Acupuncture for Pregnancy, Labor,
and Post-Partum Recovery
Our practitioners have over 17 years of helping support and relieve symptoms related to pregnancy. Meet with one of our compassionate acupuncturists to see how we can help.
Acupuncture during Pregnancy can help with:
Acupuncture provides relief from many causes of pain, including:
- Back Pain
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Heartburn
- Constipation
- PMS
- Fatigue
- Urinary Tract Infections
- Threatened Miscarriage
- Varicose Veins
- Insomnia
- Sciatica
- Pelvic Pain
- Itching
- Sinusitis /Congestion
- Insomnia
- Small for Dates
Preventive care through pre-birth acupuncture treatments is a great way to influence and promote maternal and fetal health.
We even have care and specific protocols for:
• Breech and posterior position babies
• Prebirth treatment to prepare for labor
• Acupressure for labor pain relief
• Postpartum recovery
Your initial consultation is free. Come meet us in person to learn more about our services! Or give us a call 425.533.7320 and we can answer your questions.
Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine has been used for thousands of years as specialized treatment for women during pregnancy and post-partum recovery. This time period is viewed as a special time in Chinese medicine and provides a great opportunity to enhance a woman’s well being.
Acupuncture in Pregnancy Frequently Asked Questions:
Does it Work?
Research has shown that women who receive acupuncture prior to delivery have shorter labor times. Acupuncture during pregnancy is one of the safest methods for treating many conditions that can occur during pregnancy.
Can I combine this with my Ob/Gyn doctor?
Yes! We work in conjunction with many local Ob/Gyn clinics in Bellevue, Redmond, Kirkland and Seattle area and with many local midwives. By using a combination of alternative medicine and Western medicine you can increase your chances of a healthy comfortable pregnancy.
Is acupuncture safe to have during pregnancy? Can it hurt the baby?
It is safe to have acupuncture during pregnancy. We recommend that you choose an acupuncturist who has a lot of experience in treating pregnant women. Ask your doctor, midwife or doula if they know of a practitioner that they recommend with experience treating pregnant women.
What conditions can acupuncture help with during the first trimester (12 weeks) of pregnancy?
Most often during this time we treat women for morning sickness, hyperemesis (severe vomiting), fatigue, and threatened miscarriage. Acupuncture can be extremely helpful in both mild and severe cases of morning sickness.
What conditions can acupuncture help alleviate during the second trimester -weeks 12 - 28 of pregnancy?
This trimester can often be the most comfortable for many women. However, some women develop problems with headaches, heartburn, back pain, inguinal pain, hemorrhoids, fatigue, stress and continued morning sickness.
What conditions can acupuncture help alleviate during the third trimester- (weeks 28 – 40) of pregnancy?
The last trimester of pregnancy is a great time for pregnancy acupuncture treatments. We often treat for body aches and pains like carpal tunnel syndrome, back pain, and sciatica or to induce labor, treat premature labor or breech position. The last few weeks of pregnancy (starting at week 32) is a great time to start pre-birth acupuncture and preparation for labor and delivery. Having regular pregnancy acupuncture at this time has been shown to significantly shorten labor times.
Pain Relief for Labor / Acupressure for Labor
Acupuncture offers drug free alternatives for pain relief during labor. Acupressure provides similar results a free booklet on using acupressure can be down loaded at http://acupuncture.rhizome.net.nz
Breech Babies
Acupuncture is well known for assisting in turning babies in breech position. Breech babies are ideally treated between 34-36 weeks to allow for optimum “turning time.” This is often just one or two treatments with a high success rate (70-80%!) Women are then shown how to continue treatment at home to assist in continued proper fetal positioning.
Acupuncture for Post-partum Recovery
Having acupuncture post-birth is a wonderful way to help restore and rebalance the mother’s energy levels after the stress of birth. It also can help with postpartum depression, postpartum back pain, mastitis or lactation issues.
Research on Acupuncture in Pregnancy
Does it Work?
- 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
• A 32% reduction in emergency cesarean delivery with midwifery care and acupuncture
