More and more pregnant women are hopping on the complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) bandwagon — and they have their reasons.
Far from a passing fad, such nontraditional therapies have been shown to be effective alternatives to traditional medicines — alternatives that are especially welcome during pregnancy, when many traditional medicines can't be used.
Here are just some of the available CAM therapies that you may want to explore during your pregnancy.
Acupressure
You're probably already using acupressure without even realizing it. Ever massage your temples when you have a tension headache? That's acupressure: a firm thumb or finger massage on certain points of the body.
The points treated in acupressure are usually the same areas used in acupuncture, but instead of using needles, pressure is applied.
Acupressure can be very helpful in relieving morning sickness (in the form of sea-bands or relief bands worn around the wrists) or back pain, among other pregnancy complaints. Acupressure techniques can also help relieve the pain of contractions during labor.
“I don’t know where my bands are anymore,” says What to Expect Community mom MO58. “but I do use my fingers to hit that pressure point when a wave of nausea hits and it seems to help.”
Acupuncture
Acupuncture uses hair-thin, disposable needles to stimulate specific points on the body (each area is thought to be associated with an organ function).
Like acupressure, acupuncture can restore your body's balance and help it maintain health. Acupuncture can be helpful in treating morning sickness, constipation, backache, hemorrhoids, breech presentation, labor pain, and even insufficient milk production — best of all, with no side effects.
“I got acupuncture when I was pregnant to help with my nausea, anxiety, and congestion,” says What to Expect Community member woodelf. “I think I started around 12 weeks and did it until about the end of the second trimester. I think it helped a lot!”
Biofeedback
Is your pregnancy giving you a headache (and a backache, and insomnia, and …)?
Biofeedback — a method in which people learn their biological responses to physical pain or emotional stress — can relieve some of those symptoms. Biofeedback has also been shown to help lower blood pressure and combat depression, anxiety, and stress.
What to Expect Community mom MallyO says her physical therapist used biofeedback to address her vaginal tear. “She would hook electrodes up to a computer to monitor my muscle contractions and the computer screen had these games that I would ‘win’ if I squeezed my pelvic floor muscles hard enough.”
Chiropractic medicine
Chiropractors use physical manipulation to realign joints of the body and spine. In pregnancy, chiropractic manipulation can help with back pain and sciatica.
Be sure that you’re receiving chiropractic care from a chiropractor who is well trained in treating pregnant women.
“I’ve been going since about 20 weeks, and I’ve been recommending it to all my pregnant mama friends!” says What to Expect Community member pea-in-the-podd about chiropractic care. “I honestly don’t know if I would be walking right now without going. My hips always feel so much more balanced after, and my sciatica pain is almost nonexistent.”
Hydrotherapy
Love taking a nice long bath to relax during pregnancy? Ever think about relaxing in the tub during your labor? That's what hydrotherapy is all about: the therapeutic use of warm (not hot) water to reduce your discomfort from pregnancy pain and labor contractions.
“It’s very comforting and definitely can take the edge off,” says What to Expect Community member cinquieme, who goes back and forth between using the tub and the shower while laboring at home.
Hypnosis
Many women are turning to hypnosis during pregnancy to ease the pain of childbirth (hypnobirthing), but hypnosis can also be used to hold off premature labor, to ease pregnancy anxiety and stress, and even to help turn a breech baby.
“It’s helping me maintain relaxation during my pregnancy, and I think it could potentially be helpful in labor as well,” says What to Expect Community member kdharris1313, who is using positive medication and hypnosis-type sessions. “If anything, it helps you practice breathing, relaxing, and staying mindful.”
Keep track of your CAM appointments, symptoms, and more in the My Journal feature of the What to Expect app.
Massage
Whether a massage comes from your partner's untrained hands or from a professional masseuse trained in prenatal massage, getting rubbed the right way during pregnancy can help relieve many pregnancy symptoms — from heartburn and headaches to backache and sciatica.
Massage can also be wonderful during labor to ease pain. A counterpressure massage is especially helpful for back labor.
“Can’t recommend them enough!” says What to Expect Community member snotnose1206, who has gotten four massages during her pregnancy. “My hips and back have been killing me and it’s so nice to have a little relief.”
Meditation and relaxation techniques
Deep relaxation techniques, meditation, and visualization can help you cope with a variety of physical and emotional stresses of pregnancy.
Such techniques enable you to relax and focus your concentration — reducing stress, lowering your blood pressure, and enhancing your peace of mind. And who couldn't use that during pregnancy?
Read one mom’s experience using a meditation app designed for pregnant women and new moms.
Moxibustion
Moxibustion is a technique that has its roots in ancient Chinese medicine. Used to help turn a breech baby, it involves using the herb moxa to produce a gentle, smoldering heat in combination with acupuncture in the little toe. The treatment is most effective at 32 to 36 weeks.
“My sister found out at 38 weeks that my niece was breech,” says What to Expect Community member MountainMomma91. “While she did everything in the book (hot/cold, yoga, chiro, etc.), she swears moxibustion is what ultimately worked as her baby would move like crazy with every session.”
Reflexology
Reflexology, a therapy in which pressure is applied to certain areas of the feet, hands, and ears, can be beneficial in helping relieve nausea, constipation, fatigue and backache, among other pregnancy symptoms.
Reflexology on certain areas of the feet can also stimulate labor contractions — good if you're overdue, not so good if you're nowhere near term. So make sure that the reflexologist is well trained in pregnancy reflexology and avoids those areas of your feet before term.
For some What to Expect Community readers, foot reflexology didn’t help kickstart labor. “I tried absolutely everything with my first to induce labor (including foot reflexology),” says member kelseybowlitt. “Nothing.”
But for Community mom adventure-awaits, a visit to her usual nail salon did the trick. When she got pedicures earlier in pregnancy, “they knew what they were doing and never hit any of the spots,” she says. “But when I went over a week overdue I waddled in and asked them to give me the massage to get labor going. Labor started either later that day or the next day (it’s all a blur). Bonus, I had cute toes.”
Hoping pregnancy isn't a pain for you,
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