So what has life been like now that I have a 22 month old and a newborn?! It’s been busy and messy and stressful at times and has definitely made me realize that self care now is more important than ever.
If you’ve been following my journey since I was pregnant with Felipa, then you know that I am a bit obsessed with Toronto Yoga Mamas, an east end yoga studio that provides a full range of services for women, and not to mention a thoughtfully curated retail area. We even did a review on their Yoga Classes last year!
On top of the RMT and Chiropractic services (which I’ve been doing for the last 2 years and are amazing!) — They are now offering Acupuncture services for prenatal, labour prep, facial and postnatal treatments. I want to tell you about my experience with the Postnatal Acupuncture services I received, because it was not what I was expecting at all!
As a wellness junkie, I have pretty much tried everything when it comes to beauty, health and nutrition. The only thing I have never tried was Acupuncture, because well…I have a major fear of needles. Yes, I have piercings and tattoos but for some reason acupuncture needles were a very scary thought. Until now! Heather Rule, R.AC, changed my mind and my body within a few sessions! So what is acupuncture after baby all about at Toronto Yoga Mamas?
Toronto Postpartum Acupuncture with Yoga Mamas and How it Works:
Heather specializes in prenatal and postnatal acupuncture in the studio. I met with her for my initial consultation and she asked me a wide range of questions about my pregnancy, labour and delivery and also about my postpartum health after Lola’s birth. We discussed everything from my mental health, to eating habits, digestive issues and sleeping habits.
My main concerns and reasons for getting the treatment were for my mental health and overall relaxation. Since having Lola and managing my super active toddler, I can honestly admit that my patience had been tested and I was not feeling like myself. I found myself getting easily agitated, frustrated and well, I was just plain exhausted. I had no idea how postnatal acupuncture was going to help this, but it did!
After laying down in the bed, Heather applied 8-10 delicate needles into various parts of my body – including my scalp, ears, hands, legs and feet. I felt NOTHING — like in the best way possible. Her touch and approach is so gentle as she counted to 3 on each insertion. Once the needles were inserted I felt a warm tingling sensation at each point, which faded within a couple of minutes. She lowered the lights and with some very relaxing music in the background, I closed my eyes and felt an immediate sense of calm.
Heather checked in on me every 10 minutes or so for a total of 30 minutes. Once the treatment was over, she removed each needle and then performed a very therapeutic head massage. When I got up, I felt — well for lack of a better term, high lol. Heather used the term “acu-high” and I definitely had that. It was like waking up from the longest, deepest nap that had just rejuvenated my whole being.
When I got home, my husband commented on how calm I was and this did not go away. Suddenly, my very active toddler was easier to deal with, my sleep quality improved and I was just much happier overall.
I was so excited for my next treatment the following week. At the follow up appointment I was so excited to let her know of my results. My follow up appointment was no different than my first — I left feeling re-energized and invigorated.
I cannot wait to continue my postpartum acupuncture journey with Heather, she is an amazing Toronto Postpartum Acupuncture specialist and you need to book with her!
Postpartum Acupuncture Benefits
Traditional Chinese Medicine places a great emphasis on caring for women after birth. It is such an important time to heal and restore energy for yourself and your newborn. Postnatal acupuncture can help to address these common conditions after birth:
- Stress
- Mastitis
- Insufficient Lactation
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Night Sweats
- Blood Loss
- Fatigue
- Afterpains
The other benefits that I personally experienced from my treatments included: a sense of calm, decrease in night sweats, better quality of sleep, decrease in stress and ability to handle stress more effectively.
My Overall Experience
From the initial consultation to my follow up appointment I was thoroughly impressed with the level of professionalism from all of the staff, but especially Acupuncturist – Heather Rule. She was thorough and thoughtful, she answered all of my questions and calmed every nerve I had about needles. She is very knowledgeable and highly skilled in this field and I cannot recommend her enough to anyone that is considering postpartum acupuncture as a part of their wellness journey.
Toronto Yoga Mamas has created such a beautiful community, offering a wide range of services that are ever-evolving to meet the needs of their customers. I am so happy that I found them 3 years ago and will continue to use all of their services and you should too! Thank you Yoga Mamas!
Heather Rule, R.Ac. Bio
With a background in Gender Studies, and a love of hands-on, practical, and creative work, Heather Rule R.Ac has been focused on the study of reproductive health and pregnancy throughout her education in Traditional Chinese Medicine.
Completing two clinical intensives in the labour and delivery ward at Lutheran Medical Centre in Brooklyn NY with Claudia Citkovitz L.Ac PhD, and taking courses with experts in the field of obstetric acupuncture such as Debra Betts PhD, Heather has been inspired by how acupuncture and traditional Chinese Medicine can benefit pregnancy and labour outcomes. She is excited to continue to learn, grow, and collaborate with Toronto’s birthing community to make acupuncture for pregnancy and birth a common and accessible practice.
Looking to book with Heather, or want to check out what else Toronto Yoga Mamas has to offer? Click on the links below:
Acupuncture Information: https://www.torontoyogamamas.com/acupuncture.html
Workshops: https://www.torontoyogamamas.com/workshops.html
Schedule and Prices: https://www.torontoyogamamas.com/schedule–prices.html
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