Treatments to support Pregnancy

We support women during the full term of their pregnancy; tailoring treatments to what suits the individual best.

Traditional Chinese medicine offers a natural means of safeguarding healthy pregnancies that is safe for a mother and her baby. Pregnancy is a new and special time in a woman’s life. It is a time when a woman begins to understand that she is supporting not only herself, but also creating and nurturing another life.

Chinese medicine can ease a woman through the many physical and emotional changes that occur during each trimester of her pregnancy and help to ensure a comfortable and healthy pregnancy. As she approaches her due date, weekly acupuncture treatments can help prepare a mother for a smooth labor by relaxing the pelvic floor muscles, helping the baby lower into position, and alleviating anxiety and stress. Acupuncture can also be an effective tool to enhance labor.

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Stages of the pregnancy journey

Acupuncture for Labour induction

In Chinese medicine, acupuncture is used to help a woman prepare for labour or induce labour when her birthing time is getting close or past due. Naturally, labour begins when the baby releases a small amount of the hormone, oxytocin, which signals the maternal hormones to initiate labour.

By increasing blood circulation to the uterus, relaxing the pelvic floor muscles, lowering the baby and assisting in softening and ripening the cervix, acupuncture can help create a comfortable and conducive environment to encourage the baby to release oxytocin. Acupuncture can also aid in the calming of anxiety and relief of pain symptoms to ensure a more comfortable birth. While a post-term baby is the most common reason to seek acupuncture for labour induction, it is also sought in the case of a prematurely broken membrane or a mother or baby with health problems.

Acupuncture for Breech Presentation

In one out of every six pregnancies, the baby turns into the breech, or upright, position. Acupuncture and moxibustion can successfully turn the baby back into cephalad (head-down) position. In some cases, as little as a single treatment can turn the baby. Moxa is a plant used as a heat source to stimulate acupuncture points, and in addition to its use in the clinic, you will be sent home with a moxa stick and instructions on how to continue treatment.

Acupuncture for Pregnancy Sciatica

During the last few months of pregnancy, as the baby grows more rapidly and the pelvic joints begin to relax to accommodate birth, expectant mothers may experience back pain and sciatica that can range from a minor discomfort to an exhausting, crippling condition. The pain is often worse at night and there is little western medicine can offer for relief aside from back exercises and advice about proper posture to deal with altered shape. Acupuncture is one of the few safe and effective treatments for pregnancy sciatica. By identifying the blocked meridian, or energy channel, acupuncture can help to increase energy (or qi) flow and resolve the condition.

Common Conditions Treated During Each Trimester of Pregnancy

1st Trimester

Morning Sickness
Frequent Urination
Fatigue
Miscarriage prevention
Colds and sinus congestion
Digestion irregularities

2nd Trimester

Headaches
Body aches
Sciatica
Heartburn
Varicose veins
Hemorrhoids
Preeclampsia

3rd Trimester

Edema
Back pain
Insomnia
Anemia
Anxiety
Muscle cramps
Breech presentation
Delayed labor

Post Partum Recovery

Chinese medicine can also be an invaluable tool during post-partum recovery. According to the principles of Chinese medicine, a new mother loses much of her vital energy during childbirth. The post partum period is an important time for her to regain her energy and strength so that she can continue to care for herself and her new baby.