Acupuncture in Portland: 4 Ways to Naturally Manage Stress During Pregnancy

The effects of stress on an unborn baby have made headlines recently.  A study published in Translational Psychology found that “children born to mothers who are highly stressed during pregnancy exhibit genetic changes that may make them more vulnerable to stress themselves.” The study showed that when babies were introduced to high levels of stress hormones from their mothers, they exhibited the tendency to be unable to deal well with stress throughout their lives.  There are a host of other issues that have been shown to develop from being under undo stress while pregnant, but the point of this blog is not to add to your stress and worry.  I have written this to give you some resources for natural stress relief in the Portland area so that you can have a smooth pregnancy.

If you are currently pregnant you know how much worry is involved.   Is the baby getting enough protein?  Is it developing right?  Is it big enough, but not too big?  And on and on.  We all hope to enjoy our pregnancies.  I think most of us have that vision of ourselves as the glowing, floating-on-air pregnant woman, and it turns out that it can be difficult to reach that reality.  If you live in the Portland area and you are pregnant, here are some suggestions that will help you tame your stress and enjoy your pregnancy more.

Try prenatal yoga for natural stress relief.

1) The first thing I would do is enroll in a prenatal yoga class. I did yoga while I was pregnant with my son, and was doing deep yogic squats the day before I went into labor.  I can never know if it really changed the speed of my labor or the ability of my body to deal with the labor process, but it was fantastic during my pregnancy.  My favorite prenatal yoga spots in Portland are Yoga Bhoga, and MotherWise Yoga.  I looked forward to my class every week, not just for the moments I had to myself to bond with my growing baby, but for the absolute relief it brought to my body.  I experienced some pain in my sacrum throughout my pregnancy (a holdover from a snowboarding injury), and every time it acted up, a few yoga poses worked it right out.  From hip pain to sciatic pain to low back pain, it all went away by the end of a class.  Yoga is meditative, strengthening, and it stretches you in all the right places.  I felt light and hopeful and utterly relaxed and refreshed after each class.

2) Get to know flower essences. Oh, the wonders of Rescue Remedy.  You can find this little gem at Fred Meyers, New Seasons and Whole Foods just to name a few, and it is so helpful during this big life transition.  It was created to be used in times of anxiety or for panic attacks.  I use it every time I fly, and my husband and I both take a few drops if we find ourselves awake in the middle of the night and unable to fall back to sleep.  The real beauty of this incredible grounding and calming remedy is that it cannot hurt you.  It is safe enough to use during pregnancy, with infants and even with pets.  It can be incredibly powerful at curbing anxiety, which can certainly help you sleep.  I use many flower essences in my practice, often making custom blends for patients, and I absolutely love using them with my pregnant patients because I can elicit a powerful change with no risk of negative side effects.

3) Exercise. I know that pregnancy is not the most comfortable time of a woman’s life, and for some it is harder than for others.  Exercise is crucial to keeping you healthy and sane during pregnancy.  You should always know your limits, and certainly contact your doctor before beginning an exercise program, but I am not really talking about that same kind of intense cardio that I recommend during the rest of your life.  Even walking with your spouse, your dog, your friend is hugely beneficial to your physical and mental health.  Just make sure you get your blood pumping a bit, and get yourself moving for a little bit each day, and it will definitely help to lower your stress levels.

4) I highly recommend acupuncture as a regular part of your prenatal care. As a Portland acupuncturist specializing in women’s health, I treat many pregnant women in the Portland metro area.  In addition to the treatments being tremendously relaxing, acupuncture is a fabulous safe and natural option for treating a myriad of health problems that you might encounter while pregnant.  The following is a short list of complaints I have helped my pregnant patients overcome:  heartburn, anxiety, insomnia, headaches, achey back and hips, swelling in the feet and legs, carpal tunnel.  Like I said, that is a short list, so if you have any questions about the issues I mentioned, or about ones I did not list, please contact me.

In addition to helping with the issues I mentioned above, acupuncture and Chinese medicine, when done regularly throughout pregnancy (and especially in the weeks leading up to the birth of your baby) has been proven to reduce hard labor times and to prepare the body for the labor process.  Another study shows that when used during labor, acupuncture can bring about fewer C-sections, and can increase comfort levels in the laboring mother.  It is a magical medicine for a magical time in your life, and besides being an amazing stress-reliever, it can also do tremendous things for your physical ailments during pregnancy and delivery.

This is a list of some of the things that I found most helpful in keeping my stress levels low during my pregnancy.  I know that they can help you, too.  If you live in the greater Portland area, this list which includes free techniques like exercise, and also stress-free natural healthcare in the form of acupuncture, should help ease your stress.  If you have any questions about other recommendations or clarifications, contact me, and I will be glad to assist.

Take care, and enjoy your journey.