Maternity Reflexology

 

Reflexology for conception

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Many people turn to reflexology to help them conceive. For some it is an obvious choice but for others it is not something they have thought about until it is suggested to them. A question I have frequently been asked is how exactly does reflexology help couples to conceive a baby and how does it differ from regular reflexology.

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The most important thing to bear in mind is that sadly it is not a miracle cure, and whilst many women have reported it has helped them to conceive, it is best to view it as putting your body in the best possible state to grow a baby, in much the same way as healthy eating, taking vitamin supplements, taking regular exercise does. Reflexology can be used to help when there is an active condition present but it should be viewed as a long-term goal, as in cases of serious health issues, these will always take longer to be remedied.

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Maternity reflexology works primarily by stimulating and balancing the endocrine system - those organs and glands that are responsible for producing and regulating hormones. The endocrine system consists of the pituitary gland (often known as the 'master gland') in the brain, the hypothalamus, the pineal gland, the thyroid, the thymus, the pancreas, the adrenal gland and the ovary. It is useful to know whereabouts in the menstrual cycle the client is. Pre-ovulation, a more stimulating treatment is given to encourage the ovaries to 'get moving', whereas post-ovulation the treatment is more relaxing and balancing to give the (hopefully) fertilised embryo the best chance at implanting in the womb. It is very important to be aware if there is even the smallest chance that the client has already conceived as there are certain sequences that cannot be carried out on pregnant women. There are further techniques carried out known as 'linking' whereby the practitioner links various connected glands with her fingers and is able to sense the balance between them, and act on them accordingly to restore balance. Treatment can be carried out on both men and women and in fact it can be very useful for both members of the couple to receive regular treatments so that imbalances in each of them can be worked on.

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When trying to conceive the ideal duration of treatments is weekly. However, I am very aware that due to time and financial constraints that this is not possible, therefore an alternative is to have treatments fortnightly or even monthly. Basically however many treatments you are able to have, you will benefit.

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Reflexology during pregnancy 

Pregnancy is a very special time but you may well be feeling like you are on an emotional roller-coaster! We live in very stressful times and particularly in pregnancy it is so important that we aim to counter this as much as possible. Reflexology can be an extremely effective way of helping ladies to relax.

 

There is a vast body of anecdotal evidence supporting the use of reflexology during pregnancy and three recent studies have shown that reflexology can reduce pain during childbirth*; can reduce the length of the first stage of labour** and can improve the quality of sleep in post-natal women***.

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Reflexology is safe throughout pregnancy, and it can be used to ease the symptoms of many of those annoying pregnancy ailments such as morning sickness or pelvic girdle pain. There are however, some conditions in which it is contra-indicated - please contact me if you are unsure.

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The question I am asked most frequently is whether reflexology can be used to bring on labour. This is very tricky to answer as I would love to be able to say that it does - I have treated pregnant ladies who subsequently went into labour the following day and equally I have had ladies who have needed more intervention. Providing you have had at least one (ideally more) treatments in the month preceding, I am able to give you a very intense 'preparation for labour' treatment once you hit 40 weeks. I believe that this works by stimulating the body's own healing forces thereby getting your body into the most balanced state possible for giving birth. However, there are so many factors at play including the position of the baby, the size of the baby's head, the position of the cord, the mother's pelvis size & shape to name but a few, that it is impossible to make any promise.

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Post-natal

As any mother will tell you, this is when it becomes difficult to fit in treatments, although some would argue that this is the most important time as the new mum needs more nurturing and caring than ever! Reflexology can help with mental state post birth; after pains; can stimulate milk production and help with any digestive issues. I realise how difficult logistic are around this time and I am more than happy to work in whatever conditions are necessary. You are welcome to feed the baby throughout your treatment - this can be an amazing bonding experience for you both and I really will not mind if you are still in your pyjamas or haven't done the washing-up.

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If there is anything you feel I haven't covered above, please do get in touch with me and I will answer all your questions.

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