How effective is labor acupressure?

As well as the testimonies of many happy new mothers, there has been a lot of positive feedback from midwives. Even when there is some degree of skepticism - either about the theory behind the practice, or from people who have previously been treated with acupuncture and doubt the effectiveness of the practice when not using needles - reactions have been good.

The birthing women have reported feeling a real difference in their contractions when the appropriate points were being pressed. Many of the new mothers rated acupressure very highly as a form of pain relief, with comments like ‘fantastic’ and ‘couldn’t have done without it’. Many women who tried a TENS machine in addition to acupressure during labor found that acupressure was more effective than the TENS machine. This machine provides pain relief by administering a low electrical current to specific points on the birthing woman’s body. These machines, unlike acupressure, can’t be used in a birthing pool, shower, or bath.

In addition to ratings varying from “very good” to “excellent” from the mothers being treated with acupressure during labor, the lower instance of medical intervention in cases where acupressure was used speaks for itself.

Furthermore, once a woman has gone past her due date and medical induction looks increasingly likely, acupressure is helpful in inducing labor naturally. Midwives using acupressure and advising expectant mothers to apply pressure to points such as Adjoining Valley (LI4) and Three Yin Crossing (SP6) and the sacral points, two or three days before a planned medical induction, repeatedly report that the women who had been doing acupressure at regular intervals managed to go into labor naturally and avoided the medical induction.
Indeed even when a woman who has been using acupressure still needs to have a medical induction there are far fewer complications and most of these women achieve a natural delivery. So, not only does the use of acupressure often mean that medical intervention is unnecessary, but should medical intervention be unavoidable acupressure can continue being applied in complete safety and usually to great benefit.

Natural Ways To Induce Labor

Wonderful Benefits of Acupressure in Pregnancy

Acupressure is a holistic system that builds on what the body is already doing right. In this way, the use of acupressure can be remarkably beneficial during pregnancy. Acupressure helps to ease morning sickness, gives drug-free back pain relief and may be used to induce labor of a full-time pregnancy.

Because of the potential for this kind of response, it is important that you know a thing or two about what you are doing, and not attempt certain acupressure techniques until after your due date so as not to trigger labor prematurely.

Acupressure, however, can be used safely throughout pregnancy to relieve many discomforts and painful conditions. You can go to a specialist to get acupressure treatment done, or you can learn and apply it to yourself. It is also a great technique for fathers-to-be to learn, because it is a proactive way to get involved in the pregnancy and labor to give special relief for loved ones.

During the third trimester, acupressure can also help to encourage a head down position for the baby so as to ensure a smoother birth. Stimulation of specific acupressure points is also widely used for inducing labor of full time pregnancies, because it triggers womb contractions. These and some other acupressure points can also be used during childbirth in order to encourage womb contractions and thus assist the labor.

Most women need some form of pain alleviation in case of severe pain during labor. Many people, however, don't want medication during labor for a variety of reasons, and acupressure provides a viable option to pain-relieving drugs. Acupressure can significantly ease the stress and reduce pain of childbirth without causing any side effects of drugs. In many cases, acupressure can at least reduce, if not compensate, the amount of anesthesia used in an epidural procedure, in which medication is administered into the spine. In addition to relieving pain, acupressure has been shown to shorten labor and combat exhaustion by increasing your energy.

Natural Ways To Induce Labor

Acupressure To Induce Labor

Acupressure is a holistic system that builds on what the body is already doing right. In this way, the use of acupressure can be remarkably beneficial during pregnancy. Acupressure helps to ease morning sickness, gives drug-free back pain relief and may be used to induce labor of a full-time pregnancy.

Because of the potential for this kind of response, it is important that you know a thing or two about what you are doing, and not attempt certain acupressure techniques until after your due date so as not to trigger labor prematurely.

Acupressure, however, can be used safely throughout pregnancy to relieve many discomforts and painful conditions. You can go to a specialist to get acupressure treatment done, or you can learn and apply it to yourself. It is also a great technique for fathers-to-be to learn, because it is a proactive way to get involved in the pregnancy and labor to give special relief for loved ones.

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Want To Have An Easier Childbirth – Safely?

Childbirth can be hard labor. Fatigue and fear, stress and anxiety make it even harder.

A certain amount of relaxation will help you to have an easier labor and will reduce the stress on the baby. Managing the labor pains effectively is also important because tough labor pains drain you physically and mentally, and can result in prolonged labor.

Acupressure is a well known method for non-invasive pain relief and relaxation. This method is older than acupuncture and dates back to at least 4,000 B.C. in the East. It involves finger pressure on specific points of the body that correspond with the flow of energy.

Stimulation of the acupressure points for pain relief has been shown to increase the release of endorphins. Endorphins are extremely effective natural painkillers that also improve the body’s performance and promote positive feelings.

Acupressure promotes relaxation in various ways. Physically, it normalizes the heart rate and lowers the blood pressure. This results in remarkably reduced feelings of anxiety and stress, and enhanced feeling of well-being.

Opposite to administration of drugs, acupressure will not lessen your contractions or cause them to stop. Although the intensity of pain is remarkably reduced, the intensity or the frequency of the contractions is not affected by acupressure. Indeed, specific acupressure points help your contractions to be more frequent and more successful.

Acupressure has been proven to be effective method for relieving pain. It has also been proven to be the safest pain relief method known today. Additionally, mothers who have used acupressure during labor have been incredibly satisfied with this method. They found it very helpful in controlling the labor pains, in helping the cervix to dilate, and in encouraging the contractions. Mothers using acupressure also have shorter delivery time than mothers not using acupressure.

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Acupressure Points For Pregnancy

Acupressure can help in preventing episiotomy and tearing. A preliminary study has shown that you can avoid the need for an episiotomy or tearing of the perineum during childbirth if you practice acupressure during the third trimester and labor.

Acupressure seems to work best as a preventative measure, not just during childbirth itself. Women who only performed acupressure during labor weren’t nearly as successful in avoiding episiotomy and tearing as those who practiced it every day for a period of time prior to labor.

How does it work? Stimulation of specific acupressure points for pregnancy actually makes the tissue of the perineum more flexible and helps it to relax. This allows it to stretch more easily as the baby’s head passes through, preventing a tear and the need for an episiotomy. Considering how frequently these incisions are performed on pregnant women, it’s unfortunate that so few people are aware of the benefits of acupressure.

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Reflexology to induce labor

If you need help getting your labor started, the answer may be in your feet.

Reflexology has been shown to help induce labor and reduce pain during childbirth. In fact, more and more nurses are beginning to learn this specialized type of foot massage and are using it in delivery rooms around the world to ease their patients’ discomfort and reduce the length of labor.

While reflexology is best known as a specialized type of foot massage, it is performed on the hands as well. Reflexology is similar to acupressure because it applies pressure to specific points on the body, but reflexology doesn’t work with the body’s energy flow in the same way as acupressure. Reflexology is based on certain reflex areas on the feet and hands that directly affect the organs and muscles of the rest of the body.

Little is more relaxing than a foot massage, but reflexology is even more effective because it pinpoints the specific areas that will help move you toward a faster delivery date.

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Acupressure and Holistic Medical System

Holistic Medical System is actually an approach to life. Rather than focusing on illness or specific parts of the body, this approach to health considers the whole person and how he or she interacts with his or her environment. It emphasizes the connection of mind, body, and spirit.

The goal is to achieve maximum well-being, where everything is functioning the very best that is possible. With Holistic Medical System people accept responsibility for their own level of well-being, and everyday choices are used to take charge of one's own health. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) is a Holistic Medical System and acupressure is one form of TCM. The Holistic Medical System of Acupressure was developed in Asia around 5,000 years ago.

Acupressure utilizes the same reference point on the body than acupuncture. But rather than stimulating acupuncture points with needles, acupressure involves placing physical pressure by hand, elbow, or with the aid of various devices on different acupuncture points.

According to the ideas of Holistic Medical System, 12 main meridians, six of which are yin and six are yang and numerous minor ones, form a network of energy channels throughout the body. The acupressure points are locations where the energy (qi) of the channels rises close to the surface of the body. According to the ideas of Holistic Medical System, acupressure is used to regulate or correct the flow of energy (qi) to restore health.

As being a Holistic Medical System, acupressure is very beneficial as it can relieve pain and bring the body back into harmonious balance. Acupressure's healing ability promotes stress reduction, improves circulation, relaxes the body and strengthens the immune system. Thus, acupressure and Holistic Medical System enable you to live a long, healthy life.

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Acupressure Points For Pregnancy

Acupressure can be used safely throughout pregnancy to relieve many discomforts. You can go to a specialist to get acupressure treatment done, or you can learn and apply it to yourself. It is also a great technique for fathers-to-be to learn, because it is a proactive way to get involved in the pregnancy and labor to give special relief for loved ones.

Acupressure is a holistic system that builds on what the body is already doing right. In this way, the use of acupressure can be remarkably beneficial during pregnancy and labor in a number of ways.

Treating specific acupressure points for pregnancy helps you to relax and relieve back pain or induce labor as well as. Because of the potential for this kind of response, it is important that you know a thing or two about what you are doing, and not attempt certain acupressure techniques until after your due date so as not to trigger labor prematurely.

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Acupressure To Start Labor

Labor Acupressure is the safest way to induce labor naturally - and it has been proven to work!

Acupressure means applying pressure on specific spots on your body with fingertips. Specific acupressure points on your body to go into labor. These points can be found on shoulders, hands, lower legs and ankles.

You can find an acupressure specialist to apply labor inducing acupressure. Because acupressure techniques are very simple, you or your partner can stimulate these points as well. Treat the points known to stimulate labor by pressing them and massaging them with small circular motion for 1-5 minutes few times a day.

Specific acupoints encourage the baby to engage, help the cervix to ripen and stimulate the contrations.

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Herbs That Induce Labor

Before taking ANY herbal or natural supplement, consult your doctor. Remember that “natural” and “herbal” do not automatically mean safe. Many herbal products can cause harmful side effects.

Herbs

For labor, several herbs are used to induce labor or to stimulate contractions. Do not take any of these herbs without first conferring with a midwife, physician, and a herbalist.

Castor Oil

Castor oil has been widely used as a traditional method of inducing labor. It can be taken by mouth or as an enema. Castor oil encourages bowel movement and works as a laxative. The taste is bad and can easily cause you to feel nauseous. In order to take castor oil by mouth, mix two full tablespoons in a small amount of range juice. Swallowing a large amount of castor oil is poisonous, so it should be consumed with care.

Blue/Black Cohosh

Blue and Black Cohosh can be found in form of tincture and black cohosh as a tea as well. Blue Cohosh is said to be effective but this herb has been connected with infant heart attack. Black Cohosh increases the risk of severe hemorrhage, which can be very serious issue during labor and cesarean section. The homeopathic remedies of these herbs don’t have these risks. For Blue Cohosh the homeopathic remedy is Caulophyllum and for Black Cohosh it is Cimifuga racemosa.
Cumin tea Cumin tea is used by midwives in South-America. Prepare by adding 1 teaspoon of cumin seeds to one cup of boiling water and allow to steep for 5 minutes before drinking. Cumin tea is bitter. You can add a raw cube of potato into the tea, because it absorbs the bitterness of the cumin. You can add sugar or honey as well to improve the taste. Don’t drink more than 1 cup an hour per day.

Red raspberry leaf tea

Raspberry leaf tea is a "uterine conditioner" according to the herbalists. At least it tastes good.
PineappleAn enzyme in the Pineapple fruit is reputed to ripen the cervix andhelp to start the labor. In order to get enough this enzyme, you have to eat a lot of pineapple.

Evening Primrose Oil

Evening primrose oil is said to ripen the cervix when it is used internally 5 gel caps up against the cervix daily.

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