June 04, 2019
Imagine that things as simple as talking, chewing, smiling or feeling the wind brush against your cheek cause searing facial pain. You can’t live in the formerly carefree way you used to- chewing crusty bread or laughing with friends trigger pain that is so severe, you just avoid those activities altogether. Sounds pretty awful, right? For patients with Trigeminal Neuralgia, this describes everyday life. Read more
April 02, 2019
Nausea and vomiting during pregnancy is often called “morning sickness”. In reality, most women probably wish it only happened in the morning- around 98% of women who have nausea feel it at various points throughout the day! Researchers estimate that between 50-90% of women experience nausea during pregnancy.
For most women, nausea resolves around 13-16 weeks, but for others it will continue throughout the pregnancy. In addition, for some whose nausea did stop after the first trimester, it returns about a month before the due date. Frustrating, but totally normal.
Aside from the awful sensation that nausea brings, you can end up feeling confused about what’s triggering it and what you can do about it. This article will give you some concrete ways to feel more in control and simply bask in your newfound pregnancy glow. Read more
January 28, 2019
I recently wrote a guest blog post for Boober, a fantastic service here in NYC which provides on-demand lactation consultations. It’s so important for new parents to get help as quickly as possible when issues pop up. The sooner you can get help, the more likely you are to be able to breastfeed in the way that you had hoped.
Acupressure can be a very useful addition to your treatment plan, but above all I recommend consulting with a lactation professional for one-on-one help.
Read the article for three of my favorite breastfeeding points- one for milk let-down, another for after-pains and the last one for anxiety, insomnia and relaxing the chest.
Check out the article on the Boober Blog!
August 31, 2018
Prenatally, we tend to focus on mom and how she can optimize her health for her benefit and the benefit of the baby. However in the postpartum period, our culture seems to completely focus on baby and mom’s well-being is forgotten. This attitude is also reflected in postpartum medical care in the USA. Generally, the baby goes for their first pediatrician visit just a few days after birth, but mom’s first visit with her OB isn’t until a whopping 6 weeks after the delivery!
Thankfully, recently there has been more media attention to this problem (see this great guide in the New York Times). The American Academy of Pediatrics has even recommended that new moms be screened by their child’s pediatrician for postpartum anxiety and depression. In my and many others’ opinion, this is a positive step, but more support for new moms is needed. Until healthcare systems in the USA begin providing appropriate levels of support to new parents, you must develop a plan for your postpartum health during pregnancy. After the baby is born it will likely feel much too overwhelming. Read more
March 04, 2018
My Approach As a Practitioner…
In my practice I’ve had really good success with turning breech babies using moxibustion in combination with acupuncture. It’s something that I see very regularly and I’m always happy that women and their health care providers are becoming more aware that moxa can help, and recognize the importance of using any intervention possible to try and turn the breech baby and increase chances of a vaginal birth. When a woman comes to me with this issue, on the first visit I perform an acupuncture session to try and facilitate movement and space in the hips and pelvis as well as address any other issues such as anxiety, insomnia, back pain or digestive issues in pregnancy. After the acupuncture comes moxibustion. I teach the patient in great detail how to perform this technique and send her home with written instructions and the moxa sticks. 4-5 days later, she returns for another acupuncture session to try and help the process.
This is something that’s great to try before your doctor attempts an ECV Read more