Author: Heidi Williams and Kate Levett
Author title: 
Heidi Williams, Privately Practising Midwife, Central Coast, NSW, Australia 
Kate Levett, Senior Research Fellow, School of Medicine, The University of Notre Dame Australia; Privately Practising Acupuncturist 
Description: In pregnancy and birth, complementary therapies, including Traditional Chinese and East Asian Medicine (TEAM) techniques, are supported by substantial evidence of safety, effectiveness and cost effectiveness, particularly for acupuncture and acupressure. These techniques demonstrate enormous capacity for supportive care of women, and their integration into maternity care is favoured by women and midwives worldwide; however, acupuncturists have not been well integrated into maternity systems. The opportunity for midwives, who primarily care for women, to offer acupuncture and acupressure as part of their skill set is very appealing and would fill a substantial gap in translating evidence into practice. However, there is, unfortunately, limited evidence for clinical application of midwifery acupuncture - also known as ‘acuneedling’ - and acupressure for pregnancy, intrapartum and postnatal care. Additionally, funding for pilot projects is hard to come by. 

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