Are you sitting comfortably?

Why do you treat me sitting up when I’m pregnant?

For the same reason your midwife tells you not to sleep or rest flat on your back when you are pregnant, it’s best for women to be positioned sitting up when they are having a reflexology treatment during pregnancy to avoid Supine Hypotension.  It's one of the first things I discuss with clients after we have completed the consultation form.

What is Supine Hypotension?

Supine hypotension is usually a temporary condition that can occur if you lie on your back, causing the weight of your baby to press on the big blood vessels reducing how much blood your heart pumps around your body. This causes your blood pressure to drop, making you feel dizzy and sometimes breathless, and can lead to mild distress for your baby due to reduced oxygen, especially in late pregnancy.

Sitting upright or rolling onto your left side will reverse the condition.

How do you prevent it happening?

In a reflexology treatment, we treat you sitting up to prevent symptoms occurring - as midwife Jenni Grant (now Tribe) wrote in an article for my professional body, the Association of Reflexologists, "Instinctively, most pregnant women do not like to lie flat and will insist of sitting upwards".

For sleeping or resting, pregnant women are encouraged to lie on their left side.  This is because physiologically, the main blood vessel that takes the deoxygenated blood back to the heart, (the vena cava) sits slightly to the right side of the spine internally and your heart’s blood flow has been shown to be most effective when you rest on your left side.

Symptoms of supine hypotension are more common in the third trimester but can also happen in the second trimester and sometimes earlier if a multiple pregnancy.  I usually treat pregnant clients sitting up from about week 16.

Some therapists if using a reclining chair or "Lafuma", which is popular for mobile visits, may opt to place a wedge or cushion under the right hip to tilt the pelvis to the left and take the pressure off the vena cava to prevent symptoms.

I’m fortunate to have a fully adjustable electric couch in my practice that pregnant clients love.  It means I can adjust it specifically for you, supporting you in whatever position feels most comfortable and of course extra pillows and cushions are always on hand if needed.

Sources and Acknowledgements

Grant, Jenni, Reflexions – The Magazine for the Association of Reflexologists, June 2011

Earlam, Sally, Reflexions – The Magazine for the Association of Reflexologists, March  2019

Tiran, Denise (2010) Reflexology in Pregnancy and Childbirth

Enzer, S (2004) Maternity Reflexology Manual second edition

Journal of Pelvic, Obstetric and Gynaecological Physiotherapy, Spring 2018, 122, 77–83

Disclaimer: All content within this article is provided for general information only, and should not be treated as a substitute for the medical advice of your own midwife, doctor or any other health care professional. Nightingale Reflexology is not responsible or liable for any diagnosis made by a user based on the content of this site. Nightingale Reflexology is not liable for the contents of any external internet sites listed, nor does it endorse any commercial product or service mentioned or advised on any of the sites. Always consult your own midwife or medical team if you are in any way concerned about your health.