Last time I wrote, I wrote a post about the benefits of reflexology in pregnancy. That's all very well, but what if you can't get pregnant?

The average age for a first pregnancy has gradually risen over the last decade or so and it's now over 30 in New Zealand. Thirty really isn't old at all for a first baby, but that means there are a lot of women well over 30 trying for a family for a first time, and for some of them it might not be so easy. There are so many reasons why women are leaving it later to start their families, but careers, travel, the cost of children, the cost of housing, and finding the right person to have children with are just a few of the factors.

Maybe you're still young, but have a condition like endometriosis that means it's more difficult for you to get pregnant. Or maybe you've already had a child or two with a first partner, but are now wanting a baby later in life with your current partner, and it isn't happening.

Why is it harder to get pregnant as you get older?

Women are born with all the eggs they'll ever produce. This means as we age, so do our eggs, and so the quality of those eggs diminishes. We also lose eggs as we ovulate each month, so the number of eggs we have goes down as we age too. At age 30 the chance of getting pregnant each month is about 20%. By age 40 it's about 5%. That's a real blow if you're trying to conceive and it's taking longer than you hoped. Of course, this doesn't mean you can't get pregnant as you get older, and many many women do (last year the oldest person to give birth in New Zealand was 53). But it does mean that the biological clock really does tick and the pressure can start to add up. It can also become a very lonely journey for women of any age trying to conceive as friends and family have babies and everyone keeps asking you, 'When are you going to have children?'

How can reflexology help?

Well, unfortunately reflexology is not a magic baby-making tool! But, there are lots of causes of subfertility, and this is where reflexology can be helpful. Subfertility is different from infertility, where a couple cannot have children. Subfertility means that the couple can have children - they just have a lower chance than average. Subfertility may be due to age and older and fewer eggs, or less than optimum hormone levels, or maybe a condition like endometriosis or polycystic ovary syndrome. Whatever the cause, seeing that period come and go every month and time ticking away can cause extra stress.

A little stress is good for us, but constant stress, worry and tension causes high cortisol (a hormone produced by the adrenal glands). And high cortisol levels interfere with the levels of the hormones needed to get pregnant. Some studies have suggested that stress contributes to 30% of all subfertility. (And we've all heard stories about couples who tried for a baby for years, gave up trying, went on a relaxing holiday, and got pregnant...)

Reflexology can help relieve that stress. It's that simple. If the stress of trying to get pregnant is stopping you getting pregnant, regular reflexology may help. And I mean regular - not once a month or when you remember, but every week or fortnight. There's no point feeling all beautifully relaxed but then leaving it so long between appointments that you are climbing the walls by the next treatment! And for reflexology to work effectively you also need to stop your busy-ness to relax properly - I've seen clients who are so busy they struggle to fit in a reflexology treatment. How on earth will they fit in a baby? It's no wonder they aren't getting pregnant...

"Nicki is like a fertility reflexologist & a counsellor rolled into one. She is highly professional & a great support throughout the 17 months it took me to conceive. I'm now heavily pregnant & overjoyed. I'll always be grateful for Nicki's help." Carley L

Of course, there is more to it really. Reflexology is a holistic treatment, meaning that as I work the points on the feet I am balancing the whole body. So as well as relieving stress I am trying to balance hormones, reduce inflammation, and work on anything else that may be getting in the way.

Reflexology works alongside IVF and other assisted conception too. They are stressful as well, so if you want to chat about timing reflexology sessions to help with any treatments you're going through, let me know.

I've seen reflexology work for subfertility. If you're wanting to give it a try and committed to it, I'd love to help you.

Early on in my reflexology career, one of my colleagues persuaded me to go on a maternity and fertility reflexology course with her. It was something I was thinking of doing at some point, but I'm so glad I did it as soon as I could. Seeing mums-to-be throughout their pregnancy is now a favourite thing of mine!

So why have regular reflexology treatments through pregnancy?

Relax and relieve those nerves

The one thing everyone agrees on when it comes to reflexology is that it's relaxing. And relaxation is something you need when you're pregnant.

As well as your normal day-to-day life, you've now got an extra person to grow. You may feel tired, anxious and stressed. You may be nervous or worried about the pregnancy, the upcoming birth, or the changes you're going to have in your lifestyle. Relaxation is going to help, and learning to relax is going to help during birth too. (If you want to learn more about this, pop over to my sister site, Bay Hypnobirthing.)

Pregnancy isn't always marvellous

Some women sail through pregnancy, but most get a few niggles as the baby grows and takes up space, and as hormones help to prepare your body for birth. Back ache, sciatica, pelvic pain, swollen ankles, indigestion, constipation, and nausea are all common.

Reflexology can help support you throughout pregnancy. You're not ill - you're pregnant - and a bit of support to help relieve these symptoms will make you feel more like yourself and give you that pregnant 'bloom' you were hoping for.

Inducing labour

I do get women coming to me for induction, trying to avoid an induction with artificial hormones. I firmly believe that a baby will be born when he or she and the mum are both ready, and that if you're not ready, no amount of reflexology, acupuncture, spicy curries or anything else other than a chemical induction will get things going.

However, if you're nervous about birth, the one thing you may need to do to get things going is to relax. If the baby is ready, then reflexology can help you relax and the baby will come naturally. It works best if you're used to reflexology though. I have most success with mums to come to me regularly from at least 35 weeks, not mums who turn up at 41+ weeks all anxious and worried because they're going to induced the next day!

An easier birth?

Studies have shown that reflexology significantly reduces pain during birth*, reduces the length of labour* and improves sleep quality once the baby has been born**. A relaxed mum is also more likely to trust her body to birth naturally, making it easier for her and the baby. (Again, I've learnt a lot about this through my Hypnobirthing studies and teach all about this in those classes.) Also, an easier birth with a relaxed mum makes birth less stressful for the baby too, and hopefully that means your baby will sleep and feed better too. What new mum doesn't want that?!

Give it a try...

So, having said all that, why doesn't everyone have reflexology during pregnancy? Well, a lot of mums-to-be don't know about it or just haven't considered it. So, if you know someone who is pregnant, point them in the direction of this article. They might have their nutrition sorted, be taking a good supplement, exercising and doing their pelvic floor exercises, but be stressed and worried about birth. Some regular reflexology sessions could possibly make all the difference. And if you're reading this because you're pregnant - book a reflexology appointment now!

*Valiani M et al. (2010) Reviewing the effect of Reflexology on pain and outcomes of the labour of primiparous women. Iranian Journal of Nursing and Midwifery Research.

**Li C-Y et al. (2011) Randomised controlled trial of the effectiveness of using foot reflexology to improve quality of sleep amongst post partum women. Midwifery.

So, you've decided you want a reflexology treatment and you're looking for a local reflexologist. How do you choose who to see? Reflexology is getting more and more popular, and there are quite a few reflexologists out there hoping to get your business!

Check their qualifications

This is really important and maybe the first thing you should do. Unfortunately, reflexology isn't regulated. That means anyone can offer reflexology treatments. Unless you check, it's impossible to know whether your potential therapist has just read a reflexology book, done an online course, done a few days of training, or got a diploma after a year of study. And this means there can be a big difference in the treatment you get! A foot massage is nice, but it's not the same as reflexology. If you've tried reflexology and it did nothing for you, was your therapist fully qualified?

If you want a proper reflexology treatment, ask your potential therapist how long they studied reflexology itself. It should be at least 9 -10 months and they should have a certificate or diploma in reflexology. Many people study reflexology as part of a general course and have only done a week or two of actual reflexology.

If your practitioner is registered with Reflexology New Zealand, you know they're good. You've found one of the top reflexologists in the country! (There are fewer than 100 of us.)

Look for a Reflexologist!

This might seem silly, but lots of people provide reflexology but maybe don't think of themselves as Reflexologists.

Who looks like they are passionate about reflexology? Who calls themselves a Reflexologist, rather than someone who does reflexology as one of maybe many other things? You want someone who believes in reflexology, not someone who just does it occasionally as another string to their bow. A proper reflexologist will not only be fully qualified but will also have kept up with their reflexology training and learning.

Use your instincts

What do they charge? If something looks too good to be true, it probably is! A cheap treatment means you might not be getting a professional treatment, and why waste money on something that isn't the real deal? Better to save up and pay a bit more for something that works.

Lastly

Of course, if you find someone you love who gives you great treatments that leave you feeling good, that's fantastic. But if you've tried reflexology and weren't sure about it, why not try it again? Maybe you just had the wrong Reflexologist!

Nicki Lampon (Reflexologist, MRNZ)

I get asked this a lot. Why Reflexology? Why did I become a reflexologist? I often don't know what to say. Not because I've not got an answer, but because the answer can be long, and you know that people sometimes don't want a long reply!

The simple answer? Because I love it.

The slightly longer answer? Because I love it, it worked for me, and I wanted to do something healing to help other people.

The really long answer? Here goes...

A long time ago (in a country far far away - the UK to be precise), my friend Kate dragged me along to a reflexology evening class. I had no idea what reflexology was, and I can't remember much about the class at all, but I do remember being very impressed when the tutor came round, showed Kate how to work the points on my toes, and promptly said to me "You have crunchy sinuses!"

I'd struggled with sinusitis all through my teenage years and on and off since then, so for someone to pick that up in about 5 seconds of touching my toes was pretty remarkable.

I didn't do anything with that knowledge for a while, but years later when i was having another bad dose of sinusitis I remembered and thought I'd try reflexology.

It worked! I went from taking as many painkillers as you could in a day to being pain free.

And that's why, when I decided to train in a complementary therapy I chose reflexology.

I trained at the London School of Reflexology with an amazing group of people and a fantastic tutor. I remember clearly on my first day training thinking "Why didn't I do this before? This is what I was meant to do." I was so excited when we took our final exam and I could say "I am a Reflexologist!"

Since then I've taken further courses in maternity, fertility, facial and hot stone reflexology, vertical reflexology and reflexology lymphatic drainage, and done a natural face massage course too. There is so much to be excited about when you start reading and learning about reflexology!

So why reflexology? I guess really because it was something I was meant to do.

(Here we all are learning to be reflexologists - such a beautiful bunch of people.)