Accupuncture for turning breech babe: what to expect?

[Monkey Keeper]

I'm currently 35w with a breech babe. Tomorrow, I'm going for my first accupuncture treatment to encourage him to turn. So far, I've been seeing a Webster-certified chiropractor, practicing the spinningbabies.com techniques, and seeing a massage therapist. We're adding accupuncture to the recipe

Sooo...having never been for an accupuncture treatment, I'm starting to get a bit apprehensive. What will happen? Where will the practitioner "stick" me? What will it feel like?

[RedOakMomma]

I don't know the exact needle placement they'll use, but don't worry. It's actually an INCREDIBLY relaxing experience. Most people I know fall asleep during the treatment (or report sleeping like a log the night after). In fact, while I was getting acupuncture for fertility issues, there was a man in the "room" next to me that fell asleep and had the most riotously funny gas I've ever heard. He was so out he didn't hear himself or wake up.

The needles are very tiny and come in individually sealed wrappers. They're hair-thin and only two inches long, with little plastic grippers at the end. The acupuncturist finds the correct spots and taps them in. It tickles more than hurts, because the needles are so fine. REALLY fine...you can bend them over like fishing line and they just bounce back. Once in a while I'd have a needle hit a sensitive spot and send a buzzing jolt (almost like a wave of energy) through my body, but that was rare. Otherwise they just went in--most of them I didn't feel.

The sessions I had were very relaxing. I laid down on a comfy massage-like table in a private space. The practitioner came in, placed the needles, then left me alone for about 20-30 minutes with the needles in place. That's when everyone seems to konk out. Then they come back, remove the needles, and that's that. Really easy.

[homemademom]

I did acupuncture for turning a breech baby, too, and it was just like RedOakMomma said (minus the guy in the next room ). It was very relaxing. I laid on my side and he worked on my back and hips iirc and then, I flipped to the other side. It didn't take long and the acupuncturist was really nice and answered all my questions about chinese medicine

[nova22]

I had acupuncture to induce labor and they did it in my feet. I don't know where they do it to turn a breech baby but like the PPs have said, it's a very simple procedure. When they were taking out my needles the nurse commented that sometimes people bleed when they take the needles out, but it doesn't happen often (I didn't bleed at all). I'm so afraid of needles and tense up a lot whenever I see one coming, but I was actually able to look at the needles when they were in me. It was not a big deal at all and it was less of a pinch than a bug bite would give you.

[MacKinnon]

Good question PinkBunch! I'm heading to accupuncture next week, I'll be 35 weeks on Saturday and the midwives suggested going in next week. I didn't have any idea what to expect either.

[etsdtm99]

i had acupuncture to try to start labor with my last baby (didnt work by the way) it was relaxing and the needles didn't hurt, but laying on my back for an hour on a massage table at 40+ weeks pregnant was bad.. i got really dizzy .. just.. watch out for that, i guess they don't always think about what they are doing when they have a hugely pregnant woman on a table..

[mkpgoddess]

Just did my first session tonight for the exact same thing I only got two needles, one in each leg's acupressure point near the shin bone, inner calf. Then he used moxabustion (sp?) where he held two lighted sticks near my pinky toes for 20 minutes. Not particularly exciting, but hopefully between that and the concurrent Webster technique and Hypnobabies breech track, we might get this kid to turn!!!

[root*children]

Good luck!! I tried acupuncture and moxa to turn one of my babies, but it didn't work - I tried it much too late in the game, and was told that chiropractic adjustments would have been the best bet. oh well. I am now doing acupuncture for morning sickness. I make sure to get the eye pillow so I am not tempted to look, because the sight of needles makes me quite nauseous!

[Svarupa]

I haven't had acupuncture for turning a baby, but I've had it lots of times for various other things and it's lovely. You will rest in a dim and quiet room, and they probably won't use very many pins (some people have the impressions they dozens of pins, but I've at most at 10 placed at one time). Having the pins placed to me feels like somebody gently tapping a sharpened pencil leading against my skin. It doesn't hurt at all, although sometimes I can feel the pins in my hands and feet touching the nerves there and it feels a little itchy. Some practitioners then attach the pins to electric current just like a TENS machine (electroacupuncture), but I've never had this and I'm not sure they'd do it to turn a baby. It's not standard for acupuncture though.

After the pins are placed, you rest/meditate for perhaps 30 minutes to an hour focusing on relaxation. Then the pins are removed and that's it! Your job is to relax and feel as pleasant as possible so the pins can effectively open up your Qi channels.

Good luck!

[Monkey Keeper]

Thanks everyone! Baby actually turned yesterday, so no accu for now. But I do appreciate you sharing your experiences.