Miscarriage – the loss of a pregnancy before 20 weeks - can be a physical and emotional challenge. It can have a potentially devastating psychological impact on the woman - in addition to the physical effects such as bleeding and pain after all the excitement and expectation by discovering the pregnancy.
It is very common to feel sad and tearful after being shocked by the tragic event. Feeling angry, jealous or guilty is also common. There are feelings of emptiness and loneliness that others cannot understand; feeling not able to cope with daily life. There is fear of not being pregnant again or having another loss.
Research study has shown that one month after pregnancy loss, nearly a third of women suffered post-traumatic stress while one in four experienced moderate to severe anxiety, and one in ten had moderate to severe depression. After nine months, nearly one in five women had post-traumatic stress; moderate to severe anxiety, and one in twenty had moderate to severe depression. One in six women experience long-term post-traumatic stress following miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy. If you are struggling, please know that it is normal, and that there is a way through the fog.
After miscarriage, a woman’s body needs to recover physically, but also emotionally. Physical recovery can take a couple of months, while hormones get rebalanced, inflammation from the miscarriage reduces and periods begin again. Emotional recovery, however, can take much longer.
Acupuncture can be very useful in the recovery from a miscarriage, physically and emotionally.
Acupuncture helps to rebalance hormones; improves ovarian and uterine blood flow to get good quality of eggs and good uterine linings and receptivity. Acupuncture reduces inflammation and stress and anxiety to get one ready to get pregnant again physically.
But, more importantly, acupuncture can help release stress, anxiety and emotions and help you to recover enough emotionally to be ready to get pregnant again. Acupuncture can help regulate the part of the brain which controls emotions, as well as the nervous system, and balances the hormones which play a vital role in mental and emotional release.
It is also worth thinking about the considerable impact that acupuncture can have on conceiving after miscarriage, and in preventing future miscarriages.
If you would like more information about acupuncture on miscarriages, or to book an appointment with Maggie at our Richmond Practice Rooms visit https://www.drmaggiejuacupuncture.co.uk/.
