How Chinese Medicine Has Supported Me Through My Second Pregnancy
Patients have been asking how I’ve been moving through this second pregnancy, and I’ve been reflecting on how different each phase has been—both physically and emotionally.
As a Chinese medicine practitioner, my primary care has come through Chinese nutrition rather than stacks of vitamins and minerals, alongside acupuncture—especially in this third trimester—and Classical Chinese herbal formulas. There is often an assumption that “natural” means doing nothing, but in Classical Chinese medicine, support can be both gentle and deeply active. Herbal formulas, when used skillfully, are not only compatible with pregnancy, but can be profoundly supportive.
Each trimester has called for different medicine. Along the way, I have needed support for prenatal depression, morning sickness, restless legs, insomnia, and now labor preparation. A few prenatal massage sessions have also helped carry me through.At a certain point, after an unfortunate interaction with my OB-GYN, I trusted my instincts and chose to move fully into care with my home birth midwife, who has been wonderful. That decision felt like an important turning point—one of many moments in this pregnancy that have asked me to listen more closely to myself.
Much of this experience has also been soul work: contemplation, meditation, and learning to listen for what actually feels right. That listening brought me back to the path of a second home birth. In the middle of the second trimester, it also led us to move into a home in the forest, while still remaining close to the city. Last week, it called me to the ocean one more time—to Sea Ranch, where the sun, waves, and wildflowers gave me a sense of clarity and peace. Somewhere in that landscape, I changed my mind and decided that I wanted my mother to be with me before the birth.
The deepest work of all has come through Eight Extraordinary Vessel treatments in Classical Chinese acupuncture. I am deeply grateful for Ann Cecil-Sterman’s mentorship in this medicine. These treatments have helped realign me on every level. They have held the grief of my father being in hospice, given me space to reevaluate my priorities, and supported me in arriving more honestly at this threshold.
As I prepare for birth, I feel aware of both the mystery and the inevitability of what is ahead. I can sense the destiny written into my own blueprint, and I am meeting this moment with as much openness as I can. More than anything, I am arriving here willing to accept what is coming, and whatever this birth becomes.
This experience has deepened my trust in the kinds of care we offer every day at Felek Acupuncture. Our clinic supports people throughout the fertility journey, during pregnancy, and in the postpartum period with acupuncture, classical herbal medicine, nutritional support, and bodywork, including prenatal massage. These transitions can be physically demanding, emotionally tender, and profoundly transformative. It is an honor to offer care that helps people feel more supported, more resourced, and more at home in their bodies through each stage.