Acupuncture, Your One Stop Shop for a Healthy Pregnancy.

Acupuncture during pregnancy? That’s right, it’s safe and effective! Pregnancy is a time of anticipation of your new arrival, along with it comes 9 months of incredible changes in your body. Pregnancy symptoms vary enormously from person to person and even from pregnancy to pregnancy. When an uncomfortable or sometimes debilitating symptom arises you now have to consider what is safe not only for you but for your precious growing baby too.

Nausea and vomiting is one of the most common symptoms experienced and can range from mild to debilitating nausea and vomiting. Often causing an aversion to food and dehydration, interfering with daily life and physical well-being. A couple of simple suggestions to minimize nausea include ensuring you eat small amounts of bland foods regularly to help keep blood sugar levels stable throughout the day. Increased hunger and decreased blood sugar levels may result in a heightening of symptoms. Some women also find the “Sea Band” helpful. A wristband that stimulates a pressure point (PC6) on the wrist to help alleviate nausea. If those simple techniques just aren’t cutting it acupuncture can effectively decrease or eliminate your symptoms with no side effects.

Acupuncture is the gentle insertion of hair fine needles into various points along the body. The acupuncture points are selected based on energy pathways that run head to toe. The combination of points are unique to you and will help to re-adjust your body’s energy flow to help eliminate your individual symptoms.

Studies have found that specific anti-nausea points such as PC6 like the “sea band” utilizes, increases endorphine levels (helping to elevate mood), decreases acid secretion in the stomach as well as reduces gastric arrhythmias in the upper GI (irregularity in bowl movement), all of which aid in reducing nausea and vomiting. Harefuah. 2003 Apr;142(4):297-300, 316.

In addition, acupuncture can be effective in treating a large range of symptoms often experienced during pregnancy, such as;

• Back pain
• Carpel tunnel
• Headaches
• Heartburn
• Labour induction
• Preventing recurrent miscarriage
• Post-partum depression
• Swelling (edema)

Regular acupuncture treatments during your pregnancy can help you stay feeling great. Acupuncture can help boost energy levels, decrease and eliminate aches and pains, while also preparing you for labour. Maintaining a balanced pregnancy will ensure that your growing baby has enough energetic resources too. Pregnancy symptoms can be managed and acupuncture is a safe and effective means of maintaining a healthy happy pregnancy.