Pregnancy can be one of life's most amazing experiences, certainly each pregnancy is different and can have it's own different health problems as well as health benefits.
From a Chinese medicine perspective, pregnancy is a "yin time"...yin and yang are two opposites in our body.Yin is best described by words like sedentary, building, solid, dense, rich, cold or cool
Yang is best described by - active, doing, dynamic, hot or warm
Processes in our body usually require yang and yin but there are times where we are more one or the other - Sleep is a time where it should be mostly yin. A disharmony of yin and yang here would be when there is an over activity of the mind or body at night when one should be quiet and resting.
In pregnancy, as the foetus is being "built" there is a greater consumption of yin (which is Blood and nutrients) in Chinese medicine. Eating more Yin foods is often necessary. These yin tonic foods tend to be the more richer, heavier things like meats, grains and root vegetables.
Acupuncture, Chinese Herbs and Diet Therapy are used for many discomforting symptoms which can occur in pregnancy including:
Morning Sickness, Swelling and fluid retention, pain - especially common is lower back pain and sciatica, promoting labor, overdue labor and foetus position correcting - Breech position is commonly treated with acupuncture and moxibustion.
In the coming weeks I will outline how Chinese medicine approaches some of these ailments and symptoms.
Many acupuncturists are in favour of doing a course of treatment from 36 weeks onwards to promote labour and smooth flow of Energy and Blood, which is intended to promote a normal labour. This type of treatment is called PRE BIRTH ACUPUNCTURE. In my practice, Metro Health and Medicine, I offer this treatment at once a week for 4 weeks up to the due date.
A recent study of patients who sought acupuncture during their pregnancy were asked by survey about their experiences of the birth and what benefits they reported from having acupuncture during their pregnancy.1
Of 133 participants who gave qualitative data, there were five main reported outcomes (some gave more than one outcome). Effectively treated their chief concern (37,2%) Holistic benefit (22.9%), no benefit (20.61%), achieved desired birth (13.74%) and assisted in childbirth (5.73%)
A copy of this interesting study is available in our clinic's waiting area at Metro Health and Medicine.
REFERENCES:
1. Soliday E, Hapke P. Patient-reported benefits of acupuncture in pregnancy. Comp Therapies in Clinical Practice 2013;19(1): 109-113
USEFUL LINKS:
Debra Betts Website - A midwife and acupuncturist from New Zealand who has made an abundant amount of resource available: http://acupuncture.rhizome.net.nz/
Download the PDF booklet about pain relief in Labor: http://acupuncture.rhizome.net.nz/acupressure/download.aspx
