Pregnancy
Pregnancy is a wild and epic journey. It can help to have someone walk it with you.
The passage into motherhood is one of the biggest transitions a person can make. There are so many unknowns within the changing body. We are here to help you know what is normal and help treat what is not.
Not only can we help to optimize the growth and health of your pregnancy, but we can also support most issues that can arise. We can help you find ease, meaning and wonder in the process.
In pregnancy, early detection and treatment are key in preventing the common conditions that may present later on. With a TCM differential diagnosis alongside labwork analysis we can often see the direction that the body is headed and treat the pattern before it becomes an issue. This includes things like gestational diabetes, hypertension, preeclampsia and various fluid imbalances.
How we can support your pregnancy:
Weeks 1 - 12: Acupuncture and herbal medicine can help to secure and optimize the pregnancy, as well address complaints such as fatigue, nausea, headaches, constipation, poor appetite and vomiting.
Weeks 13 - 36: During these months we can address any symptoms that causes discomfort - such as back/hip/rib pain, sciatica, difficulty sleeping, headaches, fatigue, constipation, hemorrhoids, varicose veins, vulvar varicosities, etc. We can also treat gestational diabetes and hypertension.
Weeks 33-36: This is a great time to start treatments to get the baby into a favourable position. If your baby is breech or in a posterior position, we can use acupuncture, herbs and moxibustion to create favourable conditions for the baby to seek optimal positioning. This is still possible later in the pregnancy but best to start in these weeks if possible!
Weeks 36 - 40: Birth is a dynamic event that requires the entire system to be harmonized and regulated in order to flow smoothly and efficiently. Acupuncture, herbs and shamanism can help set the stage and bolster the entire constitution to prepare your body to bring your baby earthside. Treatment helps to soften and thin the cervix, balance and relax the muscles and tendons, support the hormonal shifts that prepare the body and baby for birth and regulate the nervous system. Herbs can be instrumental to help bring softness to all the muscles of the uterus, so that contractions can be strong and smooth as opposed to spastic and painful.
After week 40 (or 3 days prior to schedule medical induction): Both herbal and acupuncture treatments can help to initiate the spontaneous onset of labour.
We can also provide herbal washes for common conditions such as hemorrhoids, vulvar varicosities, yeast infections and Group-B Strep.
At home visits:
For existing patients we are available for home visits during labour and postpartum.
During labour we can help to initiate stronger contractions, help with failure to progress/dialate, help optimize position of the baby, pain relief, and stalled labour.
Postpartum mother warming treatments also available as home visits, ideally 3-7 days post partum. This is a wonderful opportunity to consolidate the body from its open post-birth state in to a place of nourishment, essentially setting the stage for a balanced recovery. This is also important to prevent common conditions such as postpartum depression and anxiety.
Please contact to book.