reflexology in pregnancy

[hrslismys]

Hi

Some advice please.

I have a lady who is 32 weeks pregnant wanting to start reflexology treatments to relax her for when it is time for her to give birth. Her last baby was born by cesarean section and she doesn't want that to happen this time. If she goes over her time she cannot be induced. Is it quite safe to start treatments at this stage or should I wait until closer the time? As you can gather I have not treated a pregnant client before and want to make sure I can't bring the birth on too early!

 

[Pompal 09.]

I personally don't have a problem treating pregnancy at any stage either with reflexology or massage. Once the pregnancy is this far advanced I can't see that there is a problem. Hope that helps.

 

[PietreveweigE]

You can treat in pregnancy at any time, although some therapists prefer not to before 12 weeks. When treating you need to be aware of the points you should/shouldn't be treating. I personally avoid the pituitary, ovary and uterus reflexes and before 40 weeks am quite gentle around the while pelvic area.

Good luck - I'm sure she'll benefit a lot from starting 8 weeks before she's due.

Sarah x

 

[Nathan Jereoni]

Thank you, that was a great help. I was sure it would be fine but just wanted it endorsed by you guys, who are much more experienced than me!

 

[alienist]

i did the extra training and so would treat from pre conception right through. it helps to know what is going on with a woman's body during pregnancy, i think.

i treat the whole foot, i dont leave out anything... its a full treatment then. one needs to be aware of the endocrine system and yes, be more gentle and sensitive to it... but an endocrine balance is so good during pregnancy (when hormones are bouncing off walls). pelvic region, again, yes much more gently, particularly during foot loosening, ankle boogie movements.

energising induction techniques should not be commenced until term, really. and even then, if baby aint ready, it aint gonna happen!

be cautious though, if there were known complications last time that resulted in the c section.

 

[JoDee.]

I'd have to go along with this. You need to be fully aware of the reason for the first section, and whether it was for a repeating or non-repeating reason. If it's a repeating reason, or if there are any problems in the pregnancy then you really need to check with her midwife or other professional caregivers before you treat. You could check her hand-held notes for blood pressure, urine tests and the position of the baby as these will give you a small indication of whether there are any problems lurking, although obviously you'd need to understand what you're lookig at to be really sure. At 32 weeks most babies who are going to be head down (vertex) will be, although some will still be floating around trying to make their minds up.

The problem with induction for a VBAC (Vaginal Birth After Caesarean) is that there is a small increased risk of uterine rupture. But this is a very rare complication and the protocol does vary from unit to unit. Perhaps you could make her aware that she's perfectly entitled to refuse induction or even the section. She just has to be aware of how her baby is getting on and what the potential risks of VBAC vs repeat caesarean are in her particular circumstances.

Have a look at the AIMS website. It will give you lots of really useful information on the subject which is written for the lay person to read.

[link=http://www.aims.org.uk/]Association for Improvements in the Maternity Services[/link]