FAQs

Pregnancy

Can acupuncture help with the prevention of miscarriage?
It is estimated that over 50% of miscarriages are due to chromosomal abnormalities, but where this is not the case, acupuncture can ensure a woman is in the best possible state to avoid a potential miscarriage. Once a pregnancy has reached 12 weeks, the chance of miscarriage is 5%. Acupuncture is also successful at preventing future miscarriages in patients who have had recurrent miscarriages.

Can acupuncture stop/prevent morning sickness?
Half of all pregnant women experience morning sickness from week 6 to 16 (usually at its worst weeks 8-12). It can be debilitating, but the good news is acupuncture can reduce or in some cases even stop you from experiencing morning sickness altogether.

Feeling unduly anxious or depressed?
It’s common to experience some anxiety during pregnancy. Perhaps it wasn’t easy for you to conceive, (maybe this is your last attempt at IVF), or maybe you’re experiencing some worrying symptoms (eg bleeding during early pregnancy)? Whatever the cause of your anxiety, acupuncture is very effective at calming the mind and helping you to better enjoy your pregnancy. And if you are more relaxed it will be better for the baby too.

What common pregnancy symptoms can acupuncture effectively relieve?
Tiredness, urinary tract infections, heartburn, digestive problems, anemia, insomnia, varicose veins, haemorrhoids, carpal tunnel, backache and sciatica all respond well to acupuncture.

Can acupuncture help me prepare for labour?
Treatment in the final weeks of pregnancy can help women prepare for childbirth. Feedback from midwives and patients suggests that women who receive acupuncture often have a shorter natural labour and are more relaxed throughout. Acupuncture can also help to relieve symptoms that crop up later in the pregnancy such as hypertension, insomnia, backache and sciatica as well as frustration, fear and anxiety.

Turning a breech baby
Acupuncture can successfully turn a breech baby and many mums prefer it to the alternative of manual turning. If successful, this technique can also prevent the need for a caesarian section. Turning a breech baby by applying heat to a point on the little toe for ‘malposition of the fetus’ using moxa has been used in China for centuries as a standard treatment, and it’s something you can do at home. The most effective time to try this technique is in weeks 34 to 36, before the baby gets too big and has no space to turn.