Pregnancy and Acupuncture

“Pregnancy is a feminine pathology not a disease” Nei Ching

Liza helps parents-to-be through achieving pregnancy, during labour and postpartum care.
She has experience as a doula acupuncturist in the hospital as well as home births to assist with her nurturing abilities  during labour.

During this time for a woman, it is important to stay healthy and use alternative treatments that is safe for her as well as her baby.
Acupuncture has been used in China to help balance and provide optimal health for  pregnancy and birthing experiences.

During the treatments the mother may notice slight fetal movements and a wave of warmth, a sense of calmness and increase of energy.
When the mothers’ body is strong and the blood is flowing smoothly pregnancy will be easier, better managed and more likely to be on her due date.

Treatment frequency:

Weekly/ Biweekly until pregnancy is optimal then monthly corresponding to Midwife or MD’s appointments. This will ensure a clear communication between health care providers to optimize treatments.

First Trimester (1-14 weeks)
Possible Imbalances:

• Morning sickness / Hyperemesis gravidarum
• Fatigue from Anemia
• Changes in bowel movements
• Emotional changes anxiety
• History of threatened miscarriage

Second Trimester (19-27 weeks)
Possible Imbalances:

• Heartburn
• Hemorrhoids
• Edema
• High Blood pressure
• Yeast infections

Third Trimester (31-39 weeks)
Breech position ( optimal week 32-34 )

Use of acupuncture and moxabustion to help promote fetal movements and turn breech baby.
Moxabustion (burning of herbs to stimulate acupuncture points)

Possible Imbalances

• Sciatica
• Backaches
• Pubic pain
• Joint pain
• Carpal Tunnel
• Difficulty Focusing Attention
• Fear and Concerns about the transition into parenthood

The last weeks of pregnancy: Cervical Ripening weeks 37-40 weekly appointments

During your last weeks of pregnancy your body goes through changes to prepare you for labour.
Acupuncture helps to relax the body and mind and ripen (soften) and thin the cervix for easier delivery.

• Regulates and supports the bodies own process
•  Labour process is more likely to be on time and shorter in duration.
• Can be easier and less likely to be interfered by other medical interventions like oxytocin to increase contractions and caesarian sections are reduced .

Gynecological Conditions

From premenstrual symptoms, dysmenorrhoea, PCOS, and endometriosis ,acupuncture can be very helpful to woman . The physical symptoms which effect their emotional being can effect their daily lives. After regular treatments, woman  notice that their whole being feels different, sleep patterns change, their menstrual cycles changes , how they deal with stress. I work with treating the whole woman and how her body can come back into balance naturally.

Menopause symptoms

With a 2000 year old history of Chinese medicine treating woman’s health and hormones,  it is a safe alternative to easing a woman’s body into the next transition of her life. The symptoms of hot flashes, weight gain, mood swings and sleep disturbances can be helped with rebalancing and nourishing the organs in combination with acupuncture, lifestyle and diet.