Acupuncture and Pregnancy» Labour Preparation/Cervical Ripening

Sometimes Post-Dates is right on time!

Dawn Aarons — Fri, 13 Jan 2012 15:27:48 +0000

It was my pleasure to treat Sarah twice late in her pregnancy. She went into labour the day after her 2nd treatment. It was bound to happen some time soon. As I explained to Sarah, an acupuncture “induction” treatment is just an invitation. We have no real control over the mystery of labour. Even so, treatments are also helpful to prepare and relax the mother. Sarah wrote me this update on her positive experience.

Our baby, named Vita Pope Cullen, was born on November 13th (9lbs1oz!). I ended up going into labour on my own on Saturday the 12th and arrived at the hospital one hour before my induction was scheduled! Amazing. The combination of things I did in the preceding days made a huge difference and really got things moving. I got to 7 cms on my own while walking the halls. Things weren’t progressing so I ended up having an epidural and oxytocin and slept for 5 hours. When I woke up I was fully dilated. They turned off the epidural so that I could feel the contractions and I pushed her out in about 30 minutes. No tearing. Easy! Thanks for fitting me in at the last minute!

Congratulations Sarah and family!

Testimonial from Lauren

Dawn Aarons — Thu, 29 Sep 2011 19:07:15 +0000

“Dawn works magic with those needles. She helped my body feel great during my pregnancy and helped my son become a happy baby with the happy baby point. She is obviously a gentle, beautiful soul if you meet her. Receiving healing treatments from her is not to be missed. She handles pretty much any pregnancy problem and makes you feel comfortable to be open and relax.”

-Lauren Larsen, September 2011

Patience and Post Dates

Dawn Aarons — Sun, 11 Sep 2011 21:46:35 +0000

A patient woman visited me for an acupuncture treatment today. It is rare for women who are still pregnant after their due dates to be so calm. What was her secret?

Most women are told that a due date is “plus or minus 2 weeks”. While they may know that intellectually, anxiety often surfaces even before that magical date. I sometimes recommend women to be vague about their EDD with family and friends, since the daily calls from well wishing loved ones (“nothing yet?”) can add tension and distress.

My visitor today appreciates having the time to rest when she wants to rest. She is enjoying romantic time with her partner – including dinners out and lots of sex (and actually enjoying it, not just doing it as a measure that can bring on labour). She knows that she is powerless in making labour start and maintains faith in her body and her world.

She also takes action to do what she can. She is active, eating well, staying well rested, drinking lots of water…and coming for acupuncture.

For those who are impatient (as we all are at some points in our lives), my hope is that you treat yourself kindly. Acupuncture treats the whole person and is reliably successful at relieving impatience, fear, and anxiety – as well as encouraging labour.

Testimonial-gentle, soothing, relaxing, and informative.

Dawn Aarons — Fri, 01 Jul 2011 11:44:12 +0000

I thankfully share this testimonial from Heather.

“Dawn saw me for a prenatal ‘labour prep’ course of treatment in 2009 (I gave birth to our son at home after a wonderful labour the day before our last treatment scheduled treatment!).

I really liked her approach –gentle, soothing, relaxing, and informative. Although I came to her to prepare my body for labour, her treatments were also a chance for some peace and relaxation that I looked forward to each week.

Thank you for contributing to our positive birth experience!”

Happy Baby Point

Dawn Aarons — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 20:38:13 +0000

Jen L. sent this photo to me with the message, “Use this to promote your “happy baby” pressure point if you like!” Jen received acupuncture in pregnancy, including the happy baby point. She is not the only happy mother who has said to me, “the point must have worked”. Of course, there are multiple conditions that come together to make a baby happy – I don’t think the point is the magic – but it seems to help (and sure doesn’t hurt). Ask your acupuncturist about the Happy Baby Point (Kidney 9). Chinese medicine classics promise that if you needle the happy baby point in pregnancy, the woman will have a happy baby that sleeps through the night.

Acupuncture for Cervical Ripening and an Effective Labour

Dawn Aarons — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 15:07:18 +0000

A 3-5 treatment series, known as Birth Preparation / Labour Preparation / Cervical Ripening, is recommended for pregnant women starting at 36-37 weeks gestation. Research has shown that these treatments can benefit women in the following ways:

-Shorter labour times
-Less medical interventions
-More positive birth experience

In addition to preparing a woman for labour, treatments in late pregnancy can be very helpful for dealing with the common challenges of late pregnancy (such as relieving heartburn, nasal congestion, constipation, varicose veins, backache, hemorrhoids, leg cramps, swelling of the hands and feet, difficulty sleeping, and increased anxiety and tiredness). Treatment protocols combine standard points with points chosen to address a woman’s specific needs. Preparation for labour (and especially for a life of parenting) is a mental-emotional process as well as a physical process. Taking time each week to address this preparation in a supportive environment reduces stress and fosters a calm and empowered attitude.

For more information about research on Pre-birth treatments visit http://medicalacupuncture.org/aama_marf/journal/vol17_3/article_2.html