Acupuncture for Labor Pain Management

Acupuncture for Labor Pain Management

For most women, the most daunting part of being pregnant, and bring a new baby into their life is the act of getting the baby out! "You want me to push that out of what!" 

A mother's body is a beautiful and amazing creation that can do what seems to be an impossible feat. With that said, the process is not....well...comfortable by any means, and will test a mother's strength. As all mother's know, the moment that baby's eyes meets yours, all the pain, fear and discomfort is worth that one moment when you see your baby for the first time.

During labor, levels of beta endorphins naturally increase, allowing the mother to cope with contractions. In the case of a mother that is accepting of birth and as a normal labor and delivery, these naturally occurring endorphins are enough to ease the pain. There are reasons why a mother may not be able to cope with labor pains. In the cases of occipito-posterior positioning, stress, artificially induced labors, or labors that are long and hard, the mother's levels of endorphins may not be enough, or may have been reduced (in the case of stress.) It is in these situations that Pain Management options are requested.

Western Medicine has many pain management options, most commonly the epidural, or IV DemerolBut, there are side effects and many other things that women may not be aware of before making that decision. Now, don't get me wrong, there is a time and place for the use of medical pain management in labor. More often than not, the mother just needs some moral support and enough pain management to take the edge off. Because of this, more and more women are turning to Acupuncture/Acupressure to help them deal with labor pains more naturally. Unlike the Western Medical pain management options, there are no side effects to using Acupuncture for Labor analgesia. 

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