Patient success stories​

How acupuncture can help with pregnancy​

Acupuncture is safe to have during pregnancy and is an effective treatment option that many women choose at a time when they want to avoid taking medicine for minor ailments. Acupuncture can be used to support the physical and emotional changes of pregnancy, labour and postpartum recovery. It can also aid specific pregnancy related conditions such as nausea, back and pelvic pain, breech presentation and prebirth acupuncture to prepare for labour.

Read a success story from one of our lovely patients who discovered the benefits of acupuncture for pregnancy

My sickness stopped after a few weeks treatment and my digestion was much better. I also think that the acupuncture helped to prepare my body for birth as I had a much easier birthing experience”

Rebecca Fieldsend

PATIENT

Rebecca's story

I was suffering from Pregnancy related complaints – sickness, acid reflux, slow digestion and pelvic girdle pain.

I started treatment when I was around 13 weeks pregnant and had been suffering with extreme sickness from being around 7/8 weeks pregnant.

I decided to try Acupuncture as it has eased sickness for some women during pregnancy.

I looked at reviews and the website and felt that Life and Lemons looked really good. I felt really relaxed after my first visit and enjoyed the experience. Kim immediately puts you at ease and explains her role and asks about your health and symptoms. The clinic is very clean and relaxing. A great experience.

My sickness stopped after a few weeks treatment and my digestion was much better.

I also think that the acupuncture helped to prepare my body for birth as I had a much easier birthing experience.

I would absolutely recommend acupuncture at Life and Lemons! I couldn’t ask for a better practitioner or clinic environment. 

Acupuncture changed my experience of pregnancy and birth for the better.

Thank you so much for taking the time in doing this. It will undoubtedly go a long way in changing the lives of others who need help too.

It's a fact

Here is some useful information about how acupuncture can help women during pregnancy…

Most often, acupuncture treatments involve stimulating key points in the body (acupuncture points or acupoints) with thin, sterile needles. Applying acupuncture needles enhances the body’s natural ability to self-heal, thereby alleviating pain and other discomforts, boosting immunity, and treating some conditions.

Researchers have found that many acupoints correlate to deep-seated nerves, which trigger the release of endorphins and other brain chemicals when activated by the needles. This process of nerve stimulation helps to explain how acupuncture might block pain signals to help to alleviate a number of common discomforts.

Increased interest in acupuncture during pregnancy, in particular, is due, in part, to some doctors’ claims and research findings that the ancient practice can help improve fertility in couples looking to conceive.1

Other doctors and healthcare providers have been recommending acupuncture as a way to provide pain relief during and after childbirth, and as a strategy for decreasing opioid use.

Many women are also turning to acupuncture to help alleviate common pregnancy ailments such as nausea, vomiting and headaches caused by hormone changes.

Acupuncture during pregnancy can be used to treat a variety of different pregnancy-related ailments or be used to assist with labor or conception. Potential uses include to:

  • Alleviate nausea and vomiting
  • Alleviate pain after a surgical birth
  • Alleviate pain during labor
  • Alleviate panic, stress, and depression during pregnancy
  • Assist with general pain and discomfort from pregnancy
  • Assist win labour induction
  • Assist women in conceiving, both naturally and with assisted reproductive technology, such as IVF
  • Correct a breech position during pregnancy
  • Reduce breast tenderness
  • Reduce fatigue
  • Reduce headaches
  • Reduce heartburn
  • Reduce pelvic discomfort
  • Treat constipation and hemorrhoids
  • Treat sciatica pain

Pain

Acupuncture for pain relief during labor and after surgery (c-section) is one of the most commonly cited uses for the therapy in pregnancy, especially because healthcare providers are looking for alternatives to opioids. New mothers are at higher risk for addiction after being prescribed opioid painkillers for pregnancy-related pain.

The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists’ (ACOG) 2018 report on labor and birth management cites acupuncture as one of several documented strategies that can help manage pain during labor.

Depression

Acupuncture has been associated with relieving symptoms of depression during pregnancy. This may be especially important to note since, unlike antidepressants or other medication commonly used to try to treat depression, acupuncture has no known potential risks to the unborn fetus.

About Kimberley

Kimberley, Acupuncturist and Clinic Director at Life + Lemons, is a registered TCM (Traditional Chinese Medical) Acupuncturist, passionate about helping women reclaim their feminine edge. After graduating with a First Class Honors in York, she has undertaken specialist training in the area of pain management, natural conception, IVF support, menopause + pelvic pain (endometriosis/dysmenorrhea).

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