Acupuncture To Induce Labor At 37 Weeks – Many women in late pregnancy hope that reflexology can help them have a natural birth. And indeed, reflexology is one of the tools I use to help women give birth.
So how effective is reflexology for inducing labor? Reflexology can help with labor if your body is really ready for labor and especially if your cervix is currently soft. Therefore, it will likely help with labor if you are close to or past your due date.
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Acupuncture To Induce Labor At 37 Weeks
In this blog post, I talk about the conditions under which reflexology can help with childbirth, how quickly it works, and which reflexology points help to promote a completely natural childbirth. I will also explain why you should still practice reflexology if you plan to give birth even when your body is not ready to give birth.
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Before you start: If you prefer to watch a video, you can do so by watching the video below that we recorded for you. It teaches you the conditions under which reflexology can induce labor, how to use reflexology, and which reflexology points to use to induce labor;
You’ve probably heard that you shouldn’t get a pedicure during pregnancy. A pedicure is often accompanied by a foot massage. And some people claim that you shouldn’t get a foot massage during pregnancy because it can cause contractions and even labor.
In fact, certain areas of the feet and legs should be treated with care during pregnancy, as these are the so-called “reflexology points”. These are pressure points that are connected to certain organs of the body, such as the uterus. And in theory, their stimulation could cause uterine contractions.
Nevertheless, I have yet to hear of a case where a simple foot massage could induce labor. For reflexology to work, you need to know more than just what you’re doing. These areas also need to be thoroughly worked on. Moreover, the treatment must be repeated regularly for reflexology to have an effect.
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By doing this, you can really help your body to give birth when your body is ready. However, I cannot stress enough how important it is to prepare your body for childbirth. In nearly 20 years of practicing reflexology (along with other alternative therapies), I have never had a woman go into labor after reflexology when her body wasn’t ready.
What do I mean by “ready to go”? Well, your body is ready for labor if you see at least some signs that labor is approaching. The most important thing is that the womb is soft. Ideally, you will already have at least a few contractions, even if they are not strong or rhythmic.
Unfortunately, to date, no studies have examined the success rate of reflexology in inducing labor. So I can only make personal guesses based on experience.
As already mentioned, reflexology can only give birth when the body is ready for birth. If this is not the case, then reflexology is unlikely to help with childbirth. I’d say the success rate in this case is less than 10%. If, on the other hand, there are clear signs that childbirth is approaching, then an experienced reflexologist can definitely help with childbirth. My best guess is that the success rate in this case is somewhere around 40-50%.
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This may not seem like much. However, remember that even the most effective natural birthing tools only give you a 50% chance of a natural birth. This is only possible if you have not had at least one child before and/or have used a combination of means to enhance the effect. (I will talk briefly about other labor induction tools at the end of this blog.)
Given that your body is really ready to give birth, reflexology can help you give birth within 72 hours. Again, this is just speculation and not at all based on scientific studies.
Also, for this to happen, you need to practice reflexology at least every day. Also, you should do this several times a day (depending on how long you stimulate each point).
You should also press and massage the four reflexology points associated with your uterus, pituitary gland, pelvis and nervous system. I’ll show you how to find these points later in this blog post.
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However, please note that a better (and more effective) alternative to “self-reflexology” is to see an experienced and professional reflexologist to induce labor. And I can’t stress the words “experienced” and “professional” enough.
Many people sell a simple foot massage as “reflexology” when they really have no idea what they are doing. You want to avoid this at all costs during this stage of your pregnancy. When in doubt, ask for references and certificates.
However, I recommend that you see a professional reflexologist. The advantage of this is not only that they know exactly what they are doing.
The other thing is that every woman is different. And so, while the four reflexology points I’m going to present are basically the only ones you need if you want to give birth, a professional reflexologist may have additional points to help you in that particular case.
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Please note that you should not do reflexology if you have a history of miscarriage, are at risk of pre-eclampsia or have other pregnancy complications. Also, you should not have reflexology if you have deep vein thrombosis or any other blood clotting problem.
If you decide to see a professional reflexologist or try reflexology yourself with the help of a partner, I recommend talking to your healthcare provider first. Ask them to confirm that reflexology is right for you based on your specific case.
Given that it is normal for you to have reflexology, there are specific reflexology points that are helpful in inducing labor. This is because they all relate to organs or functions in your body that are related to childbirth.
In fact, the following four reflexology aspects are what I always consider when helping pregnant women prepare for or induce labor. And usually any reflexologist will stimulate them. However, as mentioned earlier, additional points may be added to help with additional questions related to your specific case.
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The first reflex point is the pituitary gland, which is responsible for the release of oxytocin. So the purpose of stimulating this point is to help your body create the proper hormonal balance it needs to eventually be able to give birth.
To find the point, the therapist must first find the approximate center of the big toe. Their thumbs were then pressed slightly upwards on these points. This is easier to do if your toes are attached from behind.
Now the therapist firmly squeezes and massages your toes for at least 1 minute. In fact, some therapists may take much longer, depending on their approach. They also alternate between firm pressure and firm rolling motions.
The next reflexology point represents the uterus, which we want to prepare for contractions. Apparently it’s meant to induce contractions. To find this point, the therapist must find the highest point of the middle ankle bone on the inside of the foot.
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Next, they need to find the approximate tip of the heel bone. The reflexology point they are looking for is the midpoint of the imaginary line between the two points.
The therapist will now massage the point and the area above and below the point for at least one minute. Furthermore, they alternated between rolling movements, rubbing, and pressing the tip hard.
Working on the nervous system is something every therapist should do to help you relax. This is because relaxation is a key prerequisite for your body to create the proper hormonal balance it needs for childbirth.
To find the area that represents your nervous system, the therapist feels inside the leg bone, starting at the bony crest under the big toe and ending at the point that represents your uterus in the previous step.
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The line in the picture above is right at the edge of the bone. Now the therapist massages along this line 3-4 times from one side to the other (the exact direction is not important). Alternatively, some therapists prefer to start in the middle of the line
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