Maternity Reflexology for Conception & Fertility
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 with conception and fertility and how does it differ from regular reflexology.
The most important thing to bear in mind is that it is not a miracle cure, and whilst many women have reported it has helped their fertility , 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. Fertility 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.
Fertility reflexology works primarily by stimulating and balancing the endocrine system - those organs and glands that are responsible for producing and regulating hormones. 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 potential embryo the best chance at implanting in the womb. It 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.
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. Maternity 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***.
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.
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) reflexology 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 that it is impossible to make any promises.
A person's a person,
No matter how small! - Dr Seuss
