General Information Blog

Arm, face and breast

Arm

Arm massage is soothing and relaxing and should be performed with the mother-to-be lying on her back propped up on pillows with pillows under her knees.

Face

Massage on the face is calming and induces feelings of deep relaxation. The mother-to-be can really enjoy being pampered. By the end of the treatment her complexion will feel soft and look glowing.

Breast

Breasts may seem sore and tender, particularly at the beginning of pregnancy. Self breast massage is recommended for relieving discomfort and preparing the breasts for breast-feeding. Gently cup each breast and effleurage in a circular direction.

Massage during labour

During the birth, massage helps to induce feelings of relaxation and calmness. If the massage is performed by the father, It allows him to be part of the experience. It eases pains, especially backache, relaxes the muscles and can help to regulate the Contractions and speed up the delivery. Orthodox and complementary pain relief can work hand in hand nowadays ­hospital staff respect the mother’s preference.

It is difficult to predict what a woman will prefer in labour ­ what is soothing to one mother would be intensely annoying to another. At some stage of labour she may not even want to be touched. So be flexible and patient. The best areas to massage are the back (especially the lumbar area), shoulders and feet Use the positions and strokes that I have already described, although a woman will change her position frequently to cope with the pain of the contractions.Back

The mother-to-be may wish to sit astride a chair or she may find it more comfortable on all fours. Rocking in this position can relieve pain. When she is tired she may wish to lie down on her side in the semi-prone position. Follow the pregnancy back massage routine, which I have already described, with the addition of the following movements to ease the pain.

1. Place your hand flat on the sacrum and apply deep firm pressure. Massage in circular movements using your whole hand. You can also perform these firm, deep, circular pressures over the lumbar area.
2. Press deeply with your thumbs into the centre of each buttock to help to relieve low back pain.
3. Using both hands effleurage from the sacrum out and over the hips and back again.

Abdomen

Effleurage the abdomen in a clockwise direction using featherlight strokes, one hand following the other.

Foot

Firm massage of the feet is relaxing and gives pain relief.

1. Effleurage the feet firmly using both your hands.
2. Press into the soles of the feet with circular movements. Start under the toes and work towards the heel.

You may perform any other movements already described in the previous chapters.

Essential oils for labour

The following recipes will help to .ease uterine pain, regulate the contractions, reduce fear and anxiety and boost confidence.

• 1 drop of rose
• 1 drop of geranium
• 2 drops of lavender

Diluted in 10 ml of carrier oil

• 2 drops of neroli
• 2 drops of lavender

Diluted in 10 ml of carrier oil

• 1 drop of jasmine
• 1 drop of neroli
• 2 drops of lavender

Diluted in 10 ml of carrier oil

If you have been the recipient of fertility treatment, you will have to wait at least 14 days before the clinic will carry out the test but if you are impatient, home pregnancy tests are fairly accurate and easily available. Although you should bear in mind that there’s a risk of a test showing a false positive result if it is done too early.

Naturally there are physical signs of being pregnant for example: feeling nauseous, using the bathroom more frequently, lack of menstrual cycle, mood changes, weariness and finer sense of aromas and taste.

Ordinarily the fertility clinic will want to stay in touch regularly with you to enable them to carry out checks to find out if your baby’s growth is safe. Occasionally clinics do not supply continuing assistance so alternate arrangements during pregnancy will have to be made.

It can take some time for some women to come to terms with the fact they’re going to have a child after successful fertility treatment so don’t worry if, initially, you are not as happy about as you believed you would be. There is nothing wrong with this, but the important thing is to accept your feelings whatever they are, and to remember that most mums-to-be go through a number of emotions on discovering they are going to have a baby whether they have had fertility treatment or not.

It may not seem that way but normally there is little physical difference from someone who has become pregnant naturally to someone who has received fertility treatment, although they may find it harder emotionally. Although, at times it might mean you need more scans or appointments at the pregnancy clinic. This could well be because they have had past problems like miscarriages, multiple birth, and stillbirths or, because of their overall health. Your age can also be a deciding factor because the older you are the greater your chance of complications will be.

Since assisted conception has been around over a million babies have been conceived and delivered employing treatments such as In Vitro Fertilization for example, and there is every chance that you will give birth to a healthy baby. However, all medical treatments have some risks and there is no way of ruling out the slight chance of a problem, regardless of how the infant was conceived, although most problems are relatively small. Some good advice is to try to relax during the pregnancy and enjoy the time as much as you can.

Unfortunately, the number of women who have a miscarriage after getting fertility treatment like IVF is just a little more than women who get pregnant by the natural method. Normally, this is the result of only two situations: the first being that many women that undergo fertility treatment have a pregnancy test quite early in the pregnancy. Then there is the case where a woman who has become pregnant by the natural method may think she has had a late period but has in fact created an embryo that failed to implant. The second reason is because women who have fertility treatment are traditionally older than women who do not, and the prospects of losing the baby grow as the woman gets older. To clear up any questions you may have, you would be advised to speak to a consultant from the fertility clinic.