Inducing labour and acupressure: how acupuncture can help
Around 20% of women have their labours medically induced. The rate of induction and the reasons given for doing it seems to vary according to geographical area and even between doctors working in the same hospital. Some doctors may want to induce at 41 weeks and others wait to 42 weeks if there are no complications. A woman was recently told that because her 40th birthday was looming that she would have to be induced a few days after her due date. Having an induction is not without its own complications and risks and a decision to go ahead should be taken with care.
I offer acupuncture to encourage the start of labour for women who have premature rupture of membranes or who are scheduled for a medical induction. Acupuncture may need to be repeated three days in a row. It should be considered that induction acupuncture is still an intervention and pre-birth acupuncture 3 to 4 weeks prior to the birth is the favoured option to help baby positioning, prepare the pelvis, cervix and increase the circulation of the body’s natural painkillers.
Clinical studies have shown that women who have acupuncture once a week in the month leading up to their due date have shorter labours, fewer medical inductions and fewer emergency caesareans.
The triggers to initiate spontaneous labour are still not fully understood, although the week leading up to the birth are very important in terms of preparing both the mother and baby for the birthing process. Endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers, are known to be increasing and especially in the last week, as is oxytocin. These can make a big difference to pain during labour. Also 2 to 3 days before birth the amniotic fluid around the baby’s lung is reduced so breathing activity changes and helps the baby cope with life outside the uterus. If you are being offered an induction, ask questions, so you can make an informed decision. A helpful book that provides good advice about the pros and cons of an induction is published by Association for Improvement in Maternity Services (AIMS) called ‘Induction: do I really need it?’
If you need an induction, then consider acupuncture treatments prior to any medical intervention. I will show you and your birth partner acupressure points to stimulate before and during your labour for pain, nausea, cervical lip, failure of labour to progress, among other difficulties that may arise. It is important to be shown how to use these acupuncture points on the body and the pressure to be applied to be fully effective; acupressure is not massage!
There are other non-medical methods for induction besides acupuncture and they can help a woman gain back some control and feel less pressured by a hospital-imposed ‘deadline’. The choice is a personal one and should be considered in the same way as you would for a medical induction.
Tracey Goulding is a registered acupuncturist with practices in East Dulwich and Crystal Palace. She has specialist training and experience in natural and assisted conception, and obstetrics acupuncture. She is also a member of NEST London: a network of midwives and complementary health practitioners specialising in fertility, pregnancy and parenthood.
Click HERE for interesting article on acupressure in labour
Contact details:
Tel. 07941 740 018
tracey@traceygoulding.com
http://traceygoulding.com
www.nestlondon.com
I offer acupuncture to encourage the start of labour for women who have premature rupture of membranes or who are scheduled for a medical induction. Acupuncture may need to be repeated three days in a row. It should be considered that induction acupuncture is still an intervention and pre-birth acupuncture 3 to 4 weeks prior to the birth is the favoured option to help baby positioning, prepare the pelvis, cervix and increase the circulation of the body’s natural painkillers.
Clinical studies have shown that women who have acupuncture once a week in the month leading up to their due date have shorter labours, fewer medical inductions and fewer emergency caesareans.
The triggers to initiate spontaneous labour are still not fully understood, although the week leading up to the birth are very important in terms of preparing both the mother and baby for the birthing process. Endorphins, the body’s natural painkillers, are known to be increasing and especially in the last week, as is oxytocin. These can make a big difference to pain during labour. Also 2 to 3 days before birth the amniotic fluid around the baby’s lung is reduced so breathing activity changes and helps the baby cope with life outside the uterus. If you are being offered an induction, ask questions, so you can make an informed decision. A helpful book that provides good advice about the pros and cons of an induction is published by Association for Improvement in Maternity Services (AIMS) called ‘Induction: do I really need it?’
If you need an induction, then consider acupuncture treatments prior to any medical intervention. I will show you and your birth partner acupressure points to stimulate before and during your labour for pain, nausea, cervical lip, failure of labour to progress, among other difficulties that may arise. It is important to be shown how to use these acupuncture points on the body and the pressure to be applied to be fully effective; acupressure is not massage!
There are other non-medical methods for induction besides acupuncture and they can help a woman gain back some control and feel less pressured by a hospital-imposed ‘deadline’. The choice is a personal one and should be considered in the same way as you would for a medical induction.
Tracey Goulding is a registered acupuncturist with practices in East Dulwich and Crystal Palace. She has specialist training and experience in natural and assisted conception, and obstetrics acupuncture. She is also a member of NEST London: a network of midwives and complementary health practitioners specialising in fertility, pregnancy and parenthood.
Click HERE for interesting article on acupressure in labour
Contact details:
Tel. 07941 740 018
tracey@traceygoulding.com
http://traceygoulding.com
www.nestlondon.com
