Maternity Reflexology
Pregnancy Reflexology
During pregnancy your body undergoes amazing changes, both physically and emotionally. Reflexology can help you to adjust to these and to help ease or prevent many of the discomforts and complaints that are commonly associated with pregnancy.
Common symptoms of pregnancy can include:
Nausea Mood changesVomiting Muscle tension
Heartburn Breast tenderness
Constipation Fluid retenion
Craving (pica) Loss of bladder control
Backache/Sciatica Cramp
Headaches Stress and anxiety
Tiredness and fatigue Insomnia
Trials in the UK and Denmark have shown that women who received regular reflexology treatments tended to deliver closer to their due date and experienced shorter labour.
Frequency of treatments
The frequency of required treatments varies for every woman. In general it is recommended that you receive one treatment every 3 to 4 weeks in your second and third trimesters, increasing to once a week during the last 6 weeks of your pregnancy. Your first appointment includes an in-depth consultation to ensure the health and wellbeing of yourself and your baby.
Pre-cautions
Reflexology is a safe therapy that works by enabling you to balance your physical, mental and emotional well-being. However, there are a few circumstances when it cannot take place during pregnancy:
- Pre-term labour (pre 37 weeks)
- Placenta previa (low lying afterbirth) if grade ii or iii at 32 weeks or more
- Hydroamnios (too much fluid around the baby) at 32 weeks or more
You must also seek the advice of your obstetrician, mid-wife or GP and receive written consent before commencing treatment if you are at risk of:
- Deep vein thrombosis
- Pre-eclampsia
It is also advised that you wait until your second trimester before beginning your treatment of reflexology.
