Reflexology And Pregnancy
Is it safe to have reflexology when pregnant?
Yes, it is safe to receive reflexology while pregnant. You would like to ensure that your medical practitioner and midwife are aware that you would like to receive reflexology. Reflexology is not a diagnostic tool and so it is important to continue with your medical appointments throughout pregnancy. Most therapeutic reflexologists will only perform treatments from 12 weeks (2nd trimester) as the 1st trimester is a sensitive period.
Why should I have reflexology treatments during my pregnancy?
During pregnancy your hormones fluctuate more than usual. By stimulating the endocrine reflex points on your feet, the messages are sent to your pituitary gland to balance these hormone changes. This balance can help ease the nausea one feels during pregnancy and the mood changes one undergoes.
Reflexology in general helps with some insomnia cases and many reflexology clients often comment that they sleep wonderfully the night after their treatment. Improved sleep will help give you energy for the day ahead.
Reflexology can assist with alleviating your digestive problems by stimulating the digestive system on the feet. This can in turn assist with the healing or prevention of haemorrhoids through not having to strain when going to the bathroom due to constipation.
With the added weight of carrying an extra person along with you this can place strain on the feet and therefore you may just experience general foot pain. A reflexology treatment can alleviate this strain and provide a relaxing hour in your busy day.
This stress relief will be a general benefit to your journey through pregnancy. Although there is very little scientific evidence with regards to the effectiveness of reflexology, there are many who have felt reflexology helped in some ways to make their pregnancy easier.
Reflexology can be used to assist in inducing labour. However, as reflexology focuses on balancing the body if the body is not ready to go into labour it won’t go into labour.
Your hormones fluctuate.
Can alleviate digestive problems.
Reproductive system reflexes.
Look after your liver.
Look after the testes.
Can reflexology assist in conceiving?
Reflexology cannot claim that it does assist with conception however, the benefits of reflexology and what it does may make the process easier. There have been women who struggle to conceive and get unknown diagnosis for why they cannot conceive who try reflexology and do become pregnant after a few sessions. Not everyone is the same and so what works for one person may not work for another. However, these benefits could help in the conception process:
Reflexology takes a holistic approach to the body and so it is not just attending treatments that help but also some lifestyle changes. These changes include what you eat, what your stress levels are and your daily habits. Ensure that you are eating a balanced diet or taking in some vitamin supplements. In some cases, it could be what you are wearing or due to your work environment. According to Claire Burrows, a reflexologist specialised in fertility and pregnancy reflexology, your liver needs to be working optimally and should not be strained, ensure you balance your blood sugar, manage your stress, balance your hormones and to have quality sleep.
Another way in which reflexology can help is making you feel you have taken control of the process and therefore may reduce some of your anxiety in trying to conceive. Instead of worrying about the doctor appointments and the test results and beginning a negative thinking spiral, reflexology can be a way to spin a positive feedback system which will help you relax and not worry too much about the doctor appointment coming up or what the test results will say.
Your partner may also benefit from a few sessions of reflexology to help him relax and to balance his hormones and body systems. One of the things that can affect the sperm is temperature so if your partner works in a really hot or cold environment this could compromise the viability of the sperm and so changing the clothes he wears to work to help cool down or keep the testes warm could assist in the viability of the sperm. Reflexology can help boost your partner’s immune system, reduce inflammation and relax your partner.
It takes about 3 months for sperm and ovum to mature and be ready for conception and so it may take a few sessions of reflexology to get the balance right.
Did you know reflexology can also assist mother and baby after birth?
After giving birth your body needs to readjust your hormones again which can lead to a whole array of symptoms. Reflexology will help the process of balancing the hormones which can assist in preventing the onset of depression. It can also help stimulate lactation for breastfeeding.
The positive twist is you can bring your newborn along to your reflexology session. If your baby needs a feed during the session you can breastfeed while your feet are being massaged.
Reflexology can also help your baby. The session would be 5-10 minutes depending on how old the baby is. Reflexology will help a newborn’s lungs to release any extra fluid that is still in their lungs, it will help increase circulation and the stimulation of the solar plexus can help your baby calm from the stresses of birth. Reflexology can help the under developed digestive system and help alleviate the symptoms for colic. Another benefit for bay reflexology is to help during the teething stages.
Please note that reflexology is a complimentary therapy and used in conjunction with your medical practitioner.