Pregnancy Reflexology

By Helen Fowler



Reflexology treatments during pregnancy are a natural and gentle way of relieving stress and anxiety and can help prepare your body for childbirth. The benefits of Pregnancy Reflexology are valued and respected by health professionals. Some midwives now study Reflexology to help enhance the care of their clients during childbirth.

Is Reflexology Safe in Pregnancy?

Reflexology is a safe and gentle therapy. There is no evidence that treatments can cause a miscarriage. If you are under 13 weeks pregnant you should choose an experienced Reflexologist.

Choosing a Reflexologist

It is advisable to seek a Reflexologist that has specialist training and experience in Pregnancy Reflexology. Check the professional body for your area. If you live in the UK the Association of Reflexologists website gives details of practitioners and their specialisms. See www.aor.org.uk

Treatment Plan

Ideally, your sessions will start on a monthly basis, becoming fortnightly at around 34 weeks then weekly at 36 weeks. In the final two weeks of your pregnancy a more stimulating style of Reflexology is used to help prime your body for labour.

Reducing the impact of stress and anxiety allows your body to naturally and effectively prepare for childbirth. By enabling a calm, relaxed mind and body, Reflexology has been shown to help lessen the chance of being induced and reduce the length of labour.

Self-treatment Techniques

Your Reflexologist may show you how to practise self-treatment techniques using Hand Reflexology. This will enable further stimulation of key reflex points between visits and during labour. For example there are points on the hands that may help relieve the discomfort of backache and contractions. You could also get your partner involved by demonstrating how to work on your pressure points to assist labour preparation and pain reduction.

40 weeks and waiting!

If you've not been able to have regular treatments during pregnancy and are now overdue you may want to utilise Reflexology to try and stimulate labour. Your treatment will include work on reflex points on your feet that reflect the uterus and pituitary gland this can help release the labour hormone "oxytocin"

Girl or Boy?

Some practitioners have studied the Reflexology method of predicting the sex of a baby. By checking the changes to areas of the feet that reflect the growing uterus it may be possible to determine if you are having a girl or boy.

Michayla's Story:

"...helped enable me to have the birth I longed for - thank you" Michayla

After being induced with my first two children at 10 days overdue I decided to try reflexology during the pregnancy with my third child as I did not want to be induced again. Both births had been plain sailing and without problems but I wanted a homebirth this time round.

I had my first reflexology session at 26 weeks and monthly after that. I was due 8th September 2007 so with the prospect of being heavily pregnant in summer with extra tired feet and having two other children to deal with, I was glad of the sessions. After the first session I walked on air for a while. My feet felt so relaxed and I found that it relaxed me mentally too.

During the sessions that followed over the course of the pregnancy I found that my baby would wriggle about when certain points were touched. The calmness I felt both during and after each session was great and I slept better that night too. I looked forward to some ‘me’ time which was equally as important as anything else.

Towards the end of the pregnancy I had weekly sessions and at the session closest to my due date I was taught some things to do at home so my husband could help out too. I knew my body was capable of natural labour I just needed something to help it along.

My baby boy was born on 12th Sept 2007 at home in my lounge as planned. The whole birth was calm, relaxed and I felt 100% in control. I really do believe that reflexology had a huge part to play in the natural birth of my son and also helped make pregnancy more bearable on the tired, fed up days.

Michayla was the client of Helen Fowler M.A.R.

Practitioner Profile

Helen Fowler M.A.R is an experienced and professionally qualified Reflexologist. She has postgraduate training specialising in Fertility, Preconception and Pregnancy Reflexology.
Helen offers traditional Reflexology treatments in addition to Maternity Reflexology, Hand Reflexology and Vertical Reflex Therapy (VRT). She treats clients in the UK seaside town of Deal (Kent) and SE London. Helen has full membership of the Association of Reflexologists.
Email: helenheels@gmail.com Web: www.reflexology.googlepages.com