Acupuncture & Pregnancy: The Benefits

A lot of people think acupuncture is mostly great for fertility (which it is!) but did you know acupuncture is also great for pregnancy? Here are a few reasons acupuncture can help with pregnancy:

1. Nausea

   
   

   Have you ever heard of sea bands? Those little bands which have a pressure point that help with nausea that are marketed for traveling? Those bands are actually based off of an acupuncture point called Pericardium 6 on the wrist. According to a meta-analysis, which is the highest form of research, found acupuncture is more effective than pharmaceuticals at reducing nausea and vomiting with no increase in adverse effects. Acupuncture helps take the edge of the nausea, which can be present in the first trimester.

2. Improving Labor Outcomes

   
   

   Acupuncture helps prepare your body for labor. It helps calm the nervous system, improve blood flow, and relax fascia. Numerous studies support women who receive regular acupuncture need fewer pharmacological interventions and baby has higher Apgar scores and improved umbilical pH. There's an emphasis on the "regular acupuncture" part of the research. Acupuncture works best when repeated frequently to get your body in the positive habit of healing, because your body wants to heal and prepare well for birth when you allow the space and time to do so.

   
   

3. Nervous System Support- More Calm & Better Sleep

   
   

   Pregnancy is stressful; there is no way around it. Even if your pregnancy feels full of ease, your body is working incredibly hard every day. Acupuncture helps modulate the autonomic nervous system by reducing the sympathetic ("fight or flight") and increasing parasympathetic ("rest and digest") sides of your nervous system. We even measure your nervous system! We use a non-invasive, heart rate variability scan, to assess the energy in your nervous system, and the sympathetic and parasympathetic sides of the autonomic nervous system. A more relaxed nervous system for mom = a mom relaxed nervous system for baby as mom's nervous system is shared with baby.

   
   

   

   Acupuncture on the abdomen

   
   
   
   

   With acupuncture, your pregnancy can be full of more joy, ease, and balance. Acupuncture benefits mom to reduce nausea, improve labor outcomes, and improve nervous system functioning!