How does acupuncture work when pregnant? (What position? How soon does it work? etc.)

[Dot-to-Dot]

I have an appointment today (I'm 40 wks and 3 days pregnant).  I am hoping that this will help baby into a better position.  Currently she's on the right and seems to have trouble staying on the left...like her head is stuck or something.  I've tried everything suggested on spinning babies and I also go to the chiro in order to balance my round ligaments.  I'm also hoping she can get my right psoas to release.  It spasms and caused a great deal of pain in my last labor.  I know it's the thing that has to soften to allow the pelvis to gently separate.  And lastly...I hope she'll do some inducing technique while she's at it.

But, I'm wondering how it works when you can't lay on your stomach or your back.  At least I can't.  There's no way I'd be able to breathe if I have to lay on my back for more than a minute or two.

Anyone else have experience with prenatal acupuncture?  What were you getting it for?  Did it work?  How soon before it worked?  What position did you lay in?

[sarahtar]

I've had acupuncture for miscarriage prevention (I can't say if it worked... that baby stuck, but I personally doubt the acupuncture did much more than make me feel like i was doing something), as well as for allergies both during pregnancy and not (helpful!!), and for breech positioning at 36 weeks.

My 36 week sessions, she had me in a reclined seated position, and only reclined me as far as I was comfortable. She said she's had some women prefer a full seated position that late, and that's fine (with HER... obviously I don't know about every acupuncturist in the world, lol). Those sessions lasted about 20 minutes, but I think that was due more to scheduling - she was squeezing me in before hours because it was an emergency.

It did NOT turn the baby, NOTHING we did turned the baby, lol, except the external version, but it was clear to everyone involved in my care that the baby was not breech because of physical restriction.

[Jaimee]

Whenever I go she has me lay in a seated, reclined position with lots of rolled up sheets/towels behind my back, under my knees, etc.  If you're going for moxibustion, it will be quite quick, not like a normal needle session.  For me, a normal needle session for m/s takes close to an hour.  She'll talk with me first, take my pulse, etc. then the needle placement might take 10-15 minutes and then you let them work for another 20-30 minutes. 

[Monkey Keeper]

I had acu in early labor with my VBAC--my first and only session ever! I laid on the table with pillows under my knees and three (?) elevating my head. She placed 8 needles and then I lay there for about 30 minutes. The contractions went from 6-7min apart to 3min apart immediately upon placement of the last needle and stayed there for the duration of my labor.

[Jaimee]

How'd it go OP?

[Dot-to-Dot]

The doctor was AWFUL!  Totally rude and rushed after I had to wait an hour for her.  She didn't understand what I was there for if my baby wasn't breech - After explaining it to her a second time, I told her I'd also explained it to the staff that answered the phone when I asked if she'd be able to help and they said yes.  She said the office staff doesn't know anything, it's not their fault.  ...except I'd juist paid $65 based on the fact that they assured me the Dr. could do what I wanted which was simply move baby from Right to Left, or at least just encourage baby to settle into it's best position. (A local midwife suggested the pinkie toe stuff and said it'd help any baby fall into the best position regardless of where they are).  All she said she could do was induce...but I was worried about inducing since I have fetal positioning concerns that I wanted to address first.  She said, "Well whatever.  It's up to you."  Of course it's up to me, but sheesh, ZERO guidance and disgusting bedside manner taboot!  I felt so alone and like the outcome of my labor was totally in the balance and would be determined by my panicked decision to induce right then or not.  (I know it wasn't really THAT dramatic of a moment, but it felt like it at the time).

I'm feeling pretty down-to-the-wire and I don't really have the time or patience to be researching doctors and I just went for it.  She reclined me and left the needles in my pinky toes.  Then she went off to do some reading in her acupuncture books and came back 5 minutes later to add four more needles.  After 15 minutes the FABULOUS nurse came in and gently removed the needles.  She was so lovely...she placed her hands on my belly and my shoulder and offered a blessing for me and baby.  She literally seemed like an angel from heaven.

So there's that.  It's almost 24 hours later and baby is still tucked away in my belly!  Maybe a cramp or two, but hard to discern if it's just intestinal or uterine.  *shrugs*  I think I wasted $65 and maybe had I been less aghast and irritated and more relaxed it might have worked?  Not sure.

[Jaimee]

OH NO!!  Why in the world did she not do moxibustion????!!!!  I'm so sorry that you had an awful experience and I know you had to travel a way to get there, too.   My practitioner said that moxibustion would definitely be worth trying despite the fact that the baby is not breech.  I wish you could find someone close to show you how to do it!

[sarahtar]

if you can get your hands on a moxi stick, there are YouTube videos that will walk you through how to do it. It is not hard at all. You will smell like pot when you're done, though. :-)

[sarahtar]

And I'm sorry you had such a crappy experience. do you have a chiropractor close to you? They're usually pretty good for loosening up those ligaments that might be keeping baby tucked in a strange position.