How Acupuncture Can Help You Recover from Childbirth?
The new mothers portrayed in diaper commercials make it all look so easy. They have plenty of time to style their hair, run marathons, and prepare gourmet meals while caring for newborns. Reality can be much different. In fact, it may take a few weeks or even months to recover after having a baby. Post-natal acupuncture care can help speed your recovery and may even be effective in treating postpartum depression.
Benefits of Post-Natal Acupuncture Treatment
Acupuncture treatment may offer several important benefits, including:
Increased Milk Production. Your baby's health and nutrition may suffer if you don't produce enough milk. Although formula supplementation can help, you don't necessarily have to give up on breastfeeding if you develop a milk production issue. Acupuncture treatments may relieve milk duct blockages and increase prolactin, the hormone responsible for milk production.
Less Breast Inflammation. Breastfeeding can be painful if your breasts are sore and swollen. Visiting your acupuncturist at the first sign of inflammation offers a simple way to treat inflammation.
Pain Reduction. Your body may be sore for a few weeks after your child's birth whether you had a Caesarean section or a vaginal birth. Acupuncture decreases pain by improving blood flood to your muscles and tissues while releasing endorphins, hormones that act as natural pain killers. Treatments may also trigger brain activity essential for pain relief.
Improved Sleep. It's difficult to sleep well when you get up multiple times every night to feed your baby. After a feeding and diaper change, you may be wide awake for hours. Acupuncture treatment can help you fall asleep more easily when you return to bed.
No Need for Catheterization. Some women have trouble passing urine after childbirth. Inserting a catheter into the urethra relieves the problem but may increase the risk of a urinary tract infection. Acupuncture treatment offers another option. 92% of women in a study published in the European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology urinated within one hour after receiving acupuncture treatment.
Better Mood. Acupuncture triggers the releases of endorphins and serotonin, hormones that decrease pain, reduce stress and anxiety, and improve your sense of well-being.
Relief from Postpartum Depression. Postpartum depression affects 10% to 15% of women who've given birth, according to the Anxiety and Depression Association of America. In addition to depression, the condition can cause crying spells, anxiety, mood swings, anger, hopelessness, fatigue, and difficulty concentrating. A systematic review of nine research trials published in Acupuncture in Medicine discovered that acupuncture had a beneficial effect on postpartum depression. Reviewers noted that more research is needed to support these findings.
More Energy. Labor and delivery can deplete Qi, the life force necessary for good physical and mental health. Qi travels through your body in a series of meridians. Blockages or shortages can result in low energy and a variety of other health and emotional issues. Inserting hair-thin acupuncture needles into your skin relieves blockages, restores normal Qi flow, and may help improve your energy level after childbirth.
Incontinence Improvement. Incontinence doesn't just affect older people but can also occur after you've had a baby. Childbirth can weaken the muscles that support the bladder, causing urine leakage every time you cough, sneeze, or even laugh. Luckily, acupuncture treatments can end this embarrassing problem.
Acupuncture offers a drug-free way to treat many post-natal health issues. If you'd like to reduce pain, improve milk production, sleep better or ease postpartum depression symptoms, you may want to try acupuncture. Contact us to schedule your appointment.
Sources:
Anxiety and Depression Association of America: Postpartum Depression
https://adaa.org/living-with-anxiety/women/postpartum-depression
Pacific College of Oriental Medicine: Acupuncture and Its Effect During and After Pregnancy
Sage Journals: Acupuncture in Medicine: Effectiveness of Acupuncture in Postpartum Depression: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis
https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/pdf/10.1136/acupmed-2017-011530
PubMed: European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology:Acupuncture for the Treatment of Post-Partum Urinary Retention, 1/31/18
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29459188
British Acupuncture Council: Puerperium
https://www.acupuncture.org.uk/a-to-z-of-conditions/a-to-z-of-conditions/puerperium.html