Do you know how they all say pregnancy is the most beautiful time in a woman’s life? Well, they ain’t wrong at all.
You get that pregnancy glow; your skin becomes radiant for real. Your hair is shinier and stronger; you are happy and content. You seriously feel magical.
But every coin has two sides, so does pregnancy.
You may experience nausea, constant hunger, swollen feet, tiredness, and fatigue. But that’s not all. There is a list of things you should not do while pregnant to avoid inducing labor. Or, in case you are overdue, you can try them out as a last resort.
Did you know that foot massage can induce labor? Shocking, right? But what about pedicure? Can a pedicure induce labor as well? Find out in this post.
Can A Pedicure Induce Labor For Real?
The answer is – depends. For some ladies, it will work; for some, it will not. Why? None knows but let’s talk about this a bit more. Here are some studies I have found that I recommend you to read first:
- A study from 2015 where 132 women with late pregnancy (over 41 weeks) were engaged in acupressure treatment and had no effect in inducing labor.
- A study from 2013 where 156 women were engaged in treatment with manipulating the SP6 pressure point, the pressure point in the ankle, and did prove to be effective in speeding up the delivery.
- And the last a study from 2014 that has concluded that all the studies done to the date that prove the effectiveness of acupressure in inducing labor may be misleading.
A full-term pregnancy lasts 37 weeks. That’s a long, seriously long time. Many pregnant girls are ready to give birth around the 20th week since pregnancy is not so easy and comfortable for all.
Anyhow it gets quite hard when you roll into the last days of the third trimester. The days start to feel longer than they are, and girls are eager to finish the agony. Unfortunately, many pregnant ladies experience extended trimester, and almost all are willing to try anything to induce labor naturally.
None can blame them since, at this point in pregnancy, almost all basic things become hard to do, even walking and sitting.
In the end, it seems like the pregnancy will last forever, so there is no surprise that girls will believe in almost all old wives’ tales they hear about naturally inducing labor, such as spicy food, warm baths, sex, foot massages, etc.
Science does not back up these stories, yet there are many girls who claim some of these methods helped them induce labor while many girls tried it and failed. So who to trust?
Is It Possible To Induce Labor With Reflexology?
- Many do believe that reflexology, which includes foot massage during a pedicure, can speed up delivery. Reflexologists believe that putting pressure on pressure points on the feet, hands and ears correspond to every other part of the body and clears up blockages in the body’s energy field.
- That means manipulation of the certain pressure points on your foot and around your ankle, even when it is unintentional, can induce labor, they say.
- However, there isn’t much evidence that can back up these claims. A lot of women have tried it and said that pedicure indeed speeded up the delivery; they can’t exactly say why or how did that work since they were not so interested in specifics, they were more interested in results, understandably.
How To Stay Safe When Getting A Pedicure?
For me, the most important question is whether or not pedicures are safe during pregnancy? Everyone who has been to a nail salon even just once knows they use a lot of chemicals. Did you notice that their workers all wear masks while working? That should alert you that some risks are involved.
Hygiene is also something to be concerned about. Anyhow it is up to you to choose, and if you decide to go and get the pedicure done, make sure you follow these precaution measurements and stay safe:
- Choose a well-ventilated salon. No matter if the chemicals aren’t being used on you, they probably are on the other patrons of the salon, and they will find a way to get to you, so if you step into the salon and it smells of chemicals, go somewhere else. The strong chemical smell can easily induce a quick onset of nausea, and no one wants that during their pampering session. By well-ventilated, I mean where the fresh air is available, not just a fan blowing in the room.
- Never eat anything while at the salon since if there are chemicals in the air, they will get in your food, and you’ll end up consuming them.
- Look online for the salon’s health inspection record and make sure they are good to go.
- Always ask which chemicals are going to be used. They use a wide spectrum of different chemicals, so make sure to look up the specific ones that they are going to use on you and avoid any risky situation.
- As I say, hygiene is something to be concerned about, so if you are a freak like me, ensure that the tools being used on you are sterilized thoroughly in an autoclave sterilizer or as an alternative, bring your own files and nail clippers. This way, you will ensure there’s no risk of passing on an infection or fungus.
- Ask the salon person who attends to you to wear gloves and to not cut or push back your cuticles to prevent infections.
- Book the appointment first thing in the morning while everything is still freshly cleaned and ready to go.
- If you have broken skin on your feet, do not go. Chances to catch any infection while you have damaged skin are significantly higher.
- Never get a pedicure in the first trimester because the risk associated with the chemicals is higher in the first trimester.
- Although there is no scientific proof that foot massage during a pedicure can cause labor, you should ask your pedicurist to avoid stimulating any pressure points or avoid massages altogether.
- Always consult your doctor beforehand and see what he or she has to say about it. Your doctor should approve any type of beauty treatment involving rubbing the feet or chemicals before you do it to ensure you do not harm yourself and the fetus.
In The End
No one can blame you if you want to get that baby out of you now. Pregnancy is as hard as it is beautiful, especially if you overdue. Therefore you might reach out and try anything that can naturally encourage your baby to come out and meet the world.
No one will blame you if you are getting a pedicure in your 37+ week of pregnancy to induce your labor, but I can’t guarantee you it will work for sure. I can tell you that any hope is hope, and you should try your luck. In any case, if that fails and you do not go into labor, at least you pampered yourself.
