Here at the Berkley Center, we are known for our longstanding history in working with fertility patients.  Dr. Berkley L.Ac (RI) has specialized in treating male and female infertility with acupuncture and Chinese herbal medicine for over a decade, and with great success alongside traditional Western fertility treatments.  Traditionally, he follows a protocol that discharges his pregnant patients after week 13 of their pregnancy, given that miscarriage rates decline in the second trimester.  Although the job of helping a woman conceive and helping her get through the most common territory for miscarriage is done, acupuncture can still play an important role throughout the rest of a woman’s pregnancy and beyond.  When I see his patients belly’s growing, I remind them not to forget about us as their pregnancy continues.

Pregnancy is not a disease, and ‘treatment’ is not warranted just because someone is pregnant.  However, just as acupuncture works at its best in a non-pregnant individual when done over a period of time and before illness ensues, pregnant women can receive the same benefits before they deliver and are no longer pregnant.  As certain discomforts arise, along with certain modern obstetrical deadlines,  acupuncture can offer natural ways to keep a woman’s changing body in balance.   It is also safe for a growing baby and may prevent certain medical interventions as the due-date approaches.

Many women experience some level of pelvic girdle or low back pain during pregnancy, a symptom that is often greatly alleviated by acupuncture.  Several studies have also showed this to be the case, and effective points often used are located on the ear - far away from the local area.  Ankle swelling, constipation, insomnia, and mood changes are other physical shifts that can happen later in a woman’s pregnancy.  While such discomforts are often idled as simply ‘par for the course’ in pregnant women, expected to alleviate only after the birth of the baby, acupuncture can offer natural relief now.  A more comfortable mom makes for a more enjoyable pregnancy and could assist in a smoother labor & delivery - all ingredients for a happier, healthier memory of this important transition.

Perhaps a woman is blessed with very few discomforts during her pregnancy, acupuncture can still play a critical role in preparing her body for labor and delivery.  A woman’s body knows what to do when it comes to labor, but sometimes it needs a gentle push in the right direction - especially with the high push for medical inductions merely one week post-due date.  I work with women after week 37, seeing them once a week (as they see their OB at this time), and help address any circumstances that may arise, such as rotating a breech-positioned fetus through acupuncture.  Additionally, we can help relax the pelvic floor muscles to promote cervical dilation, provide natural induction, regulate contractions, and even assist in some pain relief during active labor.  Unlike medical inductions, which often result in a cascade of further interventions, acupuncture works with your body in a way that it can safely and effectively handle.

Acupuncture during labor and delivery is not for everyone.  It will never take the place of the pain-relief an epidural can provide, but it can offer natural support in women who wish for that.  Regardless of the birth-plan a woman is hoping for, acupuncture during pregnancy and prior to labor and delivery is helpful for anyone.  Whether birth happens with epidural, non-medicated or with C-Section, it will be a tremendous expenditure of energy and the more nourished and prepared a woman’s body is for this the better the outcome.  Acupuncture, and especially herbal medicine, can help promote rapid recovery of energy lost during childbirth so that the mom and baby can connect naturally and painlessly.  Having had the relationship with my pregnant patients throughout their pregnancy, I am able to quickly offer individual treatment options to them post-partum, when their new life-duties may inable them to come in to the office for an in-person visit. 

For information on ways to lead a prevention lifestyle rather than a prescription one, and/or to participate in contributing your ideas, check out this blog @ the Kathleen Show:  http://thekathleenshow.typepad.com/blog/2009/10/prevention-not-prescriptions.html

In response to the previous post I did earlier on the Huffington Post findings that women are, in general, feeling less happy in the modern climate - here is a follow up.  Author, Marcus Buckingham (funny, how the expert-news-reporter-on-women’s-happiness is male), has backed up his previous publication now with the prescription for female happiness.  Although the “research” done I don’t have any particular beef with, I’m still skeptical on exactly how the research was performed - how many women were interviewed, and of that, how many were truthful.

Happiness is a very funny thing - both in its simplicity and importance.  Can we really define what it means to be happy?  Is it a feeling of lightness, free from worry, free from pain, essentially: free from emotion?  Or is it more a general acceptance for all of our emotions, the freedom to experience and truly feel the continuum?  Think about it.  What does happiness mean to you?

Martha Washington stated: “The greater part of our happiness or misery depends on our disposition and not on our circumstances.”  In other words, simply change your horrible feelings into better feelings, think more positive thoughts.  This is all well and good, but not as easy as it may sound.  So much of our experiences are not only emotionally and mentally
felt, but somatically stored in the body.  Our reactions to stimuli become automatic reflexes, learned habits.  In order to truly change our disposition, we must be willing to work with ourselves on the physical, emotional, and mental levels.  This takes time, energy, and like anything in life that takes a lot of training to accomplish - a significant amount of discomfort.

As a society, in general, we do not embrace discomfort very well.  Why should we? -when there are all sorts of pills and substances out there to numb that discomfort.  Perhaps if the readily available goods to take the edge off physical and emotional pain developed over the past few decades were as truly beneficial as they claim, there wouldn’t be articles and studies showing the significant decline in general happiness.  Perhaps, we are missing the mark by not encouraging the understanding of our
discomfort by throwing a nice comfy blanket around it.

I was at a concert last night in the East Village, and next to the bar was a sign written in chalk saying: “Beer makes us feel how we should feel without drinking beer.”  How very insightful and astute for a punk-rock bar.  The unfortunate part to the prior statement is that by drinking beer (or taking meds, or whatever) to feel a happier self, we often take two steps back when that high runs out.  It’s not a means to an end, there is not an easy and fun short-cut.  If we want the good stuff, we have to do
the work - but isn’t that a part of being alive?

For this, and many other reasons, alternative healing methods are growing in popularity and excitement.  People are seeing the long-term results of taking away their symptoms, essentially stripping them of their experiences, and want to take their power back.  Please be advised that I am not shrugging off the importance of certain medications, which are vital to healthcare.
What I am suggesting is a melding of the two, empowering people to take their experiences and health into the power of their own body.  If you are not experience a level of happiness that you deem appropriate, I encourage you to ask yourself why this may be the case and what possible things can be done to help the situation?  Martha Washington was right, changing out circumstances is not the key - its changing ourselves.

We were not born to be sick, we were born to be healthy.  It is what our bodies do.  Sometimes we get off track and we need a light push, sometimes before the push we need a kick-in-the-teeth and some help for the pain.  Ultimately, if we can marry the therapeutic treatments available, I firmly believe we can do a greater good.

Check out the newest Huffington Post article, please leave comments if you have any:
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/marcus-buckingham/what-the-happiest-and-mos_b_301406.html
In happiness for all,
Erin