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reflexology pregnancy jacksonville
Reflexology, the Egyptians swore by it!
Power Points on Your Hands & Feet: Reflexology Eases All Aspects of Pregnancy | Marjorie Dickinson, LMT
During pregnancy, labor, and beyond, a mother's feet and hands hold powerful keys to her wellness and comfort.  Hand and Foot Reflexology is an ancient somatic therapy in which specific points on the hands and/or feet are stimulated to affect corresponding organs and glands in the body. Through Reflexology, like acupuncture and acupressure, the body's power to heal itself is stimulated and balance is re-established. 

Thanks to Reflexology, hormonal and structural shifts occurring in the body are more easily processed and assimilated. Deep relaxation arises, as stress is relieved, and the body is able to shift into a parasympathetic state (the ONLY state in which healing can occur). This peace is felt by not only mom but also baby. Fetal movements (jumps for joy and squirms of delight) can be felt as the little one is bathed in feel-good hormones like seratonin and dopamine, released by mom's brain during and after sessions.  Mama can rest assured that she will step into her new role happier and calmer, with decreased chances of postpartum depression. 

Maternity Reflexology relates to all aspects of a woman's child-bearing experience: a uterus primed for conception, a more balanced pregnancy (including decreased headaches, constipation, heartburn, swelling, high blood pressure, and nausea), a proven shorter labor, and even an easier time breastfeeding (lower rates of mastitis and sooner post-birth lactation occur in moms receiving Reflexology).  

Induction reflexology sessions are available to facilitate baby's arrival into the world. If the pregnancy has been carried to term, and baby is fully "cooked", a Reflexology session can be designed to help switch on the surges that will draw your newest addition forward. This drug-free modality of bodywork is so effective that during induction sessions, only when the baby has been ready (as baby has the ultimate say), I have witnessed water breaking on the treatment table. 

With all the swirling emotions and major life decisions that surround carrying and birthing a child, keep yourself centered and at optimal health with Reflexology. Remember, only get your treatment from a certified Hand and Foot Reflexologist.

For more information or to schedule your appointment in Jacksonville or Jacksonville Beach, FL with certified Hand and Foot Reflexologist, Marjorie Dickinson, please call (904) 945-4540 or mdickinsonlmt@gmail.com. Appointments can be booked online at www.marjorielmt.blogspot.com

For further reading about the benefits of receiving Reflexology before, during and after pregnancy, check out this great article: http://www.reflexology-research.com/expectant.htm 

and for more on Reflexology, please check out: http://marjorielmt.blogspot.com/2010/02/your-feet-are-talking.html


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Acupuncture During Pregnancy, by Kimberly Ruel, AP 
Pre-labor Acupuncture treatments for Jacksonville's expectant moms

Acupuncture is an ideal form of treatment as it offers women drug-free relief for a multitude of problems that can arise during pregnancy and childbirth.  It’s use for conditions often regarded as part of a normal pregnancy can not only improve a woman’s quality of life but also prevent them from becoming serious enough to necessitate medical treatment.

Some common problems that may be effectively treated with acupuncture are morning sickness, threatened miscarriage, heartburn, constipation, varicose veins, hemorrhoids, urinary tract infections, musculoskeletal pain, sciatica, symphysis pubis pain, fatigue/exhaustion, anemia, insomnia, anxiety/depression, vaginal discharge, vaginal itching, sinusitis, pregnancy-induced hypertension, edema, and breech/posterior positions.

Pre-birth Acupuncture Treatments
Acupuncture can also be used as a series of pre-birth treatments in the final weeks of pregnancy to prepare women for childbirth.  Research has demonstrated that the duration of labor was significantly reduced in women who received pre-birth acupuncture.  In clinical practice, acupuncture is an ideal method to help women prepare themselves to have the most efficient labor possible.

Using a standard set of acupuncture points, treatment is given once a week starting with week 37 until delivery.  Women who receive pre-birth acupuncture treatments consistently experience natural efficient labor.  Studies have shown that the time spent in active labor is notably shorter than in those who do not receive treatment.  Additionally, because pre-birth acupuncture prepares the woman’s body to work efficiently during labor, this contributes to reduced intervention rates including medical inductions and caesarean section (c-section).

Acupuncture Inductions
In obstetrics, a medical induction refers to initiating labor artificially using synthetic hormones like pitocin.  The disadvantage of artificially induced labor is that women often find the contractions too intense, painful and difficult to cope with and often require epidural anesthesia to deal with the pain of labor.  This in turn increases the risk of further interventions such as the use of forceps or a caesarean delivery.   Unlike these medical procedures, acupuncture stimulates the woman’s body to release her own natural hormones, which promotes the most efficient natural experience possible.

Acupuncture inductions are most commonly used for women who have become post-term and are seeking to avoid an imposed medical intervention.  Women should be discouraged from seeking “social inductions” before their due date because they have decided it would be convenient to have the baby sooner rather than later.  Just because acupuncture is viewed by some as more natural than a medical induction, it does not follow that the resulting labor will be natural.  Inducing labor prior to a woman’s due date may result in serious problems necessitating medical intervention.

As a general rule-of-thumb, the natural labor induction process usually takes between 1 to 4 treatments spaced over the course of a few days.  This should be taken into account when coordinating health care with the mother’s primary care giver. 

As a doula in Jacksonville I have seen Acupuncture treatments for expectant moms have a very positive affect on comfort levels levels during pregnancy and labor. Please call Kimberly Ruel, Acupuncture Physician in Jacksonville and Jacksonville Beach, FL at (904) 859-5333 if you have questions regarding acupuncture during pregnancy or to make an appointment. Learn more at: http://www.sourcepointacupuncturejax.com

 

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