In my latest Facebook Live video, I discuss how acupuncture may play a role in helping pregnant women prepare for their upcoming birth.

If you have just found out that you are pregnant – Congratulations! Pregnancy is such a beautiful and magical time in a woman's life. However, pregnancy can also be difficult and challenging if there are health issues getting in the way of your 'glow'. 

Acupuncture can offer wonderful support to women in all stages of pregnancy to help you make the most of the experience. Acupuncture offers women the choice of a drug free treatment and can be used successfully for a wide range of conditions, such as:

By Angie
Over the last few blog posts, we have shared some valuable information about how new mothers can look after themselves beautifully in the period following the birth of their baby. These have included: the Chinese tradition of a Sitting Moon; Mother-warming and Meditation;Acupressure for new mums; Nutrition for the Postnatal period; and aSelf-help checklist for mothers. During this exhilarating and tiring time, you may also want to consider seeing a professional acupuncturist for extra support. This blog post is dedicated to sharing some of the wonderful ways that acupuncture can help a new mother during the post-natal period and beyond.

Here are just some of the ways that acupucture can benefit a new mother:

By Angie
As a new mum, you may barely have enough time to eat, let along cook – and what you do eat might compose of whatever is easy and quick rather than something deeply nourishing and healing. I remember in the early days with my son, being so caught up in looking after his needs that I would very often forget about my own, only realising when I was absolutely starving, exhausted and needing a hit of sugar 'fast'!! This is not a good scenario as proper nutrition is the most effective way to restore your energy, heal your body and give your beautiful baby a healthy start in life, especially if you are breastfeeding. I'd like to share some tips that I found helpful in my journey and that will help you to embrace this magical time feeling replenished and revitalised.

By Angie
Acupressure is the application of moderate to firm pressure to various points over the body to produce a therapeutic effect. These points are the same as used for acupuncture – it is just the method of stimulating these points that is different. Acupressure allows you to treat yourself (or others) anywhere, at any time, using only your hands and some basic knowledge. It is a very effective way to bring about positive changes in your body and mind, and is very useful tool to have up your sleeve!

Here are some acupressure points that might be helpful for the post-natal period. As you are pressing the points, close your eyes, focus on making your breathing slow and regular, and put your attention on a healing thought, affirmation or image to enhance the therapeutic process. Some suggestions for affirmations to repeat to yourself whilst doing the acupressure points are given below for each situation.

By Angie
In a previous post we introduced the idea of a “Sitting Moon”, a Chinese tradition that enables a new mother to be supported in the post-partum period so that she can rest as much as possible and restore herself to radiant health.

During this time and continuing on into early motherhood, there are also things that a new mother can do for herself to encourage healing. These include “mother-warming”, acupressure, meditation, acupuncture and special attention to nutrition. These self-healing techniques help a mother to feel her best to ensure good health for the future, and also so that she can enjoy these precious, beautiful days with her baby. We will talk about all of these things over the next few blog posts.

By Angie
If you are pregnant, or know someone who is, learning about Zuo Yue Zi (literally translated as “Sitting Moon”) will be invaluable for a better recovery post-partum and for optimal health ahead. Zuo Yue Zi is a tradition whereby the month after birth, the new mother receives exceptional care and nurturing whilst also observing adequate rest, relaxation and specific self-care practices. This month is exceptionally important for restoring the mothers health and energy, preventing any future illnesses or imbalances caused by the pregnancy, and ensuring the well-being of both mother and baby. 

In traditional times, Zuo Yue Zi was practiced almost universally across China. Due to the fast pace of modern life, it is not so widely practiced anymore, however those who do observe this custom know that there are significant benefits above and beyond simply following tradition. In China and Taiwan, there are even centers where women can go to receive this nurturing care for the first month after birth, if they can not receive this care from their families.

By Angie
For those of you who enjoy reading about ways to improve and maintain radiant good health for your children (or other 'little friends' in your life), here is a short-list of my all-time favourite kids health books.