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Acupressure / Reflexology for Parenting Education (By Penny Williams 22/08/2016)

• Recent study published in The British Medical Journal by Dr Levett. (Sydney 2016)

• Found Prenatal Education classes that include some simple complementary therapies can.

o Reduce epidural and caesarean section rates. o Less medical Induction and augmentation of labours o Shorter second stage of labour o Less perennial trauma. o The babies themselves are born in a better condition.

• Great energizer for prenatal classes and helps add a fun little

artichoke to your program • Assists the birthing couple develop at “Trust Bond” an essential

developmental foundation for the formation of their “co-parenting relationship”. (Dr C May 2016)

• Empowers the woman’s partner to be the to be a primary birth support.

• Helps the couple to take back more responsibility for their care, which increases satisfaction in the birth experience.

• What is Acupressure?

• A component of Traditional Chinese Medicine that has been used

for over 2000 years. • Acupressure focuses on the way energy flows in the body. • The body has many energy channels or pathways that are called

Meridians. • Each Meridian have points or a button where energy can be

redirected to enhance the well being of a person • Pregnancy and birth are “normal abnormality” where for obvious

reasons we want the down ward energy to be stronger than the upward energy.

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The Bladder Meridian is especially useful in labour for:

Increasing Oxytocin flows. Reducing fear and calming the mind Renewing energy Releasing back tension, and Grounding the women.

Demonstration: Ask the woman to breathe in and out with the woman as you touch her. Pressing firmly into these points as she exhales and then moving your hands to the next new point as you both inhale and apply more pressure on the exhalation. Alternatively, ask the mother to extend her exhalation as you continue to flow downwards with your touch finishing at the ankles. This type of massage enhances the down ward energy needed for labour and birth. Which, in turn will help her cervix to dilate!

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Combine Gallbladder with the Tibetan Hand shake

• Strong downward energy to this one • Very soothing and grounding • Relaxes the neck and shoulder muscles • Increases oxytocin and Prolactin flows really beautiful for

breastfeeding mothers because it stimulates the letdown reflex. • Gallbladder 21 stimulates uterine contractions and encourages the

contents of the uterus to empty so it is especially helpful for the third stage of labour. (Also very effective with a supported duck waddle)

• The fleshy thumb point is brilliant to help a mother keep things moving

along in labour. Therefore it is a particularly nice one to know about if the mother is post dates for example and wants to avoid a medical induction.

• Combine this with eye-to-eye contact to increase oxytocin flows as well as matching and pacing the mothers breathing you have the essential elements to what I call the “take charge routine.”

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• The Back Points Bladder 31 and Bladder 32

• Located over the first and second sacral foramen these points a fabulous during birth for pain relief.

• Important that continual pressure without bouncing. Being mindful not to stop the mother moving and rocking

• Can help labour moving along

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Spleen 6(SP-6) Inner ankle

Spleen 6 is another one of those points that is contraindicated in pregnancy but can be used after 38 weeks of pregnancy. This point is an extremely powerful point to use to regulate hormones, stimulate contractions, and help dilate the cervix. Useful if the mother wants to avoid a medical induction of labour. And helps to decrease afterbirth pains and return uterus to normal. Popular point to ripen the cervix and bring on labour Particularly nice one when combined with a footbath with Clary Sage oil and a foot massage.

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Bimanual “Solar Plexus “ Hold This is one of the most important points of the foot. It is helpful in cases of extreme fear, severe anxiety or shock. To locate the right spot place your hand under the foot and squeeze. The area on the foot that makes a hollow is the Solar Plexus reflex zone. Method: Place both thumbs simultaneously on the “solar Plexus” reflex zones and hold this position until the person calms. ( This may take up to 10 minutes)