Pregnancy
Pregnancy is
beautiful.
It's also hard.
You deserve support
through all of it.
Nausea that won't lift. Back pain that gets worse every week. Anxiety about what's coming. A body doing something extraordinary — and not always feeling like it.
You don't have to just push through. Acupuncture and naturopathic care during pregnancy are safe, effective, and deeply supported by research — and Katie has 20 years of experience doing this with women at every stage.
YOU MIGHT BE LOOKING FOR SUPPORT WITH
Morning sickness — from mild nausea to hyperemesis that's affecting your daily life
Pelvic and back pain — the kind that makes it hard to walk, sleep, or work
Fatigue and insomnia — exhausted but unable to sleep
Anxiety and mood — worry, overwhelm, or low mood through pregnancy
Breech presentation — moxibustion to gently encourage baby to turn
Labour preparation — pre-birth acupuncture to ripen the cervix and prepare the body
Postnatal recovery — nutrition, supplements and acupuncture to restore and recover after birth
SAFE AT EVERY STAGE
The World Health Organisation recommends acupuncture as a preferred treatment for certain pregnancy-related health concerns. Katie has specific training in pregnancy acupuncture and has been treating pregnant women safely for over 20 years.
THE HONEST TRUTH
Most pregnant women are told
to just wait it out.
Nausea in the first trimester? It'll pass. Back pain getting worse? That's just pregnancy. Can't sleep at 34 weeks? Welcome to motherhood.
Here's what that advice misses: pregnancy symptoms aren't inevitable. They're signs that your body needs specific support — and when it gets that support, most of them respond remarkably well.
Acupuncture works by restoring blood flow, calming the nervous system, and addressing the underlying imbalances that are causing the symptom. Naturopathic care works by ensuring your body has the nutritional foundation it needs to carry a pregnancy well — for you and your baby.
Together, they give you something most antenatal care doesn't: a practitioner who's looking at the whole picture, not just managing individual complaints.
"Pregnancy is one of the most nutritionally demanding things a human body does. Most women are trying to do it on a multivitamin and good intentions. We can do so much better than that."
KATIE KEMPTHORNE
Katie's background in both naturopathy and Traditional Chinese Medicine gives her a dual lens that most pregnancy practitioners simply don't have. She can read your body through a nutritional and biochemical lens at the same time as a Chinese Medicine lens — and the two together reveal things that either alone would miss.
She's been doing this specific work since 2004. Her first mentor after graduation was a midwife and TCM acupuncturist. Pregnancy care isn't a side service for Katie. It's where she started, and it remains one of her greatest passions.
WHAT’S INCLUDED?
This isn't just acupuncture.
It's complete pregnancy support.
01
Pregnancy acupuncture
Safe, gentle, and deeply effective. Specific acupuncture points for pregnancy address the root cause of symptoms — not just the symptom itself. Sessions are typically deeply relaxing, and many women report sleeping better for days afterwards.
02
Nutrition and lifestyle
Pregnancy is the most nutritionally demanding period of a woman's life. What you eat, how you move, how you rest — these aren't optional extras. They're the foundation. Katie gives practical, realistic guidance that actually fits your life — not a regime you'll abandon in a week.
03
Supplement support
Not all pregnancy supplements are equal — and the generic supermarket multivitamin is rarely enough. Katie reviews your current supplements, identifies gaps, and recommends practitioner-grade products in the right forms and doses for your specific needs at each trimester.
TRIMESTER BY TRIMESTER
Different stage.
Different support.
FIRST TRIMESTER · WEEKS 1–12
Foundation and stability
Nausea and vomiting
Extreme fatigue
Anxiety and worry
Nutritional foundations
Miscarriage prevention support
Supplement review and optimisation
SECOND TRIMESTER · WEEKS 13–26
Stability and strength
Back and pelvic pain
Headaches and migraines
Heartburn and digestion
Gestational diabetes prevention
Iron and energy support
Emotional wellbeing
Each trimester brings its own challenges and its own needs. Katie's care adapts to exactly where you are — with treatment timed and tailored to what your body is doing right now.
THIRD TRIMESTER · WEEKS 27–40
Preparation and birth readiness
Breech — moxibustion
Pre-birth acupuncture (from week 34)
Insomnia and discomfort
Oedema and swelling
Cervical ripening
Labour induction acupuncture
POSTNATAL · AFTER BIRTH
Recovery and restoration
Postnatal depletion
Breastfeeding support
Postnatal anxiety and mood
Energy and recovery nutrition
Hormonal rebalancing
Postnatal acupuncture
ACUPUNCTURE TREATMENTS
The specific ways acupuncture
supports pregnancy.
Each of these is a distinct treatment with its own evidence base and its own protocol. They can be used individually or combined as part of your overall pregnancy care plan.
Morning sickness acupuncture
One of the most well-evidenced applications of acupuncture in pregnancy. Specific points — including the well-known Pericardium 6 — have been shown in clinical trials to reduce nausea significantly. For hyperemesis (severe pregnancy vomiting), a combined acupuncture and naturopathic approach can provide relief where medication alone hasn't been enough.
Moxibustion for breech presentation
A traditional Chinese Medicine technique that uses heat from burning moxa (mugwort herb) applied to a specific point on the little toe. Research supports its use from around 33–35 weeks to encourage baby to turn to the optimal head-down position. Non-invasive, gentle, and can be continued at home between sessions with guidance.
Pre-birth acupuncture
A series of weekly treatments from week 34 that prepare the cervix and pelvis for labour. Research from New Zealand midwives shows women who receive pre-birth acupuncture have significantly shorter labours and lower rates of medical intervention. Most women do weekly sessions between weeks 34 and 40.
Labour induction acupuncture
When a baby is overdue and induction is being considered, acupuncture can be used to naturally encourage the onset of labour. Specific points stimulate uterine contractions and help ripen the cervix. Many women prefer to try this before medical induction — and often, it works.
Pregnancy back and pelvic pain
Pelvic girdle pain and lower back pain affect a significant proportion of pregnant women and are consistently undertreated. Acupuncture is one of the most effective interventions available — improving mobility, reducing pain, and allowing women to sleep, walk, and work more comfortably through pregnancy.
Postnatal acupuncture - “Mother Roasting”
Birth is depleting. The postnatal period — often called the fourth trimester — is one of the most important times to receive support, and one of the most overlooked. Postnatal acupuncture supports hormonal rebalancing, energy restoration, mood, and recovery. Combined with naturopathic nutrition support, it helps women genuinely restore rather than just survive the early months.
WHAT CLIENTS SAY
BREECH BABY TURNED AT 36 WEEKS
"My baby was breech at 34 weeks and my midwife was starting to talk about a caesarean. Katie started moxibustion and within two weeks my baby had turned. I couldn't believe it. I went on to have a straightforward natural birth. I'd recommend moxibustion to anyone in that situation before considering anything more invasive."
QUESTIONS
What pregnant
women ask most.
Have a question not answered here?
Email Katie directly.
-
Yes — when performed by a practitioner with specific training in pregnancy acupuncture. Katie has been treating women in their first trimester since 2004. She uses only points appropriate to your stage, and avoids the small number of points that are contraindicated in early pregnancy. She also adapts her approach as your pregnancy progresses.
-
It can — and often does. Acupuncture for pregnancy nausea and vomiting is one of the most evidence-supported applications in the field. For hyperemesis specifically, a combined acupuncture and naturopathic approach — addressing the nutritional depletion that often accompanies hyperemesis as well as the nausea itself — tends to work better than either alone. If you're struggling to keep food down, please reach out sooner rather than later.
-
From week 34 — typically weekly until labour begins. The research supporting pre-birth acupuncture is based on a protocol of weekly treatments in the final four to six weeks of pregnancy. Women who complete this protocol consistently report shorter labours, higher rates of spontaneous onset, and lower rates of intervention. It's one of the most worthwhile things you can do in late pregnancy.
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Moxibustion involves applying gentle heat from burning moxa herb to a specific acupuncture point on the little toe (Bladder 67). This is thought to stimulate fetal movement and encourage the baby to turn. It works best between 33 and 36 weeks, before the baby has less room to manoeuvre. Katie will teach you how to continue the treatment at home between sessions. Research suggests a success rate of around 70% when started at the right time.
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You don't have to — but Katie encourages open communication with your LMC. Many midwives actively refer their clients to Katie, and she's happy to communicate with your maternity team where useful. Good pregnancy care is collaborative.
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Absolutely — and Katie actively encourages it. The postnatal period is one of the most overlooked in women's health. Postnatal depletion — the deep nutritional and energetic exhaustion that follows birth — is real, common, and very responsive to naturopathic and acupuncture support. You don't have to white-knuckle your way through the first year.
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Initial consultation (90 min): $185. Follow-up consultations (45–60 min): $125. Online consultations are available for naturopathy and nutrition advice. Acupuncture and moxibustion are in-clinic only.
READY TO FEEL SUPPORTED THROUGH YOUR PREGNANCY?
You're doing something extraordinary.
Your body deserves the support to match.
Book a 90-minute initial consultation. Katie will review where you are in your pregnancy, what you're experiencing, and what a personalised care plan would look like for you. You'll leave knowing exactly what support is available and what she recommends