I have 2 children and their entries into the world could not have been more different. My eldest son was born by emergency caesarean after a 23 hour labour and no pain relief (optional). My youngest son was delivered by my husband in a dreamlike water birth which was the happiest experience of my life.

Although c-sections may be the right choice for some women, I found the procedure and the recovery deeply traumatising emotionally and physically. In Chinese Medicine, the operation cuts right across the meridians that run through the belly, obstructing the smooth flow of qi and in the long term possibly having consequences in those organ systems.

Therefore, when I fell pregnant for the second time, I was determined to have a natural birth. I’m not sure why I hadn’t used acupuncture in my 1st labour. Possibly because it seemed like I was doing work but it now seemed the right direction to take. Apparently my 1st experience didn’t go according to plan as my son was a very big baby, weighing in at almost 9 pounds and he was also positioned back-to-back (OP). These 2 factors caused him not to properly engage but instead force him with each contraction into my bowel and causing excruciating and unimaginable pain.

Armed with this knowledge, I adopted other techniques that could help prepare me for childbirth. My wonderful pregnancy yoga teacher, Caitlin Heavey, recommended that I completely eliminate sugar from my diet during the last trimester. Anecdotally she found that these clients all had lighter babies compared to their 1st. I also never spent any time at all lying on my back. Instead I would be on all-fours, resting on a yoga ball whilst watching tv in the evening; face forward in the bath and lying in my side in bed. I adjusted my driving seat in the car and propped myself up with pillows so my knees where never below my hips. All of these changes reduced my chances of having another OP positioned baby.

On the run up to my due date, I did acupuncture everyday on myself for a fortnight and low-and-behold! Contractions started the morning of the estimated date. I popped in some short press-tack needles into a variety of acupuncture points that boosted energy; reduced pain; induced labour and points that helped hold the baby in the optimum position for childbirth. Because the needles were very short and held on with surgical tape, I could still have a very active birth.

14 hours later, Max arrived quietly into the world as a calm, contented baby, weighing over 1 pound lighter than my 1st. I had no stitches and was on my feet again in a mere few days.

These same acupuncture points could be easily used in acupressure massage that the partner or husband could do during labour. If you like to learn more about these, you are welcome to contact me and book a session.

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