Pregnancy and breastfeeding

Pregnancy and breastfeeding can be accompanied very well with acupuncture and Chinese medicinal therapy as a supplement to modern medicine. In his clinical manual Jin Gui Yao Lue (Important Prescriptions from the Golden Shrine), the Chinese doctor Zhang Zhongjing already dedicated the following to acupuncture about 1800 years ago three complete chapters (20-22) on gynecological topics. Chapter 20 is a collection of classic formulas that can be used during pregnancy. Formulas are described that can be used, for example, for morning sickness, vomiting, abdominal pain, bleeding or premature labor.

Acupuncture can also be used, especially for ischialgia, heartburn, morning sickness or to bring the child into the cephalic position at the end of pregnancy. Moxibustion is mainly used here.

Chapter 21 contains a collection of herbal formulas that can be used for complaints during breastfeeding. Problems such as delayed milk production (delayed initial swelling of the mammary glands), inflammation of the mammary glands (mastitis) or insufficient milk production are discussed in this chapter, as well as postpartum depression, febrile illnesses during breastfeeding, lack of appetite, vomiting, pain or placenta retention. Infant illnesses such as neonatal jaundice (icterus) are treated in breastfeeding mothers via the mother. This means that the mother is given the herbs in the form of tea, while the child absorbs the active ingredients from the tea through the breast milk.