Acupuncture: pain relief during labour

There are various ways of giving pain relief during labour including epidural injections, gas and air, TENS machine, massage and acupuncture.

Until the 1970s, acupuncture was very rarely used for the relief of pain in labour and delivery because, in accordance with Chinese culture and oriental tradition, women were expected to experience the pain of childbirth.

Acupuncture has rapidly become more popular for women in childbirth today, mainly because it is a natural pain-reliever with no harmful side effects for mother or baby. Moreover, women like to feel in control during their labour and delivery, a feeling of which they may be deprived, if more potent conventional analgesics are. For example, drugs can be used to start or increase labour, which means the artificial forcing of a process which has not yet occurred within the woman's body according to her own natural 'biological rhythm' This may involve rupturing the amniotic membranes artificially and then giving the mother an intravenous infusion of Syntocinon (oxytocin) to stimulate uterine contractions. It is then necessary to have an epidural because of the increased pain that is frequently experienced in an induced labour.

Until 1853, anaesthesia for childbirth in England was unheard of. It was regarded by many to be 'contrary to religion and the express command of the scriptures'.

Today, women do not want to undergo the pain of childbirth but they do want to be 'in control' to be allowed to choose; to be encouraged to trust one's read more