Pregnancy theraputic acupressure points to use during pregnancy with precautions that come from pages of the chipregnancy book

Pushing hands
The art of pushing hands helps to develop a gentle and relaxed pushing movement of the body coupled with a focused mind, coordinated breathing patterns and partner participation which encourages a progressive conditioned reflex to use as a tool during labour. Chipregnancy pushing hands also teaches listening skills and meditation in the moment. The type of listening skills explained are learnt and practiced mostly through the sense of touch and slow gentle movement which helps develop a willingness and understanding to focus on the self and the intentions of your pushing hands partner.
Pushing hands exercises aims are to encourage or establish a desire to put aside personal needs in the moment and listen to the ideas and opinions of the self or the person putting their views across through their actions, in this case pushing hands.
For these reasons pushing hands is the perfect exercise method if used for solo practice, as a meditation or for gentle partner training developing a spirit of team work during pre and post-pregnancy.

Cupping is a TCM therapy to help with back pain

Over the centuries many civilizations evolved natural ways to control and guide how individuals have a safe and joyous birth. Nowadays professional medical procedures are used that can be tailored to the individual makeup of the women who are giving birth. One birthing plan would work for one person and a completely different plan would work for another, although it is generally agreed that a relatively pain free and stress free birth is a common aim for all pregnancy care givers.

health benefits of tai chi or chi gong

Presented in the book are some of the acupressure techniques and recipes that the ancients used to help ease the birthing process through application by the recipient or application from an outside source usually a birthing partner, general practitioner, Gibbula or midwife.

Film
The film provides show in coordination with the Chipregnancy book a full pushing hands programme and some very simple acupressure to help relieve back pain and promote positive energy movement throughout the meridians (acupressure points of the back shu). Pushing hands training is also a factor for good energy promotion. Pushing hands is excellent for the partner bonding and learning how to work together by becoming sensitive to your partners natural energies. the art of learning to read energy is a lesson that may accompany the pregnancy period and beyond, bonding parents and child.

The acupressure should be applied by the birthing partner. The breathe of the giver should be coordinate with the breathe of the receiver, you can practice breathing together during the push hands exercise.

The push hands usually comes before the acupressure whilst the chi gong muscle and tendon exercises comes before the push hands.
The order of the complete exercise is not rigid and it should be left to the pregnant party to decide what exercise is preferable to practice and apply at a given time.
The lady who is pregnant should learn to listen to their body and follow what she feels it requires at that time.

The Chinese believe that a child is the essences of yin and yang coming together from the sexual energies of male (yang) and the female (yin). This merging of natural energy (chi) is known as before heaven jing (ching) or xian tian zhi jing and is the basis of pre-natal/post-natal growth in and out (after birth) of the womb. The quality of pre-natal jing that the parents have given the growing baby once formed becomes fixed and determines the health, personality and character of the baby before and after it is born. Jing essence although cannot be changed can be weakened, enhanced or strengthened, this will reflect the quality of the overall health of an individual from conception and as they go through life. Practicing chi gong, applying acupressure, eating for health (good vitamin and mineral intake) and keeping fully hydrated by drinking around two litres of water daily cannot change jing essence but can strengthen it to enhance the general well-being of the parent physically and mentally whilst promoting strong jing and good health for the baby as it grows in the womb.

Acupressure works by promoting the free flow of chi (natural energy) that moves through the body like a river with tributaries. This chi energy can become exhausted or blocked along the route it has taken. It is believed that when this chi becomes exhausted or blocked the natural rhythm and movement of its energy throughout the body becomes out of balance and can become excessive in one part of the body or stagnant and weak in another part of the body. When this happens the body displays the unbalance through weakness, illness and a lowering of its defence system that fights off disease. To address this problem acupressure can be applied to a point on the surface of the body where the river of chi surfaces.
Acupressure can be applied to either unblock the river and promote a natural free flow of chi energy towards the depleted area within the chi route, or the acupressure can draw the excessive energy to where there is depleted, weakened chi energy.
Correct application of acupressure, chi gong, keeping hydrated and a healthy diet should help keep/restore harmony and balance to the chi river within the body to encourage good holistic health, peace of mind and a feeling of overall well-being.

Acupressure application
To apply acupressure is simple. All you need is your finger or thumb, the knowledge where to apply the pressure, how much pressure should be applied and for how long.
Note: Never apply acupressure on bruised, damaged, cut skin or on top of a damaged bone, tendon or cartilage. If in doubt do not apply acupressure and seek professional advice.

Safety first:
When applying acupressure you will need to be careful not to damage the skin with excessive force. Ideally the nails of the finger(s) you use should be cut short to avoid hurting or piercing the skin. Make sure you or your partner wash hands in cold water before acupressure as this simple act could wash off any negative energy on the hands. You can apply acupressure on top of clothing but you must take care to locate the correct position of the energy centre for the acupressure to be effective.

Applying pressure:
To apply acupressure simply select a finger or thumb that you feel comfortable with to use. Locate the acupressure energy point and apply direct pressure downwards using the tip of the finger or thumb. Do not allow the finger or thumb to bend at the digits when applying pressure. When applying pressure be in a good frame of mind, so no acupressure after any arguments as this may disrupt chi harmony, instead imagine positive happy energy flowing from you into the energy point to get good results.

Which acupressure points and how long for?
Choose and combine 2 to 3 of the acupressure points shown 2 to 3 times daily for about 3 minutes of applied pressure on each point.

How much pressure?
The pressure that you exert should not be painful but just enough to stimulate the point. So the pressure applied should be even pressure that feels comfortable. “Comfortable even pressure”.
Note: Do not apply excessive pressure down to the bone.

Therapeutic Acupressure Points - Therapeutic points can be used for the whole pregnancy.

These acupressure points explained are a selection of the acupressure points from the chipregnancy book.
The acu-points shown are also explained more graphically in the chipregnancy DVD

1. Inner Pass (neiguan) - Pericardium 6
Harmonizing the stomach and descending rebellious chi,
calming the heart to relieve irritability.
Famous point for morning sickness relief.

Location - 2 thumb widths (2 Cun) above the crease of the wrist in the middle of the 2 prominent tendons in the centre of the arm.
Treatment for - Morning sickness, vomiting, pain after a operation, prolapsed rectum, asthma, shock, migraine, abdominal pain, sore throat and palpitations.

2. Pool at the Crook (quchi) - Large intestine 11
Clearing heat and damp from the channels and bringing balance and harmony to the circulation of blood and chi, driving
out wind and dispelling exterior syndromes.
Famous point for hypertension and itchy rash relief.

Location - Bend the arm at the elbow and a crease is formed at the inner bend, follow the crease towards the elbow point. The acupressure point is
located at the end of the crease.
Treatment for - High and low blood pressure, eczema/dry skin, toothache arm joint pain, anemia and allergic
reactive problems and skin rashes.

3. Leg Three Miles (zusanli) - Stomach 36
Strengthening the stomach and spleen, regulating and unblocking the chi in the meridians.
Famous point for extra energy and body maintenance.

Location - 4 finger widths (3 cun) from
the depressions felt at both sides of a bent knee and 1 thumb width to the outside from the crest (top) of the shin-bone.
Treatment for - High blood pressure, vomiting and morning sickness, allergic disease, lower abdominal pain and swelling,
incontinence, depression, obsessions, diarrhoea and constipation.
Important tonic point for the whole body

Birthing Acupressure Points: Warning - Acupressure should not be applied to birthing acupressure points until week 38
because pressure on these points could cause premature contractions of the uterus which may cause the baby to be aborted.

1. Shoulder Well (jianjing) - Gall-bladder 21
Clears heat and expels wind, promotes a downward movement of chi.
Famous point to help during labour.
Gallbladder 21

Location - At the top of the shoulders centre from the middle of the spine and edge/curve of the shoulder.
Treatment for - Difficult labour, pain in the shoulder and neck, uterine bleeding,
vertigo and coughing.

2. Three Yin Meeting (sanyinjiao) - Spleen 6
Promoting transformation and movement of food into blood and chi, clearing heat obstructions and damp from the
channels and bringing balance and harmony to the circulation of blood and chi in the meridians, adjusting reversed chi.
Famous point for oedema and birthing.
Spleen 6

Location - 4 finger widths (3 cun) up from the tip of the inner ankle bone and 1 thumb width behind the leg bone.
Treatment for - Difficult labour, retention of lochia, sterility, abdominal pain and distension, enuresis, dysuria,
diarrhoea, digestive system disorders, eczema and obsessive thoughts.

3. Reaching Yin (zhiyin) - Unitary Bladder 67
Dispelling wind and clearing heat, regulating chi and promoting labour.
Famous point for turning the foetus into the correct birthing position.

Location - At the outside corner of the small toes, about 2mm away from the curve of
the nail as it leaves the toe.
Treatment for - Abnormal foetal position, painful/difficult labour,
retention of the placenta, blocked nose, pain at the top of the head and eye.

4. Joining Valley (hegu) - Large intestine 4
Dispelling and clearing the 5 senses, regulating, unblocking and opening up chi in the meridians, promoting
quick and focused labour. Resuscitation point
Famous point for energy and pain relief.

Location - On the back of the hand just below the central area of the bone in line with the index
finger. If you bring the thumb close to the hand a mound of flesh is presented. Li 4 is in the
centre of the mound.
Treatment for - Pain in the whole body, toothache, excessive sweat and no sweating, headaches,
common cold, deafness, sore throat, eye, ear, nose and mouth disease, hand and wrist pain.

Study using 196 pregnant women before and after chi gong exercise found that the heart rate of the foetus either slowed or increased with any congestion in the mothers breathing alleviated and the blood vessels in the mother's limbs becoming dilated. Chi gong may contribute to natural labour as observations show that women who practice chi gong before they give birth do not tend to suffer from difficult or premature labour. This is because abdominal respiration diaphragmatic function is improved this has a massage effect on the organs in the viscera which could increase blood circulation around the body and to the foetus, the muscles of the diaphragm also become stronger and are more within the control of the mother during labour improving the chance of being able to give a good strong push at the right time.

Please note that the Chipregnancy book and film contains a full acupressure and pushing hands programme that is aimed to help make having a baby easy, enjoyable for all parents, partners and all involved with the pregnancy.

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