What?!? No More Foot Massages?
July 25, 2008 by Gabrielle
Filed under Diseases & Conditions
So there I was, enjoying a nice foot massage from my hubby at the tail end of mandatory 24-hour bedrest. All of a sudden, he pulled his hands away as if my feet were on fire.
“Honey, gosh. I mean, I’m sure my feet are stinky but you don’t have to be a jerk about it.”
“No no! Isn’t there some sort of acupressure “point of death” around there? I thought you read about it someplace.”
Crap. Did I?
Sigh. I suppose I did.
Acupressure, also referred to as reflexology, has the ability to trigger uterine contractions if done in specific points of the body, and should only be performed to induce labor after a woman is overdue to deliver. Avoid reflexology points until you are past your due date.
But if you wanted to induce labor, the article suggests these:
The first point to try is located four finger widths above the ankle of each foot. Rub the area between your fingers. Next, try the arch of the foot. Another point is between the big and second toes. This point is about one finger-width below the space between your big toe and your second toe.
Since we don’t, it looks like my foot rubs will be reduced to but a memory.
NOTE: The Institute for Integrative Healthcare Studies also notes which acupressure points are contraindicated during pregnancy.
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As a board certified reflexologist and a DONA trained birth doula I can tell you having a foot rub from your husband isn’t going to bring on labor. He would have to work deeply to the point of causing him discomfort and would need to hold points for greater than a minute each. A good old-fashioned foot rub is just the thing I encourage my expecting clients to receive from their loved ones.
To clarify which points you may not want to put much pressure on (since acupressure and reflexology are two completely different systems), the reflex point for the uterus is located on the inside of the foot near the “ankle” bone. So, if you were standing up it would be about half way between your heel on the floor and the bone a few inches up from it. Pressure here should be gentle and nurturing.
For more information on reflexology during pregnancy read this article with studies by a UK OB/GYN: http://reflexology.suite101.com/article.cfm/reflexology_and_your_pregnancy.
Amy, thank you so much for this clarification! It is exactly the news I had hoped to hear.
I am reposting your comment as its own post so people don’t miss your important explanation. Thank you again!!!