Acupuncture for Postpartum Care
“For every day a woman doesn't take care of herself in the first two weeks postpartum, she adds a month to her postpartum recovery.” (Raven Lang*)
The postpartum period (defined as the immediate time after giving birth lasting an unknown period) can be both a magical and exhausting time. In many parts of the world, this sacred time is cherished and protected, and new moms are cooked for and cared for by their family and community members. In the U.S. however, this is too often not the case.
Sometimes, new moms are expected to return to work as soon as possible and maintain a household while caring for a new baby. In this crucial time of recovery, many women are left feeling depleted and exhausted, running on empty. Acupuncture and Chinese Medicine has a history of over 3,000 years in helping women recover after childbirth, and can be extremely helpful for common postpartum conditions. Treatment is typically advised within the first six weeks after childbirth, in order to obtain optimal results.
Symptoms
Acupuncture can help with the following postpartum symptoms:
- Insufficient lactation (not producing enough milk)
- Mastitis (inflammation or an infection of one or both breasts)
- Urinary incontinence after vaginal tearing
- Fatigue / exhaustion
- Pelvic pain, and pain/recovery after a C-section
- Constipation and hemorrhoids
- Postpartum depression and anxiety
- Night sweats and hormonal imbalances
- Uterine bleeding
In addition to acupuncture, a licensed acupuncturist can offer advice for nutritional and lifestyle recommendations based on Traditional Chinese Medicine theory that can be helpful to the recovery process.
*Raven Lang is a licensed acupuncturist, and was also one of the first homebirth midwives in California, and is the founder of the first birth center in North America and author of Birth Book.