For over three thousand years, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has specialised in gynaecology and takes the view that the care of mother and baby during pregnancy and postpartum recovery is paramount not only for that pregnancy but for the future. It advocates that a healthy pregnancy depends on adequate rest, a suitable diet and emotional wellbeing. As all was recorded we now benefit from the vast knowledge and experience including Chinese embryology and foetal education for acupuncturists to look after women through their pregnancy and motherhood.
The TCM view is that everything is connected within the body and that keeping all in balance reverberates throughout the body. The uterus (place of the baby) is one of the six extroardinary organs. It has a Yang aspect in that it is very moving and strong, and a Yin aspect as it stores Blood and nourishes the foetus during pregnancy. It has a deep direct connection to the Kidneys and the Heart (both of which play a vital part in conception). It sits just below the “gate of life” and special deep channels called the Penetrating, Conception and Governing delivers the Qi and Blood. The foetus develops from the Blood and Yin of the mother, which in turn is dependent on her Heart, Liver and Spleen energy systems. The Penetrating channel is also connected to the Stomach and here we can see an example of how the 'connectedness' produces symptoms. One of the huge changes taking place in early pregnancy is that Blood accumulates in the Penetrating channel to nourish the foetus but until it is more developed, there might be more than the foetus can use and Blood accumulates. This in turn affects the Stomach’s job of sending its energy downwards and as a result there can be a counter flow upwards, resulting in nausea and morning sickness.
Treatment during pregnancy seeks to balance out any underlying pathology in these connected energy systems.
Labour preparation is becoming a popular reason to seek treatment, and research in New Zealand indicates a reduction in medical intervention and feedback suggests that pre-birth acupuncture offers a range of positive effects. It is an ideal opportunity to ensure that the qi blood, the five emotions and the organs are all in harmony so to promote a natural labour. 3-4 weeks prior to due date a treatment to prepare the pelvis and cervix can be commenced. This is followered by a treatment per week until labour begins. This also gives time to teach acupressure points that can be used for pain relief during labour.
Between weeks 29-32 15% of babies are in a breech position (Kauppila 1975) and 3-4% will continue until birth. Nowadays the usual management for breech is a caesarean section. Moxibustion is a way of stimulating an acupuncture point to turn a baby and as well as a huge amount of empirical evidence, it has now been subject to much western research. It would appear that during treatment it stimulates the production of the maternal hormones placental oestrogens and prostaglandin (Budd 1992), which encourages the lining to contract and thus foetal activity. Invariably during treatment, mothers feel their babies moving. Certainly, when appropriate it gives mothers a natural alternative. Interestingly it has lead to links with acupuncturists and hospital maternity units as interest in the treatment grows.
Labour commences when three factors occur simultaneously, Yang activity replaces Yin nourishment, Qi flows smoothly and replaces Blood and the door of the uterus opens. If the due date passes an acupuncturist makes a diagnosis on these factors and treats accordingly to promote labour. Acupuncture points have a specific action and many are forbidden in pregnancy because of their downward action, these can now be utilised to promote labour.
TCM also has very firm ideas of the amount of care and rest appropriate to the first month after childbirth and views that the time spent in recovery gives long-term health benefits. The sheer energy used in delivery affects the mother’s Qi and Blood and generally weakens the Directing and Penetrating deep channels. A woman has multiple emotional and physical adjustments to make as she recovers. Many conditions post birth in TCM terminology are connected to deficiencies of the Blood and a common picture is as the Heart houses the Mind and governs the Blood, if Blood is deficienct sleep is restless, thoughts become muddled and memory poor. New Mothers can also be prone to invasion of external pathogenic factors. It is seen as important to avoid exposure to wind and cold and anything that disrupts the harmony of emotions.
Recovery after childbirth can be promoted by appropriate tonifying acupuncture and dietary advise including a list of blood and qi building foods. “Mother roasting” is a moxibustion technique that is an one-off treatment that can be given after one week post birth to energise women and aid recovery.
Louise Derry-Evans
M. 07958 560 614
T. 020 8874 5022
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