Acupuncture and fertility | Acupuncture in pregnancy
Acupuncture and fertility have long been associated and it is often used to boost fertility and speed conception.
Acupuncture in pregnancy is one of the most widely used complementary therapies to aid a healthy pregnancy and promote a natural birth.
Acupuncture and fertility
Acupuncture is acreditted by some as being able to boost fertility. According to practioners, health conditions and lifestyle can produce difficulty with the flow of qi through various meridians of a person.
This can cause fertility issues and in the removal of these blockages, becoming pregnant should become easier.
According to a study by Southampton University acupuncture performed near the time of embryo transfer in IVF cases actually increased the live birth rate however the study also concluded that acupuncture in very early pregnancy may actually be harmful rather than helpful.
What to expect from acupuncture
-Initial examination: The first appointment, after the 12-week scan, can take up to 90 minutes and a full history is taken - including the quality of pulse and a tongue examination.
-Diagnosis: The practioner will decide from the examination and questioning of the paitent what she requires.
-Treatment: Thin steel needles are then inserted into meridan points on the body, most often in the face, ears, hands and feet.
Regular acupuncture is ideal after the first 12 weeks although some women choose to have sessions during the last few weeks of pregnancy.
What can acupuncture help with?
- morning sickness,
- heartburn
- migraines
- threatened miscarriage
- high blood pressure
- varicose veins
- postnatal depression.
- Turning malpositioned babies (breech and posterior).
Acupuncture and herbalism
Philip Week, Master Herbalist and Acupuncturist says “The use of moxa (warming an acupuncture point with a herb called mugwort) has been used for cases of breech presentation for thousands of years.
"The point is on the mothers little toe, which is warmed by lighting herbs on or near it. I have turned a number of babies in my clinic with this method. One study in 2003 showed that the use of moxa was successful in turning babies in 76.4% of cases, the chance of the babies spontaneously turning without moxa was 45.4%.”
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By Naomi Majid
