Birth Preparation

• Do acupuncture to prepare you physically and emotionally for birthing

• Address any symptoms that may be impacting you - anxiety, big emotions, insomnia, pain, fatigue. We will place particular importance on optimising sleep - as sleep quality leading up to birthing has extensive flow on effects

• Talk through the influence of your posture and positioning on the way babe is positioned inside, and how that might impact the birthing process

• Do moxa if babe is breech

• Discuss your desires for birth, and ensure they’re rooted in your values (rather than being purely outcomes focused or coming from a place of fear)

• Talk though any previous birth experiences

• Address any fears or questions you have about the process of birth

• Discuss meaningful ways to create an intentional postpartum - with your values at the centre of the transition.

The way we structure these sessions is highly individualised and will depend on:

• what you want to learn and how you best take in new information

• knowledge you have already acquired through books, birth courses

• previous birth experiences

• who else is on your support team - if you have midwifery lead continuity of care, or a doula, our sessions will adapt around what you’re already learning.

Approaching with curiosity, and following your particular interests is where great things happen. I want to teach you what you want to learn.

We will always do a birth preparation acupuncture treatment, and I will always teach you acupressure to use in labour. The rest is malleable.

• Demonstrating active and passive labour positions and how you can practically make them work around your house for early labour.

• Acupressure techniques in labour and research around it

• Mindset work for the hours of labour

• Physical techniques to work with the pain in labour

• What your birth partner can expect and what they can do during labour, and the early postpartum weeks

• Talking though birth preferences

• Dig deeper into what you value in your birthing experience. Talk about how our culture and society asks The Perfect Mother to be on display in the labouring room. What that looks like and how we can resist that to carve our own way.

• Birthing physiology - what’s ‘normal’

• Planning for a smooth postpartum / resource building for your postpartum

As an AHPRA registered health professional (Chinese Herbalist, Acupuncturist) testimonials speaking to clinical treatment outcomes are no permitted. Feedback I am offering here is from women I have worked with - and speak specifically to my personal character and approach - to help you decide if we’re the right fit.

“I had the privilege of being treated by Amy as a Chinese Herbalist and Acupuncturists during the time we were riding the roller-coaster of fertility treatments. Amy quickly became a very important and valuable person to us, with her support and knowledge extending into my pregnancy and antenatal time. Amy's deeply compassionate, down to earth and genuine approach to her work made her a pivotal person in my journey. Amy also held birth preparation sessions for my husband and I which created a confident and calm vibe around my labour and birth. Amy's guidance and encouragement made a big difference to my birthing experience and if it wasn't for covid restrictions, I would have loved to have her attend my birth too!”

• Acupuncture or acupressure for relieving pain during labour, 2020

“Acupressure in comparison to a combined control and usual care may reduce pain intensity. Acupressure probably reduces the need for caesarean section in comparison to a sham control.

Acupuncture in comparison to sham acupuncture may increase satisfaction with pain management and reduce use of pharmacological analgesia.”

• Acupuncture plus moxibustion to resolve breech presentation: a randomized controlled study

“Acupuncture plus moxibustion is more effective than observation in revolving fetuses in breech presentation.”