Pregnancy
Natural Induction – Jennie’s Story
Jeannie was 39wks pregnant with her first baby, and was told by her midwife that her baby was sitting high (not engaged), and her cervix was tight and closed and she recommended she come to us for acupuncture to get things moving. We explained that acupuncture helped you move into the next stage that you were ready for, and so we weren’t expecting a baby that next day, but we would try and help the baby to move down and that would help the process of ripening the cervix.
Jeannie was a bit frightened of the needles as she had never had acupuncture before but was keen to try anything that could help. She was surprised that she became so relaxed in her first session that she fell instantly into a deep sleep. The next day she had an appointment with the midwife who was surprised to see the baby had almost totally engaged. After Jeannie left the next appointment (at 40wks) she started to feel some period pain and some stronger Braxton Hicks, and the midwife said her cervix was softening beautifully. Naomi saw Jeannie a few days later, and 2 hours after she left that session her waters broke. She went into labour several hours later, and surprised herself by delivering a gorgeous healthy boy naturally.
Natural Induction – Maria’s Story
Maria felt like she was beginning to go mad waiting to go into labour. Everyone kept calling and asking, including her three-year-old son who would ask almost every hour if his brother was coming now. Her friend recommended acupuncture as it had helped her with all her pregnancies and births.
At full term, Maria came to us for acupuncture on her due date, begging her to help get the baby out. Maria had had some period pain feelings and a couple of sleep disturbed nights with heavier contractions. We assessed that the bub was in a great position, and Maria’s body was as ready as she felt she was ! We gave Maria a strong acupuncture induction treatment. Maria got some strong contractions on the table and that evening went into labour, delivering her son a sweet little brother to play with!
Morning Sickness ~ Jenny’s Story
Jenny came to the clinic when she was seven weeks pregnant with severe morning sickness. She rated it as 10/10 in severity. She had been to her GP who said the next step was hospitalization if the situation did not improve.
She hadn’t had acupuncture before but decided to give it a try as it was a natural option. Her overall health was assessed from a Chinese medical perspective, which meant looking at her diet and lifestyle and how this was impacting her pregnancy. She had been told it would be hard for her to fall pregnant and to start trying soon because it could take years. She was shocked to find out she was pregnant almost as soon as they started trying and was having a hard time accepting it. In her case, her nausea had a strong link to her feelings about the pregnancy.
She left the clinic that day with her nausea rating 4/10. In subsequent treatment sessions we also worked a lot on staying in the present moment and acknowledging how she was feeling so she could let it go instead of feeling guilty about it. She had treatment twice a week for a couple of weeks after that and her nausea was substantially better. Because she had felt the benefits of acupuncture, she decided she would like to maintain her health for the rest of her pregnancy and so she came to the clinic every month until four weeks before the birth, at which time she came weekly treatments to get her body and mind ready for birth. She gave birth naturally to a healthy son at week 39. Jenny thanked us, not just for the acupuncture, but also talking with her about living in the present which she says really helped her deal with the concept that she was actually having a baby.
Morning Sickness – Sally’s Story
Sally was finally pregnant after 14 long months of trying but it was hard for her to enjoy it as she felt so sick, so nauseous and was throwing up all day. She was losing weight and was worried about the baby. At 7 weeks she confided in a friend who recommended she try acupuncture.
When she came to us, Sally looked pale, exhausted and stressed. Immediately after her first session, she exclaimed that she already felt over 50% better and was actually hungry and looking forward to lunch! We discussed some ways of managing the nausea over the following week, through diet and tending to her anxieties. That week, instead of throwing up several times per day, she found that she only vomited a few times over the whole week, and could recognize that most of those times were when she wasn’t following the dietary advice (cravings are sometimes very hard to resist!). Over the next few weeks, Sally was able to control the morning sickness, started putting on more weight, and began to share the delight of this miracle pregnancy with her husband.
Leg Cramps, Back Pain, Acupressure Course, Smooth Labour
Tamra and her husband wanted all the tools they could get their hands on for labour and so booked in for our acupressure for labour course. It was here that she discovered acupuncture could help her leg cramps and back pain as well as prepare her body and mind for birth.
Tamra came to the clinic regularly after the workshop and her symptoms reduced considerably, to the point where they weren’t an issue for her at all any more. She was also pleased to learn that the cold she had contracted could also be helped with acupuncture. In the weeks leading up to the birth, special points were used to help ripen her cervix, relax muscles and tendons, open up her pelvis and help her to stay calm and relaxed.
Their little boy arrived on his due date and their labour was a truly joyous experience. The acupressure points were extremely effective in managing contractions and she had a very rapid and painless second stage, lasting only 30 minutes. According to Tamra, the acupuncture and other mental preparation she did helped her to achieve the calm, drug-free birth we wanted.
Breech, Sinus & Smooth Labour
Sarah was referred to our clinic by her midwife as her baby was breech. She also had on-going sinus issues that she didn’t know could be helped with acupuncture.
Over eight weeks of treatment she was given acupuncture and moxibustion as well as advice on diet and lifestyle techniques to assist with her sinuses and turning her baby. We explained what was involved with the acupuncture techniques, which points would be used and what Sarah could also do herself at home to continue the treatment.
Her sinuses were so much improved as the weeks went by however, by week 37, the baby hadn’t turned so Sarah enlisted the help of a trained specialist who physically attempted to turn Lia around during a procedure called an ECV. (Sometimes when the natural treatment alone doesn’t work, the combination of the acupuncture with an ECV can be very effective, much more effective than an ECV alone for example. Having said this, in 75% of cases a baby will turn if treated between week 33 and 36 according to several studies. Click here to read up on breech research.
This was successful and Lia stayed head down until her very speedy delivery of 2.5 hours. This labour and delivery was extremely different in duration to her first one and Sarah was positive that the regular treatment was a major contributing factor.
Haemorrhoids
Afrodite developed a painful prolapsed haemorrhoid in the third trimester of her pregnancy which she fund debilitating. It was difficult for her to sit, walk and even sleep. She had never had acupuncture before but it was recommended to her for pregnancy by a friend who had been to our clinic and so she came.
After one treatment the haemorrhoid shrunk so much that all pain ceased which was a great relief to her. She found the acupuncture to be a gentle and calming treatment. She continued to come to our clinic to get her body and mind ready for birth. This involved calming her mind, relaxing muscles and tendons and ripening her cervix.
She went into labour naturally, however due to unforeseen circumstances she delivered via cesarian section. She felt very prepared for it all and was happy with her outcome as she entered the situation consciously. She found it to be a great journey and says she would happily do it all again.
Constipation & Sinusitis
In the early stages of Kim’s pregnancy she began to get constipated and her sinus problems were flaring up. She had heard acupuncture could be effective during pregnancy as it was natural and so she came to our clinic after finding us on-line.
After a few sessions her constipation had dramatically reduced and her sinuses were much clearer. Along with the acupuncture, diet and lifestyle recommendations were made according to her particular symptoms. She was surprised at the results as she had heard constipation was just part and parcel of pregnancy and that nothing much could be done. She was also glad to find that acupuncture could relieve her sinuses as she wasn’t looking forward to nine months without any kind of help for them.
Interestingly from a Chinese medical point of view these symptoms are linked. The Large Intestine is the Yang organ in the Metal element and the Lungs are the Yin organ in the Metal element. So clearing up the symptoms of one will usually clear up the other, much to the surprise of the client!
Breech & a Blood Virus Affecting Eyesight
Jade came to our clinic as her baby was breech and she had heard that acupuncture could help turn her baby. She had also been suffering from a virus in her blood that had caused her to become partially blinded early in her first trimester. Because she was pregnant, the usual drugs could not be administered and she was on strict bed rest to improve her immune system.
She was given the treatment for breech and took home a moxibustion stick so she could continue it daily for ten days heating the edge of her little toe. She came to the clinic on a weekly basis for almost two months to prepare for birth and to improve her immune system.
The baby turned a few days after her initial treatment at the clinic. Within a few weeks she had another test on her eye and the Doctor was shocked to note that the once dormant virus that had remained there for months during her pregnancy had now completely disappeared. He could provide no explanation for this.
Sciatica
Hayley started to feel the pain of sciatica around five months into her pregnancy. She was fearful it would escalate as her mother’s did when she was pregnant with her. Hayley’s mum was in so much pain by seven months she couldn’t walk and she was keen to avoid this.
After researching on-line she found that acupuncture could be helpful and so she came to our clinic. After three treatment sessions she was free from pain and was excited to be able to enjoy her pregnancy again.
After reducing her symptoms to a very manageable level we started to work on her constitution to strengthen it to get her ready for birth. She continued to come frequently until she moved up north.