Pregnancy is a time of change with a lot to look forward too but sometimes accompanied by not so pleasant symptoms. Acupuncture can help to reduce and alleviate many pregnancy related symptoms. Not to mention helping you through labour and alleviating post natal symptoms.
Please visit the following sections for more information:
Pregnancy
Labour
Post Natal Care
Pregnancy
The care you receive before your newborn arrives is important both for your own and your baby’s well-being.
In the months leading up to the birth of your child, your body must adapt to several changes that can aggravate pre-existing health conditions and cause new symptoms to arise. Acupuncture and Oriental medicine can be safely used during pregnancy in conjunction with the advice of your primary health care provider to treat the following concerns:
Labour
As you approach your due date, acupuncture can encourage proper positioning of the baby as it descends into the birth canal, and provides a gentle alternative to western pharmaceutical drugs such as Pitocin that induce labour.
Acupuncture is especially helpful for treating:
- Delayed labour
- Cervical ripening
- Prolonged labour
- Labour induction
- Labour pain
Post Natal Care
While some women have relatively uncomplicated pregnancies and labour, they may find that the weeks following the birth are especially difficult. Once baby is born, acupuncture and Oriental medicine can be used to treat:
- Post Partum Bleeding
- Post Partum Pain
- Post Partum Depression and Anxiety
- Hemorrhoids
- Constipation
- Recovery from caesarian or other surgery
- Insufficient Lactation
- Mastitis and blocked ducts
Pregnancy Related symptoms
Nausea and Vomiting
Commonly referred to as “morning sickness”, nausea and vomiting (which can occur at any point during the day or night!) affects approximately 80% of pregnant women. While most women find their symptoms subside by the end of the first trimester, approximately 20% of pregnant women will continue to experience nausea and vomiting beyond the first 12 weeks and a few will continue to experience it throughout their entire pregnancy1. Severe conditions can result in dehydration and may require hospitalization. Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine can help reduce the severity of symptoms and shorten the overall period of discomfort.
1 Morning Sickness. Motherisk.
http://www.motherisk.org/women/morningSickness.jsp, Accessed May 9. 2008.
Edema
Swelling in the lower extremities is common during the later stages of pregnancy when the uterus expands and compresses the inferior vena cava when sitting or lying down. This causes poor circulation through the femoral veins which can lead to edema in the lower legs, ankles, and feet. Edema may also result in Deep Vein Thrombosis (DVT) a condition that can occur in pregnant women because of limited mobility during this time. Another cause of edema is pregnancy-induced hypertension and pre-eclampsia.2 Acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine can help reduce the severity of symptoms and shorten the overall period of discomfort.
2 http://www.merck.com/mmpe/print/sec18/ch259/ch259e.html, Accessed May 9. 2008
Pregnancy-Induced Hypertension
Pregnancy-induced hypertension (PIH) also known as pre-eclampsia or toxemia affects approximately 5-10% of pregnant women and is associated with edema, high blood pressure, and protein in the urine. This condition can occur at any point during pregnancy, labour, or following labour. Symptoms of PIH include vasospasm (spasms of the blood vessels), blood clotting, and impaired blood circulation. Advanced stages of PIH can lead to an accumulation of toxic waste which further aggravates blood pressure, and can lead to pulmonary edema and renal failure. When used at the earliest stages of the condition, acupuncture can often help alleviate and control PIH symptoms and prevent its progression to eclampsia (a severe condition characterised by convulsions during or after labour).
Pregnancy-Induced Diabetes
Gestational diabetes mellitus GDM, like other forms of diabetes, is defined as glucose intolerance, but with its first onset during pregnancy.
Risk factors for developing this condition include:
- a previous diagnosis of GDM
- age over 35 years
- obesity
- a history of polycystic ovary syndrome
- hirsutism (excessive body and facial hair)
- acanthosis nigricans (a skin disorder characterized by the appearance of darkened patches of skin)
- being a member of a population considered to be at high risk for diabetes, including women of Aboriginal, Hispanic, South Asian, Asian or African descent.
Although some are at greater risk than others, the Canadian Diabetes Association 2003 Clinical Practice Guidelines for the Prevention and Management of Diabetes in Canada recommend that all women be screened for GDM between 24 and 28 weeks' gestation using a glucose tolerance test*. For women with multiple risk factors, this testing should be done during the first trimester, then again during the second and third trimesters, even if the first test is negative.
Prompt diagnosis of GDM is important, as it carries several risks to both mother and infant. For example, children born to mothers with GDM may be “macrosomic”, a medical term meaning “severely obese.” This poses a risk of trauma to both mother and baby during the delivery. Macrosomic babies have a higher risk of hypoglycemia after birth – a dangerously low blood glucose level – as well as severe breathing problems. They are also at higher risk for potential long-term obesity and glucose intolerance.
http://www.diabetes.ca/Section_About/gestational.asp,
Accessed May 9, 2008
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