A 28 year old woman came to see me for help in preparing for a vaginal delivery after a previous caesarean.  She was 34 weeks pregnant with her second baby.  She was induced in her first pregnancy after her waters broke early, but the induction was unsuccessful and she had an emergency caesarean.  She had also been experiencing recurrent tonsillitis in this pregnancy.  I gave her weekly acupuncture treatments to promote uterine tone, encourage optimal positioning of the baby and support her immune system.  The tonsillitis did not return after the first treatment.  She went into labour spontaneously at 40 weeks and delivered a healthy baby boy vaginally.

Acupuncture helps to prepare the body for a vaginal birth by helping to soften the cervix, tone the muscles of the uterus and encourage the baby into an optimal position for delivery.  Acupuncture can also be used to encourage the baby to arrive on time.   The treatments I use are gentle and relaxing – I believe the natural processes of the body should be supported rather than forced, and I avoid strong techniques to induce labour.