Pregnancy and Postnatal

Pregnancy and Postnatal

Pregnancy reflexology is a profoundly relaxing and supportive treatment for women during pregnancy. It helps to prevent or alleviate discomfort arising from hormonal and physiological imbalance and restores the body’s equilibrium. My goal is that the mother feels supported mentally, physically and emotionally throughout her pregnancy. It is a very soothing, safe and relaxing treatment which has many benefits throughout the different stages of pregnancy as it helps to:

  • Relieve tiredness, stress and anxiety as reflexology can promote deep relaxation and reduce the stress response in the body creating sense of wellbeing for the mother and child

  • Increase vitality by relieving blockages to the vital energy flow around the body, releasing muscle tension and promoting better blood and lymph circulation

  • Improve digestion such as constipation, bloating and acid reflux

  • Relieve muscular tension causing headaches, neck and shoulder pain and back ache

  • Helpful for sciatica and pelvic girdle pain

  • Revive tired aching feet and legs and help to prevent plantar fasciitis, many women find they feel light on their feet after a treatment

  • Reduce water retention especially in the feet, ankles and leg

  • Help prepare for labour.

The treatment is always adapted in accordance with what feels comfortable for you and what you need. This is a wonderful opportunity for expecting mothers to give themselves some self-care and focus purely on themselves and the baby – a vital thing to do during pregnancy. Reflexology is safe and effective during pregnancy, however, it is not recommended if there is a history of premature labour, severe hypertension, placenta previa or recent vaginal bleeding. If you suspect any problems in your pregnancy it is important to contact your doctor or midwife.

Research has shown that women who have regular reflexology treatments during pregnancy are more likely to have a shorter labour and require less pain relief with less intervention. Treatments change slightly as the due date approaches and we start focusing more on stimulating the body to produce oxytocin (the hormone that makes the uterus contract), encouraging the cervix to dilate and loosening the pelvis.

Postnatal reflexology treatments can help to:

  • Rebalance the hormones after labour

  • Regulate the organs and glands, reducing emotional stress and the effects of chemical imbalances

  • Help the uterus to return to its pre-pregnancy state

  • Stimulate a good supply of breast milk for the baby

  • Provide emotional support for the new mother and helps to promote relaxation at a potentially stressful time

  • Help constipation, urine retention, backache and increase energy levels.

If it is difficult for you to find time to fit in reflexology around your baby’s needs then it is perfectly fine for baby to come to the session and have a cuddle or a feed while you have your treatment or I can come to you for a home treatment where you have everything that you need.

Reflexology research in pregnancy and the perinatal period:

  •  Two studies have shown that reflexology in pregnancy significantly reduced pain during labour (1, 2) and reduced the length of the first stage of labour (1).

  •  One study showed improved quality of sleep in post-natal women (3)

  •  One study showed that 6 weekly treatments of reflexology prior to giving birth on for women who experienced low back and/or pelvic girdle pain during their pregnancy significantly reduced the second stage of labour by 44.3 minutes (4).

  • Reduced pain and stress levels for women with low back pain or pelvic girdle pain (5)

  • Foot reflexology was found to have a positive effect in lowering the total anxiety scores of women in labour (6)

References

1. Valiani M et al. (2010) Reviewing the effect of Reflexology on pain and outcomes of the labour of primiparous women. Iranian Journal of Nursing and Midwifery Research. 15 (Dec) p302-310

2. Iran Red Crescent Med J 2011; 13(7):475-479 ©Iranian Red Crescent Medical Journal

3. Lic Y C et al (2011) Randomised controlled trial of the effectiveness of using foot reflexology to improve quality of sleep amongst postpartum women. Midwifery. 27. p181-186

4. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29024881

5. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29705485

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