Pregnancy Reflexology Treatment

pregnant woman blossom(dreamstime 5244804)Before your first pregnancy reflexology treatment you will be sent a holistic health questionnaire. This deals with all aspects of your past and current health, as well as finding out what you would like to get out of the reflexology treatments. This allows me to tailor your pregnancy reflexology treatments right from your very first appointment, to best suit your individual needs. These will vary depending on whether you are coming along for pre-conception, pregnancy or post-natal reflexology. In all cases the reflexology is there to support and complement your midwife/consultant led maternity care.

Every treatment starts with a consultation. For a first treatment, this takes around 30 minutes because I like to discuss your health, your lifestyle, current stresses and challenges and any health issues you would like to address.

I have been trained to understand the medical conditions under which it is either recommended not to use reflexology or for which permission from your doctor is required before treatments can commence. Filling in a questionnaire prior to your first appointment means that any such conditions can be flagged up and discussed before you receive reflexology – this is designed purely to act in your best interests.

Subsequent maternity consultations take around 15 minutes. We discuss any reactions to previous reflexology treatments and establish how your body is coping with pre-conception, pregnancy or the post-natal period.

I will always advise you to seek advice from your midwife or GP for any undiagnosed health issue that crops up during pre-conception, pregnancy or post-natally.

Treatment

H¸bsche Schwangere im 9. Monat im LiegestuhlAfter you have removed your shoes and socks (I will help you with this when you are in the later stages of pregnancy!), I then settle you onto a reclining reflexology chair using pillows and blankets to make you comfortable. Soft background music is played and candles are lit to help induce a calm, relaxing environment. You also have the option of listening to an appropriate natal hypnotherapy CD during your treatment.

The reflexology itself lasts around 60 minutes during which I encourage you to close your eyes and relax as this helps your body get into a calmer, healing state. This time is designed for you to relax, unwind and connect with your baby (or desire to have a baby). You may find that as you relax, your baby seems to become more active with plenty of kicking and movement going on!

The treatment starts with some soothing moves to warm up and relax your feet, then moderate pressure is applied to all your reflex points. Some of these points may feel tender when I press them; this helps alert me to areas that need more attention to bring them into balance. The treatment concludes with a deep breathing exercise followed by a relaxing foot massage with aromatherapy oils that are suitable for pregnancy.

After treatment

After the treatment has finished, you have time to gently gather yourself and have a drink of water, while I discuss any findings with you.

It is a good idea to take it easy for the day after the treatment, to let your body rest. I always recommend that you drink plenty of water in the 24-48 hours following treatment. This helps dilute out any toxins that the body decides to excrete and helps minimize adverse reactions.

How you may feel

People respond differently to reflexology and how you feel directly afterwards often reflects your physical and emotional state prior to treatment. For example, you may feel a release of tension, accompanied by a sense of calm and wellbeing. You could feel more relaxed or energized or could feel tired and sleepy.