Pregnancy and Postpartum Support

“Each individual pregnancy and the weeks following childbirth has so many different stages and unknowns. Along with the wonder can also come distress. Wherever you find yourself during YOUR pregnancy or postpartum process acupuncture treatment is a wonderful and effective method of promoting good physical and emotional health. By partnering with you during this time, we help ease you through the rough patches, provide anticipatory guidance, and supportively celebrate the awesome work your body is doing every step of the way.”

Kimberly Bonde, Lic.Ac., RN
Founder & Senior Practitioner

Can acupuncture treatment make pregnancy more comfortable?

From the days following conception, all the way through birth itself every part of you engages to establish a nourishing relationship with your baby. Acupuncture treatment has a long history of alleviating common pregnancy discomforts while promoting an underlying balanced environment where mother and baby will thrive. Depending on your unique situation a treatment plan will be developed to promote comfort along with maximizing maternal-fetal health.

Acupuncture helps relieve common pregnancy symptoms such as:

  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Fatigue
  • Insomnia
  • Headache
  • Allergies
  • Constipation
  • Spotting and bleeding
  • Anxiety and depression
  • Irritability
  • Back, hip and rib pain
  • Carpal tunnel syndrome
  • Reflux and heartburn
  • Swelling and fluid retention
  • Urinary symptoms
  • Uterine irritability

How does acupuncture treatment prepare my body for a comfortable and effective labor process?

Promoting restful sleep, increasing physical comfort, easing digestion/elimination and alleviating anxiety are the foundation elements of our Pre-Birth Acupuncture Program. This series of two or three treatments is administered between weeks 35 and 40 and serves to relax and nurture you while replenishing your reserves and making specific preparation for your labor process.

Working in partnership with your OB and Midwifery care team, we can also utilize specific treatments to address issues such as:

  • Breech presentation
  • Cervical ripening
  • Prolonged early labor
  • Labor promotion for post-dates
  • Support for VBAC

How will acupuncture be useful for me after I have my baby?

The process of childbirth, whether vaginal or cesarean delivery, is a major event in your life that also affects your health. There is a range of “new normals” to be discovered in the first three months postpartum. If you are not finding an equilibrium within the first few weeks, an acupuncture treatment or two may be beneficial to support your transition to your new way of life.

Signs of being out of balance may include:

  • Profound fatigue
  • Digestive upset
  • Pain
  • Prolonged vaginal bleeding – more than four weeks post-delivery
  • Headache
  • Insomnia
  • Diminished or fluctuating breast milk supply
  • Frequently blocked milk ducts or mastitis

Acupuncture treatment can also be a highly beneficial component of a care plan to address postpartum depression and anxiety. However, acupuncture is not a suitable primary treatment.

You are welcome to an Email Consultation regarding your specific questions related to pregnancy and postpartum care. If you need help getting or staying pregnant our practitioners are highly qualified to provide Fertility Support.