Pregnancy is such an incredible experience, but can also be a very challenging one. Particularly in our western culture when we receive less and less support from our community, and see more and more images through media of serene pregnancies, or of women on their backs screaming whilst being told to “PUUUUSSSH!!” or of ‘the perfect parents’.
There is so much more anxiety around having our babies. There is so much more judgment on how well we cope. We have lost confidence in our natural innate ability to grow and give birth to our babies. We have lost connection with nature and we have lost connection with ourselves.
So, more and more people are seeking out ways to regain this confidence, to ease their discomforts so they can enjoy their pregnancies, to reduce anxieties and prepare for labour. Reflexology in pregnancy is a fabulous way to connect with our bodies and with our growing babies. It can help ease issues such as back pain, pelvic pain or headaches. It can reduce anxieties surrounding pregnancy and labour. Research has shown that women who have received Reflexology experience shorter birthing with less intervention. It can also help us cope with the pain much better. *
There is a huge emphasis on the ‘due date’. Women send themselves into a frenzy, worrying about that 2 week period following their ‘due date’ because, if their baby doesn’t come, they will have to be induced. The fear that should this happen their labour will be more painful becomes overwhelming. By not going into labour naturally, they are disappointed with the idea that they ‘are not able’ to do it themselves. The irony being that this very pressure, these negative, anxious thoughts and feelings, are the very thing that may well prevent labour from starting. If we are stressed our basic survival extinct is to not allow our baby to be born until we feel secure and safe.
Our emotions have a huge impact on what makes our bodies tick. We can create blockages that mean our body doesn’t function properly. Reflexology is great at helping to clear these blockages, encouraging women to focus on their ‘due period’ and take their thoughts away from being suddenly ‘overdue’. By offering relaxation, endocrine stimulation, releasing tensions and easing concerns regarding how and when their baby will arrive, Reflexology can be very effective in getting things started.
By choosing Reflexology as a way to support you through your pregnancy journey, you can not only feel more comfortable along the way, but also approach labour with the self-assurance that you feel ready physically, mentally and emotionally to bring your little one into the world.
Our reflexologist Sarah works from our Norwich city centre clinic Soma and at her private room in The Golden Triangle - appointments available day and early evening throughout the week.
* The Magic of Reflexology in Pregnancy. Dr Gowrie Motha Reflections Dec 1994