Birth Preparation Treatment

After at least 40 weeks of pregnancy and with approval of your healthcare provider, a Birth Preparation Treatment can be an effective, non-invasive, non-medical way to start your birthing time by bringing balance and deep relaxation to your body as well as stimulating the endocrine (hormone) glands. The more aligned your body is and the more relaxed you are, the more likely you will start birth spontaneously.

If the Birth Preparation Treatment is successful, you will start your birthing time within 48 hours.

This treatment is also helpful right before a scheduled induction, and has the possibility of making the induction go faster and more smoothly.

1. Relaxation

If you are in fight or flight mode, meaning high levels of stress, your body is less likely to start birth spontaneously. That’s because if your body senses a threat, it knows your baby is safer in your body and it will delay the release of hormones that start birth. Your fight or flight response will actually contract the horizontal fibers of your uterus to keep your baby where it’s at. What we want is for the horizontal fibers to relax, and the vertical fibers to contract – these are the fibers that pull up on your uterus, making the fundus (top of your uterus) thick and able to push the baby down into your pelvis, which is what thins and softens your cervix. Those fibers are more likely to contract if you are in a relaxed, rested state.

2. Pelvic Alignment

During the massage portion of this treatment, I focus on softening the muscles, ligaments and fascia of the low back, hips, pelvis and uterus. This assists in creating alignment in the pelvis, which gives as much space as possible for the baby get into the optimal fetal position – head down, chin tucked with the baby’s back towards your front (Occiput Anterior) – as well as move down into the pelvis. If baby has optimal fetal positioning and if they are engaged in the pelvis, they are more likely to put even pressure on the cervix which stimulates prostaglandins to be released – this is the hormone that effaces (softens and shortens) your cervix.

3. Hormone Release

Massage and reflexology stimulate your parasympathetic nervous system – this is the part of your nervous system that counteracts your “fight or flight” response. Bodywork stimulates the release of endorphins and dopamine – your natural feel-good, pain management hormones – as well as oxytocin, the love hormone. As many midwives say, the energy that makes the baby will get the baby out. Oxytocin is released when we hug, kiss, snuggle, have sex, have orgasms and nipple stimulation. You also release oxytocin when you get a massage and/or reflexology. One of the key points in the reflexology portion of the treatment is the pituitary gland (its point is in the big toe), which is where oxytocin gets released. When you combine deep relaxation with pelvic alignment with oxytocin flow, you have a pretty good chance of your body thinking it’s a good time to have a baby.

Please note: If your body is not ready, then the Birth Preparation treatment may not start your birthing time within the 48 hour period. I have about a 50/50 success rate. If it doesn’t work, you still got a great massage and there are no negative side effects.

We don’t do this treatment before 40 weeks because it is less likely to work. And if you have your baby before 40 weeks, then you didn’t need this treatment anyway! Exceptions are made for those being induced before 40 weeks, in an effort to improve their induction experience.

Also note: We are booking about 1-2 months in advance, so if you think you will want this treatment, you will need to schedule in advance, for when you are 40-42 weeks. If baby comes before your appointment, you didn’t need it anyway and we just cancel it!

There are two options for the Birth Preparation Treatment:

60-Minute Massage plus 30-Minutes of Reflexology
(90 minutes total, $130)

This treatment includes a massage focused on mid-back to the knee to get optimal pelvic alignment, followed by reflexology.  

90-Minute Massage plus 30-Minutes of Reflexology
(2 hours total, $160)

This treatment includes a full body massage (for optimal relaxation) with the focus from mid-back to the knee, followed by reflexology.