Acupuncture for Healthy Pregnancy

You’re pregnant!  It is such a special time and you are likely nervous and excited.    Unfortunately, the majority of pregnant women start to also feel hijacked as nausea and overwhelming tiredness set in around week six. This can make the first trimester seem like it lasts forever.  Acupuncture can make a big difference in how you feel during pregnancy, starting with that first trimester. 

First trimester:  We see some women weekly, some twice/week if they’re very nauseas and others come bimonthly or monthly.   Your practitioner can let you know what’s recommended for you.   First trimester issues we see most often are:

• Nausea or Morning Sickness – acupuncture is excellent at reducing nausea and vomiting during the first trimester.  
• Anxiety – stress can trigger your body to convert progesterone to cortisol.  Using acupuncture to keep you out of “fight or flight” mode can be very helpful to support early pregnancy hormonal balance and keep progesterone levels stable.  
• Headaches – as hormone levels change, some women can have a hard time with headaches. Acupuncture can provide fast relief. 
• Recurrent Miscarriage – acupuncture is recommended more consistently for these women. Research suggests that the supportive care of acupuncture during the early weeks of pregnancy can reduce miscarriage rates when there is unknown cause.  Sometimes herbal medicines are also prescribed.  

Second trimester: During the second and third trimesterwe recommend acupuncture every 4 weeks to stay ahead of hip and back pain and address any other issues that crop up. If pain does develop, it often just takes 1-2 acupuncture treatments to help you get on your way.  We commonly see pain in the hip, back, pubic bone, ribs and wrists.  

Third trimester:  At 36 weeks it is time to start coming once/week again to help your hormones shift into delivery-mode.  We use acupuncture for labor promotion to assist you from going over your due date.  It is very successful if you come in starting week 36 for weekly treatments.  

Please ask us if you have any questions about using acupuncture during pregnancy!  We have lovingly been providing safe and effective acupuncture to moms throughout the Triangle for over 15 years.