The Chatswood Pregnancy Acupuncture and Induction Information Page

Our Chatswood team of trained health professionals offers amazing pregnancy-related treatments that promote harmony and balance, enhanced health and improved well-being. These include acupuncture, chiropractic, massage and naturopathy. These all help the body prepare for birth with slightly different emphases. You can read in more detail about these treatments on their perspective pages. The following information provides an overview of pregnancy acupuncture and pregnancy acupuncture induction.

Common Acupuncture treatment stages during pregnancy:

• Pregnancy acupuncture – balance for the body and mind, treating symptoms such as headaches, nausea, sleep issues, anxiety
• Pregnancy induction – helping the body prepare for labour
• Postnatal acupuncture – treatments can help with healing from birth, depletion, postnatal depression, hormone balance

Can acupuncture help during pregnancy? 

Acupuncture involves the use of fine needles inserted into selected points along meridians which run all over the body. 

Acupuncture can help manage many pregnant related symptoms like nausea and vomiting, digestive issues, poor sleep and anxiety. It is safe to get acupuncture during pregnancy, commencing from the second trimester. The duration of treatment may vary depending on the client’s condition, but recommended every 2-3 weeks.

When do you need it?

Acupuncture can help any woman’s birth journey as it helps by ensuring the correct release of hormones at the right time and to strengthen and tone the uterus, this is why we encourage our pregnant clients to start around week 35.

What is pregnancy induction?

Pregnancy induction acupuncture is used to help strengthen the uterus and prepare the body for delivery. It is based on ancient Chinese acupuncture techniques and is used traditionally to help minimise the chances of an overdue birth and to help the uterus perform optimally during birth.

What if the baby is breech?

Treatment is recommended to commence around 33-35 weeks. This would involve using moxibustion (mugwort) on a specific acupuncture point to strengthen the blood flow and release certain hormones. Weekly treatment is highly recommended and practitioners may ask clients to use acupressure on certain points at home. It is a safe procedure and sometimes may be used along with acupuncture in the clininc as well. We use smokeless moxa in the clinic.

Can acupuncture help induce labour?

There are certainly no guarantees when it comes to pinpointing when a baby decides to arrive. But for several millennia, women have been using acupuncture to help at this time. There are a lot of factors involved that can influence labour, including the positioning of the baby. The overriding priority is the health and wellbeing of mum and baby. 

Treatment is recommended to commence around 35-36 weeks (no later), once weekly until delivery. Our Chatswood Acupuncturist will also teach clients how to do acupressure points at home. The main benefit of induction acupuncture is that it reduces the need for medical interventions and promotes labour by aiding in cervical dilation, tonifying qi and blood, relaxing and softening the ligaments and calming the mind. Acupuncture has also been reported to reduce labour pain and delivery time. 

Because acupuncture has few side effects, it is ideal as a complementary treatment to mainstream medicine.

What to expect?

Many women feel foetal movement in the abdomen during the treatment. It is a natural and supportive process and the body will only respond to what it is ready for. A practitioner cannot bring on immediate labour (if they could, there’d be a queue out our clinic door!). While some women feel the results of treatment in the coming few days, some will require regular acupuncture stimulation. Some women have needed medical stimulation in the end due to limited timeframes. Again, the important thing is the safe delivery of the baby and the health and wellbeing of both mother and child. The treatments we provide are designed to help support your individual pregnancy needs throughout pregnancy and for you to feel cared for. 

We also love to hear how it went and catch up with your exciting news when returning for postnatal treatments (yes we love seeing baby photos!).

Is this treatment recommended by medical professionals?

The easiest way to answer this question is by letting you know that we have treated clients who are midwives, doctors and various allied health professionals. It is for anyone who is seeking supportive, safe and natural treatment options. Your Chatswood Acupuncture practitioner will carry out an individualised assessment of your health and concerns so that the most appropriate treatment plan can be offered.