Pressure Points??

[momma2finn]

My friend is a massage therapist, and she is coming over tonight to work several pressure points that she says should induce labor. Has anyone had this done, and did it work? I hate to get my hopes up, but I'm really excited about this...maybe I can go to the hospital already in labor tomorrow!!

TIA

[Godiva]

I haven't had it done, but I have an appointment for accupuncture for tomorrow. From what I hear both accupuncture/pressure are very good at inducing labor. I'll cross my fingers for the both of us! : :

[crsta33]

I've read about the pressure points on the inside of the legs and in your hand, but I don't know much about it. Just had to say that a good massage sounds wonderful though.

Hope it works! Let us know how it goes.

Christa

[MamaFern]

yes,

there are acupressure points in the hand and legs ( "hoku" between your thumb and pointer finger.. is the large intestine source point.. used for drawing energy down, not to be used durring pregnancy, but ive heard it can help get things going during labor..) its also great for headaches, constipation, tooth aches....and ive heard woman using it for unplanned unwanted pregnancies

the legs points are spleen points i believe.. very powerful points for labour. i didnt use them when i was having elwynn but one of my acupressure teachers used an example teaching us about them.. her daughter was in labour.. not preggressing.. dr's getting worried so she ( my teacher, the womans mother) did a few minutes of these points while the dr was gone and her daughter went from like 4 cm dilated to fully dialed within minutes. the DR. was shocked to say the least and baby was born soon after.

if you want a detailed description of how to find them i can probably do that.. i just have to look in my book so i can describe them properly.

i did an acupressure massage using these points for my SIL when she was 6 days overdue with her 2nd.. and she went into labour that night.. im not sure if it helped or was just coincidence though.. id like to think i helped

[momma2finn]

thanks mamafern, that would be awesome. I bet that doctor was really bug eyed!! I hope that work that well tonight!!

[MamaFern]

this also looks like a great site for info.. http://www.childbirthsolutions.com/a...sure/index.php

http://www.ninemonths.com.au/content...u_id=7&l1_id=6

this shows pretty well where the spleen 6 point and stomach 36 and large intestine 4 "hoku" is.. and lots of others that may help as well! the descriptions of what they do isn't exactly what i leaned but its to be expected.. so much info out there..

i just googled it and found lots of info.. i guess the hardest part is kning if you have the point.. you should feel a very sensitive place..almost sharp. i usually use a lot of pressure when looking for the points and then once i find it let up till it feels just good..you will know when the point has released when you feel it kind of soften under your fingers and pulse even.. everyone feels it a bit differently..

good luck!

[momma2finn]

Thanks! I'll let you know if it helped before my induction appt tomorrow morning!!

[Chi-Chi Mama]

anyone trying these pressure points?

I thought I'd just 'bump' this thread - I was just looking for it and wondering if some other mamas might find it useful?

[SoulJourney]

Well, apparantly it worked for Mamma2Finn!!!!

[spiritmomma]

MamaFern, you are a wealth of knowledge. We are so lucky to have you in our DDC! I am going to have my Dh work the points on my legs tonight and I'll be working the ones on my hands. I really think Friday, 11/11 is the day! We'll see....

[flyingspaghettimama]

I had it done today by a massage therapist. We'll see if it works. The pressure she put on was not "sharp" feeling as much as "bruising." She showed me a place inside my ankle; on the lower shins (ew, the edema from that is pretty gross), and some other points on my feet.

Mostly, now though, I just want to lie down and take a naappp....

[Godiva]

yes the pressure points do work to bring on contractions. After my first acupuncture I had steady contractions for 2 days straight, but it stopped. We can get them going again by using the points in my hands, top of my foot and outside of pinky toe. Also the one inside your calf 1 hand above your ankle bone.

[NEWUC'ER]

WOO HOO!!! I am having a prenatal massage tomarrow and am due on the 17th. Hopefully it will get things moving. My midwife said that I am ready any time. I hope this weekend because my mom will be here and baby is big. I am so ready. My house is finally organized from our move in April. The nursery is done and we just had new siding and windows put in. Everything is ready for baby to come. Oh I hope it happens soon. Like now soon. Dh is very excited and ready also. My oldest DD askes every day "Is baby coming tomarrow?". i am really looking forward to this massage. My sister is doing it. She is a massage therapist. Wish me luck ladies!!!

[flyingspaghettimama]

Well, it didn't work for me. Still pregnant, one day post-massage.

...but it sure did feel good!

[Belleweather]

My understanding of Chinese Medicine is that working to invigorate your spleen ch'i is only going work if it's a deficency of spleen ch'i that is keeping you from progressing into labour. In Chinese medicine, the spleen governs the reproductive organs, and you need relatively static spleen ch'i during pregnancy because that's what holds the baby in the uterus, but that if the ch'i doesn't begin to move it can retard your labour.

There's also some information about blood stasis binding labour and about how the yang energies need to move downward in your body to help the baby move down, which is why one of the big acupuncture points for labour induction is on your little toes -- preferably with Moxibustion.

For what it's worth, I'm always a little wary of people trying to use half-baked TCM on themselves without really knowing how it all interrelates and what is actually going on in their bodies as seen through the lens of chinese diagnosis, but I think that's because I've had such powerful experiences with acupuncture and chinese medicine in getting healthy and pregnant. It really is a full medical paradigm of it's own, and just like it wouldn't be safe to dose yourself with pitocin without someone looking out for you or a full understanding of what you're doing, It might not be the best idea to go poking yourself in your meridians without a good understanding of what you're doing either.

[MamaFern]

i did study jin shin do acupressure for 2 years.. so i do have an pretty good understanding of the meridians and how they work...as far as i learned you cant hurt yourself with acupressure.. a lot of it is intention and the body healing itself through your touch ..imbalances are real, but you cant really make yourself sick by poking a few points. you may not be helping the probelm but you cant create new ones by poking the wrong point... they may or may not work for you because maybe you arent using the right combination of points or whatever.. but i firmly believe that its safe to try these points on yourself or get someone to do it. ive seen amazing results from basic acupressure.. and ive never ever heard of anyone being harmed by it.