A small qualitative study carried out in a Swiss hospital, has found that women given acupuncture during labour, reported enhanced birthing experiences. Seven healthy women who had acupuncture during normal labour, were interviewed in the first month after the birth. They reported increased satisfaction with regard to pain relief and progress in labour, suggesting that midwives should discuss acupuncture with women during the antenatal period and offer it as an option during labour. The study provides a better understanding of this topic by midwives and other health professionals, and contributes to the further development of acupuncture practice during labour.
(Women’s Experiences of Acupuncture during Labour. British Journal of Midwifery, 4 April 2013.)
Author: Robin Costello
I offer traditional Chinese acupuncture in Exeter, from a tranquil clinic a mile from the city centre, and next to the University of Exeter. I graduated originally from the London School of Acupuncture and Traditional Chinese Medicine’s 3 year full time Acupuncture Diploma (DipAc) course. I am on the practitioners register of the British Acupuncture Council (MBAcC), a regulatory and professional body with an entry standard of a full three year undergraduate degree level training.
I have worked in a hospital in south west China, deepening my knowledge and using acupuncture and Chinese massage (tuina) as the treatment of choice in its country of origin. I have taught Chinese medicine in colleges, the NHS and at university level. I also practise Qi Gong, and Chinese dietary therapy, that is the medicinal use of ordinary foods, chosen to help achieve particular therapeutic effects in different individuals.
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