Acupuncture for a Natural & Efficient Childbirth

Written by Eeka King B.H.Sc (Acup)

Preparing for the birth of your child is a massive journey. Well for me it definitely was. For the first time mother childbirth is an enigma. There is so much about birthing to explore and on all levels physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually we as women must delve deep inside and transform, transmute and open ourselves so that a new being may enter through us out into this world. It’s extraordinary. For some the whole concept of childbirth is so terrifying, consciously or unconsciously that they want to be numbed to the whole thing and opt to go under the knife, or alternatively just put on a brave face and go into complete denial about the fears and the emotions going on inside of them.

When I became pregnant I suddenly became aware of how much our society breeds fear into us about childbirth. The biggest fear of all is the ‘pain’. Birthing is considered to be unnatural and labour is treated like an illness, with drugs and admission into hospital. Birth has become medicalised, impersonal and detached. Rates of intervention and caesarean sections are rising at a phenomenally rapid rate and account for up to 50% (and climbing) of births in some areas, with Australia leading the way.

Most women today have lost contact with their birthing power, belief and faith in their body and the memories and birthing rites of our foremothers.

I believe the way we enter the world and our first emotional imprint from this birthing experience sets up our psychological blueprint for life and ultimately effects how we experience and go out into the world. I have a huge desire to help change the ‘perception’ of birth in our motherland because as we heal birth we also heal the world. The more children born with love and into love, the more loving and peaceful our world will be.

There is a way acupuncture can help bring back the power of birth to women. Acupuncture can replace drugs as a natural pain reliever to those who do feel they would like to have some support available and also offers a natural approach to inducing labour. Acupuncture can also help so many more women achieve natural labours by helping to prepare your mind and body for labour. Also, the success rates for turning breech or mal-positioned babies with acupuncture and moxibustion (moxa) is very high, reducing the amount of breech related caesareans in hospitals. Breeched babies are not dangerous births in themselves, just more painful and possibly distressing. However, our  maternity departments never advocate or encourage breech natural births.

Breech Presentation

Studies have shown that the optimum time for turning breech babies with moxa is around 34 weeks, before the baby has grown too large. Since close to 50% of babies will have turned spontaneously by 36 weeks, many women don’t present for acupuncture until the midwife or doctor discusses the prospect of the foetus remaining breech until this time. We encourage women to have treatment and learn the moxa technique earlier (34 weeks) rather than later, however some babies still may turn as late as 38 or 39 weeks.

Acupuncture as a routine Pre-birth treatment

Pre-birth acupuncture refers to a series of treatments in the final weeks (from 36 weeks) of pregnancy to prepare a woman for childbirth. Acupuncture helps to ‘ripen’ the cervix for birth and certain points can be added to help the baby’s head fully engage in the pelvis, promoting a natural and efficient labour. Treatment can also be given to deal with other medical conditions that may arise at this time during pregnancy, such as pregnancy induced hypertension  and symptoms such as heart burn, back pain, energy levels and general well-being.

Clinical studies show a trend in woman who receive pre-birth  acupuncture to either go into spontaneous labour on or around their due dates, or, if an induction was required, to respond well to acupuncture treatment for induction and progress efficiently into a natural birth.

Pain Relief during labour

The analgesic (pain numbing) effect of acupuncture normally takes about 20 minutes after the pins have been inserted. Ear acupuncture can also be performed which frees up the woman to have an active labour. The pain sensation is not completely taken away, but it is made more bearable so that the woman is able to better breathe through the contractions without the extreme intensity that is sometimes experienced. Woman often report that they feel calm and relaxed from the acupuncture.

If you are unable to have an acupuncturist available at your birth, acupressure on these specific points can also be taught prior to childbirth to the woman’s partner or attending support person. Women who have experienced acupressure during labour also report a numbing effect on their pain levels and greater relaxation levels.

Difficult or prolonged labour

In certain circumstances, acupuncture would be the treatment of choice if contractions have weakened in strength, rhythm or regularity or if they are totally absent. Labour can go on for days for women when there are energetic imbalances in the body, emotional blockages or the woman is holding on to deep fears. Long labours are tiring and if uterine contractions are insufficient for too long, intervention is often required.

Studies show that acupuncture greatly reduces the duration that women spend in labour by stimulating regular, rhythmic and efficient contractions.

Preparing emotionally and mentally for labour

Is birth meant to be painful? Or is it just our fears, emotions and inability to surrender and breathe into sensation that causes our muscles to tighten up and our bodies to feel pain?

Throughout my first pregnancy I felt the most important thing to do was explore deeply all the fears that I had surrounding birth and motherhood and to talk about and express all emotions as they came up. Acupuncture also supported me to balance my emotions and abate any fears which were stored in the organs, tissues and glands of my body.  It was a powerful therapy to clear and calm my mind in preparation for labour.

Women have been given the most precious and priceless gift; creation. We must take back the power of birth and rejoice its magnificence. Conscious birthing provides women with the greatest opportunity to open up spiritually and connect and merge with the divine.

Acupuncture is helping more women and babies achieve a natural, efficient and harmonious birth. 

©Eeka King 2012

If you are pregnant and would like to book in an appointment or find out more information, call 02 66851088 or email Eeka at Bayside Acupuncture and Herbal Medicine clinic in Brunswick Heads.