Acupuncture to Induce Labour

Needing some assistance to get your little one to arrive?

At Austin Therapies we provide acupuncture to induce labour at our Pregnancy Acupuncture Brisbane clinic. I’ve had a number of enquiries this week from women wanting acupuncture pregnancy induction – saying to me – “I don’t want to be induced in hospital – can you help me with acupuncture?”

Does it work? What is involved?

This is an important topic for pregnant women and so it should be. There is much discussion, and in fact fear, around hormonally-induced pregnancy induction. Women often find the subsequent contractions too intense and painful – often requiring an epidural to be able to cope. This in turn increases the risk of further interventions such as the use of forceps or a caesarean delivery.

Are there alternatives? Are they safe alternatives?

Acupuncture offers a very safe natural labour induction method. I am a specialist in holistic pain management and in my 15 years’ experience in clinical practice I’ve observed that acupuncture won’t “force” labour to begin if it is unsafe for the baby in any way. The treatments just won’t be effective. At Austin Therapies – Pregnancy Acupuncture Brisbane – we offer “pre-birthing acupuncture” which involves a series of treatments in the final weeks of pregnancy to prepare women for childbirth. Research has demonstrated that having a series of weekly acupuncture treatments from week 36 has reduced the time spent in labour with midwives also reporting a reduced rate of medical interventions, including medical inductions and caesarean sections. Acupuncture to induce labour uses a primary set of acupuncture points to help prepare a woman’s body for birth, with an emphasis on preparing the cervix and pelvis for labour. Secondary, individualised points are added to deal with medical conditions such as pregnancy-induced-hypertension and symptoms such as heartburn, cramping in the legs, pubic pain, etc. We also give you a set of “acupressure points” that you can use at home to help with such concerns as fear of induction or labour itself, for calming anxiety and sleeping problems. If you would like more information please take a look at the following website where there is a FREE booklet available on acupressure for pregnancy induction. www.acupuncture.rhizome.net.nz