Moms-to-be have been using acupuncture for 1000s of years to ease discomfort and get ready for labour. Acupuncture needles are tiny needles inserted at certain points on the body to correct imbalances and restore health. I use acupuncture a lot in my practice and have used it many times to help women conceive naturally, deal with morning sickness, optimize health during pregnancy and prepare for delivery.

Acupuncture and morning sickness 

One of acupuncture’s main advantage is the avoidance of unnecessary medication during pregnancy. There’s an acupuncture point called Pericardium 6 (PC 6 or the Seasickness Point) located around the wrist which is the point used for morning sickness.
Research done in Australia at the University of Adelaide demonstrated that pregnant women receiving acupuncture had less nausea than those with no treatment.

Acupuncture may decrease pain and shorten delivery time 

Based on research we see that some possible ways that acupuncture is effective include:
Increasing circulation to the uterus
Relaxing the uterine ligaments
Encouraging optimal baby positioning
Preparing the cervix to soften and dilate
Reducing cortisol (stress hormone) levels

Research shows that pregnancy acupuncture:

  • Reduces the need for medical induction
  • Shortens labour time
  • Reduces epidural rates
  • Reduces emergency C-sections

Weekly acupuncture is suggested at the beginning of 36 weeks onward.

Fertility Acupuncture

Fertility acupuncture is a great option for women looking to conceive naturally, with IVF or IUI. It is a safe way to increase the chance of conception. Fertility clinics suggest 9 acupuncture sessions before your first IUI or IVF treatment. So we usually begin about 3 months before the transfer date.

Fertility acupuncture works by:

Boosting blood flow to reproductive organs
Balancing hormones
Relieving stress by lowering cortisol

When used in conjunction with western fertility treatments acupuncture increases conception rates by 26%.
In one study we saw that when combining IUI with acupuncture 65 percent of the test group were able to conceive compared to 39 percent in the control group who were not receiving acupuncture.

Pregnancy or fertility acupuncture treatments are relaxing 20 minute sessions which are covered under the naturopathy section from your benefit plan.

Get in touch if you have any questions or share this info with your mom-to-be friends.