Some women could shy away from acupuncture during pregnancy because they don’t know enough about it, they may not understand the benefits, or maybe it’s because the needles can be intimidating.

As for me? I’m simply a patient and a believer in acupuncture, and today’s blog post follows my experience at Toronto Yoga Mamas in hopes that other mamas and mamas-to-be will give the beautiful facility and prenatal acupuncture a try.

Toronto Yoga Mamas

For anyone who knows me, it’s no secret that I am a huge fan of community. I grew up in a small town, attended an inclusive university, was involved in various student clubs, and found an overseas community with my husband when we lived in Asia. And now, residing in a big city like Toronto, I am still constantly seeking out spaces and networks that link people together and provide the comfortable community environment I crave.

A Mama Community:

Toronto Yoga Mamas provides all of those warm and fuzzy feelings, along with a sense of wellness, education and safety. I first heard about Toronto Yoga Mamas when I was pregnant with my son four years ago. My husband and I, not knowing a thing about having a newborn, signed up for every prenatal workshop that was offered and we learned so much. There is something about the studio that offers a sense of calm and familiarity as soon as you walk in, and I knew I wanted to revisit that feeling over and over. In fact, my friend Kaitlyn and I have been attending the prenatal yoga classes since finding out we were both pregnant again, and it is the perfect community to surround ourselves with.

That being said, classes and workshops aren’t the only offerings: Toronto Yoga Mamas also provides professional wellness services. I have been lucky enough to experience a few of them, one being their prenatal acupuncture offering with Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioner (TCM) Heather Rule.

While I’m not a medical professional, I have been a long time believer in acupuncture simply because it has worked for me.

I have experienced acupuncture for injuries, women’s health and fertility (a big one!), eczema and cosmetically. My gal, Energy Tree Anne, introduced me to how important acupuncture is for women when trying to conceive and prepare their bodies for babies. Ever since then, acupuncture became a weekly constant in my life. I was thrilled to discover that Toronto Yoga Mama’s offers acupuncture for mamas and mamas-to-be, so most recently, I have started sessions for my aches during pregnancy at Yoga Mamas with Heather.

Acupuncture at Toronto Yoga Mamas: How it Works

Heather specializes in pain during pregnancy and postpartum acupuncture at the studio. I met her for an initial consultation appointment, where Heather asked me several thorough questions about my pregnancy and my general well-being. From the information gathered, Heather diagnosed the root of my back and hip issues and developed a treatment plan for me. Both areas are sore due to tension and inflammation, and obviously Baby is putting a lot of pressure on those areas too.

So what happens once you lay on the bed, listen to the soothing music and snuggle under a cozy blanket, you ask? Delicate acupuncture needles are lightly inserted into various spots on your body and remain there for about 20-30 minutes while you rest. Don’t let the word needle scare you- you don’t feel them once they’re in! I actually fell asleep during my first and second appointments because I was so relaxed, and I didn’t want to leave when the sessions were over!

My follow-up appointment was just as significant; we focused on the same areas as before (hips and lower back), as well as some tension in my upper back. Towards the end of my session, I experienced my first ever gua sha treatment for back pain. Gua sha is a natural, alternative therapy used in Chinese medicine. It involves scraping skin with a massage tool to improve your circulation, and Heather used this tool along my back, neck and spine. It wasn’t the same type of gua sha treatment I experience with cosmetic acupuncture (which is a bit less intense- Yoga Mama’s offers cosmetic acupuncture too by the way!); the gua sha treatment was energizing in a different way, and it stimulated new blood to surface in hopes of minimizing my back inflammation.

And you know what? My upper and lower back has improved a great deal since that treatment! I left both sessions feeling relaxed and invigorated. There is something so healthy-feeling and cleansing about acupuncture, I can’t stress enough how much I recommend it, especially for mamas-to-be!

I’m so grateful for the Yoga Mamas community and everything they have offered since I discovered them over four years ago. They are constantly evolving and offering new types of wellness opportunities, classes and programs, and I will happily see Heather again to work with her on my postpartum health.

Thanks so much Toronto Yoga Mamas!

***

Links to check out:

Toronto Yoga Mamas {https://www.torontoyogamamas.com}

Acupuncture in pregnancy {https://www.torontoyogamamas.com/acupuncture.html}

Prenatal acupuncture {https://www.torontoyogamamas.com/prenatal-acupuncture.html}

Heather Rule Bio:

Heather Rule, R.Ac.

​With a background in Gender Studies, and a love of hands-on, practical, and creative work, Heather Rule R.Ac has been focused on the study of reproductive health and pregnancy throughout her education in Traditional Chinese Medicine.

Completing two clinical intensives in the labour and delivery ward at Lutheran Medical Centre in Brooklyn NY with Claudia Citkovitz L.Ac PhD, and taking courses with experts in the field of obstetric acupuncture such as Debra Betts PhD, Heather has been inspired by how acupuncture and traditional Chinese Medicine can benefit pregnancy and labour outcomes. She is excited to continue to learn, grow, and collaborate with Toronto’s birthing community to make acupuncture for pregnancy and birth a common and accessible practice.