Acupuncture is generally considered safe during pregnancy and can be beneficial for managing pregnancy-related symptoms. It can help with:

• relaxation, stress, anxiety, low mood and insomnia

• nausea, vomiting, heartburn

• back pain, sciatica, pelvic girdle pain/ SPD

• carpal tunnel syndrome

• birth preparation

• breech presentation moxibustion

• post-dates pregnancy

• postnatal recovery

• breast-feeding/poor lactation/mastitis

• Caesarean section scar therapy

Your acupuncture session will be carried out in the comfort of your own home, or if you prefer, in a clinic located in central Brighton. It will typically last 45 minutes, and involves an assessment of your general health, any medical history and a physical examination, followed by insertion of the acupuncture needles. The needles used are very fine, single-use, sterile needles that are disposed of immediately after use. Once in place, they will be left in position for a period of time lasting from a few minutes up to around 30 minutes. You may experience a tingling, heaviness or a dull ache when the needles are inserted but you should not feel any significant pain. During the session you'll be asked to sit or lie down. You may also be asked to remove some clothes for access to certain parts of your body.

Acupuncture works, in western medical terms, by stimulating the nervous system, sending signals through the nerve pathways to the spinal cord and brain. The brain responds by releasing endorphins and encephalins, natural pain-relieving chemicals - this is why acupuncture can ease pain and tension in pregnancy without medication.

A course of acupuncture is usually recommended because it can take a few sessions for you to see improvements.