Dear partners of pregnant women;

 

I've heard a lot of gold stars have been awarded for effort. I've heard about your foot massages. Not in a bad way, mind you. I've heard that you're trying. You want to ease some discomfort and you've been getting down on your knees and kneading away. These ladies appreciate the effort but… it seems like you could use a couple of pointers.

 

Massaging the feet is a beautiful way to support a woman as her body goes through some monumental changes. As pregnancy progresses women's blood volume and fluids increase, adding as much weight as the baby itself - and all that fluid has has to go somewhere. Since the baby is taking up most of the room in her abdomen, the lower extremity has to bear the brunt of it.

 

Get your gal as comfortable as possible where you have access to her feet. A recliner works well or prop her up on a couch with a mountain of pillows. Have a bottle of lotion or cream handy. You might cover your work surface with a towel to protect from getting lotion everywhere. Keep open communication. Encourage her to tell you when something feels awesome or feels not so great, and what kind of pressure she needs. (Lighter around the ankles especially and not too deep overall)

 

Bonus points for offering a cup of tea or anything to make her more comfortable at this point. Turn down the lights. Pull up some (cheesy) relaxation music on Youtube. I like Tibetan singing bowls.

 

Spread enough lotion on just to get a nice glide. If there's too much, wipe it off with a towel. Start with long strokes that go from heel to toes, toes to heel. Move on to more focused work and work the whole foot thoroughly. Finish with long strokes.

Some ideas:

small circles with fingertips

gently roll the toes between thumb and fingers

use the thumbs to saw across the arches

work in circles around the ball of the foot

squeeze the heel

work the top of the foot

include strokes that go up Achilles tendon and front and back of the calf

 

The best way to reduce swelling is by using very, very gentle strokes. Encourage fluid to go back towards the trunk by brushing with fingertips, from the bottom of the ankles all the way to the knee. Make your strokes encourage blood to flow toward the heart. Use the same quality of pressure and speed as stroking someone's hair. Spend 2 or 3 minutes per leg and it will make and incredible difference, even if it's the only massage you do.

 

Troubleshooting your massage:

-I'm not sure how to make this massage last any longer. I'm out of ideas and bored.

1: Slow down. Can you make that glide last 5 seconds? 10 seconds? Slower massage is more relaxing and generally feels better. 

2: Repetition. There is something mesmerizing about moves that repeat themselves. Try doing moves in sets of three. It's not boring, it's good massage.

3: Be Thorough. Give every square centimeter attention. The foot is a three dimensional object. Massage the edges, top, the base of the toes, each individual toe.

Ultimately, I bet she'll be happy if you spend just 5 minutes on each foot. Everything else is bonus.

 

-Whoa, my hands are tired! Immediately!

Don't use poking thumbs and fingers. Use longer gliding strokes with the flat part of your knuckles, or try holding the foot in between thumb and fingers like you were holding a PB&J sandwich. Move the whole forearm, not just fingers.

-I have no idea what I'm doing.

Take a deep breath. Keep working. Watch a video. Remind yourself that any skill worth knowing takes practice. Develop your empathy by imagining that you're massaging your own foot. What would feel good? Do that. If you're still not sure, the best way to learn how to give a good massage is by getting a good massage. I'm sure any MT would be happy to answer any questions you have about giving a foot massage while you are getting one for yourself.

-I've heard that massage around the ankles can cause pre-term labor or miscarriages. That sounds scary!

 Here at PCCHH we always recommend light to medium pressure overall and it's often best to avoid the ankles as a general rule unless she's past 38 weeks (at which time we would recommend an induction massage for her!)

-I think I should tickle her feet 'cause I'm a joker.

Do not tickle her feet.