The benefits of acupuncture during pregnancy

Who doesn’t want a healthy and safe pregnancy? Trust me, you don't want to miss out on the huge impact acupuncture can have on your pregnancy, labor, and postpartum. It's truly a bliss! Acupuncture stands as one of the most efficient ways to prepare and support your body for a healthy journey into motherhood.

If you are pregnant and looking for some health support while expecting a child, here is why you should consider acupuncture treatment.

🌿 What is acupuncture? 🌿

It's a holistic form of medicine that sees the body as interconnected. Unlike Western medicine, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) emphasizes harmony between the mind, body, and spirit, all in tune with the environment. TCM focuses on balancing internal organs and essential substances like Qi, Blood, and Body fluids for overall health.

What does that mean?

That means that TCM treats the root and the branch at the same time. We work on alleviating the symptoms but we also more importantly work on the constitution, so we make sure the disease doesn’t come back right away. As you understand, it’s also preventive medicine. Working on constitution allows us to build the immune system up, and reinforce the vital substances so your body avoids sickness and diseases. Developed in China, old from more than 8000 years, this medicine has been practiced for thousands of years to support pregnancy. It’s completely safe for you and your baby. I would even say that it’s necessary for a healthy outcome.

How does it work?

From a scientific approach, inserting needles into the body triggers the brain to release chemicals such as endorphins, and anti-inflammatory factors… that explain, for example, the pain relief and the immunity boost that you can benefit from acupuncture. It also brings blood flow to the acupuncture point so the blood is circulating better, relieving some blockages and thus better nourishing internal organs.

🌸 What about acupuncture during pregnancy? What are the benefits? 🌸

First Trimester

Acupuncture will help for:

• Reducing the risk of miscarriage. By Strengthening Kidney essence which is a primary energy source that supports prenatal growth and embryo development, Acupuncture reduces the risk of complications, promoting a safe pregnancy.

  Starting acupuncture and Chinese herbs therapy three months before conception ensures a healthy pregnancy by

  • regulating menstrual cycles,

  • promoting ovarian health with good-quality eggs,

  • thickening the uterus lining

  • strengthening the kidneys.

• Symptomatic relief: Acupuncture alleviates common first-trimester symptoms including

  • breast tenderness

  • nausea/vomiting

  • bloating/discomfort/constipation

  • fatigue

  • dizziness and headaches

Second Trimester

In the second trimester, pregnant women often encounter a range of discomforts and potential health issues, including:

• Low back pain/sciatica

• Hemorrhoids/constipation

• Sleep disturbance

• Serious conditions such as gestational diabetes and gestational hypertension

Acupuncture offers relief from these symptoms and addresses underlying causes. When administered early in pregnancy, it serves as preventive medicine, reducing the likelihood of developing these serious complications.

Third Trimester

In the third trimester, acupuncture plays a crucial role in maintaining balance and easing discomforts while also ensuring optimal positioning for your baby.

✨ Breech baby ✨

If you find out your baby is breech, acupuncture, combined with specific exercises, will encourage the baby to turn.

⚠️ But here's the catch - starting at 34 weeks is key. ⚠️

Please ask your doctor to let you know your baby’s position before the 34th week. Don’t wait for the ultrasound at 36 weeks. It’s way too late, as the amniotic fluid decreases, limiting your baby's space to turn. Delaying increases the risk of your baby not being able to change position

From my experience, I've found that correcting a breech presentation at 33–34 weeks is relatively simple. I always feel bad when women come in after the 36th week because I truly believe that earlier intervention could have made a significant difference and possibly avoided the need for a C-section. So, it's crucial to act promptly and discuss this option with your healthcare provider as soon as possible

✨ Labor Preparation / Induction ✨

Who doesn’t want a smooth and effective labor? Many women I've worked with worry about going past their due date, being induced, and having a long labor. Here is the answer I always give them: Acupuncture is 100% an efficient and a natural solution.

Here is how acupuncture prepares your body for a smooth labor :

• Softening and dilating your cervix

  The more ripe your cervix is before the first contractions, the quicker your labor will progress.

• Descending and properly positioning your baby in the pelvis

  A low presentation will apply pressure on the cervix, mechanically triggering the release of prostaglandins at the cervical level, leading to its ripening.

• Making you confident and ready emotionally

  Oxytocin, the hormone that allows your labor to start and to be harmonious, is secreted under one condition: you need to feel confident, loved, and comfortable. We call it the hormone of love. That’s for a reason! It’s secreted by the archaic brain. This one, also called the instinctive brain, doesn’t work if you are stressed or overthinking. It’s the animal brain, the brain that doesn’t think. It follows instinct. So I just want to tell you one word: trust and follow your body sensations!

• Stretching and preparing your perineum

  The perineum has a big role in the position and the engagement of your baby in the pelvis and so on the length of your pushing phase. In addition, if you have a well-prepared perineum, you will have fewer risks of tearing.

• Strengthening and inducing contractions if needed for a faster labor.

How do we proceed with labor prep?

I recommend every single pregnant woman to start labor prep with acupuncture at 36 weeks, at a rhythm of one treatment per week, up to 2 treatments a week after 40 weeks.

Does that mean acupuncture can induce labor?

Yes and no. Acupuncture, if done early enough as mentioned above, will avoid going past the due date and will encourage natural spontaneous labor. Arriving at 41 weeks as a last resort for a natural induction might offer some assistance, but it's not a guarantee that labor will commence immediately. Your body requires time to adapt to acupuncture treatment. Ideally, preparation should begin much earlier, allowing your body to adjust gradually and requiring only a gentle nudge to initiate labor.

Acupuncture isn't magic; it's a form of medicine! Achieving balance within the body takes time, and the effects may not be immediately apparent.

In addition, labor preparation with acupuncture will also:

• Decrease the risk of medical intervention (induction, augmentation, forceps, vacuum, episiotomy, Cesarean section)

• Decrease labor-related pathologies: postpartum hemorrhage, postpartum infection, postpartum depression…

🌼 Postpartum 🌼

Continuing acupuncture for the postpartum period will also greatly help you to recover from the birth.

We can work on:

• Milk supply if you are breastfeeding or inhibition of lactation if you are formula feeding

• Sleep

• Digestion

• Healing from the birth (perineum tears, hemorrhoids…)

• Prevention for postpartum depression

As a French midwife, doula, and acupuncturist, I strongly believe in TCM and I would be honored to give you the chance of a healthy pregnancy, labor, and postpartum. If you want to learn more, book a free 30 min consultation with me here.