Acupressure for pain relief during labour The concept of using acupressure is a simple one - by stimulating energy points along specific meridian (or channel) pathway’s you encourage the body to work in the most effective way possible. The advantage it that the acupressure points that are going to be the most helpful for a particular woman during her labour, (these will often change as a woman progresses through labour), will feel the most useful when pressure is applied, producing a noticeable – “ah that’s it”, “press harder” and a “press now!” response. Creating a situation where she is in control and where her support people need to have no formal training in acupuncture or massage techniques – they just need to be able to palpate the acupressure points and be responsive to her feedback. Research published in nursing journals found that:
Feedback from Women "My Husband used acupressure on GB 21 during contractions between filling our birthing pool. I found it really grounding, allowing my breathing to stay slow and focused. It was so relaxed compared to feeling out of control last time. The combination of the pool and acupressure was just awesome." Nicola Douglas "I delivered my second child in March of this year. It was an induced delivery because he was overdue and getting large. I was afraid that I would not be able to deliver him without pain meds because I had heard so many stories of how much worse the contractions would be with the pitocin (compared to the natural labour I experienced with my first baby). Well, with the help of acupressure done by my husband, I was able to deliver without pain meds. I was absolutely amazed by how much it helped me. "We used it all the way through and it really helped my husband with staying calm and focused and gave him a good way to participate and help with the delivery." Melissa Crowder "I used acupressure points during my labour five and a half years ago. I consider that labour to be one of the most excellent and meaningful events of my life, and I attribute it at least in part to the info on acupressure I gained from your website. I fully support the testimonials from others on the site - they mirror my own experiences." Liz Gray Feedback from Partners "At first I was very cynical about acupressure's ability to relieve the pain of childbirth, but as soon as my partner's contractions began, it was obvious that this was really effective. She almost seemed to enjoy the contractions, as long as I was pressing very hard indeed on the right spots and not letting up for an instant. This was also the ideal way for me to feel fully involved in the birth and not get too panicky. We had a trouble-free, doctor-free labour and birth and we now have a beautiful, healthy, happy son. I'd recommend acupressure to anyone having a baby." Mark Derby "I have 4 children. The youngest is one and a half months old, and I had the wonderful opportunity of practicing acupressure on my wife (BL 32) during the long hours in the labour room with her. I was amazed to witness with my own eyes (and ears) the relieving effect my treatment had on her. She told me later that it halved the pain for her." Harel Golombek Feedback from Midwives "Whilst working on delivery suite a distressed woman in labour with her first child arrived with ruptured membranes. Her labour was of a spontaneous nature and she was progressing well. On initial assessment I examined her to find her 7-8cm dilated. She went onto all fours and began to become extremely distressed. I used my midwifery techniques to encourage her and offered her the gas to try to help her to focus. She was wasting a lot of energy between the contractions trying to tell her self and me, that she could not go through with this labour. I feared that if this much energy was wasted on negative thought, she would not have enough reserves to push when the time came. "I had exhausted my reserves of suggestions and encouragement. "She was progressing far too quickly to administer pethedine or an epidural. As she was clearly not coping I used acupressure on KID 1. Nearly immediately as I lay my fingers in the spot and applied pressure the woman stopped talking closed her eyes and breathed through the contraction beautifully. She expressed how the pressure I was applying was really enjoyable. I kept the pressure through the next contraction, and again, the woman was like another person. The result was immediate, and highly effective. I instructed the partner to use two pens to apply the pressure firmly and the woman within the next half hour began to push instinctively. She progressed to a peaceful vaginal birth on all fours where she remained after the application of the acupressure." Angelique Baker "My experience of using acupressure as another tool for women in labour has been very positive. If I find that a woman is holding her shoulders tightly, I encourage shoulder massage using GB 21 from 37 weeks to help the baby’s head descend. In preparation for labour I show the support person the points to press on the sacrum and shoulders (BL 32 and GB 21). "Many think it is simply an interesting idea but don’t hold much store by it until they are in labour. The other effective use of acupressure is when the woman is 41 weeks, wants to be in labour and is happy to start the process slowly over two or three days. At this point the induction points (L.I. 4 and SP 6) can be stimulated regularly and are generally extremely effective if practised diligently. "The more independent women can be in their labour, the happier most are in their abilities to birth. Many women have expressed satisfaction at their partners being able to give them the bulk of their support in labour. "I feel I am also encouraging an attitude of self-help, which is where I think we need to focus our efforts in normal birth." Sue Lennox "I have on many occasions used acupressure in labour. The use of SP 6 and BL 60 has worked well for me in situations where the baby's head is not coming down as it should. I have also used these acupressure points with malpositioned and deflexed heads and have achieved excellent results." Grace Pillary The obvious advantage of using acupressure is that it is an accessible, effective, safe birthing tool that can be used by midwives and a woman’s support people. Articles of the use of acupressure, acupuncture in pregnancy and a complimentary download of Debra Betts' acupressure booklet can be found at http://acupuncture.rhizome.net.nz References Ingram J.Domagala C.Yates S.(2005) The effects of shiatsu on post- term pregnancy. Complementary therapies in Medicine 13, 11-15 Lee MK. Chang SB. Kang DH. (2004) Effects of SP 6 acupressure on labour pain and length of delivery time in women during labour. J Altern Complement Med. Dec:10(6):956-65 Chung UL J.( 2003) Effects of LI 4and BL 67 Acupressure on Labour Pain and Uterine Contractions in the First Stage of Labour. Nurs Res. 11(4):251-60 |