Supporting Pregnancy with Acupuncture
Ahh, the journey to motherhood. Always tired, always peeing, always sweating. On top of your wildly changing body, you also have to prepare the nursery, figure out birth preferences, get the freezer stocked with postpartum meals, decide on an infant or a convertible carseat; I think it is fair to say this could be a stressful time.
You might also be experiencing nausea, vomiting, heartburn, insomnia and some pain. All of these changes are happening, with not any real solutions or support. And then you think, “well I've tried EVERYTHING google has told me, I guess I’ll try acupuncture.” Now, acupuncture may not help with the CONSTANT urination, but it can help with multiple other symptoms; fatigue, pain, nausea, heartburn, carpal tunnel, back pain, insomnia, anxiety, and constipation, just to name a few. Acupuncture can also be used to start prepping the body for labor and to can even help turn a breech baby.
During the first trimester some common symptoms are fatigue, nausea, headaches, and morning sickness (that sometimes lasts all day for us lucky ones). Not to mention the new stressors that adding a family member can bring.
The second trimester brings on a whole new set of challenges (and some that are the same). Your baby is growing, which means your body is growing and you might start experiencing some discomforts. These could include round ligament pain, back and hip pain, breast discomfort, itchy skin, nasal congestion, bleeding gums, heartburn, constipation, gas, and you may be still having some nausea and vomiting. Your belly is also getting bigger, which means it might be time to switch up your sleeping positions.
Those stress levels may also be getting a little higher at this time. You might be researching all the things you want for your baby, finalizing who your provider is, or switching providers if you aren't jiving. Figuring out which birth class you want to take. Trying your best to eat healthy when all you want is chocolate chip cookies.
Okay, we’ve made it to the third trimester! You’re over halfway there! If you are like me, you are ready to be done with pregnancy. You're uncomfortable, not sleeping well, and exhausted. Any pregnancy glow that you might have had is just sweat.
Acupuncture during the third trimester can help with hip and back pain, leg cramps, insomnia, constipation, and stress. Getting acupuncture during the third trimester can help set you up for success for labor and for postpartum.
Is acupuncture safe during pregnancy?
Acupuncture is a safe and drug-free way to help alleviate pregnancy symptoms and reduce stress and anxiety. The needles that are used are tiny (about the thickness of a hair) and the treatments are painless. A possible adverse affect that you may experience is pain, swelling, or bruising at the needle insertion site. There are about a dozen or so acupuncture points that we want to avoid, but other than that, acupuncture is very safe.
What does a treatment plan look like with prenatal acupuncture?
Acupuncture can be started as early as the first trimester or as late as the day you give birth.
During the first trimester Acupuncture sessions weekly until 12 weeks. If no new issues come up, then session can extend to once a month for the second trimester. However, if there are other issues that need a little more attention, appointments can be more frequent. For the third trimester, sessions are every two weeks until week 36. At that point, sessions would move to once a week and would transition to preparing for labor. If you’re past your due date, sessions can be daily until baby is born.
During the 4th trimester (the first 6 weeks of postpartum), sessions continue weekly until week 6. We would re-evaluate at that point. Herbs are strongly encouraged during the 4th trimester as well.
Are you pregnant or know someone who is? Do you need to carve out some time for your self care? Want to ease some stress and anxiety during pregnancy and maybe get an acunap in (it’s the best nap ever)? Then it’s time to book an appointment and start adding acupuncture to your prenatal care.
