• Fertility problems
• Miscarriage
• Pregnancy and cutting down labour time
• Breech baby turning technique
• Overdue babies
• Postnatal issues: For you
• For your Baby 

Please note: Due to the sensitive nature of fertility issues dealt with, our policy is NOT to use fertility or pregnancy case histories on our website.  If you wish to know more about fertility treatments specific to the circumstances relating to you or your partner, we will be pleased to discuss these on a one-to-one basis.  As always, confidentiality is maintained throughout.

Miscarriages: Latest research please see further down this page

Latest: Absolutely no alcohol should be consumed by pregnant women and those trying to conceive according to latest Government advice.  This is in contrast with previous guidelines which stated that up to two units of alcohol a week were acceptable.

Fertility & Pre-conceptual issues.  What is infertility? 

Having a baby is something most of us assume will happen when we are ready for that time in our lives; we take it for granted. As many as 1 in 4 couples experience problems with conceiving. Humans are not the most fertile of species, generally having 12 chances of conception per year and being fertile for 2-3 days each month. Conception, is a complicated process, requiring the fine-tuning of a number of physiological functions: the correct hormone balance, ovulation and timing.

At Heart & Sole therapy we tailor a specific programme for you and your partner.  It has been widely documented that Reflexology greatly improves the chances of conception. However, you will be pleased to learn that all our therapies, whether combined or alone, have been successful for couples undertaking our treatment programmes.  Our therapies work with your body creating the ideal internal environment to enable conception to take place. For the woman: stimulating the body's own healing processes, balancing the hormones and assisting ovulation.  For the man, as well as hormonal re-balancing, stress and the impact of chemicals/ toxins from the environment play a role, all these issues will be addressed. 

Couples can do a great deal for themselves by adopting a holistic lifestyle, preparing both partners for healthy production of sperm and egg. From the range of therapies offered we can help in your preparation creating the ideal environment internally and helping to deal with the external one.

Our treatment programme is adapted to a variety of contributing factors:

• Helping to get you (both partners) to conceive naturally
• If you have sought medical help, and have been identified as requiring some fine-tuning 
• Endometriosis or PCOS 
• Fibroids
• Low sperm count
• Healthy sperm production: Motility, Speed, Morphology (form) 
• On fertility treatment, helping your body to reach its optimal state for conception
• History of miscarriage: aid your body carry your baby through to full term
• If you on are on an IUI programme
• If you are undergoing IVF treatment
• If your are undergoing some other assisted conception programme

Please note whilst all the therapies we offer (whether combined or used alone) have been successful, in our experience, the speediest results, for both partners, were achieved from the following combination: Facial Reflexology and Essence remedies.  We will recommend a treatment plan but, you make the decisions on the way forward, working within your personal requirements. Whether we work with individuals or with both partners it is your decision.  In cases where, one partner has been identified as "requiring the fine-tuning", we have found that the other partner benefits from receiving treatment also, albeit, less frequently.  Both partners contribute to the success of the this type of treatment plan, therefore the involvement of both is relevant.


IVF In the News- success rates could double.


Common household chemicals linked to sub-fertility in women.  Read more here

Miscarriage

The “relationship” between miscarriage and reflexology is far too often misunderstood.

• Regular reflexology in the pre-conception months is beneficial, in particular where there has been a history of miscarriage, preparing your body for conception and carrying through to full term.  (For individuals where there is a history of repeated miscarriage in our experience it is best to commence treatments six months before planned conception.)
• Reflexology encourages your body to optimise on an emotional, mental and physical level, ensuring the quality of the ovum (and sperm in men) is at its peak to allow for a healthy pregnancy and reduce the risk of miscarriage
• There is NO evidence that reflexology can cause miscarriage.  If reflexology “caused” miscarriages, don’t you think you’d already know about it: every reflexologist near you would be running a (very lucrative) private abortion clinic!  Please be assured Reflexology does not cause miscarriage
• Reflexology encourages your uterus to become a healthy muscle, vital during pregnancy and labour
• Reflexology during pregnancy, an experienced reflexologist will tailor the treatment to the number of weeks of gestation; ensuring you get the best from this therapy.

If you have miscarried, our treatments can help you address the emotional pain associated with pregnancy loss.  We all are aware of how common miscarriages occur; however, it still doesn’t make it any easier when it happens to you.  Being able to put all these feelings into perspective and dealing with those feelings are very important in being able to move on, and when you are ready, help you to conceive again.

Latest research on miscarriages:
 
Predicting who will have a miscarriage:  Latest research for Leicester University found that women who experienced bleeding in early pregnancy, and had higher levels of a natural occurring substance known as anandamide were more likely to go and have a miscarriage than women who even though experiencing early bleeding , but had lower levels of this chemical, they went on to have a live birth. These findings could be used to 'predict' the eventual outcome of pregnancy, miscarriage or live birth. These findings were only relevant where bleeding occured in early pregnancy.

Protein MIC1: Recent research shows that low levels of protein known as MIC1, could be the reason for many miscarriages.  A healthy baby requires a healthy placenta, proper levels of MIC1 allows the correct development of the placenta during pregnancy.  Research scientists state that low or falling levels of this protein contribute to miscarriages.  This means is that a simple test could predict if there is a likelihood of miscarriage occurring, and more importantly, if the levels of this protein are insufficient then, it may be possible to stimulate the production of MIC1 and prevent miscarriages in those cases.  We shall keep you updated as soon as we hear of further developments.

Pregnancy

Congratulations you're pregnant.  Your body prepares itself to create the ideal internal environment for your baby, feeding and nurturing it until birth.

Your body goes through many changes during the different stages of pregnancy.  Reflexology is often recommended as it can be adopted to cater for different stages of pregnancy addressing both physical and emotional needs of the mother-to-be. 

You may have heard that Reflexology (feet) should be avoided in early pregnancy (first trimester), please be assured, there is NO EVIDENCE to suggest that Reflexology causes miscarriage (see above).  An experienced practitioner will give you specific advice relating to you, there are some cases whereby you may be advised to wait until later on in your pregnancy before commencing a treatment programme. (Most women commence Foot Reflexology from 12 weeks, however, depending on your specific circumstances there may be cases where you would be advised to wait until later on in your pregnancy, before commencing treatment).   Facial Reflexology,on the other hand, carries no such "concerns" and can be used throughout pregnancy as it targets specific neurological points, and there are no such contraindications.

We can help you address numerous of pregnancy-related conditions such as:

Many midwives recommend Reflexology to their patients.  Why? well, it has been widely documented that Mum's-to-be receiving regular reflexology (from 16 weeks onwards) have shorter labours than those Mum's who receive no treatment; on average their labour times were only ONE THIRD as long!  Also, not only were they shorter, they had more efficient labours (with fewer interventions/complications).  Ready to book up? We'd love to help you, please contact us.

Breech baby turning technique

Many women become concerned when they find out that their baby is "breech presentation", it is very important for you to relax and to try not to worry, as many babies manage to turn themselves. Your midwife will give you exercises to do to encourage your baby to turn. Before 33 weeks, although you may be advised to have a Caesarean section birth, with the help of our therapy you may be able to give birth naturally, even if you have an early labour.  After 33 weeks, you will be probably have been advised of a specific birth plan by the hospital, and whilst you should always follow specialist medical advice, the treatment offered at Heart & Sole therapy has had a high success rate in encouraging the baby to turn.  This is normally achieved within just a few sessions, treatment normally begins around 33-34 weeks, (we have had success of turning a breech baby as late as 38 weeks, though this is rare!).  This treatment plan is very specific to this issue and is a combination of Reflexology  and Oriental Therapy.  We would be happy to answer any questions or issues relating to this treatment, please go to contacts.

Overdue and getting frustrated?

If this applies to you, why not book yourself in, as soon as possible, for a specifically tailored treatment session to help your body naturally induce labour?  This treatment is primarily aimed at helping your body commence the labour process, it is a very strong treatment, and combines Reflexology and Vinamassage.  Ideally you would be better advised to come for treatment prior to reaching full-term, preparation is the key for helping you, your body and your baby, by going into labour and having a shorter labour around full term. However, we all know that, despite all our good intentions, sometimes things just get in the way, you may have missed that boat and now find yourself past your due date.  Please don't despair, if you have left it a little late, and are now looking for some help, why not get in touch.  Whilst, we cannot guarantee the other benefits had you received reflexology from an earlier on in your pregnancy, we do have a very strong record of helping Mum's kick-start the labour process, once overdue.

Post-natal care for Mum's and Dad's

After giving birth, many Mum's (and Dad's) go through a vast range of emotions. An infant’s needs are demanding, and it is a testing time for the parents, physically, mentally and emotionally.
Our therapies can help Mum to:

See Health Campaigns for resources to help with Breastfeeding problems.

Let's not forget Dad, we can help him too with:

For Baby

We have helped with many parents deal with their infant's health issues, for example: 

We do offer the option of hospital visits (for you and/or your baby).  However, this is dependant on hospital policy, and can also depend on whether you are in a private room or open ward.  Please contact us prior to being admitted to hospital if you would like to consider this option (additional charges apply).  Hospital visits are discretionary, and are wholly dependant upon clinic times and pre-booked appointments permitting.

Our therapies being holistic in approach can play a vital role in the lives of your new or growing family, as our approach cares for the mind, body and soul and therefore produces the desired results, for everyone involved.  To summarise, we offer the complete therapeutic package for the whole family: mother, father, baby (and sibling).

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©2009 Heart & Sole Therapy: Fertility issues, Maternity Reflexology: Breech Baby: Infertility