Pregnancy is one of the most beautiful, yet trying experiences a woman goes through in her life. For roughly nine months, she will carry a child from conception to delivery. With this comes a multitude of challenges that millions of women go through, including pain, nausea, fatigue, and cramps, just to name a few.
Many turn to common sources of relief, such as a specialized diet or light exercises to relieve these symptoms. In this article, we are going to discuss another source of relief that many women don’t think about: foot massage.
Specialized vibrations machines, such as the VibraCare Foot Massager from LifePro, provide soothing relief from a wide range of typical pregnancy symptoms, while at the same time delivering a relaxing experience many continue to use outside of pregnancy.
Reduced Depression and Anxiety
One of the most common (and frustrating) symptoms of pregnancy is depression and anxiety. Between the increased fatigue, the pendulum swing of hormone levels (such as estrogen or progesterone), and the overall physical stressors of carrying a human child, this should come as no surprise.
In fact, a recent study found that pregnant women experience a sizable decrease in levels of depression and anxiety from just 20 minutes of foot massage per week. Compared to other forms of anxiety treatment, this is more natural, less expensive, and more convenient – especially with the growing popularity of foot massagers.
Above all else, lowered anxiety levels lead to both a healthier pregnancy and a healthier baby. A foot massage is no doubt one of the simplest ways to lower anxiety levels and get some much-needed relief during those critical months.
Lower Cortisol Levels
It is no big secret that pregnant women experience stress at a much higher level than normally. This should come as no surprise since carrying a tiny human inside of you is no small feat. However, that’s not the only reason pregnant women get stressed. In fact, pregnant women typically have two to four times their average cortisol levels.
What is cortisol, you ask? Cortisol is known as the body’s “stress hormone”. When your cortisol levels are high, your stress levels are also high. It should come as no surprise that the same study mentioned above also shows a strong decrease in cortisol levels from 20 minutes of foot massage a week.
More importantly, however, elevated cortisol levels have been linked to a heightened risk of miscarriage, premature birth, and development delays, amongst other complications. This doesn’t mean you need to be stress-free all the time. As we see with the naturally elevated cortisol levels, it’s perfectly natural. However, stress control is critical if you wish to keep those cortisol levels from spiraling out of control and risking the health of the baby.
One of the most common forms of stress control is exercise. Some low stress exercises include walking, swimming, and riding a stationary bike. On their own, each of these exercises do an excellent job of reducing those cortisol levels. However, when you supplement exercise with foot massage, you lower your cortisol levels even further.
Benefits For Baby
The benefits of foot massage aren’t limited to just adults and teenagers. Even babies can benefit from an effective foot massage. However, due to their tiny bodies, one must approach this differently than an adult.
There are many people who specialize in foot reflexology for babies. What is foot reflexology you ask? Massaging certain areas of the feet can actually provide a great role in reducing common challenges such as reflux, restlessness, teething, colds, and even crying.
Certain parts of the foot are actually connected to certain parts of the body. When you click the link above, you’ll see a chart of the exact parts of the baby’s feet to massage when specific issues arise. Not many people know about this, and it is a game changer when it comes to keeping a baby happy and healthy.
Some foot massagers make it easier to give a baby a soft, delicate foot massage in these sensitive areas. This way, you can help keep your baby healthy, while minimizing risks from overexerting yourself while giving them a foot massage.
Postpartum Benefits
As you’ve probably gathered by now, foot massage has benefits for all stages of pregnancy, including post-birth. Naturally, there are numerous benefits during the postpartum stage. It’s well documented that many women feel the “baby blues” shortly after giving birth. Foot massage goes a long way towards alleviating this stress.
As we mention above, foot massage still reduces those cortisol and anxiety levels even after giving birth. What we didn’t mention, however, is that there are many benefits to postpartum massage beyond that. For example, new mothers often experience swelling in their legs after giving birth. One highly effective way to reduce that swelling is, as you’ve probably already guessed, foot massage!
Just like when they’re pregnant, women tend to feel stressed in the period following childbirth., and who can blame them? You’ve just brought a new, beautiful person into this world. Fortunately, as we know, foot massage works wonders at reducing cortisol levels, also known as the “Stress Chemical. This results in a more positive postpartum experience.
Overall, foot massage provides many benefits to people. In particular, pregnant women and new mothers can benefits greatly from the occasional foot massage. Compared to other forms of relief, foot massage is inexpensive, simple, and natural. If you haven’t tried a foot massage, we can’t recommend it enough!