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:: Acupuncture and Childbirth ::

Doctor, Doctor -- My Baby Wants Out!!!!!
by Dr. Randy Martin, OMD, LAc, CCH

A few weeks ago, my office got a call from a very pregnant woman who was referred to us by her obstetrician. To preserve her anonymity, let's call her Anna. She was one week overdue and her doctor was going to induce labor if contractions didn't start within 10 days. This was Anna's third pregnancy and the other two had been late as well.

Her doctor had heard of me and my practice, since another of our mutual patients had experienced great success with acupuncture during her pregnancy and birthing process. So he told Anna to give me a call and try some acupuncture to induce the labor, before resorting to traditional Western methods. He figured that she had nothing to lose by trying.

He was right! She came to my office and was very uncomfortable in her body. It was hard for us to find a comfortable position for her acupuncture treatment. We settled for sitting up on the massage table, propped up by pillows. This worked for her, and also gave me access to all the points on her body that I needed.

I used some of the classically indicated acu-points, including some on the feet and hands, ears and legs. But to my dismay, she said she didn't feel much at all. I was hoping to get a strong response from her, since I did a very strong needling technique, in which I turned and turned and thrusted the needles quite a lot. In a typical patient, this would hurt a lot, but she didn't feel anything.

When I came to remove her needles on this first treatment I expressed my surprise that she didn't feel much. And then she said that although she felt very little herself, she could feel her baby kicking and moving around a lot during the treatment. Well!!!........that was positive.....very positive. I sent her away with a homeopathic remedy to take 3X per day, and we scheduled her for another treatment in a few days.

During the second treatment I performed even more aggressive acupuncture, agressively turning and thrusting the needles, adding a few extra acu-points, and stimulating them to the maximum. Still, not much response at all from Anna.

Then, for her third visit a few days latter, I decided to do a different type of treatment, usually reserved for the labor room itself. I inserted acu-needles in Anna's lower back, while she was sitting in a chair. I also chose the other classically indicated points, including St 36, GB 21, Sp4, and in the ear, the Uterus points. These points are never used during an average pregnancy, because they could cause a miscarriage or premature labor.

Anna left the office unchanged. She stated she felt the baby move quite a bit during the treatment, but other than that, she hadn't felt much herself.

Her next appointment was scheduled for the day before her doctor was going to induce the labor and delivery. But she didn't show up for her next appointment. My secretary jokingly said, "Well, she probably went into labor after the last acupuncture treatment and is back at home already with the baby!"

And my secretary was right. When Anna called us a few days later, she said
that contractions began immediately upon leaving the office and continued to
get stronger and stronger as the hours went by. A day later she was in the
hospital, and the delivery of her baby began shortly thereafter. All was a
success!

Thanks Anna for trying something new and unique...I'm certain you're baby appreciated the acupuncture instead of the Western alternatives.

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