Planning for pregnancy

Preconception and Pre-Natal Care with Traditional Chinese Medicine

By Michelle Hughes

Traditional Chinese medicine states that the health of both parents, physically and emotionally prior to conception is important in determining the health of the baby.

Research shows that it takes at least three months for lifestyle changes to take effect. A healthy pregnancy is achieved when the body is balanced, creating an optimum environment for the baby to grow.

If you are planning on conceiving or having trouble conceiving, it is important to follow these guidelines:

• Get seven to eight hours of sleep per night. Lack of sleep causes changes in endocrine function and limits the body's ability to fight infection and manage stress.
• Reduce stress. Increased stress affects the flow of qi in the body and reduces blood flow to the reproductive organs.
• Eliminate stimulants. Caffeine, nicotine, and alcohol all have a negative effect on fertility.
• Reduce environmental toxins. Exposure to household cleaners, dry cleaner fluids, pesticides, and air fresheners can produce negative changes in the body.
• Eat organically. Organic food eliminates the ingestion of hormones and chemicals and allows you to get the most qi from your food.

Acupuncture and traditional Chinese medicine are effective tools to help balance the body, regulate ovulation and menstruation, and decrease stress levels. A recent study from the Reproductive Medicine and Fertility Center in Colorado Springs found that acupuncture increased pregnancy rates of women undergoing in-vitro fertilization from 36% who did not receive acupuncture to 51% to those who did. Just 8% of the acupuncture patients suffered a miscarriage, compared to 20% of women in the nonacupuncture group.

Morning sickness

The principles of traditional Chinese medicine attribute morning sickness to an imbalance between blood and qi in the vessels. During the first trimester, dramatic changes take place as the mother's qi, blood and essence nourish the fetus. If there is a constitutional weakness of the stomach, anger, worry or fear or multiple pregnancies close together, morning sickness may develop.

Things that can help

• Eat small meals throughout the day and something before getting out of bed; never get hungry.
• Drink enough fluids. Ginger or peppermint tea sipped throughout the day is helpful to aid digestion and calm the stomach./li>
• Wear sea bands on wrists; these bands stimulate important acupuncture points for nausea.
• Research from Adelaide University Women's hospital has found that acupuncture is an extremely effective treatment morning sickness in early pregnancy. 593 women who were less than 14 weeks pregnant were treated with weekly acupuncture sessions; nausea was reduced as well as dry wretching.

Muscular pain

Many women experience pain during pregnancy as the ligaments of the body relax and the weight of the baby increases. Acupuncture is an effective, natural pain reliever for carpal tunnel syndrome, back pain or pelvic pain. The British Medical Journal in March 2005 found that acupuncture showed the greatest reduction in pelvic girdle pain from hose receiving standard care.

Breech position

A breech position is when the baby's ready to come out first. Often the baby will turn on its own without intervention but if this does not occur, moxabustion, an herbal stick that is heated, is used on a specific point on the foot to stimulate fetal activity and help the baby turn. This treatment is most successful if performed at 32–36 weeks. The Journal of American Medical Association 1998 reported that moxabustion applied to 130 pregnant women with breech presentations significantly increased the number of head-first births.

Preparation for labor

Acupuncture can be used at 36 weeks to delivery help prepare the mother and baby for labor. Studies have found that a weekly acupuncture protocol leading up to delivery helps with cervical dilation and perineum preparation. The first stage of labour is shortened by 125 minutes and a 33% decrease in medical inductions is required.

Acupressure or acupuncture can be used during delivery to help ease pain and speed delivery. Often acupressure points can be stimulated by the birth partner to ease pain and shorten labour.

Traditional Chinese medicine is not intended to replace medical treatments from your physician or midwife, but is an important complimentary therapy to include in your health care.