Pokes for pregnancy: Community Acupuncture for happy, healthy mothers & babies

In a nutshell, Community Acupuncture is high volume acupuncture provided in a supportive group setting, points mainly on the arms and legs, at sliding scale rates – at Heart & Hands, our rates are $30-60/session. It makes acupuncture an accessible option to a wider range of individuals who otherwise could not afford the going rate for acupuncture. It is a modern take on how acupuncture is traditionally provided in Asia; in a large open space, treating many people at once, quickly, efficiently and effectively.

Acupuncture is a dose dependent therapy and that the benefits are achieved by frequency, and less so by individual doses. Therefore, the appropriate treatment plan is key in assisting the gradual process for resolving issues and promoting recovery. It becomes more accessible for clients to access as much treatment as often as they need.

So, Community Acupuncture is an ideal and affordable therapy for expectant parents and it offers so much more than labour induction to promote a happy, healthy pregnancy and beyond! If you need support through any stage of your pregnancy, we’re here to help or if you have any questions, contact us

I didn’t know I could I receive acupuncture during pregnancy?!!?

Community Acupuncture is extremely helpful for supporting pre and post-natal conditions. It is natural, drug-free, minimally invasive and focuses on preventative care to ensure optimally positive outcomes, not to mention being accessible, affordable and community-based!

AND, our group setting can also accommodate for the spouse/family/friend, etc. attending the birth, so they can also receive some well-deserved acu-nap time too!

Acupuncture is commonly recommended for a variety of pregnancy-related issues

  • Fatigue, anemia, hypoglycemia
  • Morning sickness & other digestive issues (constipation, heart burn)
  • Body pain – lower back, sciatica, pelvic/pubic pain, etc.
  • Threatened miscarriage & previous history of miscarriage
  • Edema, low blood pressure
  • Headaches, hypertension, pre-eclampsia
  • Gestational diabetes & other metabolic/hormonal disorders
  • Pre-term bleeding
  • Varicose veins, hemorrhoids & vulvual varicosities
  • Breech or posterior babies
  • Labour preparationpre-birth & induction
    (a safe alternative and/or complement to medical induction)
  • Postpartum care – recovery from childbirth, depression, lactation support, etc.
  • Pregnancy loss & abortion aftercare

What is pre-birth acupuncture?

Pre-birth acupuncture is an individualized treatment plan for preparation of childbirth. It is recommended starting around 35-36 weeks up till term (~40 weeks) for both first time as well as parents who have carried previous pregnancies. We usually recommend sessions once a week or as required based on other accompanying symptoms.

Acupuncture can do SO MUCH MORE than Labour Induction! The objective is to promote positive outcomes in the weeks leading UP TO childbirth as well as decreasing pain and complications during and after childbirth. Acupuncture can support and prepare a mother’s body for a more effective, natural vaginal birth. It has also been shown to decrease the incidence of complications such as requiring medical induction and/or cesarian section.

The benefits of pre-birth acupuncture

  • Cervical softening/ripening/dilation
  • Supporting, regulating hormonal levels leading up to labour
  • Emotional support – ie. addressing fear & anxiety prior to childbirth, post-partum depression
  • Encouraging optimal fetal positioning and/or addressing breech/posterior positioning
  • Potentially decreasing pain and exhaustion during labour + enhancing efficiency of labour
  • Encouraging oxytocin release – oxytocin receptors in the uterus gradually increase up to 36 weeks
  • Addressing progressive, ongoing issues during pregnancy such as musculo-skeletal pain, gestational diabetes, edema, anemia, etc.
  • Potentially a faster recovery, less complications following childbirth
  • Promoting lactation, supporting breastfeeding

We sometimes recommend acupressure for further support at home. Click HERE for some resources.

From the perspective of an acupuncturist

As our reputation continues to grow in the community that we are a safe and welcoming space for expectant parents, I slowly want to shift attitudes around preventative care and improving quality of life before, during and after pregnancy. It is possible to minimize many of the unpleasant symptoms that accompany the process of gestating a brand new life and that it is unnecessary to suffer through your pregnancy or become completely depleted after giving birth.

Here at Heart & Hands, we would love to be a continual and regular support THROUGHOUT your pregnancy journey, ensuring that you have a positive and best possible outcome for you, your progressing, changing pregnant body and of course, the baby.

From my experience, the baby decides when it’s ready to enter the world, so I’d rather shift my focus onto supporting the gestating parent. And while supporting the labour process is important, I have yet to meet someone who hasn’t experienced some amount of discomfort during those 40 odd weeks of pregnancy and which is just as beneficial to address, if not more than just getting past the due date! We want to provide drug-free, natural, traditional health care to individuals throughout + following this amazing physical, emotional and spiritual transition <3

Christina Chan, R.Ac.