Acupuncture is meant to be a complementary treatment to medical care through your doctor, midwife or birth center. It is not intended to replace care from these other professionals. If used correctly by a well-trained and licensed acupuncturist, acupuncture can be very helpful during pregnancy, to assist in labor stimulation, and post-partum.
How does acupuncture for labor stimulation work:
Acupuncture for labor stimulation primarily works to assist you during the First Stage of labor. The First Stage of labor includes 3 phases: Latent Phase, Active Phase, and Transition. Acupuncture to stimulate labor is primarily working during the Latent Phase and, if your body is ready, can help you transition into the Active phase. During the Latent Phase the cervix ripens (softens), dilates, and effaces (shortens). This Latent Phase allows for the cervix, that is normally hard and thick, to soften and get out of the way for the baby to be born. If your cervix is too hard, acupuncture can help the cervix to soften and shorten. If the cervix is ripening and effacing normally, acupuncture can help to start contractions. If your cervix is not ready, acupuncture will not prematurely transition your labor into Active Phase, but it will help your cervix to ripen and efface, so that if your doctor needs to stimulate contractions, labor will go more smoothly and be less painful.
Acupuncture labor stimulation treatments rarely help to start contractions in one treatment. It often takes a series of treatment. Acupuncture labor stimulation treatments are also not the same as getting an IV injection of a medication to induce contractions. It usually takes the body around 6 to 24 hours to respond to an acupuncture labor stimulation treatment. I recommend an acupuncture labor stimulation treatment every other day, starting at 38 weeks’ gestation to help stimulate labor. If your body responds well, it will take anywhere from 2 to 6 treatments to help you transition into Active Phase.
What if my body is not ready for labor stimulation:
If your doctor or midwife has a concern about how the cervix is ripening and effacing, I recommend we start acupuncture sooner than 38 weeks to assist your body in this process. For these labor preparation treatments, a regular, 1 hour acupuncture treatment is sufficient to help. Once your cervix is ready, we can start labor stimulation treatments.