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Meghan Markle’s Pregnancy Acupuncture

Meghan Markle Shows the Royal Family the Benefits of Acupuncture

Mark Jones [CC BY 2.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0)]

As the newlyweds prepare for their first child due in April, Traditional Chinese Medicine has been at hand for soon-to-be parents Meghan and Harry. They’ve employed the help of Ross Barr, acupuncturist to the stars to help the young couple manage their stress from the high-profile Royal Wedding to the conception of another Royal Family member. Meghan has also been having regular acupuncture sessions in her third trimester to improve the blood flow to the uterus and circulation around the body to ensure a safe and healthy pregnancy naturally, and for any aches and pains that come with pregnancy!

Research

In a recent review from the University of Western Sydney, Acupuncture and women’s health: an overview of the role of acupuncture and its clinical management in women’s reproductive health, researchers Suzanne Cochrane, Caroline A Smith, Alphia Possamai-Inesedy, and Alan Bensoussan studied 318 documents from electronic databases, textbooks and journals “focusing on both clinical findings and experimental research on acupuncture’s mechanisms of action in relation to women’s health.” Through their extensive investigation they found that “clinical research has demonstrated that acupuncture regulates uterine and ovarian blood flow (OBF)…. Since this encourages a thicker uterine wall, fertility is improved through embryo implantation being more successful.”

Meghan Markle Acupuncture Pregnancy

The data studied in the Acupuncture and women’s health review showed that “Accumulated clinical experience indicates that acupuncture regulates the menstrual cycle. TCM gynaecological textbooks all provide treatment approaches for a range of menstrual irregularities – whether the cycle is too short, too long, or too variable, the bleeding is too scant or too heavy, and menses are accompanied by a range of other symptoms such as abdominal pain, headache, acne, or mood changes.” Practitioners of traditional Chinese medicine know the “importance of menstrual regulation both in the resolution of menstrual disorders and the promotion of fertility.”

Another factor that is damaging to fertility and a healthy pregnancy is stress. Couples being treated for fertility and expectant parents are generally already very stressed about their situation, which “is known to have a negative effect on reproduction and perhaps the menstrual cycle. As acupuncture, for example, aids in lowering stress hormones, which undermine fertility, it is thought that this may be a major mechanism for acupuncture to influence reproductive function and account for fertility boosting effects.”

Traditional Chinese Medicine

In our clinic, expectant and hopeful mums can unwind and rest while an experienced acupuncturist from our team of practitioners work on the body’s acupoints and meridian channels to relieve tension and promote healthy blood flow. We try to make sure you are comfortable to decrease stress as much as possible, which is vital when trying to conceive.

With Traditional Chinese medicine you can trust that the treatment you receive is 100% natural, there are no drugs involved, there are no invasive procedures, all treatment is external and focuses on stimulating blood circulation through acupuncture, acupressure and heat therapy to promote fertility and a healthy pregnancy.

Traditional Chinese Medicine places great importance on harmonizing the body and bringing it back to its natural rhythm that gets thrown out of balance through daily life. To have a healthy pregnancy, you need a healthy body. To provide your baby with the best start and opportunity to grow you need to make sure that their environment – your body! – is in optimal condition.

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References

  1. Suzanne Cochrane, Caroline A. Smith, Alphia Possamai-Inesedy, and Alan Bensoussan, “Prior to Conception: The Role of an Acupuncture Protocol in Improving Women’s Reproductive Functioning Assessed by a Pilot Pragmatic Randomised Controlled Trial,” Evidence-Based Complementary and Alternative Medicine, vol. 2016, Article ID 3587569, 11 pages, 2016. doi:10.1155/2016/3587569

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Monica

I am originally from Hebei province in China. I hold a NZ bachelor’s degree of health and science with a major in acupuncture. I am honoured to be an acupuncturist at Centre of Balance. Helping patients to alleviate their pain brings me the greatest joy. Chinese medicine emphasises the unity of human beings and nature. During the treatment, I hope to not only relieve your pain but also help you to understand the principles behind acupuncture’s effectiveness, as well as the significant impact of diet, emotions, lifestyle habits, and living environments on disease recovery. Self-healing is an ability that our bodies are naturally endowed with.

I studied acupuncture in New Zealand and completed one and a half years of supervised clinical internship before graduating. In the early stage of my training, I mainly worked with patients experiencing neck, shoulder, and lower back pain. Under the guidance of senior clinical tutors, I gradually developed hands-on experience and confidence in treating musculoskeletal pain conditions.
As my clinical exposure expanded, I began treating a wider range of internal conditions. Alongside traditional acupuncture, I was introduced to Umbilical Acupuncture and Tungs-acupuncture Points. What interested me most about these approaches is that they often do not require needling directly at the painful area, yet can still achieve very effective results.
I was especially inspired by observing my supervisor use Umbilical Acupuncture to treat common conditions such as insomnia, menstrual irregularities, and even rheumatoid arthritis, with very positive outcomes. Another supervisor was highly skilled in Tungs-acupuncture Points and achieved excellent results in treating pain, infertility, menstrual disorders, and a variety of women’s health conditions. After completing my studies and entering clinical practice, once I observed Dr. Szenan Phua using Tungs-acupuncture points to help cancer patients relieve pain, which further strengthened my trust in this treatment method.
I later completed training in Dr. Tan Balance Acupuncture, which had a strong influence on the way I approach treatment. One of the most noticeable features of this method is how quickly patients often feel improvement, especially with pain conditions. Dr. Szenan Phua’s New Balance Acupuncture combines meridian regulation with structural adjustment and internal organ balancing, including techniques such as pulse balancing and spinal adjustment.
From my clinical experience, pain is rarely just a local issue. It often involves underlying organ weakness or structural imbalance. When these aspects are addressed together, treatment can be more thorough and longer-lasting. I also apply this approach to internal conditions, particularly in fertility and women’s health. This includes supporting natural conception, IVF preparation and embryo transfer, pregnancy support, early-pregnancy nausea, and late-pregnancy labour induction. I combine these treatments with concepts learned from a few additional fertility training, which has given me a broader and more flexible clinical perspective. This has reinforced my belief that acupuncture should be adapted to each individual rather than applied through fixed formulas.
Two other areas of study that have been very helpful in my clinical work are Tongue Diagnosis and Dr. Zhu’s Scalp Acupuncture. Although tongue diagnosis is taught in my standard Chinese medicine training, further study allowed me to deepen and refine my diagnostic skills.
My first formal training was in Li’s Tongue Diagnosis, which looks not only at organ patterns, but also at how different areas of the tongue reflect the body’s structure. This system also explores personality traits and changes during pregnancy, making it both clinically useful and engaging. I later attended online lectures on Yin’s Tongue Diagnosis and studied the related materials independently. this learning has helped me make clearer and more accurate pattern differentiation, allowing my acupuncture treatments to be more targeted. It covers a wide range of conditions, including skin disorders, oncology-related presentations, mental health patterns, and joint or limb problems. In practice, tongue observation often provides valuable insight even before a patient begins describing their symptoms.
In addition to the methods above, I regularly use local bloodletting techniques, which can be very effective for improving circulation, reducing swelling, and relieving pain. I also incorporate auricular (ear) acupressure and stimulation, which I commonly use for allergies, insomnia, headaches, stress management, and various internal conditions.
In my clinical work, I value taking the time to listen carefully to each patient and to understand their overall health, lifestyle, and concerns. Based on each individual’s condition, I also provide personalised dietary guidance and lifestyle or wellness advice to support overall health and long-term wellbeing. I commonly support patients with musculoskeletal pain, such as neck, shoulder, knee, and back pain, as well as stress-related conditions, sleep issues, migraines, digestive concerns, and women’s health and fertility-related conditions.