Acupuncture

[Louise34567]

Hello
I'm seven weeks pregnant, used acupuncture when trying to conceive and am continuing to use acupuncture for the first trimester.
Seems to be massively helping morning sickness, but not tiredness!
Just wondering if anyone else is receiving acupuncture whilst pregnant, too?

I had acupuncture every week all the way to 12 weeks as I'd previously had miscarriages and it was to help me hang on to the pregnancy - which it has!

But I stopped once I got passed 12 wks

That's what I want to do as well. Keep up my hormone levels.
Glad I'm not the only one!
It's crazy, I asked my doctor if she thought it was wise to continue (when I found out I was 6 weeks) and she said no. They seem to have a bit of an ignorance for complementary therapies when they're practised safely by a registered expert.

I had acupuncture every week after a mc and when trying to conceive. Now I'm pg and my acupuncture doctor recommended continuing throughout the pg with a session every 3/4 weeks. He thinks it helps have an easier pg and birth. My gynaecologist said it is fine, as long as the doctor/ practitioner knows you are pregnant. My next session is at 17 weeks.

Sounds good. I'd do that if I could afford it - unfortunately I can only do another couple until the money runs out!
Acupuncture should be prescribed on the NHS. It's not fair.

You could talk to your practitioner about spacing out the last few appointments. I will have a maximum of 10 sessions during my pregnancy but spread out over the 9 months. The UK is really backwards in their approach to complementary medicines. I live in a country with better healthcare than the UK and they are open to using alternatives alongside modern medicine.

Thanks fruit. That's a good tip but, personally, I want to have them all in the first trimester as that's when risk of early miscarriage is at its highest - if I could afford more I definitely would space them out. I've only got 2 more booked and I'm just 7 weeks. x

They seem to have a bit of an ignorance for complementary therapies when they're practised safely by a registered expert.

No. They just cannot ethically endorse something that isn't proven to work in randomised controlled trials. There is no evidence that acupuncture works. That puts it on the same footing as any old chemical I whip up in the lab.

When complimentary medicine is proven to work, we call it medicine. Until then, it's woo.

Oh, it works. It really works.
But they're not ready to do trials yet to test it.

There have even been trials of acupuncture on animals, and it's been shown to work. On animals! They wouldn't be able to pretend it works/show a 'placebo' effect.

I trust things like acupuncture waaaay more than chemicals.

They have done trials. With both sham needling and needling at incorrect points.

Zero effect.

Everything is chemicals. Most of our drugs are derived from compounds found in nature but natural doesn't equal better. Arsenic is natural. So is cyanide, belladonna and asbestos.

If acupuncture worked it'd be regulated. But, like homeopathy it doesn't and do its not.

The placebo effect is actually really interesting (I've done some work on it.) there have been studies fine where patients are aware they are taking placebo and you still see an effect. Pretty cool stuff.

Acupuncture is woo.

If you believe in the placebo effect, why would you come onto a thread where people are talking about acupuncture helping them through a difficult time and tell them that they're wrong? Jog on.

Here here. Pretty insensitive for those that acupuncture has truly helped. Some women have suffered miscarriages and acupuncture has helped them hang on to their next pregnancy.

There's plenty of evidence to support it - most of it anecdotal at the moment because there haven't been enough and extensive trials. It's also a pretty tricky therapy to assess as there are so many additional internal and external conditions that can influence outcomes.

Acupuncture points - when targeted correctly - correspond to nerves and blood circulation. These in turn can help regulate blood circulation, and the nerves can correspond to hormone levels (e.g. a lot of women choose to have acupuncture treatments during conception/early pregnancy as it can help raise levels of progesterone to maintain a viable pregnancy, and during/before conception acupuncture can help channel more blood to the uterus).

I am not saying I am a scientist; I do not have all the answers; I am not great at explaining things; yet I know it's working for me (not just with pregnancy) and I've seen it work with others.

I wouldn't judge anyone else's choice of complementary therapy. If people use chemical treatments and they work? Fine! And sorry if I initially came across judgemental about chemicals - I truly take that back. I personally choose to avoid them where possible, but that's NOT to say they don't work. Likewise, if people use alternative therapies and they work for them? Fine!

Just don't tell others that their treatment doesn't work for them if you haven't tried it yourself.

Oh - and good luck to everyone who is currently on their cycle of acupuncture. :) I don't want mine to finish!
Nearly dozed off in my last session, it was so relaxing. Anyone else find that?