Kristin VaskoFebruary 12, 2020acupuncture, birth, induction, labor, IVF, Fertility, Ancient Chinese Medicine, IUY, Infertility, Wellness, Natural Induction, Pregnancy, health, charlotte, morning sickness, cupping, gua sha, herbal therapy, pms, period, endometriosis3 Comments

Acupuncture

for birth + induction

Ancient Chinese Medicine was something I turned to when I started to take my health seriously. I loved the history and healing that is found in it. I had the opportunity to sit down with Jocey Rodriguez to talk through what acupuncture is and how it can be beneficial for fertility, pregnancy, labor, and women’s health in general. Not only did I learn a good bit but I am so excited that this is available for all my local clients and friends in Charlotte, NC. Here are some things that we talked about…

What is Acupuncture?

“Acupuncture is the medicine of putting sterile needles into specific points to help with the movement of circulation in that area. So, sometimes we use points because they are very obvious and right over the spot that needs treatment and other times use them because the function of that point is to do something that will be useful for you — maybe its an anti-inflammatory spot or a blood circulation spot. You have so many specific points all over your body (over 400) and we use them as an antenna to guide the circulation to where it needs to go.”

Is Acupuncture safe during pregnancy?

“Yes, BUT you need to avoid certain points when you are pregnant. You need to go to someone who specializes in pregnancy and feels very comfortable treating someone who is pregnant.”

What can acupuncture help with during pregnancy?

“What can it not help?! The most common complaint that I receive is first trimester symptoms — constipation, morning sickness, nausea, vomiting, and fatigue. Later on in pregnancy, I see more complaints of back pain, migraines, sciatica, etc; And of course labor induction. Acupuncture can treat all of those symptoms.”

When should I start seeing an acupuncturist during pregnancy and how often should I go?

“You can start anytime. You do not have to wait to be out of your first trimester because we want to address the symptoms from the first trimester. The frequency will depend on what’s going on. On a general note we like to see patients weekly for the first 8 weeks and then every other week until they exit the first trimester. After that every 4-6 weeks. We really just want to do maintenance and prepare the body for labor and work with whatever pops up throughout the pregnancy. I would also like to add — Acupuncture can be used for correcting Breech and Transverse presentation. Especially for the moms that would like to experience a natural or vaginal delivery. Acupuncture can help to create space and encourage the baby to flip head down.”

Can acupuncture induce labor naturally and how does it work?

“YES it can! The reason some Acupuncture points are contraindicated in pregnancy is because they can induce labor, so it certainly is effective to help promote labor naturally. I find that the most effective treatments focus on promoting the ripening of the cervix. Once this has been achieved, we can add points that promote contractions. First time moms are usually very anxious about labor and some of that anxiety causes the body to be tight and it is really hard for the body to do what it needs to do in that state. I like to do some stress and anxiety relief points as well. The frequency depends on where you are with labor. If your doctor is concerned about something and wants to induce by a certain time frame for one reason or another, you can have treatments every other day if you need to.”

“Usually, between 1-3 acupuncture sessions will be enough depending on the patient’s individual progression. If you have already had some dilation or effacement one session could be all you need. If you haven’t began to open up at all you might need closer to 3 or more sessions at a frequency of every other day. If they are pushing to induce at 38 weeks, starting your appointments every other day at 37 weeks will be very beneficial. Even if they still have to induce you, it tends to shorten the labor induction time and you tend respond a lot better to the Pitocin or whatever induction method they are using because your body is more relaxed and prepared. The majority of patients have approximately a 90% chance of going into labor naturally with 3 sessions. In addition to Acupuncture, I am also trained in Pelvic Hydrotheraphy/Vaginal Steaming and I like to instruct my patients on ways they can help induce labor at home (and even during labor itself) to promote a smoother labor and delivery.”

Should I get Acupuncture after I deliver? What are the benefits?

“Yes, it's really helpful for postpartum recovery. It can help with hormone balancing, overall healing, fatigue, and pain management. Postpartum acupuncture is more supportive. In Ancient Chinese medicine the blood loss in labor and delivery is believed to contribute to a-lot of symptoms that can arise after birth. It is very useful to help your body build your blood supply back up again and handle whatever has come up because of the birth. It can also help with supporting milk production. Postpartum recovery can also be aided by Pelvic Hydrotherapy/Pelvic Steaming. Steaming has been shown to promote healing of tears and stitched tissue as well as reduce hemorrhoids and help pass loch in a shorter tie frame.”

How does Acupuncture affect IVF and Infertility?

“In Ancient Chinese medicine “infertility” is not a diagnosis. Chinese Medicine believes that if you have a uterus, at least one functional tube, and one functional ovary (obviously on the same side as the tube) you can conceive. You may have a blockage or imbalance and we just need to remove that blockage or correct that imbalance. So that’s what we do!”

“I use a protocol that was invented by a German acupuncturist that has been shown to increase chances of implantation with IVF. The idea is you have a pre-session and a post-session the same day as embryo transfer. The pre-session helps prepare the uterus to receive and the post-session helps with the implantation. If you can’t do it the same day you have a 48 hour window where it will still be clinically relevant to have the treatments done. But, you really want to get it as close as you can to the transfer date. It can double your chances. IUI patients should be having sessions three months before. This would positively impact lining quality, egg quality and circulation into the uterus.”

“I want to start working with a client before they get to the IUI or IVF point. I see the biggest impact in patients that receive 3-6 months of treatment. I also will encourage husbands to get a semen analysis done and if something comes up on their end I will also work with them to help improve sperm count and quality. We can avoid a-lot of procedures if patients start earlier. I usually get patients who have done everything and Acupuncture is the last resort. The whole point of acupuncture is to regulate and balance out your body. Their is a good chance that the reason you're not getting pregnant, unless there is something structural going on, is because your body is not being regulated or balanced. I like to address all different aspects of your lifestyle. I assess your nutrition, household products, toxins, supplements, exercise, sleep and so on. It’s overall health and wellness. For the best chance of success you have to be ready to be fully committed. You can be receiving acupuncture twice a week but if you have not adjusted other parts of your lifestyle you may not get the results you want. There is so much that goes into conceiving that doctors typically do not cover. Sometimes they suggest pumping you full of hormones to see what happens without checking your foundation. Chinese Medicine theory focuses on getting the foundation as good as we can get it. Once we have addressed the underlying imbalances your chances to conceive improve no matter which route you take — natural, IUI, or IVF. Conservatively, I have seen about an 85% success rate from clients who follow the recommendations I provide them with. If you decide that you would like to start trying to conceive tomorrow, book your Acupuncture session for tomorrow as well.”

Women’s Health and Wellness

“Acupuncture really shines when it is used as a preventative medicine. When it comes to Women’s Health, there are a lot of issues that go unaddressed that bring up bigger problems later on in life. For example, lots of women have Fibroids. If not dealt with in a timely manner, they can cause a lot of discomfort, excessive bleeding and really difficult menopause. Alternatively, most doctors will often push hormone treatments and surgical procedures including hysterectomies as the solution. All of this can be avoided by seeing a specialized Chinese Medicine Practitioner. Same goes for painful periods, endometriosis, and menopause. Regular treatments can alleviate all of these conditions and promote a much smoother transition into menopause.”

What does the training look like to become an Acupuncturist?

“At a minimum, a Master's Degree in Oriental Medicine is required in most states. Our training as Acupuncturists requires us to do clinical rotations before we can graduate. This means we have to provide supervised treatments to several patients before we can ever offer treatments professionally. In my case, I had over 1200 clinical hours and over 350 supervised treatments before I graduated back in 2009. After the clinical hours are satisfied and the Master's degree is earned, then you have to get board certified. Each state is a little different but it requires a student to pass a series of exams. At this point, once you have met all of those requirements, then you can apply for a license to practice in your state. After all is said you done, you still have to receive continuing education and revalidate the license to practice every two years. Physical therapists can take a course in "dry needling" and learn to insert needles but this does not make them Acupuncturists. Doctors can take a course in inserting needles in specific Acupuncture points and call themselves "Medical Acupuncturists". This is why it is extremely important to check the qualifications of your practitioner. Getting licensed requires a lot of love for the medicine and dedication. We can't just take a course and get licensed."

Other Treatments at Inner Peace Acupuncture Clinic

“Gua Sha, Cupping, Acupuncture, Electrical Stimulation, Herbal Therapy, Tui Na - Chinese Massage, Pelvic Hydrotherapy/Vaginal Steaming, and Acupuncture Facial Rejuvenation.”

Cost

Pricing may vary depending on treatment needed. The initial visit with Jocey starts at $125 and $95 for regular visits after that. Some insurance companies will cover acupuncture for pain and acupuncture is typically covered by HSA or FSA.