Acupuncture and Oriental medicine can provide a safe, effective alternative for many of the health complications that may arise before, during and after pregnancy. A growing number of women are choosing acupuncture to use throughout their pregnancy.

Said it before, will say it again, healthy parents produce healthy babies. With acupuncture and Oriental medicine, parents can improve their health to create the most optimal environment for their unborn child. In addition to their ability to strengthen, support, and balance overall health and well-being, acupuncture and Oriental medicine are an effective treatment for regulating menstruation and hormone levels, reducing stress and addressing any pre-existing medical conditions or concerns that a woman may have.

Acupuncture during Pregnancy

Acupuncture and Oriental medicine can play a vital role in the comfort of a pregnant woman. There is strong evidence to support that acupuncture is highly effective at treating some of the most common problems experienced during pregnancy including morning sickness, heartburn, insomnia, water retention and sciatica.

Problems commonly treated during pregnancy:

• Nausea and Vomiting
• Heartburn
• Constipation
• Hemorrhoids
• Edema and Swelling
• Urinary Tract Infection
• Pelvic Pain
• Neck and Back Pain
• Sciatica
• Carpal Tunnel Syndrome
• Leg Cramps
• Fatigue and Exhaustion
• Insomnia
• Anxiety and Depression

Acupuncture Postpartum

Many women feel depleted after the birth experience.  Acupuncture and Oriental medicine can help the transition of those first few months after birth to ensure a quick recovery. Postpartum care focuses on the physical, emotional and psychological recovery of the mother from the effects of pregnancy and labor, as well as encouraging breast feeding.

Problems commonly treated postpartum:

• Fatigue
• Postpartum Depression
• Mastitis
• Insufficient or Excessive Lactation
• Post Operative Healing
• Night Sweats

Oriental medicine has a long history when it comes to enhancing fertility for both men and women. In fact, evidence that acupuncture and herbal medicine have been used to aid fertility can be found in early medical literature dating back to 3BCE*.

Fertility treatments were first recorded by Zhang Zhong Jing, a famous physician from the Han Dynasty, in his discussion of diseases in women in the Jin Gui Yao Lue (Essentials of the Golden Cabinet).

According to the principles of Oriental medicine, a person’s health is determined by the quality of Qi, the vital life energy, and blood circulating through the body. When Qi and blood are circulating properly the body is property nourished and functioning optimally which, in turn, enhances fertility.

Researchers have confirmed its benefit in the following areas:

1. Regulate menstrual cycle
2. Improve sperm count and motility
3. Reduce stress and anxiety associated with infertility
4. Normalize hormone and endocrine systems.
5. Improve blood flow in the uterus
6. Decrease chance of miscarriage
7. Increase the chance of pregnancy for women undergoing in vitro fertilization (IVF)

Fertility treatments vary from person to person, but are usually scheduled for at least three consecutive cycles (twelve weeks).  Treatments can include acupuncture, customized herbal therapy, stress reduction and dietary counseling. Treatments work alone but are an excellent addition to any Western intervention.  It is highly recommended that both partners come in for treatment, regardless of which partner has the fertility concerns.  The mutual support that comes from working together is not only a relationship benefit, but there is also the Daoist idea that the health of BOTH partners at the moment of conception is of vital importance for the health of the child.  When both potential parents are getting treatment they are not only increasing their own health, but committing to give their child the very best start possible.

*BCE – “Before common era.” This abbreviation has come to replace the previously used B.C. (“before Christ”), and covers the period of history prior to the birth of Christ.

Acupuncture and In Vitro Fertilization

Women undergoing IVF were 65 percent more likely to become pregnant when they combined the procedure with acupuncture, a recent study has shown.

The remarkable success rate occurred across seven acupuncture trials involving 1,366 women in a systematic review and meta-analysis published in a February, 2008 issue of the British Medical Journal. Acupuncture was delivered either just before or just after embryo transfer – a step in the process of in vitro fertilization (IVF) whereby one or several embryos are placed into the uterus. The research was carried out by scientists from the University of Maryland in the United States and the VU University of Amsterdam in Holland. It is thought that acupuncture stimulates the neurotransmitters that trigger the production of gonadotrophin-releasing hormone, which controls the menstrual cycle and a woman’s ovulation. Acupuncture is also thought to stimulate blood flow to the uterus and boost the production of endogenous opioids, inducing the body to relax.

Acupuncture Improves Sperm Quality

A study published in the July 2005 issue of the journal Fertility and Sterility found that acupuncture helped infertile men by apparently helping improve sperm quality in their semen.

In the research project, 28 men received acupuncture in addition to traditional infertility treatments, while another 12 men received only the traditional treatments. All of the men were diagnosed with infertility of unknown origin. Acupuncture was associated with fewer structural defects in the sperm of men who received it, although it had no effect on other abnormalities, such as sperm immaturity or premature death. Previous studies have shown a link between acupuncture and improved sperm production and motility.

In keeping with the Daoist ideals that the father’s health (mental, emotional and physical) is as important as the mother’s at the moment of conception, I work with couples who are planning to become pregnant to ensure that both partners are in the best mental, emotional and physical condition they can. 

In the case of this most recent couple, we started about the beginning of the year and both partners came for bi-weekly treatments.  In between visits, I gave them specific exercises to do, dietary suggestions and helped them think through some of the lifestyle changes they will face once their baby is born.

Please join me in offering them congratulations.