At Haynes Acupuncture on the Gold Coast, we strive to provide quality treatments using the fundamentals of Chinese Medicine with a Japanese needling technique, in support of all areas of health.
We see a lot of mothers in our clinic right from the start of their fertility journey, through to post birth and we pride ourselves in the care we give during this often, quite tiresome time. We specialise in helping families from the beginning, in many cases, this starts from the IVF journey and continues through post-partum.
The safe and gentle insertion of very thin needles in the skin has been a key component of Chinese medicine for centuries. Traditional practitioners say that it works by re-balancing the flow of energy known as ‘Qi’ through the body. Deficiency, stagnation and heat are the 3 common causes in Chinese medicine that are believed to be linked to infertility and therefore Chinese herbs may be used to assist with these imbalances and restoring normal functions. They may display as hormonal imbalances, inflammation or infection, blockages, blood dysregulation, or aches and pains.
Acupuncture during your pregnancy can be used alongside IVF to encourage embryo implantation, egg quality, support and balancing of hormones, as well as increased blood flow to the reproductive organs. During pregnancy, acupuncture can assist with the symptoms of morning sickness, tension, aches and pains, sciatica and preparing the body and canal for birth with induction treatments.
Acupuncture following birth can be helpful with activating the body’s own self-healing mechanisms assisting with quality of sleep, falling asleep and daytime functioning. It can help with post-natal physical and mental depletion that new mothers experience, as well as post-natal depression, by managing the symptoms associated with stress and anxiety, re-balancing hormones and building blood and Qi, which is depleted post birth. The physical and emotional stress the body goes through giving birth, coupled with lack of sleep, nutrient depletion from breast feeding and time spent alone with a baby, can really put the body into a depleted state. This can lead to immune dysfunction, poor gut health, social isolation, anxiety and sympathetic nervous system dominance (fight, flight or freeze), all of which creates a further strain on the body and this vicious cycle can go on for many years.
What else can help?
- Avoiding ‘dampness’ through diet by minimizing or eliminating milk, cheese, yoghurt, ice cream, greasy foods & alcohol. Damp foods in Chinese medicine are said to accumulate as blockages in the form of cysts or fibroids. This also includes damp clothes and homes where there is a lack of airflow.
- Improve your emotional health – anger, frustration and stress are related to liver Qi stagnation, whilst the lungs relate to grief, sadness and holding on. Try some meditation, yoga or Tai Chi to get your fertility Qi flowing!
- Don’t stress – it puts added pressure on your body. Meditation apps like ‘Insight Timer’, ‘Headspace’ or ‘Calm’ can help with those thoughts that go over and over in your head, by focusing on the present moment and your breath. When your body is in ‘fight or flight’, conception is way down the list of priorities, so remember to take time out, put your phone down, put aside your list of things to do and go for a walk, sit in the sun, listen to your favourite music!
Once a successful pregnancy is confirmed, it is important to maintain regular treatments with acupuncture, herbs and supplements, this can help to prevent miscarriage and to help with implantation of the embryo in IVF cases. Acupuncture, herbs and vitamins are an important part of general health and a trouble-free pregnancy. After the 10-12 weeks we maintain treatments monthly until 32 weeks, then fortnightly until 36 weeks, then weekly until 40 weeks. Post birth, an individual assessment will be done by your practitioner evaluating your health and a treatment plan will be recommended based on what your body requires at this time.
If you are wanting to find out how we can help you, an initial consultation will determine your own personal treatment plan and set you on a path back to health, please give us a call on 5531 6461 or email us on info@haynesacupuncture.com.au. You can also book online here
© Haynes Acupuncture ™ Gold Coast 2022
References:
1. McDonald J, Janz S. The Acupuncture Evidence Project: A Comparative Literature Review (Revised edition). Brisbane: Australian Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine Association Ltd; 2017. https://www.acupuncture.org.au.
2. Shen C, et al. The Role of Acupuncture in in vitro fertilisation: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Gynecologic and Obstetric Investigation; 2014. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24854767
3. Qld.gov.au. (2017). Assisted fertility and IVF | Health and wellbeing | Queensland Government. [online] Available at: https://www.qld.gov.au/health/children/pregnancy/fertility/index.html
