Refexology for pregnancy

[Music] Reflexology is a complementary therapy focusing on the feet or hands. Certain areas on the feet relate to other parts of the body and by massaging these zones, the body's natural equilibrium can be restored. Many women find reflexology a non-invasive treatment which helps them to relax and cope with the stress of pregnancy. There is unquestionably a benefit for the pregnancy and this has been measured in certain obstetrics hospitals which cross I believe did a trial in this. Where they looked at what actually happens and with the trial that they did, they did it for blood pressure. Looking at preeclampsia. And surprise, surprise, yes, they didn't need any of the care required which they expected with the preeclampsia because the reflexology had brought the blood pressure down. The next benefit which they didn't expect was those women who had reflexology had a shorter labor. Substantially shorter labor, three to four hours where they had not anticipated nor expected it. I think the entire labor including a ridiculously long 45 minute third stage was two hours 44 minutes. Um which is my personal best. This is where the whole maternity reflexology thing started to grow and I know that there are many, many midwives have trained in reflexology because they've seen the absolute benefit over and above anything else particularly with pain relief and the need for epidurals. I wasn't aware that I was in pain. I thought it couldn't really be labor because it didn't hurt enough. Um so it was really taking the edge off the contractions. Because you're reducing the blood pressure and you're relaxing the patient. And they feel cared for. I think that is very, very powerful. Because you are showing absolute intention of one-to-one care and it's the holding, it's the reassuring as much as what you're doing with reflexology. That's a bit sharper. Right. Getting on it then. It's a little button. Part of the system that conducts all the hormones. So we work it with an idea to get the hormones to start the process. Mhm. Best envisaged is a a foot looking at you, the base of the foot and divided into five zones. The spine which would be on the foot on this edge here. And so you work the way it so that would be the pelvis underneath of the foot and this top would obviously be the top part of the person. And so our training shows us where everything is in connection. So effectively you work the things that are most used in the pregnancy time such as the the lungs, the heart, the lymphatics, the digestion process, the liver, the kidneys and all of these are going to go through a lot of changes through that time. And so if one can support them in the best way and balance them which is where reflexology is coming from, um then one can hope that you're supporting the pregnancy. All right, that is right on the curve of your spine there. Right in the lordosis of that. Small of your back. That's exactly where it hurts, yeah. It's more muscular tension going Mhm. If you can imagine a river and the river is flowing and then there is a boulder put in the way. The river cannot flow past the boulder, it merely goes around it. And if we're looking at at the energetic properties of anybody, we're looking for the maximum flow whether it be acupuncture, acupressure, shiatsu, all of these types of applications of alternative medicine, complementary medicine rely on this free flow and our objective whether it be through needles, through pressure, through reflexology is to relieve, remove, uh effect a better flow of that energy, the life force if you will of of the person. And ultimately you've got two life forces in a pregnancy and that is why it's such a an interesting time to do it. Because you have the person that you're working with and their energetic quality and this other life force, this incoming soul as it's sometimes referred to, growing and their vibrancy. You getting there? Mhm. Just this pressure. Again here. The certain part of the foot if you press, you the baby will shift. You know, there's no logical sense to why that should happen but I believe it's some kind of feedback system um that's going on. So you press, the baby moves. I just got a bump. I felt that. Another one. Oh, sorry. You seen the tummy moving that time? Did it? Oh, good. She's moving around. She's just moving around all the time around. [Music] It's just a little like a little flick like It's it's um just and it hit hits another one of my fingers here which is lying on top. So I can sense it now. Oh, yeah. I like this bit. All the pregnant women I know who've had reflexology always come back again because they believed it made them feel better. And they felt it nurtured them and they felt connected and that there was a connection with them which they already had but there was a quietness in reflexology which sometimes you don't have a chance to ever feel in your normal life especially if you're already a mother and children around. We don't ever get that point. We never allow ourselves the inner quiet. And there's so much chatter in our heads, so much chatter around us that to find that place is pretty hard but reflexology gets you there and if some way you could bottle that feeling when you've had a treatment, you know, you'd be a millionaire because it's quite sublime. You know, the world could go bang and you really wouldn't worry. Is that good, Susan? Lovely. Oh.