing a Cesarean section operation and hastening recovery from the operation.
Chinese herbal medicine and acupuncture can be used to restore the Blood and Chi of the mother as well as regulate Blood and Chi circulation in the stomach, and improve milk production. These modalities are also helpful in aiding and preventing women from suffering post-partum depression. So, the new mother still needs to have acupuncture treatment even while she is tending to her newborn baby.
We see then how acupuncture can be a very beneficial treatment for women during and after their pregnancy. It is a wonderful treatment that ensures a healthy fetus and mother and a way to resolve pre-existing conditions during pregnancy and symptoms associated with pregnancy. Acupuncture is a great way to attain a smooth and natural labor and childbirth. Moreover, acupuncture can help with post-partum recovery.
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