Key Takeaways
- Acupuncture can alleviate anxiety and emotional fluctuations during pregnancy, offering an alternative to antidepressants.
- It helps resolve breech presentations by encouraging the baby to reposition for natural childbirth.
- Starting at 37 weeks, acupuncture prepares the body for labor and can ease the delivery process.
- Acupuncture effectively relieves pregnancy-related discomforts like headaches and swelling without harming the baby.
- In the post-delivery phase, acupuncture aids recovery and addresses fatigue and depression in new mothers.
Being pregnant is an exciting, yet sometimes anxiety-inducing experience. As an expectant mother, not only are you excited about having a healthy baby, but you are also concerned about pre-natal care, the necessary preparations and of course, hoping the pregnancy will go smoothly. You recognize that everything you do affects the baby’s life, not just yours. In this time of transition, there are many benefits of acupuncture that can help to ensure a healthy baby and a more relaxed pregnancy.
Anti-Depressant Qualities
With the fluctuating hormones and general nature of pregnancy, you may be on an emotional roller coaster and sometimes feel down. According to the Wall Street Journal, “Acupuncture designed to treat depression appears to improve symptoms in pregnant women, suggesting it as an alternative to antidepressant medication during pregnancy.” This is important because depression in pregnancy can be felt by the fetus and lead to post-partum depression in the baby, which is not good for its mental or emotional development.
Resolving Breech Presentation
Breech position is when the baby’s head is facing upwards instead of down towards the birth canal in the last three months of pregnancy. If the baby is not repositioned, the expectant mother will need to have a C-section delivery, which can create a host of post-labor issues with both mother and baby. Amazingly, acupuncture is shown to encourage the baby to reposition itself and turn to the correct position to enable natural childbirth to occur. This process can be started around week 34.
Preparing the Body For Labor
Acupuncture can be started at 37 weeks to help prepare the mother for labor. Pulse diagnosis also allows the practitioner to determine whether there are energetic imbalances, how strong the organ systems’ energies are, and how Qi and blood are flowing. Acupuncture corrects imbalances found in the tongue or pulse during a check-up and can also work to prepare the cervix to ripen, thereby potentially easing delivery. Moreover, acupuncture calms and relaxes moms-to-be so labor is a smoother experience.
Relieving Pregnancy-Related Discomforts
Pregnancy can take a toll on the body; from morning sickness to headaches and pains. The good news is that acupuncture is shown to mitigate a number of pregnancy side effects, including headaches, swelling, and more, all without the potential harm to the baby which medications may represent.
Post-Delivery Relief
Acupuncture is a great resource and treatment in the post-delivery phase to treat the common symptoms of fatigue and depression after delivery. Regular acupuncture is great for helping moms recover and regain their strength after giving birth.
