Pre-Birth Acupuncture
Interventions during labour
and birth continue to rise in this country. Currently, more
than one in four children is born by C-section in Canada.
From 1993 to 2006, Canada's C-section rate increased from
17.6 percent up to 26.3 percent. The World Health
Organization recommends a 5 to 10 percent cesarean-section
rate for best outcomes.
Other
interventions in birth also continue to rise. The use of
epidural anaesthesia is used in nearly half (45.5%) of all
vaginal births in Canada, whereas in England the rate is
much lower coming in at 12%. The rate of medically induced
births has risen substantially in the last 10 years, from
about one in eight (12.9%) to one in five (19.7%) births in
2000-2001.
With
statistics like these it's not surprising that women
planning a natural childbirth may opt to take prenatal yoga
classes, practice various breathing techniques and
visualizations in order to prepare themselves for their
labour both physically and emotionally.
Acupuncture
appears to be another promising way of increasing a woman's
odds of achieving a natural childbirth.
Several
studies have examined the effects of pre-birth acupuncture
and results show that women who undergo pre-birth
acupuncture treatments experience shorter labours (9hrs vs
12-14 hours for first time moms and 4 hours vs. 6-8 hours
for multiparous moms), lower rates of medical inductions,
lower epidural rates, lower rates of emergency Cesarean
sections, and a greater chance for a normal vaginal
delivery.
In
one such study, data on 169 women was gathered by 14
midwives as part of their midwifery practice in Wellington,
New Zealand. It found that when comparing all caregivers
(midwives, GP's, and specialists) to those women who had
received pre-birth acupuncture there was:
- An overall 35% reduction in the number of inductions (for women having their first baby this was a 43% reduction)
- A 31 % reduction in epidural rate
And when comparing midwifery only care to women receiving pre-birth acupuncture there was a:
- 32% reduction in emergency caesarean delivery
- A 9% increase in normal vaginal births.
Pre-birth acupuncture treatment involves a series of approximately 4 weekly treatments starting at 36-37 weeks gestation to prepare the mother and baby for labour. The points used are chosen based on the woman’s constitution and normally consist of 4-5 points located on the arms and legs (belly points are never used in pregnant women!) Pre-birth acupuncture works on several levels. On a physical level, it helps ripen the cervix, move the baby into an anterior position, increase stamina, and help resolve other concerns often encountered in pregnancy such as back pain, insomnia, high blood pressure, and carpal tunnel syndrome. On an emotional level, it can help the mother prepare for labour and the transition to motherhood, whether it’s for the first time or a subsequent pregnancy.
