Recent research has discussed the importance of treating women during pregnancy using a variety of natural treatments like, Chinese Medicine and Acupuncture, Naturopathic Medicine, Chiropractic care, yoga and so on. This is due to the fact that pregnancy is a very significant time in a woman’s life, for herself and for her baby. During this time many symptoms may arise, for example morning sickness, nausea and vomiting, fatigue, back and knee pain, preeclampsia, hemorrhoids, insomnia, just to name a few. These symptoms don’t necessarily have to arise as pregnancy is not a disease and not all women suffer from them. Treatment with natural care can support and prepare the body for changes pregnant women experience, and prevent unnecessary sorrow and discomfort as well as help to prepare the body for labour.

But, are women in the clear after birth? All women who have been there will say that the hard work had just begun!

These days we are seeing an increase in short-term post-natal syndromes and disorders like persistent uterine bleeding, pain, hair loss, problems with breastfeeding as well as more severe side-effects such as fatigue, anemia, postpartum depression, gestational diabetes etc.

In addition, in the longer term we are seeing other chronic diseases arise such as, Fibromyalgia, Osteoporosis, SLE, O.R, R.A, Chronic fatigue and others that are harming and effect mostly women. Statistics show that women are affected by80% more than men. The question is why?? Why do woman suffer from so many of these types of syndromes and why are they more affected than men? And what role does pregnancy play in all of this?

Chinese Medicine has a very simple answer for all of this and the answer is over use!! Over use of the bodily QI, blood, nutrients and essences. From going through the menstrual cycle and the loss of blood the body experiences over so many years to experiencing so many emotions. Pregnancy – where the body grows and feeds another life for 9 months and with that comes labour, breast feeding…and that’s before we deal with the daily stresses of life, all of this can lead to overuse and draining of the bodily QI which leads to a deep deficiency. It doesn’t mean that every woman who’s been pregnant will develop a chronic disease and it doesn’t mean that women or men that have never been pregnant will not experience this, but numbers and common sense can show a link between the two.

In Chinese Medicine, deficiency of QI and other body essences are the main cause for all of the diseases and disorders discussed. Postnatal Acupuncture has been clinically proven to help and improve many of the symptoms that arise following labour, speed up the recovery time, alleviate pain, and assist in dealing with various breast feeding difficulties and many more.

The way Acupuncture and Chinese medicine does this is by helping the body to restore and rebuild the quality and quantity of the body QI, blood and essences. This is achieved by producing more energy from what we eat, drink and breathe by making it more available for use, whereby treating and preventing much of the postnatal discomfort women experience.

In the long-term, Acupuncture has been proven to help with the pain and discomfort that Fibromyalgia, Arthritis and other chronic diseases and disorders cause.

I believe that by understanding the body and the disease mechanisms, getting the right treatment and maintenance over time, especially after such a significant thing like pregnancy and labour we can significantly relieve the short term symptoms and also reduce the rate and percentage of other diseases and disorders that are characteristic for women, and for those that western medicine has no answer too.