More and more pregnant women are turning towards acupuncture treatment in order to relieve those common disagreeable symptoms, which may occur in pregnancy, notably during the first three months.
Acupuncture works on re-establishing the balance of the body’s natural energy, known as the ‘chi’, by the use of very fine needles that stimulate the body in determined areas defined as the ‘meridians’.
Pregnant women who received acupuncture treatment before their 14th week of pregnancy suffers less from nausea and morning sickness than those who do not.
In addition, more serious troubles such as hyperemesis gravidarum can be treated by acupuncture, for the symptoms involve severe vomiting throughout the whole pregnancy period.
Throughout all three pregnancy periods, acupuncture will help relieve the pains and complaints that may occur, such as hemorrhoids, heartburn and sciatica and will also help during labour and final delivery.
There are however risks if the acupuncture treatment is not correctly applied, such as stimulating labour or the neglect of oedema, which must be taken seriously and treated by the obstetrician not by acupuncture.
Of course there is the possibility of choosing acupuncture to purposefully induce labour when the term has been reached, in order to avoid taking drugs.
Post-partum depression can also be treated effectively with acupuncture, and many women have affirmed that this treatment had greatly helped along with the interaction of drugs.
