Integrative Prenatal Acupuncture

You’re pregnant — congratulations! Although pregnancy can be a time of great joy, with all of the fast paced changes and demands on your body, it may also contribute to some new and unique challenges for parents-to-be. Integrative prenatal acupuncture can help ensure that you and baby are thriving from conception through delivery and postpartum.

The First Trimester

Once our patients conceive, we recommend they continue with acupuncture through the first trimester, as this is when some of the most important “groundwork” for baby’s development occurs. This is also one of the most vulnerable periods of pregnancy, as the placenta has not yet taken over the production of progesterone, which happens around 10 weeks. Once the placenta has successfully taken over, the risk of miscarriage drops significantly. Acupuncture can support the body in that first trimester and promote a smooth transition into the second and third trimester.

Prenatal acupuncture in the first trimester can help with:

• Healthy fetal development
• Healthy progesterone production
• Reducing/preventing nausea and vomiting
• Fatigue and exhaustion
• First trimester jitters/anxiety
• Stress

The Second Trimester

Once a patient has reached the second trimester, we usually recommend coming in once a month for occasional “tune ups.” This is a time to slow down, enjoy the pregnancy, nest a little, and come back to see us weekly around 36 weeks to begin preparing for labor. Of course acupuncture never hurts, and some parents love to continue coming in regularly for their 1-hour retreat every week or so. In fact, acupuncture can also be especially helpful for soothing aches, pains and discomforts that may arise during mid and late pregnancy.

Prenatal acupuncture in the second trimester can help with:

• Back pain
• Round ligament pain
• Groin pain
• Headaches
• Fatigue
• Common colds
• Nausea
• Exhaustion
• Stress
• Gestational Diabetes

The Third Trimester

Home stretch! By this time, often the gestational parent is starting to feel a little (or more than a little) uncomfortable and are getting ready to meet their little one. The third trimester is a great time to ensure baby is in the correct position for delivery and to start getting ready for labor.

Prenatal acupuncture in the third trimester can help with:

• Everything listed above, plus,
• Breech
• Cervical ripening
• Labor preparation

Breech

If baby is breech, we ask that the gestational parent come in around 32-34 weeks to allow us time to encourage baby to flip while there is still room in the womb. We use gentle and proven techniques including moxabustion (moxa), acupuncture and gentle positional exercises to encourage baby to flip naturally.

Labor Preparation Acupuncture

Around 36 week, we’ll begin treatment to get the birth parent in top notch shape for delivery. We work in tandem with your midwife or doctor here, and when your body starts showing signs that it’s gearing up for labor, we can support you through the stages of labor, and when your body is ready, we can encourage a timely delivery using acupuncture and special “labor” points.

From fertility through pregnancy and beyond we’re here to support you on your journey to and through parenthood!

Also be sure to check out how acupuncture can support you postpartum!