Care For Birthing People

 

East Asian Medicine has been used continuously for thousands of years to assist birthing people during preconception, pregnancy, birth and the postpartum period.  As two of the oldest forms of healthcare on the planet, East Asian Medicine and midwifery/obstetrics have a long history of working together to promote health and well-being.

Acupuncture as a modality offers assistance for many common issues during pregnancy and the postpartum.  When offered by an acupuncturist who is specially trained in this area of care, acupuncture offers solutions in a way that is low risk and without adverse impact to your health or the health of your growing baby. In addition, research in this area suggests that regular treatment during the last month of pregnancy can help improve cervical readiness and improve overall satisfaction with birth experiences.

When choosing to include acupuncture as part of your perinatal care it is important to work with an acupuncturist who has specific post-graduate training in this specialty. As a perinatal acupuncturist I have over a decade of experience working with pregnant people and have taught alongside international experts in the field in the Maternity Acupuncture Mentoring and Peer Support (MAMPS) program, which is the most comprehensive post-graduate perinatal acupuncture program currently offered in the West. I am happy to answer any questions you may have about using acupuncture during the childbearing year and help you find a well-trained provider if you are out of my service area!

Care During Pregnancy

 

  • Nausea and vomiting

  • Poor sleep

  • Hyperacidity and heartburn

  • Anxiety, depression and mood swings

  • All types of musculoskeletal pain

  • Threatened miscarriage and bleeding

  • Constipation

  • Hemorrhoids, vericose veins and vericosities

  • Headache and migraine

  • Hypertension

  • Breech, posterior and malpositioned babies (ideally treatment occurs at 32-35 weeks)

  • Cervical readiness

  • As a preventative modality throughout pregnancy to support and maintain health.

Care In Labor

 

  • Labor preparation prior to a medical induction

  • Pain Relief

  • Unfavorable cervical dilation or effacement

  • Initiating labor after membranes have ruptured

  • Stalled or inefficient labor and contractions

  • Exhaustion

Care During the Postpartum

 

  • Persistent uterine bleeding

  • Anxiety, mood swings and postpartum depression

  • Poor sleep

  • Musculoskeletal injury during birth

  • As a preventative through the postpartum to support and maintain health

  • Physical, mental and emotional support and stability through inevitable and missed miscarriage, ectopic pregnancy, placental abruption and all pregnancy loss including abortion.

Cost of Care

 

Acupuncture - Intial Appointment

  • $100 for a 50 minute full appointment, plus the cost of herbs.

  • Private insurance accepted. MaineCare and Medicare do not cover acupuncture.

Acupuncture - follow up Appointment

  • $70 for a 50 minute follow up appointment. Available for established patients only.

  • Private insurance accepted. MaineCare and Medicare do not cover acupuncture.

Labor preparation ACUPUNCTURE (36 weeks onward)

  • $70 for a 50 minute follow-up appointment

  • Weekly acupuncture treatments beginning at 36 weeks may create optimal conditions for labor are increasingly the subject of research.  A 2017 Cochrane Review  showed that acupuncture improves cervical readiness prior to labor. In observational studies acupuncture has been shown to decrease the need for medical induction of labor, pain medication and emergency c-sections.  Labor preparation treatments do not “induce” labor or make contractions, but instead help to create optimal conditions for labor to begin in a timely and efficient way. 

  • Private insurance accepted. MaineCare and Medicare do not cover acupuncture.

Breech, Posterior or Malpositioned Babies

  • $70 for a 50 minute full appointment

  • Treatments are most effective when started between 32 and 35 weeks of pregnancy. Sometimes a second treatment may be required. The use of acupuncture for breech is increasingly the subject of research and is included in RCOG Green Top Guideline 20a as a clinical guideline to reduce incidence of term breech presentation. Sarah has written extensively and teaches internationally on the subject of acupuncture for breech babies and if you would like more information, co-authored research summaries can be found here and here.

  • Available for treatment outside of normal office hours. Call or email to book.

  • Private insurance accepted. MaineCare and Medicare do not cover acupuncture.