Blog Posts from Kate
Hormones are your pregnancy and labour helpers – Why hormones are important in normal labour, and how acupressure can help
OXYTOCIN – why we love the love hormone!
Oxytocin is the hormone of love, and it’s also the hormone of labour! It’s our feel-good hormone. It’s what we feel when we are in love, or when we are with our friends, sharing a meal, or when someone gives us a big hug.
But importantly, it’s going to be really useful in labour.
OXYTOCIN FOR LABOUR
Oxytocin is what stimulates the amazing contractions to birth our babies. Recent research tells us that natural oxytocin, produced when we’re in labour, is released into both the brain and the blood. It has a positive effect by reducing stress and pain in labour and activating the pleasure centres of the brain – now that’s a bonus!
Natural oxytocin also helps to birth placenta, stop bleeding, promote bonding and attachment, breastfeeding and preparation for parenting.
However, synthetic (exogenous) oxytocin, sometimes given in labour to induce or speed things up, does not cross into the brain, so many of these benefits are lost. But acupressure can help! More on that later.
WHAT OTHER HORMONES ARE INVOLVED IN LABOUR?
The main hormones of labour are Oxytocin, Beta-endorphins, Melatonin, and Prolactin. These hormones work in sync with each other when we are in a relaxed state - producing comfort, ease and even pleasure during labour. These hormones literally alter our perception of pain, and we are able to cope with a lot more intensity when we are in a relaxed state.
THE RELAXATION RESPONSE AND HORMONES
Things that help us to activate the relaxation response, are: being in a darkened space, privacy, warmth, physical touch and affection, feeling secure and cared for, being able to eat and drink and move around during labour, using warm water, and comfortable positions for labour.
ACUPRESSURE, MASSAGE AND HORMONES
Research suggest that acupressure and moderate pressure massage techniques help to active oxytocin and beta-endorphins in particular. This helps with labour progress, pain relief and comfort in labour. Research from China shows that acupressure (at Sp6) works to enhance oxytocin, even when women have had an epidural!
What a wonder hormone!
Back, hip and pelvic pain in pregnancy – can acupuncture help?
Many women experience back and pelvic pain during pregnancy - this is due to the change in weight distribution, and the change in hormones which soften ligaments and muscles to accommodate the baby and prepare for birth. Back and pelvic pain is one of the commonest conditions of pregnancy, and women report that it often affects their daily routine and capacity to work.
What does Acupuncture do?
There has been a significant rise in the popularity of acupuncture for pain conditions in pregnancy, where drug-free options are important. Acupuncture is used to maintain or restore health by balancing the energy or Qi in the body. Acupuncture theory explains disease and physiological function based on the concepts of Yin and Yang and the Five Elements (Earth, Wood, Water, Fire and Metal). In Western concepts acupuncture has been shown through imaging to work on the nervous, fascial and neuro-hormonal systems.
Is it effective?
Acupuncture has been shown to be effective for reducing back and pelvic pain in numerous studies and systematic reviews. Research shows that acupuncture decreases pain scores, reduces use of pharmacological pain medication and improves physical functioning for women during pregnancy.
Is it safe in pregnancy?
Research in this area is reassuring that there are no reported increased rates of adverse events when treating pregnancy related conditions with acupuncture. It is recommended that acupuncture practitioners avoid using ‘forbidden points’ during pregnancy – These are a small group of points used for cervical ripening, and should not be used before 37 weeks of pregnancy (Levett, Betts 2019) (see labour preparation blog). It is recommended that you consult a licenced acupuncturist for treatment. This may be especially relevant for women who have a history of premature labour or an incompetent cervix.
What is the cascade of interventions & how to prevent it?
The cascade of interventions describes a common situation where once you’ve had one medical intervention in labour, you then need to have further medical interventions to manage the side-effects of the first. This is mainly due to the interruption of the body’s natural birth hormones.
HOW CAN ACUPRESSURE AND OTHER COMPLEMENTARY THERAPIES HELP?
I found in my research on complementary therapies for pain relief in labour, that when mums and birth partners understood the normal physiology of labour – how all the amazing hormones work in birth - AND they have tools to support themselves, like acupressure, massage, breathing, etc, they were less likely to experience the cascade of interventions, including caesarean section.
WHY DO EPIDURALS RISK THE CASCADE OF INTERVENTIONS?
Having an epidural is a good example of how the cascade of interventions works. But, induction of labour or continuous monitoring, are also well known for their part in the cascade.
Epidurals are linked to increased risk of having forceps, vacuum and potentially caesarean section. Having an epidural interrupts the normal hormones of labour, and decreases sensations that would otherwise stimulate the release of oxytocin.
WHAT IF I NEED TO HAVE A MEDICAL INTERVENTION?
Sometimes an induction, or epidural, or fetal monitoring etc, are needed during birth because of special circumstances that arise – and these can be life-saving! If you do need medical assistance, however, by using tools such as massage, breathing and acupressure, you can help avoid further interventions, and maintain autonomy during labour.
ACUPRESSURE, MASSAGE, BREATHING AND HORMONES
Using techniques, like acupressure, massage, breathing, upright positions and relaxation, will help with pain relief, coping strategies, and labour progress, and can help to avoid the cascade of interventions. These techniques will help you to maximise your body’s own amazing hormones to: keep labour going; pain relief; bonding and attachment; and the experience of joy.
Remember, your body was built to do it!
Moxa and acupuncture for breech babies
Breech babies – can acupuncture and moxa help?
What is breech presentation?
A breech is presentation is when your baby has its bottom or legs down rather than the usual head down position. This happens in about 3-4% of all term pregnancies, meaning it will affect about 10,000 women each year in Australia.
What’s the usual treatment?
More than 90% of breech babies are born by planned caesarean section. Some hospitals have specialist breech clinics, where they may discuss options for vaginal breech birth.
In Australia, it’s recommended by the College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologist to try a manual external cephalic-version (ECV), where a doctor will try to turn the baby manually. This is successful in about 50% of cases, but only about 10% of women try it.
However, most women would prefer vaginal birth, so is there another option?
Moxibustion and acupuncture for turning breech babies
Moxibustion or Moxa, is a Chinese medicine treatment, where a compressed herb (Artemisia) is burned close to acupuncture points on the little toe (Bl67). Moxa has been shown to be safe and is effective about 50% of the time – but it’s more effective when used in combination with acupuncture or postural techniques (Neri 2002). Moxa also increases the success of subsequent ECVs (Do et al., (2011).
How does it work?
It’s thought that moxibustion stimulates the release of hormones (glucocorticoids), which increases sensitivity in the uterine muscles by producing estrogen, which encourages the baby to turn.
How do I use it?
Moxibustion is inexpensive, easy to use, and considered safe.
· Combining moxa with acupuncture, or postural techniques is more effective.
· Commonly, moxa is used at home once or twice per day for two weeks starting at 33-35 weeks of pregnancy.
· If you have a breech baby, consult a licensed acupuncturist who specialises in treatment of pregnant women.
Reference:
Neri, I., et al. (2004). "Acupuncture plus moxibustion to resolve breech presentation: a randomized controlled study." The Journal of Maternal-Fetal & Neonatal Medicine 15(4): 247-252.
Do, C. K., et al. (2011). "Moxibustion for cephalic version: a feasibility randomised controlled trial." BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine 11(1): 81.
