Many pregnant moms discover that a whole new world of anxiety opens up to them once they learn about their pregnancy – everything from miscarriage risk to the baby’s health, from finances to the environment at home, from family stability to continuing with a career. Anxiety can keep mom up at night, make visits to the doctor uncomfortable, and can even get in the way of forming a deep prenatal connection with the baby.
Women generally do not want to take additional medications during pregnancy unless required – which is why acupuncture is such a fabulous choice for reducing pregnancy related anxiety. There are a whole series of acupuncture points that affect the nervous system, calming nervous energy and providing nourishment to counter the exhaustion that extreme anxiety can create.
So how does it work? Your acupuncturist will ask you a series of questions about your symptoms including when and how your anxiety shows up, how you are sleeping, how your digestion is going, what body symptoms you’re having (such as racing heart, butterflies in your stomach, nervous vomiting or diarrhea, etc.), and other related questions. Your acupuncturist will then look at your tongue and feel your pulse – both of which provide insight as to what’s happening internally.
Your acupuncturist will then have a Chinese medicine diagnosis as to which imbalance(s) are causing the anxiety and any related symptoms. You’ll then lie comfortably on the treatment table – on your side if you are beyond the earlier weeks of pregnancy. Thin acupuncture needles will be placed in your body, typically on the lower legs, forearms, upper back, ear lobe, and scalp.
Most pregnant women find that acupuncture is extremely relaxing – even enabling a nap on the treatment table. After the session, moms will typically sleep better that evening and for several additional nights, feel calmer during the day, and be better able to manage the pregnancy. For pregnancy related anxiety, typically a number of weekly sessions are required to keep the anxiety at bay.
Are you interested in reducing your pregnancy-related anxiety? Call me to discuss how acupuncture can benefit you!
