Qi, Blood and Trophoblasts: An integrative overview of acupuncture during pregnancy

Pregnancy has always been full of mystery, to Chinese and Western medicine alike.  We are fortunate to live in a time when ancient and contemporary insights can inform each other as the discipline of obstetrical acupuncture develops.  In particular, emerging understandings of the events of implantation and placental development may reinforce Chinese medical understandings of first-trimester fatigue and morning sickness, as well as prevention and treatment of placenta previa, preeclampsia, prematurity, musculoskeletal pain, and other problems of the late second and third trimester.  Practitioners attending this class can expect to deepen their understanding of the relationship between Qi, yin, and the maintenance of a healthy pregnancy throughout the three trimesters – using the same point combinations they already use, but perhaps with different intention.

Learning Objectives

Practitioners attending this class will be able to:

• Describe the relationship between maternal Qi and yin, the ‘trophoblast invasion’, and first-trimester symptoms of nausea/vomiting and fatigue
• Explain the relationship between maternal Qi and yin, the events of the trophoblast invasion, and placental blood flow in the third trimester
• Recognize second-trimester signs suggesting the need for preventive treatment for sufficiency of Qi and/or blood flow

Lecture Presenter

Claudia Citkovitz Author