Foot massage: The secret to help pregnant women get rid of edema

Edema, numbness of the legs are common problems that pregnant women face during pregnancy. To alleviate this discomfort, you can try gentle foot massages.

Pregnancy is a time when a woman's body will undergo a lot of changes. In addition to a marked increase in your waistline, you also have to deal with painful swelling of your legs and feet. However, whether pregnant women can massage their feet, and in what cases should they avoid using these procedures? Please join aFamilyToday Health to follow the following shares to get answers to this problem.

Is it safe for pregnant women to massage their feet?

Foot massage is a procedure that is loved by many pregnant women to relieve aches and pains during pregnancy. However, this method has not been verified by any medical authority yet. Therefore, its benefits are not yet recognized by many people. Even many spa and massage centers dare not accept foot massage for pregnant women.

However, if you know how to massage the legs, this method is still safe, not only that it can also bring many health benefits for pregnant women. If you like foot massage, you should choose reputable centers with experienced experts who understand how to massage pregnant women. 

Benefits of foot massage during pregnancy

Foot massage brings many benefits to the health of mothers and the development of the baby:

In terms of health

During pregnancy, your body builds up a lot of excess fluid. In addition, the growing uterus also puts pressure on the pelvic and aortic veins, causing blood flow in the legs to flow slowly, creating stasis, swelling , and soreness. Regularly, pregnant women massage their legs to reduce these painful and uncomfortable symptoms.

Mentally

Foot massage will help you calm down and calm your mind. This is essential for first-time pregnant mothers, who are always worried and stressed about the birth process as well as taking care of the baby after birth. For mothers with signs of depression , a foot massage can help improve mood. From there, the baby will be born healthy, reducing the risk of preterm birth , low birth weight.

Good for the fetus

Massage movements not only strengthen the mother's health, but also stimulate the baby's development. When the feet are massaged, the baby in the womb can feel and respond by moving inside the womb. Therefore, regular foot massage will help strengthen the bond between mother and baby.

Foot massage for pregnant women

Pregnant women foot massage during the third trimester can be of many benefits. However, to get all the benefits, you need to know the right foot massage tips for pregnant women:

When massaging legs, the pregnant woman should sit on a chair. Choose a chair that is not too high, so that your whole feet can contact the ground. Then, apply a generous amount of massage oil to the feet.

Foot massage: Use your thumb to gently rub the fleshy area behind each toe, for 30 seconds. Steadily, continuously or gently move your finger along the foot. Gently massage each part of the toe. To massage the soles of the feet, use 2 hands to hold the soles of the feet, press the tips of the thumb slowly, along the length of the soles of the feet, from heels to toes. Repeat these steps and massage your feet for 5 - 8 minutes.

Leg massage: After massaging the feet, move forward to the ankle area and gently massage the area. Then, use both hands to gently massage from elbow to thigh. Gently massage the calves to help blood circulation, reduce swelling. Finally, massage gently from the thighs down to the calves. Repeat these movements for 10 minutes or more, then switch to another leg.

In what cases should avoid foot massage

Although foot massage gives pregnant women a sense of comfort, in the following situations, pregnant women should avoid foot massage:

1. Pre-eclampsia

Pre-eclampsia is a serious pregnancy complication caused by high blood pressure and signs of damage to other organs, usually the kidneys. Pregnant women are at risk for this complication in the last months of pregnancy. When you encounter this complication, you will have symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, changes in vision: blurred vision, loss of vision ... In addition, you may also experience swelling of limbs and weight. increase suddenly. In this case, you should only perform foot massage with the consent of your doctor, otherwise avoid doing it otherwise.

2. Deep vein thrombosis (DVT)

Deep vein thrombosis is a condition that involves blood clotting in the deep veins of the body, usually in the deep veins of the legs. This condition will cause the pregnant woman's legs to swell quite a lot, along with severe pain. If pregnant women have this condition, foot massage can be dangerous. This is because when you massage, you put pressure on the vein, causing the clot to separate from its walls and begin to move. When it travels to the lungs, it can block the flow of blood and lead to dangerous complications such as embolism.

Through the above sharing, hopefully you have understood more about the benefits of foot massage for pregnant women. If you're at risk of preeclampsia or deep vein thrombosis, stay away from foot massage.