I woke up this morning to a frenzy of news stories announcing that the Duchess of Cambridge is in labor. Even though I’ve lived in America for more than 20 years, my British roots kicked in and I found myself wishing her well and feeling excited at the prospect of a new prince or princess back in my home country.
All babies are special, of course, and all births feel miraculous. Here at Yinova we’re lucky enough to support hundreds of parents a year during their pregnancies.
Getting to hug new babies is part of the fun of our jobs. Everything stops in our office when one of our Yinova parents brings in their newborns to meet us for the first time. Many of these patients have had long struggles with infertility, making their achievement even more special. I can’t begin to explain how rewarding it is to have played a role in helping people and couples become parents.
Many years ago, I was lucky enough to be involved in an acupuncture program at Lutheran Medical Center in Brooklyn where I taught acupuncture students in a hospital setting. As part of that job, I founded a labor and delivery program where we were able to explore the use of acupuncture for pain relief during labor. We found that acupuncture could be extremely useful, especially when combined with other more modern ways of easing the labor and delivery process. We used ear acupuncture with electrostimulation to enhance the natural endorphin release and support the body’s own pain management systems. Massage and acupuncture proved helpful for back pain in early labor and certain points were able to increase dilation and promote contractions. It was a huge honor to help people through the process which is, let’s face it, hard work!
In the hospital, I attended many deliveries and yet each one was different and every one was special. It never became routine. I’d watch a baby emerge into the world and find myself thinking “I wonder what life has in store for this little one.” Over and over again, I experienced a sense of awe and reverence at the start of a new life.
Jill Blakeway M.S. L.Ac. is the founder of the Yinova Center in New York City and the co-author of the best selling fertility book Making Babies: A Proven 3-Month Program for Maximum Fertility
