I think it depends on what exactly you are having acupuncture for. A friend of mine had a one-off treatment at 42 weeks to get labour moving (she gave birth the day after!) - so if you're just looking to bring on labour, I'm sure you could go just once. Some women start at 36 (or is it 34? Now I can't recall...) weeks for treatment for helping with baby's positioning for birth. I just decided to start early...well, just because, really! You can begin treatment whenever you like, but obviously the closer that you are to your EDD, the more that the treatment will be focused on preparation for birth.

I hadn't had acupuncture since I was a child, so at my first session I was a little nervous! The needles are super-thin and sterilised - though you might find it strange to observe them sticking out of your skin! It shouldn't hurt (and hasn't for me), but your experiences vary according to how sensitive you are to treatment, and also the position of the needles on your body. Any time a needle is inserted somewhere where there is very little body fat (i.e. the wrist, near the ankles or knees or feet), I tend to feel an initial little sting, which fades quite quickly. What you might experience is the feeling of energy being released from the acupuncture points - which can be quite strange, at first! Last week I had quite a few placed at certain points in my lower legs, and it was quite intense - like a kind of rush of warmth downwards...but again, it depends on your sensitivity. Annalise was telling me that some people just don't feel anything at all.

If you find that you go for treatment and you react quite strongly to it, she will remove the needle. If I have a strong reaction to a certain placement, I describe the sensation to her, and generally it dissipates. If it continues to feel uncomfortable or intensifies (which happened once), the needle is removed straight away. I'd try and remain calm, and take deep breaths - it sounds silly, but if you tense up and anticipate pain, you're more likely to experience discomfort (I think, anyway). I hope that answers your questions!