Prebirth & Postnatal

Prebirth Acupuncture

Pre-birth treatment involves a series of weekly treatments from 36 or 37 weeks to prepare for labour. Data on 169 women was gathered by 14 midwives as part of their midwifery practice in New Zealand and it found that when comparing all caregivers (Midwives GP's and Specialists) to those women who had received prebirth acupuncture there was:

• An overall 35% reduction in the number of inductions (for women having their first baby this was a 43% reduction)
• A 31% reduction in the epidural rate.
• When comparing midwifery only care to women receiving prebirth acupuncture there was a: 32% reduction in emergency caesarean delivery and a 9 % increase in normal vaginal births.

As part of the Prebirth treatment, clients will be advised on acupressure points that they and their partners can use during labour to help ease and cope better with labour pains.

Breech babies are ideally treated between 34 - 36 weeks gestation. This is often a one off treatment with women being shown how to continue treatment at home with moxa.

Postpartum treatment / Golden month

The superior physician does not just treat disease but teaches society and helps form the intentions of humanity.
- Sun Si Miao

All the time and effort put into monitoring you and your baby while you are pregnant, alters once the baby is born. You are the single most important part of your baby's world but often the health of the mother takes a back seat as focus shifts to the infant.

In TCM (traditional Chinese medicine), the first 30-40 days following delivery is referred to as the "Golden Month". Many traditional cultures have similar practices, where the mother is nurtured by older relatives directly following childbirth. This is a time where new mothers are expected to rest fully, recuperate, nurture and bond with their babies. Traditional Chinese Medicine believes that this "Golden Month" is of the utmost importance for mother and baby. The care received during this time will bear heavily on the future health of both mother and child.

Modern society enforces the idea that new mothers should be superwomen and return to daily activities as soon as possible. Childbirth can be exhausting and in some cases a frightening experience if there has been complications in the delivery. During childbirth (natural or c-section) women lose a significant amount of blood. In Chinese medicine blood is associated with Qi, so this means the mother has also lost Qi or vital energy and it is imperative to restore this as soon as possible

Often it is not possible to have family close by to lend a hand and there can be children in the home who also need their mother's attention during these crucial weeks. Women find it increasingly difficult to return to the levels of energy they had prior to pregnancy. When this is not treated, it can result in high rates of fatigue and post natal depression. This can also have a great effect in long term recovery. Because your energy has been depleted, from a Chinese perspective you are weakened and this can leave you vulnerable to disease and often chronic issues can get worse. We spend so much time preparing our bodies for pregnancy and ensuring women are healthy throughout pregnancy, only to forget that this also needs to be managed carefully in the first few weeks following birth

Postpartum treatment refers to treatment given within the first 6 weeks of birth. Ideally acupuncture treatment is given once a week commencing from 2 weeks postpartum for a total of 3 weeks to promote energy lost during the pregnancy and labour and ensure an efficient recovery. Acupuncture is a wonderful tool to help new mothers recover. Postpartum treatment also includes dietary advice to aid the return of healthy levels of qi and blood. Acupuncture can help with the following postpartum issues:

• Postnatal depression / Baby blues
• Breast feeding problems / insufficient lactation
• Mastitis
• Urinary incontinence
• Post operative healing
• Insomnia
• Back pain
• Constipation
• Tiredness and exhaustion