Gravid
Kvalme og Opkast
Most women experience some level of nausea during early pregnancy. It is almost never only in the morning so the term morning sickness is fairly inaccurate. Usually the nausea is worse when the stomach becomes empty, is paired with a hyper-sensitive sense of smell, food aversions and sometimes a bad taste in the mouth. Doctors believe all of these symptoms occur because of the rise in progesterone and other pregnancy hormones in the body. Once these stabilize around the start of the second trimester, nausea is usually greatly reduced. Those first two months can be fairly miserable and intensified by the worry that you aren't consuming enough nutrients to feed the developing embryo and fetus. Sometimes your doctor must use prescription medicines when nausea leads to vomiting and dehydration. Oftentimes the medicine does not completely alleviate the nausea and acupuncture can still offer additional relief.
How can Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture help with Nausea?
While we are still discovering how exactly acupuncture affects different conditions, in the case of nausea during pregnancy it is most likely due to the fact that acupuncture can help balance hormones and also raise endorphin levels which make us feel better in generally I will first listen to your description of symptoms. Every woman has a different experience of nausea- whether it is worse when they eat, dependant on what foods they eat, whether they have a bad taste in their mouth and how severe the nausea is. I will then be able to give you an estimation of success with acupuncture, how long that might take and create a treatment plan. Most women feel like they can tolerate food and smells much better after acupuncture treatments.
How Many Treatments will I Need?
Every woman responds differently to acupuncture treatment. Sometimes a woman may only need two treatments to feel better and some women need to come regularly for a month before they maintain a good effect. A general rule of thumb when trying acupuncture for nausea is to come for treatments twice a week for two weeks. This is ample time to evaluate whether acupuncture is going to be an effective remedy for you. Women who have not had acupuncture before may need two treatments to feel positive effects because the nature of a new experience is that it may be difficult to fully relax during the session.
For tidlig fødsel
According to the theories of Chinese medicine, the woman's body right before birth presents an optimal time to balance hormone levels, strengthen the organ systems and make sure her and her baby's bodies are in harmony. Acupuncture treatments leading up to birth have proven to increase the likelihood of delivering on the due date, reduce the time of labor and substantially reduce the need for interventions and caesarean sections. Certain points are known to help the cervix soften and dilate and others aid in helping the ligaments relax and loosen for the easy passage of the baby. Women who receive pre-birth acupuncture and do not go into labor spontaneously usually respond very well and quickly to induction either by acupuncture or medication.
Debra Betts of the New Zealand School of Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine in Wellington, New Zealand has written extensively about acupuncture pre-birth. One such writing can be found at:
http://www.jcm.co.uk/Another source of information can be found in a journal article at the following title and address:
Acupuncture use for pre-birth treatment. A literature review and audit-based research.
Complement Ther Clin Pract. 2005 May;11(2):121-6.
How Many Treatments will I Need?
In my experience working with pregnant women and then as their doula during labor and delivery, I recommend that women begin to come in for acupuncture treatments periodically throughout the third trimester. The time for the treatments gives the woman a chance to lie quietly and connect with her baby, preparing for the birth. Regular acupuncture through early third trimester can help convince the baby to take a head-down position and avoid the scare of being breech. Starting week 36 I have women come in once a week and we work to get her body ready for the labor process. The acupuncture is gentle and the experience is deeply relaxing for the mom-to-be.
Forkert fosterstilling
Breech presentation refers to a fetal position which is not optimal for vaginal delivery. This is diagnosed usually around the 32nd or 34th week of pregnancy. It is most often followed with an appointment for what is called a 'manual version', when the doctor maneuvers the baby into a more optimal position with their hands through your belly. Women hear about acupuncture and moxibustion at this time and we receive many calls wondering if it works. The answer: Sometimes! It is not a 100% effective way to turn a baby but it definitely works for many women. Most success will be had if a woman begins trying to turn her baby before 34 weeks. After that time, things get very tight inside the uterus and the baby is less likely to move on his/her own.
How does Acupuncture and Moxibustion help babies in breech position?
The answer to this question is that it is not very well understood. There is one point near the end of the little toe on either foot that has been used empirically for turning breech babies for thousands of years. Moxibustion, also known as moxa, burned near this point is the traditional way to stimulate it. Moxa is a Chinese herb that has been processed and formed into a cigar-shaped stick which burns very slowly and gives off penetrating warmth. Years of experience have shown us that it is also important to include a full body acupuncture treatment to help the woman relax and let go of any tension she may unconsciously be holding in her body. Acupuncture almost always stimulates the baby to move a bit with the rise in endorphins and this combined with deep relaxation can also help the baby turn. During the treatment, we teach the woman how to apply the moxa herself and send her home with plenty of sticks. She then gets someone to burn the moxa near the points a couple of times a day between appointments.
How many treatments will I need?
That depends on your baby! As soon as people start coming in for treatment, we can keep treating periodically up until the scheduled manual version. Once or twice a week is a normal plan. As mentioned above, you will also be given moxa to take home and give yourself treatments in the interim. Some babies turn right away during the first treatment, others are more stubborn.
Hofte og Ryg Smerte
Hip and back pain during pregnancy can be caused by various factors: the weight of the pregnant belly, a previous back injury that is resurfacing, altered or poor posture, instability of the joints caused by ligaments that are relaxing, or an increased lumbar curve. Most of the time women are sent to the physical therapist to learn strengthening exercises or given a back brace and left to their misery. Back pain cannot be ignored however, because it is important for the mom-to-be to keep her mobility as far into the pregnancy as possible. Staying active not only keeps the mom and baby healthy but it helps the mom maintain the stamina she will need for labor.
How Does Acupuncture Treat Back Pain in Pregnancy?
Once the acupuncturist has ascertained the cause of the back pain, the acupuncture treatment can begin. It is important to note here that the exact cause of the pain does not dictate how successful the treatment will be. Pain that is caused by herniated discs responds just as well to acupuncture as back pain caused by muscle spasms. This is because the acupuncture works by bringing more circulation to the area and helping to reduce inflammation, reducing swelling and relaxing the muscles so that spasms cease. Acupuncture also affects the nervous system and helps to reduce the pain response being elicited from the troubled area on the hip or back.
What is Getting Acupuncture Like When You're Pregnant?
When treating pregnant women, they are asked to lie down on their side and their body is well-supported with pillows to ensure maximum comfort during the treatment. The area of pain will be palpated and then the needles will be placed locally near the pain and also distally along the acupuncture meridian. It is common to use only a few needles, usually 6 or less. The woman is then left to take a deeply relaxing nap for 20-30 minutes while the acupuncture needles are retained.
How Many Treatments Will I Need?
In pregnancy, the hip or back pain is usually at the acute phase which means that the pain responds more quickly to treatments that are given closer together. The most benefit will result from treatments two or three times during the first week. By this time, if the woman is careful not to overdo her activity level, her pain should be greatly diminished. The next week treatments should be given one or two times. She can then return for maintenance treatments every other week or so in order to stay pain-free as the weight increases.