All Acupuncture and Chinese Herbal Medicine therapies are performed by a Registered Traditional Chinese Medicine Practitioner. We complete a full intake and diagnosis according to Traditional Chinese Medicine principles, providing individualized treatment plans to help optimize your overall health and wellness.
Past your due date and looking for safe and effective approaches of inducing labour? Or maybe your due date is rapidly approaching, and you just want to cover all your bases to reduce any complications when the big moment comes?
Whatever the case may be, acupuncture may be just the solution you are looking for.
Is acupuncture safe?
Yes, acupuncture is completely safe. In fact, they have been using acupuncture to assist with pregnancy for hundreds of years in China.
That is one of the greatest advantages of using acupuncture for induction, is its lack of harmful side effects. Acupuncture can safely nudge the body towards labour helping the body to relax, baby to descend and contractions to progress consistently.
Is acupuncture effective in inducing labor?
Acupuncture may help:
- Increase and regulate labour contractions
- Increase cervical ripening
- Increase baby’s activity
- Increase uterine blood flow
- Descend baby
Helps Contractions
Acupuncture may help induce the onset of labour, and can help regulate the frequency of contractions if they are not increasing in frequency naturally. How does acupuncture do this? Acupuncture stimulates the release of oxytocin, which is a hormone that increases the contraction of the uterus during labour.
Aids Cervical Ripening
Cervical ripening is a process necessary for labour that involves the softening, distending, and dilation of the cervix. Acupuncture may improve cervical ripening by encouraging the baby to further descend into the pelvis. Aiding in shortening the cervix and softening the cervix.
Increases Baby’s Activities
Another way acupuncture may help induce labour is by making the baby a more active participant. Acupuncture can help transition the baby from a state of rest (Yin) to a more active state (Yang). As baby becomes more active prior to labour it helps the baby to position better into the pelvis and move lower and lower preparing for it’s big debut!
How often are treatments needed?
Most women that have used acupuncture to help induce labour have reported needing anywhere from 1-4 treatments. While the results are not immediate, some women have only one treatment before going into labour in the next 24-48 hours.
What about Acupressure?
Acupressure is similar to acupuncture, and can also be used prior and during labour. Rather than using needles, acupressure applies physical pressure to specific points on the body.
Acupressure uses various points along the meridian system, known as the life-energy path, to produce the desired results.
Other Benefits
Acupuncture may provide other benefits during pregnancy and labour as well. For example, acupuncture may:
- Reduce stress
- Reduce pain
- Can shorten labor
Reducing Stress and Pain
This is a huge perk of acupuncture for many reasons. The most important reason being that stress may be the issue delaying labour in the first place.
Soon to be moms feeling the stress of being a new mom or the fear of encroaching labour, will have increased level of the stress hormone cortisol in their systems. This hormone can delay labour because elevated levels tell the body it is not safe for labour to begin.
Acupuncture helps regulate the stress hormone cortisol.
Reduced Pain
Another advantage to acupuncture treatments is pain reduction during labour.
Shorten Labour
Acupuncture may not only help spark the induction of labour, but also shorten the labour process. By helping prepare the uterus and cervix for labour, and regulating contractions, it can help coordinate and balance the course of the labour.
If you are past your due date or fast approaching it and want to have a natural birth, acupuncture may help prepare your body for labour. It is safe and effective in helping your body start and progress through labour.
