Prenatal Support

Pregnancy is a beautiful time in a woman’s life, a time to celebrate, glow, flourish, and most of all, get excited for the new family addition. However, with the joy, news of a successful conception often brings up fears, anxiety, depression or insomnia, as well as many common issues. Acupuncture treatment offers a safe, proven, reliable, and effective strategy help alleviate various emotional and physical symptoms commonly associated with different prenatal stages, allowing you to relax and enjoy your pregnancy.

 First trimester treatments focus on setting the foundation for a healthy pregnancy and addressing any early pregnancy symptoms like morning sickness, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, and other common complaints,  alleviating anxiety and stress, promoting maternal and fetal health, supporting proper fetal development and preventing miscarriage. At the end of the first trimester a special traditional treatment is given, using what is called the "beautiful baby point," to ensure a healthy baby. Generally, the recommended frequency of treatments during the first trimester is once a week, though some cases of acute nausea and vomiting might require more frequent visits.

 From the second trimester on, acupuncture aims to maintain balance and offer relief for such complaints as back pain and sciatica, headaches, heartburn, indigestion, swelling of hands and feet, carpal tunnel pain, and insomnia and anxiety associated with this stage of pregnancy.  Even in the absence of any problematic symptoms, regular acupuncture sessions go a long way toward supporting the mother and the baby. At the end of the second trimester the traditional "beautiful baby" treatment is given again. The frequency of treatments for the second trimester is evaluated individually, but typically weekly or bi-weekly visits are recommended unless particular issue requires more frequent treatments.

 As the due date approaches, acupuncture treatments are usually geared towards supporting the mother physically and emotionally, alleviating common complaints such as back pain, edema, anxiety, and insomnia, and preparing the body for smooth labor and delivery by relaxing the pelvic floor muscles and helping the baby lower into position, reducing the rates of medical interventions such as inductions, C-sections, or excessive medication. Weekly treatments are encouraged during the third trimester to facilitate a smooth labor and delivery. Studies show that women who received weekly acupuncture treatments during the last months of pregnancy had significantly shorter and easier labor than those who received no acupuncture.