Induce childbirth...now typical prenatal care

[Guest guest]

I reread my post, and just want to be clear that what Zev said goes double for

me. I wrote

about several techniques, but always, always, treating the pattern is the

primary focus.

 

I also have the same experience that treating to induce labor is generally more

successful

when you have provided treatment throughout the pregnancy.

 

So what constitutes prenatal treatment?

 

There is some solid emerging science on the process of placentation - that time

in

gestational development from implantation through about the first trimester when

the

chronic villi are invading the endometrium to create the placenta - and the

importance of

the normality of this process in healthy pregnancy.

 

I have begun to treat pregnant women weekly from as early in the pregnancy as I

have

contact with them through the 14th week, monthly to the 28th week, bi monthly to

the

36th week and weekly thereafter. I also do a home visit in the first days

postpartum, and

more often if needed. (To encourage postpartum rest, I won't schedule a visit in

my office

until a minimum of 3 weeks have elapsed since the birth; instead as needed, I do

a home

visit.)

 

In those first several weeks, I treat the woman's pattern, and pay particular

attention to

chong channel, ren channel, and points safe to use in pregnancy from IVF

protocols to

encourage uterine blood flow. Sometimes I'm not using many needles at all.

 

I believe this support at this time is crucial, and it is the only medical

support other than

lifestyle and diet (both very important) that can directly enhance the

normality of the

process at this very critical time. I have a lot of time to talk about diet, to

get to really

know the woman and her family. During early pregnancy, I see her nine times for

an hour;

Western docs generally only get to see them three times for 10 minutes.

 

Much of modern western prenatal care is set up to diagnose and respond to the

abnormailities that may result from inadequate placentation.

Some Western docs are suggesting baby aspirin be taken during this time,

especially if

there is a history of miscarriage. I think acupuncture has the same benefits

(and many

more!), and we can address the underlying maternal patterns. In fact, I think

early

trimester acupuncture may just be as preventative in addressing some metabolic

disorders

of pregnancy as folic acid has been in encouraging the developing spinal cord to

fuse.

 

Valerie Hobbs, L.Ac.

 

 

 

Chinese Medicine ,

<zrosenbe

wrote:

>

> But I still feel that one has to take each case on its merits, its

> unique diagnosis, patterns and timing. Not rely on formulas and

> techniques only.

>

>

[Guest guest]

There are two IVF studies that I work with:

 

1. Stener-Victorin study (1996) used e stim on Bl 23 - Bl 28 and Sp 6-Bl 57.

This study

demonstrated a marked increase in uterine artery blood flow as measured by a

decrease

in the pulsatility index for uterine arteries. I have produced this result

clinically without

using estim, and frankly without always using these points. While the theory

here is that

BL 23 & BL 28 are local points for uterine innervation, I don't know of any

direct evidence

that there is some effect of these particular points that makes the protocol

work.

 

2. Paulus study (2002) uses one set of points before IVF and one set after. They

also used

pulsatility index measures, which decreased from before and after the IVF

procedure

(which indicates increased uterine blood flow). The pregnancy outcome has been

verified

by Dianne Cridenna L Ac et al, but was also not repeated in a recent study out

of

Oklahoma State Univ. Before transfer points are: CV 6, SP 8, LV 3, GV 20, ST 29

and ear

points Shenmen and uterus on the right, and Endocrine and master cerebral on the

left.

After transfer they used ST 36, SP 6, SP 10 and LI 4, and reversed the sides on

the four ear

needles (Shenmen & Uterus on the left and Endocrine and Master cerebral on the

right).

 

There are some similarities on the actions of the points:

Both protocols use SP 6, and its use in pregnancy can be hotly debated. I tend

to stay away

from it, but I do use SP 4.

 

I see BL 23, BL 28 and ST 29 as being " local " points for the uterus. I don't use

ST 29 or Bl

28 in pregnacy, but I do use Bl 23 in early pregnancy, almost every time.

 

Sometimes I include Stener-Victorin's Bl 57, and with appropriate pattern

presentation, I

might use LV 3.

 

I think the important thing to carry away from these studies is that the

pulsatility index

has been measured with these particular sets of points, but it doesn't mean that

other sets

of points properly matched to pattern don't have the same effect. (Sorry for the

double

negative) - What I am saying is that acupuncture itself, properly applied with

our system

of differentiation, may also improve uterine blood flow in early pregnancy.

 

One of my patients has tried IVF 4 times. Each and every time she started out

with a

pulsatility index of 5. (In IVF, a PI of 2.9 or lower is desired) She received

weekly

treatments in the student clinic where I am a supervisor, sometimes in my

clinic,

sometimes not. Sometimes she had e stim and the Stener-Victorin protocol,

sometimes

she had moxa, sometimes only points to treat the pattern. Her PI went from 5 to

1.9 over

6 weeks.

 

I think it's important to recognize the positive uterine effects of SP 4 and

BL23 in treating

in early pregnancy, but mostly I think it's important to treat the pattern. The

" info " from

the IVF studies that I take home is to treat SP channel (I use SP 4) as a distal

point and BL

23 as a local point.

 

Valerie Hobbs

 

Chinese Medicine , " Brian Harasha "

<bharasha

wrote:

>

> Hi, I was curious about the IVF protocols you said you used during

> pregnancy. Would be OK to describe them or points? Would they be good for

> those wising to get pregnant? I guess since I'm already asking, I am

> curious about the uterine points too (just want to compare notes).

>

> Thanks.

>

> Brian

>

>

>

[Guest guest]

Hi, I was curious about the IVF protocols you said you used during

pregnancy. Would be OK to describe them or points? Would they be good for

those wising to get pregnant? I guess since I'm already asking, I am

curious about the uterine points too (just want to compare notes).

 

Thanks.

 

Brian

 

 

 

Posted by: " Valerie Hobbs "

<hobbs.valeriehobbs?Subject=%20Re%3A%20Induce%20childbirth%

2E%2E%2Enow%20typical%20prenatal%20care> hobbs.valeriehobbs

<http://profiles./vlhobbs80503> vlhobbs80503

 

Wed Feb 6, 2008 8:41 am (PST)

 

 

I reread my post, and just want to be clear that what Zev said goes double

for me. I wrote

about several techniques, but always, always, treating the pattern is the

primary focus.

 

I also have the same experience that treating to induce labor is generally

more successful

when you have provided treatment throughout the pregnancy.

 

So what constitutes prenatal treatment?

 

There is some solid emerging science on the process of placentation - that

time in

gestational development from implantation through about the first trimester

when the

chronic villi are invading the endometrium to create the placenta - and the

importance of

the normality of this process in healthy pregnancy.

 

I have begun to treat pregnant women weekly from as early in the pregnancy

as I have

contact with them through the 14th week, monthly to the 28th week, bi

monthly to the

36th week and weekly thereafter. I also do a home visit in the first days

postpartum, and

more often if needed. (To encourage postpartum rest, I won't schedule a

visit in my office

until a minimum of 3 weeks have elapsed since the birth; instead as needed,

I do a home

visit.)

 

In those first several weeks, I treat the woman's pattern, and pay

particular attention to

chong channel, ren channel, and points safe to use in pregnancy from IVF

protocols to

encourage uterine blood flow. Sometimes I'm not using many needles at all.