Nausea and vomiting in pregnancy (NVP) is the most common complaint in the first trimester and can vary from a mild queasiness to a completely debilitating and sometimes dangerous condition called hyperemesis gravidarumn (or severe vomiting in pregnancy).

Acupuncture is a natural and safe way to reduce and alleviate nausea and vomiting and help you get back to normal life again.

For the best results, 5 treatments are spread out over a 2 week period. We suggest 3 treatments the first week and 2 treatments the second week.  Maintenance through diet and lifestyle and also taught in conjunction with the acupuncture.

Bleeding in Pregnancy

Bleeding during pregnancy can be a sign of threatened miscarriage. This can be caused by over activity/work, stress, trauma or a variety of other reasons. Acupuncture and herbs can be used to help to stabilize the fetus and stop the bleeding.

Threatened Miscarriage

Vaginal bleeding with or without abdominal pain and/or back pain can be signs of threatened miscarriage.
Acupuncture is a valuable tool for bleeding in pregnancy and threatened miscarriage and it fills a gap in conventional medicine which has limited treatment options for these conditions.
Acupuncture has been shown to stimulate beneficial hormones to help to stabilize the fetus and stop the bleeding. Moxibustion, herbs and other dietary suggestions may be incorporated into the treatment plan.

Pain

Acupuncture has shown to safely relieve many common, and often debilitating musculoskeletal complaints in pregnancy, including:

• pelvic or girdle pain
• symphysis pubis pain
• back pain
• sciatica
• rib and shoulder pain

Incompetent Cervix

An incompetent cervix, also called an insufficient cervix, is a condition that occurs when weak cervical tissue causes or contributes to premature birth or the loss of an otherwise healthy pregnancy. Many women are put on bed rest or modified bed rest at this time.

Acupuncture can be very effective at reducing the stress of this situation as well as bring strength back to the cervix and supporte the bodies capacity to hold and secure the pregnancy.

Hypertension/ Pre-eclampsia

Pre-eclampsia is a serious condition in pregnancy that involves high blood pressure (greater than 140/90 millimeters of mercury(mm Hg), as well as, high levels of protein in the urine.
Acupuncture treats the root causes and symptoms associated with pre-eclampsia and is especially helpful in reducing high blood pressure in the early stages. Acupuncture also regulates hormones and the immune system which can reduce edema, abdominal pain and headaches. It is also useful managing obesity and diabetes which can be associated with pre-eclampsia. Dietary measures may also be employed to address symptoms of pre-eclampsia.

Preterm Labour

A full-term pregnancy lasts about 40 weeks. Preterm labor occurs when contractions begin to open your cervix before 37 weeks of pregnancy.

Acupuncture is very effective to reduce uterine contractions and prevent preterm labour.

Breech

Breech presentation is defined as a fetus in a longitudinal lie with the buttocks or feet closest to the cervix, also known as ‘bum or feet first’. This occurs in 3-4% of all deliveries.

Breech babies can be turned with Acupuncture and a heat therapy called Moxibustion. When started between 33 weeks and 35 weeks, moxibustion therapy has shown in studies to increased spontaneous turning from 47.7% in the control group to 75.4% in the moxibustion group.

Moxibustion is safe, easy and can be continued at home with the help of a family member or friend.

Cervical Ripening

Also called ‘pre birth acupuncture’, cervical ripening is performed weekly from 37 weeks until the birth. Cervical ripening helps prepare the body for labour and in studies has been shown to:

• Encourage optimal positioning of the baby for birth, by turning unfavorable or posterior presentation
• Decrease the need for medical inductions (such as oxytocin)
• Reduce cesarean rates
• Reduce need for pain medication and/or epidurals
• Decrease labor times, especially in first time mothers
• Improve overall birth experience by addressing anxiety and supporting emotional and physical well being leading up to the birth.

Induction

Acupuncture inductions are used to stimulate or induce labour contractions and are generally performed 1-4 days prior to a medical induction. In many cases, an acupuncture induction can prevent the need for more medical intervention.