The birth of your baby is growing nearer; you\’re filled with excitement and maybe even a little trepidation. It\’s natural to be anxious when you\’re counting down the weeks to one of the biggest events in your life! Four, three, two, one . . . how can you prepare for labor in those final weeks so that all goes as smoothly as possible?
First let\’s focus on some of the things you may be experiencing in these final weeks. It isn\’t uncommon for women to have insomnia, heartburn, stress, back pain and other problems as the weeks roll by, especially in the ninth month of pregnancy. Acupuncture reduces stress and anxiety, and also helps greatly reduce or even eliminate the symptoms you may be having so that you can focus on labor prep rather than all the negatives.
You no doubt prefer a natural birth and hope to avoid medical intervention such as a C-section. Acupuncture treatments in the weeks prior to your expected due date help ensure your baby is in the proper position, thin and dilate the cervix, increase energy, and support a healthy immune system. You\’re going to need all the energy you can get when you go into labor!
Pregnancies on average last 40 weeks, although it is perfectly normal to give birth at week 38 or week 42. At 40 weeks acupuncture is used for different reasons than those in the weeks prior. You may have heard the term \”acupuncture induction,\” which simply means having acupuncture treatments performed for the purpose of bringing about labor. At this time acupuncture is useful for continued ripening of the cervix, encouraging contractions, reducing anxiety, and supporting the natural release of oxytocin, the hormone that brings about labor and causes contractions.
When you finally go into labor, acupuncture promotes pelvic opening and gives the baby space to move around, while encouraging proper descent into the pelvis. It also reduces nausea, supports healthy blood pressure and stamina, and encourages placenta delivery.
There are so many reasons to include acupuncture and TCM when preparing for labor in those final weeks. For most women, reducing the likelihood of medical intervention is a top priority. Acupuncture is a comprehensive way to reduce the negative symptoms and discomfort of those last few weeks, shorten labor time, induce labor, and enhance your overall physical and emotional health and well-being. You can feel good and know you’re doing the best for yourself and your baby as you count down the days!
The best time to start your labor prep acupuncture is at 36 weeks and continue weekly until birth. During this time, we are not only prepping the body for labor, but we are working closely with your birth team and adjusting the treatment to what is currently going on, i.e. prodromal labor, early induction, breech baby, failing to dilate, low amniotic fluid, or stalled labor to name a few. There are many strategies to help with what is coming up, but addressing it earlier than at last minute is ideal.
Interested in learning more about how you can prepare for labor in a way that\’s natural? We encourage those in Soquel and to contact Points for Wellness today to learn more about acupuncture, herbal medicine and how we can help with labor prep.