As a founding member of the Fertility Acupuncture Childbirth Team (FACT), I am able to assist couples trying to conceive naturally or employing Assisted Reproduction techniques, and assist women throughout pregnancy and labour.

Research and feedback from women undergoing fertility treatments shows that acupuncture can be beneficial to regulate hormones and the menstrual cycle, improve uterine wall thickening for improved implantation of the embryo, lower stress, improve sperm vitality and help to prevent recurrent miscarriage. Acupuncture is not a quick fix. Regulating and preparing the body for an optimally healthy pregnancy does take time and treatments may span 4-6 months or more. That may seem like a long time so start now!

Acupuncture is also a safe, effective, and increasingly popular drug free option for treating you throughout pregnancy. As a mother of two children I can empathise with your concerns throughout pregnancy and labour. Acupuncture may help you cope with ailments that you treated with drugs prior to becoming pregnant – depression, hay fever or thrush for example. Or it may help with pregnancy ailments such as nausea, varicose veins, rib or pubic synthesis pain. The treatable symptoms are broad so please email me at cityacupuncture@paradise.net.nz if your condition is not listed here and you would like to know if I can help you.

Pre-birth treatments are done one a week in the last for weeks of pregnancy. I usually treat women once a week from week 36 or 37. It is a great time to check how you are doing and to prepare your body for labour. The aim is to help you build up energy, which benefits baby too. Midwifes have noted that labour time is shorter and that significantly less medical intervention is required if women have received these acupuncture pre- birth treatments. I strongly encourage you to bring your partner or support person into my clinic so that they can be shown some simple acupressure techniques to use in labour. This benefits you both. Debra Betts acupressure booklet is downloadable at http://acupuncture.rhizome.net.nz/downloads/Acupressure.pdf

Chinese medicine is very effective in turning babies around and placing them in optimum position for birth. Even in late pregnancy it may work but the earlier we start the better as there is more room for baby to turn in. Instead of using an acupuncture needle, I will burn a moxa (heat) stick over a specific point on your feet. I do one treatment in my clinic and then give you a stick to take with instructions on how to repeat the treatments twice a day at home.

Acupuncture inductions work very well and are much better than being artificially induced. A single treatment may be sufficient, but three is more common. If you are about to be induced chemically it is a good idea to receive a treatment both in the morning and at night, and again on the morning of the next day.  You will hopefully go into labour that night.

Postnatal acupuncture can help you, and in fact is very good at dealing with insufficient lactation or mastitis. Fatigue and slow recovery issues are very treatable but the best care is good self-care. We are not all meant to be super mums. I myself found super mums very intimidating when I had little ones. Give me a call if you think I may be able to help you.

Depressed? While anti-depressants might be best for you, there are other options and acupuncture may help. I had post natal depression myself after the birth of my 2nd child so I know what hormones and being tired and under pressure can do. You can also talk to Maternal Health Services for advice.