How Consistent Acupuncture Benefits Pregnancy

When you’re growing a new life, your body goes through an amazing, yet stressful, transformation. Acupuncture offers a natural, noninvasive way to make these nine months smoother and more comfortable for both yourself and your baby.

At Elemental Acupuncture, licensed acupuncturist and Chinese herbalist Bethany Leddy, DACM, MSOM, offers comprehensive support from conception to delivery. Read on to explore the benefits of consistent acupuncture treatments as part of your wellness plan during  pregnancy. Here are some:

Alleviating nausea and morning sickness

During pregnancy, fluctuating hormones can affect the connection between your digestive system and brain (the gut-brain axis), leading to uncomfortable symptoms like loss of appetite, nausea, and vomiting. 

Up to 80% of pregnant women experience these symptoms — often referred to as morning sickness, although they can occur at any time. For some, morning sickness can escalate into hyperemesis gravidarum (HG), a severe condition that can lead to dehydration and malnutrition without management.

Acupuncture works by gently stimulating specific points that help stabilize hormone levels and regulate the communication between your gut and brain. It’s a safe and effective way to manage pregnancy-related nausea without the need for medication.

Relieving pregnancy pain

The body releases a hormone called relaxin during pregnancy that makes joints and ligaments more flexible. It helps your body stretch to accommodate a growing baby, and to prepare for birth, but it can also make your joints less stable.

As your baby gets bigger, your center of gravity shifts forward and you may unconsciously change your posture to compensate. The added physical strain on top of unstable joints often causes pain in the hips, pelvis, and lower back, particularly in the third trimester.

Acupuncture helps you stay comfortable and active by easing deep muscle tension and improving circulation to the affected areas. It also prompts the release of endorphins, natural painkillers that help to reduce inflammation.

Supporting emotional wellness and sleep

Elevated levels of estrogen and progesterone can affect how your brain regulates emotion, leading to feelings of sadness, irritability, or anxiety with no obvious cause.

These hormonal changes, along with physical discomfort, may also contribute to sleep disruptions and insomnia. Poor sleep and emotional dysregulation are closely linked — a lack of quality rest can impact your mood, focus, and overall wellness.

By activating the parasympathetic nervous system, acupuncture promotes a state of deep relaxation. This helps to soothe your mind and body, making it easier to fall asleep and stay asleep, while reducing stress and anxiety.

Preparing for labor and beyond

In the final weeks of pregnancy, acupuncture can help you prepare for a smooth, efficient delivery. These sessions focus on getting your body ready for labor by relaxing the pelvic floor, softening the cervix, and encouraging your baby into an optimal position.

For cases of breech presentation, where the baby is positioned feet- or bottom-first, Dr. Leddy may use a combination of acupuncture and moxibustion to guide the baby into a head-first position. It’s a gentler alternative to an external cephalic version (ECV), a procedure in which a doctor or midwife manually turns the baby before birth.

Acupuncture also provides valuable support as you navigate the postpartum period. Continuing treatments after your baby is born can help with sleep, stress, pain, and even lactation challenges, such as lack of production or mastitis.

Discover how acupuncture can support you and your baby throughout your pregnancy. Call or message Elemental Acupuncture in Bryant Park in New York City, or Tuckahoe, New York, to schedule a consultation with Dr. Leddy.