Did you ever worry that you were going to turn into your own mother? It happens as soon as you get pregnant. The worrying of motherhood starts almost immediately after a positive pregnancy test with concerns about miscarriage. There is good research that shows that doing acupuncture during the first trimester reduces the miscarriage rate from 11 – 15 % to 5 %. *
* Smith C, Crowther C, Beilby J. (2002). “Pregnancy outcome following
women’s participation in a randomized controlled trial of acupuncture to
treat nausea and vomiting in early pregnancy”. Complement Ther. Med.
10(2):78-83.
Pregnancy is a natural and wonderful thing. This however does not mean that pregnancy is always a comfortable process. Many women suffer from nausea and morning sickness, heartburn, insomnia, pelvic pain and back pain, low energy, constipation, varicose veins, vulval varicose veins and edema. Most woman just suffer through these problems knowing that the end will come after the baby is delivered. However there is a drugless and safe way to help women who suffer through their pregnancies. Chinese medicine using acupressure and/or acupuncture, nutrition, and herbs can offer women relief from their suffering.
Once the end is near a pregnant woman’s mind naturally turns to labour. There is good research that shows how doing acupuncture in the weeks before labour makes labours easier and shorter, reduces induction rates, when induction is necessary the amount of oxytocin used is reduced, epidural rates are reduced, the number of emergency caesarean sections are reduced and the amount of normal vaginal births is increased. The pre-birth acupuncture also proved to be safe. The research showed there was no negative side effects to the pre-birth treatment.