Acupuncture & Pregnancy

A friend recently reminded me that every pregnancy, child, and mothering experience is like a snowflake; no two are the same so please keep that in mind as I share my story. I am certainly not prescribing what is best for you so please consult with your physician before taking any supplements or following my recommendations. (I am not a doctor.)

Throughout my pregnancy I received acupuncture treatments every 2-3 weeks for various reasons but overall my goal was to stay relaxed and keep me and baby healthy. As I reached the third trimester, I found that it was too uncomfortable to lay on the table while getting my treatments so I usually get them in a chair where I can sit reclined. This way I can put my feet up and relax but not have the pressure on my spine and lower back.

Chinese medicine actually has a few specific points that are great for pregnancy and one is kidney 9 in the lower leg. They also use a special gold plated needle just for this point! Pretty neat! 

Here is a little bit about this point:

Happy Baby Point
Location: Above the medial malleolus (inner ankle bone), right below the calf muscle.
Function: Calms the mind, builds or tonifies blood.
Indication: Good for hypertension, fear, anxiety, nightmares, and mental disorders.

After an acupuncture treatment during pregnancy I always have felt incredibly relaxed, calm, and centered. Usually I would fall asleep during the treatment, which didn’t always happen when I was not pregnant. It helped to reduce any little aches or annoyances that have come up like:

• Plantar fasciitis – I had a few months of that pain which was helped greatly with treatments
• Sciatica and tailbone pain
• Mood swings – acupuncture helped keep me balanced (which my husband is very thankful for!)
• Sleep – I sleep more soundly and wake less at night the days after getting a treatment
• Stress – acupuncture has always made a huge difference in my stress level but even more so while pregnant

I was lucky to not have any nausea during my pregnancy but I know we have had many patients who find relief from morning sickness with acupuncture. So this is another great reason to get a treatment during your pregnancy.

Additional Supplements 

Beyond acupuncture I had a few other items that really made a huge difference for me that I want to share.

Natural Calm Magnesium

Magnesium is wonderful whether you are pregnant or not but especially helpful with a few side effects of pregnancy. I take it every day before bed to relax my muscles and make it easier to sleep. This is very helpful as it gets uncomfortable to lay down and joints get sore. Magnesium is also important to keep your bowels regular. So if you have problems with constipation, a spoonful a day will make a huge difference. Also towards the end of pregnancy when my braxton hicks have become much stronger, the magnesium helps to relax those muscles so the practice contractions are not so intense and I can go about my day.

Fish Oil Prenatal DHA

Fish oil is great for brain health, joint health, mood, eye and nervous system function. This is the brand I have been taking during my pregnancy and during the third trimester I doubled my dose to help with joint pain and give an extra boost for baby’s developing brain. There are also studies that have shown that taking prenatal DHA helps prevent anxiety and depression as well as ADHD in kids throughout their childhood. Just be sure to stay under 2 grams per day to avoid possible bleeding complications during labor.

Plant-based Prenatal Multivitamin

I really liked this multivitamin from Innate Response Formulas. They have two formulas, one for the first and second trimester and one for the third trimester and postpartum period. They are made from whole foods and were very gentle on my stomach. It was great to know I was getting all the vitamins I needed as well as some helpful herbs and they are all from whole foods.

Probiotic capsules

I also used the Innate Response Formulas brand for my probiotics and had no side effects. Probiotics are important to build not only your own but also the baby’s immune system. Did you know your immune system exists in your gut? It does! Taking a daily probiotic will build up the needed healthy bacteria to ward off infections and sickness. My brand new baby’s immune health was a super important factor to consider while pregnant so I made sure to take probiotics as well as eat lots of fermented foods with live cultures. Plus they have the added benefit of bowel regularity too.

Self-Care

As a first time mom I was very aware that my life was about to change drastically and I would have less time for myself pretty soon, so I made sure to take time during my pregnancy to care for myself. I made a goal to try to do at least one special thing per week that was just for me. Some ideas: prenatal massage, pedicure, chiropractic adjustment, acupuncture, hair cut(I avoided color because of the chemicals though), lunch with a friend, coloring books, bath with lavender oils and candles, working in the garden. It’s very important to stay relaxed during pregnancy and these are fun things to do to enjoy this time.

Yoga Ball

One of the best things I read about early in pregnancy was to get off the couch! Sitting on the yoga ball(or birthing ball) is so wonderful for sore muscles in my hips and pelvic area, plus it helps tone the muscles too. Here is a great blog about how the yoga ball can help during pregnancy.

Hypnobirthing

At about 7 months my husband and did a 5 week hypnobirthing class. Hypnobirthing focuses on deep breathing, visualization, hypnosis, and relaxation to prevent tension. The theory is that fear creates tension which creates pain which then creates more fear and tension, and then the cycle repeats. So with hypnobirthing you skip that whole pattern and have a calm, peaceful birth while in self-hypnosis the entire time.

Midwifery

After educating myself by reading a few books including The Natural Pregnancy Book by Aviva Romm and Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth and watching documentaries like The Business of Being Born I decided that having a home birth with a midwife was what I wanted.  My midwife was my partner in my pregnancy helping guide me but not forcing me into any decisions. Plus it’s so nice to have hour long appointments that are relaxed where we can talk about any concerns and never feel rushed. She really values my opinions and feelings as a person and a mother. I strongly encourage more women to consider using a midwife instead of an OB, if you have a healthy no-risk pregnancy. You can read more about why I chose a home birth here. 

Why I Chose a Home Birth

I have already shared my son's birth story, you can read that here, but I wanted to talk more in detail about why I chose to have a home birth instead of go to a hospital or birth center. I have had a lot of people ask me about my experience and want to know more. Many women are intrigued by a home birth but there is so much fear surrounding childbirth that very few choose a home birth.

If you would have asked me 2 years ago where I plan to have a baby when I get pregnant, I would probably mention one of the hospitals that my friends used. I honestly didn't even know there were other options. Since I had never been pregnant, I never had a need to look into such things but once I did have those choices ahead of me I started to do some reading.

I first learned about working with a midwife and doing a home birth in the first pregnancy book I read, The Natural Pregnancy Book. This book really opened up my eyes to the world of natural pregnancy and childbirth and led me to then read Ina May's Guide to Childbirth, The Complete Organic Pregnancy, The Kind Mama, Hypnobirthing, and I never touched those "What To Expect" books that talk about all the things that can possibly go wrong and instill fear. To me pregnancy and birth was a beautiful natural part of life, nothing fearful about it at all so I avoided anything and anyone who was spreading horror stories and fear.

After reading these books and watching the documentary The Business of Being Born, my husband and I were able to overcome all of our fears related to childbirth and actually be excited about having our son at home. Once we reached this point, it was clear that our society has a very strong fear of childbirth and we are taught from a very young age that it is a scary painful experience that must be dealt with by professionals in a sterile safe hospital. I can remember many scenes from movies and television during my childhood that depicted childbirth in this way and I did not have anyone around me share their positive experience outside of a hospital. Can you relate?

It felt liberating and thrilling, as though we had this big lie we were told all our lives and now we had lifted the veil and could see the truth. Birth is an empowering, beautiful, and life changing experience!

I wanted to have all the feelings. Experience what my body was meant to do and do it how I wanted. Whether that meant to labor in the birth pool, in the shower, or while dancing around to Bob Marley! It was up to me and it felt great to be able to have that choice. I quickly found a very deep real sense of trust in my own body and my baby to know what to do and when to do it.

Being present in every moment of my life is very important to me and bringing my child into the world was not going to be any different. I wanted it to be a warm, nurturing, calm environment that was only filled with the things and people I love. I did create a written birth plan for home so everyone knew my guidelines and knew that if they didn't follow it they would be asked to leave. No one was allowed to speak with fear, carry any anxiety into my space, or pressure me.

(Of course I had a backup plan that included a hospital bag, hospital birth plan, directions and gas in the car, just in case! This was my first child so I really didn't know what to expect. I simply prepared myself and put myself into the right mindset of calm positive.)

The other wonderful part of doing a home birth meant that I got to work with a midwife instead of an obstetrician. She was kind, gentle, and took her time during my appointments. Each visit with her was at least an hour. We would talk about my diet, feelings, fears, expectations, what to expect in the next few weeks, and things to consider regarding the birth. She was always gentle and kind and very helpful. She knew I was educated on pregnancy and she respected all of my choices such as:

• Declining the nasty chemical and food coloring filled glucose test; instead I managed my sugar levels with healthy whole food meals and avoided all processed foods.
• Declining the antibiotics for testing positive for strep B before birth, instead we used an antibiotic rinse and I doubled up my dose of probiotics and food to support immune health. (Baby was perfectly healthy and never had any sign of illness after the birth.)
• Multiple blood tests; instead I had one at the beginning of the pregnancy to establish baselines if we ever needed to retest for anything. But we never did. I only had 1 blood draw my entire pregnancy! 
• Ultrasounds. Until recently there has been very very little study of the effects of ultrasounds on a fetus and my instincts told me there was no need. We did one scan at 18 weeks to study our babies anatomy and ensure he was growing well and that was it. Even this was optional. There was no need, no warning signs, no high risk, no reason to do any other ultrasounds or scans. He was a perfectly healthy baby growing inside me just as he was meant to do, just as millions of babies have done since the beginning of time. I trusted in evolution to take care of my baby.
• 1 pelvic/vaginal exam the entire pregnancy. I have heard many women say they received these invasive exams at every OB appointment they had. If there is no medical reason for it, then you can decline it. My midwife did one exam at 36 weeks to see if I was dialated yet and to do the swab for the strep B test. This was optional and I said yes, but I could have declined and she was perfectly okay with that. 

Choosing a home birth for my first child was not scary, it was empowering and beautiful; it helped me find my voice as a strong mother and woman. I got to make this decision for myself and my child because I knew it was the best thing for us.

This was my personal story and I hope it helped to give you some information while you consider your options as a mother. I am in no way making medical recommendations or diagnosis. Please speak with a medical professional to decide if home birth is best for you and your baby. Thank you for reading and feel free to share with other pregnant mothers you know!