With Katie, I started having “pre-term labor” at 35 weeks.  These often very intense contractions did not stop until the day I had her, at 40 weeks + 2 days.  My midwife had suggested I consider acupuncture to help with some muscle/tendon pain that I had been having, and by the time I got in to see the acupuncturist I was 2 days late.  She assumed I was there for an “induction”, and I decided whatever she might try would be fine–contractions every 3-5 minutes for most of the last 5 weeks was really taking its toll on my mind and body. 

 Long story short, I got to the acupuncturist office at 3pm, had 3 needles inserted by 3:10pm, and started having “active labor” by 3:20.  At 4:14 we were in traffic, about 5 minutes from home, and I told Roger I needed to push!  Roger had our midwife on the phone, who by this time was also on her way to our house, but she was stuck in traffic.  She told Roger that he might have to deliver this baby.  Now that the event is over, I really wish I could have seen the look on Roger’s face when she said that.  At the time I was curled up in the back of the van, on the floor, dealing with labor.  But can you imagine Roger’s reaction when he thought he would be delivering a baby!?

As it turned out, Katie was not born for another hour and a half, so there was plenty of time.  But quite frankly, if I had not gotten out of the van when I did, I may have seriously had the baby in the van!

It was not until after the birth that Roger and my midwife discussed the details of the acupuncture visit.  When I started active labor, I ask the acupuncturist to call Roger and get him back to the office (he had taken Julie out for a walk).  She was so super duper calm, that when she said, “things are RAMPING up here”, he thought she said, “things are WRAPPING up here”, so he took his sweet time coming back!  He says that when he got in the room, and saw me crying, he thought I just had “an emotional session”.  Even the midwife said she didn’t sense the urgency in the acupuncturist’s voice.  With me, she didn’t mince words.  She looked me straight in the eye (and with a very calm voice) said, “I think you’re in active labor!”.  And when Roger did finally get back to the office, she ask him how far the drive would be to get home, and when he said 15 minutes, she had a very concerned look on her face, and I think she said something like: try to hurry!

Of course, everything worked out perfectly.  My midwife was here in plenty of time to get set up and my doula lives close by, and she was able to drop everything and be here within just a few minutes.

Someone has since ask me if it could have been a coincidence that I went into labor while having the acupuncture treatment, and my answer to that is that it was definitely NOT a coincidence.  The acupuncturist noted a “change in my energy” when she checked my pulse before and after putting in the needles.  At the time, I thought it was a little hokey-pokey that she noticed such a big difference, but since she produced results, now I’m a firm believer!  My midwife says she’s never experienced anyone responding so quickly and positively to acupuncture treatment.  And the acupuncturist told me that only one other time has a woman gone into active labor during treatment, and she ended up driving that woman to the hospital.  So I guess my results were a little “unusual”, but the acupuncturist believes I was already “ripe and ready”, and that was just the little nudge I needed.

I admit to being somewhat of a skeptic at first.  When we arrived at the office, we parked behind a car with a license plate frame that said, “acupuncture works!”.  I told Roger, “ha! we’ll see about that!”.  I also said that if it DID work, I would get one of those frames and put it on my car.  Now I have to find one of those frames!