Pregnancy is a journey that asks a lot from your body, mind, and heart.
Our gentle, tailored acupuncture for pregnancy treatments are designed to help you feel more at home in your changing body, soothe common symptoms, and create space to connect with your pregnancy.
From morning sickness to birth preparation, here’s how acupuncture can safely support you across each trimester.
When you’re growing a baby, it’s natural to feel cautious. One of the most common questions we get is: “Is acupuncture safe during pregnancy?” The answer is a reassuring yes. Acupuncture is not only safe, it can be incredibly supportive throughout pregnancy when carried out by a trained professional.
At Life + Lemons, we specialise in women’s health and fertility, so we bring a deep understanding of the emotional and physical layers involved in early and late pregnancy. We’re especially experienced in supporting those who have experienced miscarriage or recurrent pregnancy loss, offering safe care that nurtures both body and mind in those early, often anxious weeks.
All our treatments are tailored to our patients. During pregnancy, we avoid certain points (like strong abdominal needling or contraindicated points), and everything we do is adapted based on your stage of pregnancy and symptoms you’re presenting with.
The first 12 weeks can feel like the longest, and for many women, the most unsettling.
Between hormone surges, fatigue, nausea and emotional ups and downs, your body is doing a lot behind the scenes. Many women we see in the first trimester come to us with:
Morning sickness and nausea
Extreme tiredness
Bloating or constipation
Breast tenderness
Heightened anxiety, especially after a previous loss
Acupuncture helps by stimulating the vagus nerve, supporting hormone regulation, and improving blood flow to the uterus. It’s one of the few treatments that can be used in early pregnancy to ease symptoms without medication.
Did you know? Acupuncture has been shown in clinical studies to reduce nausea severity, improve appetite, and help regulate digestion in pregnancy with no adverse effects (PMID: 11843784).
As you move into the second trimester (weeks 13–28), you may feel more energised, but for many, new aches and discomforts begin to show up, such as:
Sciatica
Pelvic girdle or lower back pain
Leg cramps or insomnia
Ongoing nausea (for some)
Digestive sluggishness
This is often when posture changes and ligament laxity (thanks, relaxin!) start to affect how you move and feel. Acupuncture helps relieve pain, reduce tension, and improve sleep, and all without interfering with your growing baby.
By the time you reach the third trimester (week 28 onwards), the finish line is in sight—but there’s often a lot of physical discomfort to navigate:
Back, hip or rib pain
Swelling or heaviness in the legs
Fatigue
Emotional overwhelm or anxiety about birth
Acupuncture at this stage is focused on comfort, balance, and preparation; helping your body soften, your nervous system calm, and your baby get into the best possible position for birth.
If your baby is breech, we can support you with moxibustion and acupuncture protocols that encourage correct positioning, especially when started around week 34–36. Moxibustion in pregnancy is a gentle, non-invasive therapy that involves using burning dried mugwort on a specific point near the little toe.
We begin labour preparation treatments from week 36 onwards, helping:
Ripen the cervix
Encourage optimal fetal positioning
Improve energy levels
Reduce fear or tension
Yes—in a positive way. Acupuncture supports the body’s natural hormonal balance, improves uterine blood flow, and calms the nervous system. When done by a trained practitioner, it’s entirely safe during pregnancy and has no known adverse effects. It can also help manage stress, pain, and digestive issues, all of which support a healthy pregnancy.
Yes! Acupuncture is a safe and effective way to ease morning sickness, especially in the first 12 weeks. Many of our patients find nausea eases significantly after the first couple of treatments. We use specific points that are known to reduce nausea and calm the digestive system without side effects.
Absolutely. At Life + Lemons, one of our main areas of love and passion is fertility and early pregnancy support, and we regularly work with women who’ve been trying to conceive (TTC) for long periods. We’re well equipped to support you in those crucial first weeks—not just on the treatment bed, but through referrals, education, tools and practices, and emotional care that acknowledges your whole experience.
We recommend the following as a general guide:
Every other week during the first trimester (especially if you’ve conceived through IVF or experienced previous loss)
Monthly treatments during the second trimester to manage ongoing symptoms
Weekly sessions from week 36 to help prepare for labour
But this is always tailored to you. Especially if you have a complex history, need more emotional support, or are navigating pregnancy symptoms that need closer attention.
Any time. Whether you’ve just had a positive test or you’re in your final month, acupuncture can be adapted to support your stage of pregnancy. That said, starting in the first trimester can be especially helpful if you’re feeling anxious or experiencing nausea, fatigue, or digestive issues.
Pregnancy asks a lot from your body, and it’s okay to ask for support in return. Acupuncture is a gentle, natural way to stay connected to yourself, soothe symptoms, and prepare for birth with calm confidence.
We’d love to support you on this journey.
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We are now taking new patients and offering a free 15 minute discovery call giving you an opportunity to speak to a practitioner and better understand how acupuncture may be able to help you.
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