Acupuncture for stress and anxiety during pregnancy
As I write this, I am 5 months pregnant with my second child, and I have anxiety. It’s not that I’m just nervous or stressed. I am having anxiety attacks during (and because of) my pregnancy.
With my history of anxiety attacks, I should have known right away that it was time to get in for some acupuncture. Acupuncture for stress and anxiety during pregnancy helps reduce their symptoms and issues with depression. It can also reduce pain — and pain and anxiety can feed off of each other without adequate treatments or appropriate medications.
Here is some backstory to this blog post: I just finished watching the movie “What to Expect When You’re Expecting,” and a line in the film jumped out at me.
Elizabeth Banks’ character spent years trying to conceive and wanted the magical pregnancy experience that everyone talks about, only to discover that her pregnancy makes her miserable as her due date approaches. She heads to the doctor and prepares her body to deliver the baby.
Her exact words are, “I call bullshit on the whole thing.”
When I was pregnant with my first child, I had the glow.
The stress wasn’t there. I had that pleasant feeling in my lower abdomen. I was free of most risks, including the risk of preterm labor.
Sure, I was sick in my first trimester, but it was comforting because I knew everything was alright. By the end of my pregnancy, I loved being pregnant so much that I told my husband I would consider being a surrogate when we were done having babies.
Many pregnant women experience severe nausea during their first trimester or longer but still feel the joy of growing a new life, as I did.
This time, I do not have the glow.
In addition to my 1st-trimester nausea and my terrible anxiety, I started having insomnia, which made my nausea and anxiety worse.
An old tailbone injury flared so badly that I could barely walk. I was fatigued. I was also feeling so much less connected to this baby, which seems like one of those forbidden points you’re not supposed to make lest you risk your baby’s well-being.
I didn't seek acupuncture right away.
Even with all of my health knowledge, including the fact that treating women for stress and anxiety during their pregnancy is one of my specialties, it took me almost three months to get treatment.
My hormones were reacting in a completely different way than they did in my first pregnancy, and without getting acupuncture, I don’t know if things would have gotten better. Fortunately, I received acupuncture during pregnancy, knowing that accessing specific acupuncture points could help improve my experience. Research shows that prenatal acupuncture also helps women experiencing major depressive disorder during pregnancy.
You may be feeling anxious about getting acupuncture for stress and anxiety while pregnant.
You may ask, is acupuncture safe? Rest assured, acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine are entirely safe for you and your baby.
Your anxiety may have you worried about the acupuncture needles or where specific acupuncture points are on your body. Most of the women undergoing acupuncture say there is little to no pain.
In fact, getting acupuncture for anxiety during pregnancy can help reduce stress, even during treatment. If you have any safety concerns, I will be there to let you know exactly what is involved in acupuncture during pregnancy. Plus, for most women, acupuncture during pregnancy is safe and, under the guidance of your doctor, may also reduce the amount of pain medications you need to take.
At the end of the pregnancy, if you’re ready to get the show on the road and want to stimulate labor or reduce the amount of incoming labor pain you’ll have, acupuncture can help. There is usually no reason to avoid acupuncture at this time, especially if you are experiencing painful uterine contractions or need to induce labor.
So, what does this have to do with you?
I want you to know that I know what you are going through. Pregnancy is not all butterflies and roses for everyone.
After treating many pregnant women over the years, I have noticed that anxiety is one of the staples of most pregnancies. But acupuncture can help — and there are peer-reviewed studies about acupuncture to back it up. A controlled trial indicates that acupuncture, with other treatments, can reduce stress and anxiety during pregnancy. Other studies suggest the stress reduction it causes can help the in vitro fertilization process succeed.
Not all pregnancy worries are the same.
Sometimes, anxiety is mild and focuses on worries about getting to that 12-week ultrasound, the question of that weird pain, or some spotting. It might center around a blood test or genetic test.
Other times, it is simply the fear of the unknown — knowing your life will change but uncertain knowing how or when.
Not all women know that besides morning sickness, pregnancy symptoms can include pelvic or lower back pain, anxiety, depression, or insomnia. Not knowing can lead to more worry and stress.
For some pregnant women, stress and anxiety during pregnancy is crippling. Acupuncture can help.
It makes your pregnancy completely unenjoyable.
It makes you feel like you are already failing as a mother before the baby is even born.
Anxiety makes it difficult to connect with the growing miracle inside of you.
It makes it nearly impossible to sleep.
There is an answer. Acupuncture can help. Acupuncture is what has turned my pregnancy from unjoyful to positive.
Acupuncture treatment can help as your body prepares for labor
Pregnancy is a time of intense hormonal changes and is also a time of intense questioning of yourself and what is happening to your body. There is no manual on how to do it right, let alone one that tells you to get acupuncture ASAP!
No two pregnancies are the same – not even two pregnancies in the same body. What is important is that you have the support that you need around you, both with the person doing acupuncture treatment and your family.
My knowledge of the best acupuncture points to help alleviate pain for pregnant women guides me to get you the relief you need quickly, safely, and naturally.
How can acupuncture help with your pregnancy symptoms?
Acupuncture is all about bringing harmony where there is imbalance. If your hormones are out of balance, I can help you safely balance them. I will help you understand how acupuncture points and traditional Chinese medicine can help.
Acupuncture during pregnancy is safe for you and your baby. It helps reduce depression symptoms, help with pain management, and lowers blood pressure.
I will be there to talk you through which acupuncture points will help alleviate your symptoms and the difference between acupuncture during pregnancy and acupuncture when your body is in other phases.
I can answer any questions you have. I have first-hand experience with acupuncture during pregnancy and know where you’re coming from.
When I treat pregnant women in my practice, we spend a lot of time going over what is “normal” and what signs and symptoms are that should have you calling your doctor.
We’ll discuss pregnancy symptoms, including pelvic pain, morning sickness, and anxiety and depressive symptoms. Before we begin, you’ll have a firm overview of what your acupuncture treatment will look like.
Nutrition and lifestyle changes can also help during pregnancy
We also discuss how dietary changes, exercise, acupuncture, and meditation can help.
I listen to your concerns, and then we treat them with acupuncture—all of them.
If you are having anxiety, we will treat it. Back pain? Pelvic pain? All are part of the treatment. Nausea? Constipation? Did you get a cold or the flu? I treat all of it holistically, with methods including acupuncture.
I have helped many moms like you with acupuncture for stress and anxiety during pregnancy.
Traditional acupuncture will help calm your anxiety and keep you sane through your pregnancy. We’ll do a systematic review of your symptoms, discuss problems like uterine contractions, and figure out an acupuncture plan that can help. Schedule your free acupuncture consultation today.
