Acupuncture Childbirth Team (ACT) Dublin

I am delighted to announce my membership as a founding member of Acupuncture Childbirth Team (ACT) Dublin.   As the ACT team, we are a group of 12 estab­lished and reg­is­tered acupunc­tur­ists who pro­vide treat­ments for fer­til­ity, preg­nancy and child­birth in the Dublin area. We work in col­lab­o­ra­tion with the fer­til­ity, mater­nity and pae­di­atric ser­vices pro­vided within Dublin & have all under­gone post-graduate train­ing in the areas of fer­til­ity, preg­nancy and childbirth.  A.C.T. Dublin cov­ers Dublin city cen­tre and sur­round­ing areas north, south, east, west and Bray.

I am also pleased to announce Sarah Budd as our Patron.  Read more

Childbirth – Diet postnatal

Examples of every day western foods that can be used to build Qi

• Oat porridge with dates
• Roast sweet potatoes, pumpkin and yams with rosemary
• Chicken stir fry with shiitake mushrooms and rice
• Shepherds pie with beef mince, mushrooms, carrots and mashed potato as a topping
• Peanut Satay sauce with chicken or meat on rice
• Potato and egg salad
• Tuna fish pie made with hard boiled eggs and served with mashed potatoes and peas
• Stir fired Tofu, eggplant and mushrooms with sesame seeds on rice
• Home made muesli slice with honey and dates

Nausea & Vomiting in Pregnancy

Patient Advice:

Fluid intake:

• Avoid dehydration – dry lips, thirst, reduced urinary output are signs that fluid intake is inadequate or traces of ketones on urine sticks.
• If difficult to drink large amounts of water, drinking regular small amounts is recommended.
• Potato soup daily – good as is very bland
• Veg or chicken broths also good
• Peppermint/ginger tea – not more than 3 cups per day
• If belching relieves nausea, take carbonated drinks, especially ginger are good
• Sucking on ice cubes or watery fruits such as melons or pears

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Oedema in Pregnancy

Oedema is an excessive collection of fluids in the body tissues. Subcutaneous oedema is a common occurrence in later pregnancy, manifesting with puffiness or swelling in the hands & feet.  This will usually be mild and primarily affects the feet & ankle, reflecting the effect of gravity on the extra bodily fluids generated during pregnancy.  This type of oedema is more pronounced after standing for long periods, in warm weather and as the day progresses, but will disappear with rest overnight.

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Post Natal Diet and Recovery

Postnatal Diet & Recovery

There is a long documented history in traditional Chinese medicine of women taking dietary remedies to encourage lactation and to promote their recovery from childbirth or a miscarriage. Specific foods are seen to be especially valuable, for example:

Foods that tonify Qi (energy) include;

Oats, rice, potato, sweet potato, pumpkin, mushroom (button and shitake), yam, date, grape, Kidney beans, tofu, beef, chicken, tuna, egg, jasmine tea and spices such as; basil, cinnamon, clove, dill, fennel, fenugreek, ginger, nutmeg, rosemary, thyme.

Examples of every day western foods that can be used to build Qi

• Oat porridge with dates
• Roast sweet potatoes, pumpkin and yams with rosemary
• Chicken stir fry with shiitake mushrooms and rice
• Shepherds pie with beef mince, mushrooms, carrots and mashed potato as a topping Read more

Dietary/Lifestyle advice for first trimester of pregnancy

The first few months of pregnancy are a very important time for both you & your baby.

It is a time to nourish & relax your body, keeping your mind as calm as possible.

Traditional Chinese medicine

Traditional Chinese medicine has a long history of advocating that women modify their lifestyle throughout pregnancy, to ensure healthy babies and efficient births. This has involved advice on regulating physical activity, following dietary guidelines and maintaining a calm emotional state.

An early reference to this practice exists in the Records of the Historian which tells how the mother of the first emperor of the Western Zhou dynasty (11th century to 771 B.C.E.) refused to look upon adverse colours, hear indecent sounds, or the utterance of any arrogant words, and because of this she gave birth to a son who achieved great things. Read more