Acupuncture is amazing during your first trimester. Not only is it amazing it is essential.
There are two main acupuncture plans that we follow in our clinic, where we see pregnant patients at week 6, week 8 and week 10, or week 7, week 9 and week 11. Whats the difference, well, honestly, scheduling for our patients. We always try to build our treatments around our patients lives. My own personal preference is week 6, week 8 and week 10. Week 6 being the key, in my experience I have seen alto of miscarries happen around week 6. The medical community will say that 70-80% of all miscarries are due to genetics or chromosomal. Im not 100% sure about this number, as most miscarriages are not tested.
In chinese medicine and acupuncture week 6 is significant, this is where babies heart beat starts. I joke alot with my doctor friends as to what every is required to start a babies heart for life. They always look at me with a blank face. I ask the same question of my acupuncture friends and its, oh, a massive serge of kidney energy, which is true in once sence, however we also have aspects of blood supply. It does get a little complicated depending on which week you are in for your session but dont worry you are in good hands.
One other thing acupuncture is amazing for is pregnancy nausea and pregnancy headaches. Its really effective. Again from experience I tend to wait for week 8 to 10 before I work with nausea. The main reason, we no matter how many times I mention to my patients, dont worry now in the morning if you feel great, this is why you are hear to get rid of the morning sickness, almost every time, lol they ring asking if something is wrong. The nausea is completely gone. Nothing is wrong, we are just used to hearing the nausea is a good sign from the medical community.
So a few things to remember when you are pregnant, there is:
- Slow down you are pregnant
- Eat as well as you can, base it on the 80/20 rule, 80% goodness, 20% badness
- Sleep well, sleeping really helps you during pregnancy, to recharge and get through you days in the 1st trimester
- Enjoy, the 1st trimester will fly and this is the one time where you have this unique connection with your baby.