As an experienced and licensed acupuncturist with two children of my own I’m excited to inform Austin’s mothers-to-be that acupuncture is a safe and natural way to induce labor if you’re close to or past your due date and considering induction. Acupuncture differs greatly from western induction drugs, such as Pitocin, which creates an immediate reaction in the mother’s body whether she and the baby are ready or not. Although it may take a couple of acupuncture sessions before contractions and labor begin, this is because acupuncture works with the body’s natural processes, helping to stimulate the production of oxytocin, a natural hormone that initiates labor.
Taking induction drugs like Pitocin can have harmful effects on the mother and possibly even the child. For example, Pitocin’s possible side effects on the mother include anaphylactic reaction, postpartum hemorrhage, cardiac arrhythmia, fatal afibrinogenemia, nausea, vomiting, premature ventricular contractions, and pelvic hematoma. The effects of Pitocin on children are not fully known. Your doctor may be pushing you to induce labor with Pitocin but I strongly urge you to seek out natural alternatives FIRST, like acupuncture. I believe that it’s also imperative for natural-birth mothers to know that Pitocin induced labor contractions are much more painful than natural contractions and that very few women are able to withstand the pain without medication, such as an epidural.
My Austin Acupuncture and Wellness Center can help you give birth naturally by using acupuncture to induce labor, skipping the dangerous side effects of Pitocin which can lead to an epidural and even a C-Section. Call us today for more information!
