By Natalie
My Story
At 41+ weeks pregnant with my first baby, I started to come under heavy pressure from the hospital to book in for a medical induction. Having learned about the cascade of interventions that often follow a medical induction, I began looking for other options. Acupuncture was suggested by a friend and after a bit of research, I booked in with a nearby practitioner.
I walked into the acupuncture clinic in a fairly stressed state. I was worrying about my baby being overdue and whether I was right to prioritise my own wish for a natural birth above the hospital’s induction policy. As the practitioner went about putting in her needles, she started up a conversation and asked me how I was feeling and what was going on. As my story tumbled out – together with a few tears – she offered no opinion, judgement or advice. She just gave me space to think out loud and I felt an energetic shift in my body.
She also asked if there was any reason I might be holding on to the pregnancy, which I found a little strange and was at a loss for something to say. But when she followed up with, “Is there anything you’re afraid of?”, a penny dropped. A memory from my 20 week scan replayed in my mind, when I’d been told that my baby’s kidney measurement indicated a possible genetic abnormality. I’d decided against an invasive test and moved on but in that moment, I realised some anxiety remained. Just voicing this out loud seemed to release something inside and I felt a weight lift.
I left the clinic feeling lighter and curious to see what would happen next. Four hours later my labour began. And while I can’t claim this was solely down to the acupuncture, I do know that the session left me in a more positive and relaxed state that would have better supported the essential flow of oxytocin in early labour.
Acupuncture is a longstanding component of Traditional Chinese Medicine, used to promote comfort, balance, and readiness in the lead-up to birth. If you’re interested to give this a try…
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