Acupuncture/pressure

[BensMom]

So who has used either of these methods for trying to get labor started? How did it feel? Was it effective? Did it hurt? How much did it cost? How many visits?

Thanks!

[PicnicBear]

TIA -- I need to know this, too!!

[HoneyTree]

:

[flyingspaghettimama]

I had acupressure last week. Nuthin doin. It does sort of hurt when they push on the points, but not too bad.

However, someone on here has pointed out that acupuncture is supposed to work within a larger picture of chinese medicine. And mine was not done that way (it was done my a pregnancy massage specialist) - so maybe the acupuncture would work if you saw an actual chinese medicine specialist? I might try that this week...I've had acupuncture before, it really doesn't hurt at all.

Do you think we could do it ourselves (half the price!) with some sewing needles? Naaaahh...

[MamaFern]

ive been doing acupressure on myself and having others do it on me as well.. but i think its one of those things that if your body and baby aren't ready its not going to work. the stories i have heard of it being really affective is when you are already in labour and not progressing very fast. thats when its really great.. but it feels good to have someone touching you and taking care of you..im going in for a session of acupressure/massage/craniosacral tomorow evening if ngaio hasn't come by then!

[spughy]

I had acupuncture yesterday to "move things along" which is different than an acupuncture-based induction - it's more of a gentle nudge than a shove-off-the-cliff type thing. So far, nothing... I had a few contractions last night that were marginally stronger than ones I've had before but nothing else. I did sleep really well last night though! And I think it helped my hemorrhoids a bit too But the acupuncturist did say that it could take up to three days to have an effect, and then only if I was ready.

Cost is pretty variable I would imagine but I paid $65(CDN) for an approx. 1-hr session with a fully qualified, licensed and experienced practitioner of Chinese medicine. When the needles go in it doesn't actually hurt but the acupuncturist then twiddles with them a bit to make sure they're in the right place. Some twiddles do hurt (pinching pain is bad, means they're not placed right) and some twinge more than hurt, and some you don't feel at all (also bad). Then you just hang out looking like a hedgehog for a while (you don't feel anything from the needles at this point except an occasional twinge), then the acupuncturist comes back, twiddles some more, then you relax some more, then the needles get taken out and if you have a nice acupuncturist like I do, she does a bit of massage where the needles were and you end up feeling all nice and relaxed. On a discomfort scale it's nowhere near the level of discomfort of, say, an internal vag exam. Plus it's an hour of "forced" lazing about on a nice comfy bed with pretty music playing and you can just relax and visualize happy things happening in your uterus.

From what I gathered from my acupuncturist though the full-on induction treatment is less fun - you're sitting up, there are way more points used, and it is not so relaxing. But it is very effective, apparently. I'm only 2 days over my due date and it's my first baby so I won't be using that until late next week if necessary.

[flyingspaghettimama]

Spughy - that is CHEAP! Here it starts at around $120, a big factor in me waiting to do it until I'm completely desperate.

[spiritmomma]

Osteopathic manipulation

Upon his recommendation, I went to see our family doc (I love to say family) who is an MD, a DO, and also trained and very experienced in TCM. He suggested that I come in at 39 weeks and have an osteopathic manipulation done on my hips to open them up for delivery.

Well... you know how when you chip your tooth and it feels like the grand canyon, but isn't even visible to the naked eye? In that same vein, when I stood up from the exam table after he did his work, it felt like the baby had dropped six inches lower into my hips! I'm sure the baby didn't move that much (since he or she would likely be born by now if that were the case) but the point is that the shift was large enough for me to physically feel.

Ever since the appointment on Monday, I have felt much more physical sensations in the way of contractions and downward movement in my low hips and pelvic floor.

He didn't do any acupuncture, but he did also do some acupressure in my neck area to open my parasympathetic nervous system, as well as some cranio sacral work to relax me and prepare me for my experiences in labor.

All in all, it was really relaxing and very nice.

[spughy]

FSM - I'm sorry your acupuncturists are so pricey! That is very unfortunate. If that's the case and you do go for a last-resort kind of "induction" acupuncture make sure you ask for the most aggressive possible treatment and for sure go to someone who specializes in that sort of thing. (I actually get some of my acupuncture treatments covered under my extended medical plan through work... but I hit the limit for annual coverage for that a while ago. Nevertheless I still think it's money well spent.)

[Belleweather]

I have an appointment for acupuncture to start labor tomorrow, and I can't wait... it's about the only thing that I really feel like will budge this baby, especially since I'm nearly 41 weeks and he only JUST dropped. But then, it was also the only thing in 18 months of treatment that got me pregnant, so I've got a powerful reason to have faith.

I'm a big, big believer in Traditional Chinese Medicine after the treatment that I got for infertility worked so well, but you have to understand that it's a whole different *system* of medicine with it's own diagnoses and treatments and logic to it. I did some reading on stalled labor and long pregnancy from the chinese medical perspective and their theory is that often with women who just aren't going into labor (like me), it's an issue of blood stasis and and imbalance in spleen ch'i.

In chinese medicine, the spleen energy governs the reproductive organs, and your spleen ch'i needs to be somewhat static to grow a baby - to hold the baby in your uterus. But both the spleen and the blood need to loosen up for birth to progress. So if you have a tendency toward stalled spleen ch'i and blood stasis, (again, like me) it makes sense that you'd want to get those in balance to get labor started. But if you don't have those problems, poking at your spleen meridians probably won't start labor because you're not fixing whatever problem it is in western or chinese terms that is holding you back from starting -- if there even is a problem, and it's not just that your baby is disinclined to join the air-breathing world.

FSM, $120 is about the going rate here for an initial consult with an acupuncturist, which usually lasts a couple of hours and includes a full treatment. I think we pay $60-75 for a normal treatment, depending on how intensive the work is.

I'll let you all know if it works tomorrow, shall I?

[Feathere]

Hi,
I've had accupuncture on two occasions to help move labor along. W/ DD1, i was past due and had two sessions with my chiro who does accupuncture, and did accupressure with my massage thereapist. It did seem to help because I did go into labor. BUt I can't say for sure if it was the accupuncture, pressure, or just time.

Recently, I was 39 weeks, and I decided that I could give it a shot again, because the accupunture is covered on our insurance (lucky me). I had a session on Thursday, and one on the following Tuesday, and Tuesday afternoon I started to lose my mucus plug. My second daughter was born at home on Wednesday morning.

The needles do not hurt. My little toes bled a bit where I was stuck, but other than that, it was painless. I could feel the tingles when he twiddled them during the first session, and during the second, he hooked the needles to an electric stimulator, which seemed to go to another level.

For me, I think it works almost too well. If I have a third child, I will only use accupuncture if i go way past due.

[flyingspaghettimama]

I had acupuncture done this morning. If nothing else, it sure relaxed and gave me lots of energy! I found someone who did it for $60 w/o the full workup, discount for no insurance coverage, and who came recommended by another mom regarding induction (worked for her).

She said if it were to work, the soonest would be tonight or tomorrow morning. She also said sometimes you need two treatments...so if by next Monday we're still in the holding pattern...ergh. But like I said, it felt great. She used an electricity thingy too on one needle in my back.

And, does anyone know what it means if she put it in one spot and it hurt like H***?! I've never had that happen before, and none of the other spots she put it in hurt. But this one hurt soooo bad. It was in my lower sacrum. She found another spot to put it in, and then hooked up the electricity thingy. She said it was just due to it being a very sensitive spot right now. Bleh. It was awful, but the rest was fine.

[Belleweather]

FSM: Some meridians are more sensitive than others. When I was getting poked for fertility, they told me that often meant that they needed more work or that the energy was praticularly stuck there so that was a good point to deal with. I don't know if induction works the same way -- I do know that the Ying Gate Point on my left little toe, which is big for induction hurt so much when he put the needle in this morning that I nearly kicked the poor guy in the face, so perhaps there's something to the 'needs work' theory.

Anyway, I went in this morning and saw my usual acupunturist's new partner/trainee guy, which was interesting because usually I only see HER and his style is really different. However, I did get both a full treatment, and a pre-natal massage so I'm feeling REALLY good right about now. I'm also feeling a lot more tender and contract-y than I had been before. Which considering that I wasn't feeling contractions or pressure at all, feels like a BIG improvement. It's not like I'm going to pop any moment, but I would bet at this point based on symptoms that I'm more dilated and that the baby will come before my next midwife appointment on tuesday but after DH's big biochem exam tomorrow at 11.

[mariposita]

Dropping in from December DDC, but I had some experience with this...

I had acupuncture done to speed things along with DS#1 when I needed to have the baby really soon due to high blood pressure or risk transfering to a hospital. I had acupuncture done at noon and my water broke at 11pm. Contractions started the next day at 9a.m. (slept through them though) and I went from 3-10cm and pushed DS out in 2 1/2 hours. Acupuncture can work, but I do suggest that you call the Acupuncture Licensing Board for your state and speak to someone to find out who they recommend to do a treatment like this. They'll know who's most qualified.

[bec]

Ok, I have a question about this. I am 38 weeks and 2 days. Naturally, I'm getting anxious. My understanding is that if the baby isn't ready to come, then acupuncture isn't going to work. Is this correct?

Also, does anyone have any websites or anything stating this? DH is concerned about it, but the midwife gave me the go ahead to do it. She said it was a good idea.


Bec

[flyingspaghettimama]

Originally Posted by bec

Ok, I have a question about this. I am 38 weeks and 2 days. Naturally, I'm getting anxious. My understanding is that if the baby isn't ready to come, then acupuncture isn't going to work. Is this correct?

Also, does anyone have any websites or anything stating this? DH is concerned about it, but the midwife gave me the go ahead to do it. She said it was a good idea.

This is what my MW said too. She said it was like a little "push" if all the conditions were right. If not, then nothing much would happen. Why is your husband concerned about it? It really is very relaxing if nothing else. You won't go into labor on the acupuncture table or anything (but wouldn't it be awesome if ya did...).

[bec]

I think he's nervous about it because he doesn't know much about it. Ignorance makes him edgy!


Bec

[Mama Coltrane]

I had to come read. I am a licensed acupuncturist and I have worked with pregnant women. True, acupucnture pushes things along, but won't induce you if you and your body aren't ready. It is very relaxing and shouldn't hurt much at all. The needles are very thin and are inserted in various points on the body. Most likely, with a pregnant term woman, the needles might go in your hand, between the thumb and pointer finger, near you ankle, etc. Acupressure can also be very effective if the needles aren't for you. Trust me when I say that there is little, if any , painful sensation.