4 Things About Prenatal Acupuncture That Might Surprise You
Thursday, August 8, 2024
Article by Susan Wallmeyer, LAc., Licensed Acupuncturist and founder of NY Chi Acupuncture
As an acupuncturist in practice for 15 years, I have seen prenatal and postnatal acupuncture become more widely used than ever before here in the US. This is great news because acupuncture is a safe technique that can be helpful for a variety of issues during pregnancy and postpartum. Here are a few of the things I wish more people knew about acupuncture and what it can (and can’t!) do to help pregnant people.
Acupuncture will probably not “induce” your labor
I get calls all the time asking if I can perform acupuncture to induce labor. The answer is complicated, but the short version is this: studies show that acupuncture doesn’t cause labor to start any sooner, but when someone has regular treatments leading up to birth, their body shows more signs of readiness for labor. Specifically, studies show an increase in the Bishop’s Score, which is a measure of the changes your body undergoes as it is readying for birth (cervical thinning and dilation amongst other things). I recommend starting labor readiness treatments at week 36 so there is (likely!) time for the gentle, cumulative effects of the acupuncture treatments to occur.
Acupuncture could also help you to feel more rested, relaxed and energetic when labor does begin. How? It can ease third trimester aches and pains as well as calm an overactive mind, all things that can get in the way of a good night’s sleep.
All this being said, I have heard so many instances of patients who had acupuncture and soon after, labor began. Why does this happen? My theory is that if someone’s body was already very close to being ready for labor start (baby’s head was properly positioned in the pelvis and the cervix was ready), acupuncture might just be what helps set things into motion. Unfortunately right now we don’t have any studies that looked at this exact situation, but hopefully one day we will!
Acupuncture can safely be used in the first trimester
There is truly very robust evidence that acupuncture in the first trimester does not result in an increase in adverse events when compared with not having acupuncture (for more information see this detailed writeup). I often work with patients as they are trying to get pregnant and it’s lovely to be able to continue to support them into their first trimester with any issues that come up such as morning sickness, headaches, anxiety or fatigue.
I feel it’s important to note that seeing an acupuncturist who has special training in perinatal care is the best approach in order for treatments to have the highest likelihood of being both effective and safe. Most acupuncturists do not receive much, if any perinatal training during acupuncture school, and must seek it out after graduating and passing general licensing exams. Before scheduling an appointment, don’t be afraid to ask what kind of additional training an acupuncturist has undergone and how long they have been treating pregnancy related issues.
Acupuncture can be seriously amazing for relieving lower back, hip and pelvic pain
At some point during pregnancy almost everyone experiences some degree of lower back, hip or pelvic pain, and we’re usually told it’s just due to postural changes during pregnancy and it will resolve after the birth. But what can you do in the meantime? If you’re dealing with sciatic pain that leaves you unable to walk normally or a backache that makes it impossible to sleep, you absolutely do not need to simply wait for relief until after the birth- there are things you can do now that will help. In addition to therapies like massage, PT or OT, acupuncture can be very effective and usually provides at least partial relief after only one session.
Your acupuncturist might use a variety of techniques to help, including acupuncture, cupping, applying heat locally and other acustimulation techniques that you may even be able to continue at home. Patients typically can lie on one side during the treatment, may be supported by a special pregnancy cushion or in some cases lie down in a reclining chair. Your acupuncturist will make sure you feel comfortable and supported, and create a treatment plan that has clear and specific goals so you can feel better quickly.
Acupuncture may be able to turn a breech or transverse (side-lying) baby
If a baby is not in the optimal position for a vaginal birth (head down, also called cephalic presentation) in the third trimester, your OB or midwife may either present you with the option to undergo a procedure in the hospital to try and turn the baby to head down position (called an ECV) or opt to schedule a cesarean section. For those who prefer to try another option to move baby into head down position, your acupuncturist may be able to help.
Moxibustion (also called moxa) is one technique under the umbrella of Traditional East Asian Medicine that we use for the purpose of helping a baby turn into cephalic, or head-down position. A “moxa” stick is the Chinese Mugwort herb (Ai Ye, or _Artemisia argyi_) compressed into a cylinder (like a cigar). We then light it so it’s glowing (also similar to a cigar), and hold it close to an acupuncture point on the little toe in order to warm and stimulate it in a different way than an acupuncture needle would. The heat is applied to this point for 15-20 minutes daily for a 10 day period, and oftentimes the pregnant person will also have one or more acupuncture treatments during this time.
Since research shows the optimal time to try this process is at 33-35 weeks along, someone could try moxibustion before attempting the in-hospital procedure (ECV) which normally takes place closer to the 36th or 37th week of pregnancy.
While more research is needed on this topic, a 2023 Cochrane Review found that moderate certainty evidence exists that moxibustion before 37 weeks of pregnancy probably reduces the chance of breech presentation at birth.
If you’re interested in geeking out on the research on this topic, check out this summary article that I co-wrote on the Evidence Based Acupuncture website.
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