Do Induction Massages really work?

There are many natural induction methods that may help to trigger the start of labour, but these too can also create stress and frustration when they don’t work.

It is also important to remember that you’re not designed to be pregnant forever, so you can trust your body to do what it is meant to do, when your baby signals they are ready as well.  Telling a healthy baby to get out before they are ready can result in all sorts of complications and interventions, when right now they are safe, happy and warm inside of you.

One of the natural induction methods recommended is to have an “Induction Massage” although properly trained Pregnancy Massage Specialists call it a “Labour Focus Massage” which can be done from 38 weeks onwards.

A Pregnancy Massage Specialist or Nurturelife Practitioner will be experienced in labour focus massage and work on acupressure points.  As with relaxation massage, labour focus massage helps to relax and calm your body, easing tension in the muscles and joints and helps to create a clear and grounded space – balanced chi.

Labour Focus Massage is a deeply relaxing massage combined with essential oils and acupressure applied to specific points of the body related to the preparation of the body for labour.

For you to go into labour you need to elevate your natural levels of endorphins (your body’s wonderful healing and pain relieving hormones) and trigger the release of oxytocin (the hormone your body naturally produces when relaxed and happy, in love, making love and orgasm) – that sounds awesome, doesn’t it?

But your baby and your body needs to be ready for that snowball effect to get labour started.

By having a massage this can help with the relaxation of the mind and body, and balance out the emotions as well.

Deep relaxation is important to allow natural stress hormones to reduce and birth hormones to increase.  The stimulation of acupressure points during your labour focus massage can assist in supporting natural body processes that are underway during the final stages of pregnancy, such as encouraging the descent of the baby into position, dilation of the cervix and facilitation of uterine contractions.

During a labour focus massage I like to really concentrate on the glutes (bottom), lower back, sacrum, pelvis and inner thighs. This will help to release the ligaments around your sacrum, coccyx, pelvic area and the psoas muscles, therefore creating more space for your baby to move down into your pelvis.  When your baby’s head is right down and against your cervix you have a much greater chance of going into labour naturally.  Freeing up your pelvis will also support you to be able to open up and allow your baby to pass through more easily.

The less tension you feel in your pelvis the less pain you are likely to experience as well.

Tight muscles create tension, which creates pain, which creates fear – causing more tension, more pain and more fear – so starting that Fear-Tension-Pain cycle identified by Dr. Grantly Dick-Read.

Labour focus massage works to relax and calm the body, easing tensions and helping to create a clear and grounded space.

These techniques work with the body’s own ability and willingness to let labour begin naturally.

Generally labour focus massage is quite successful, and I am applauded for “making a woman go into labour“ however I am quick to point out that most times mums were stressed and anxious about getting things started, some having tried numerous other natural induction methods with no success creating more stress, so the massage just helped them get back into the right zone for labour.

If the mind, body, emotions and energy are all in balance then you are more likely to go into spontaneous labour, and a labour focus massage just helps to encourage and promote that.

During my labour focus massage I will spend an hour doing a full body massage and working the areas that I have already mentioned. Then I will spend half an hour stimulating the labour focus acupressure points while you listen to a beautiful hypnosis track called “Baby Come Out” by Melissa Spilsted from Hypnobirthing Australia.

This hypnosis track is designed to help relax the mind, the body and the emotions – preparing you for labour and encouraging you to visualise your birth and holding your baby in your arms.

(You can click on the album photo below to download this track for your own use).

Like all natural induction methods, a labour focus massage can’t make you go into labour if your body is not ready.

And my favourite saying is “what works for one woman may not work for the next as we are all different and every woman’s pregnancy, labour and birth is different as well – we can’t all do or be the same – you are unique.”

The only thing that can force you to go into labour is a medical induction – and even those can fail leading to more interventions and even caesarean.

I recommend you avoid a medical induction as much as you possibly can (unless there is a true medical reason for doing so) and spend more time focusing on relaxing your mind, easing tension in your muscles, releasing your fears and being at one with your baby and your body. When you have done this then your baby senses that you are ready to go into labour and triggers the release of birthing hormones.

I believe that the mind, the body and emotions all need to be in balance and that creates a beautiful synergy of energy within you and around you, and then baby knows that you are ready!

Acupuncture is also an option you can try and if you are in Perth then I recommend Ian and Michelle Russell from East Meets West Traditional Chinese Medicine in Tuart Hill. They are both amazing and have been practitioners for over 12 years, combined with previous careers as Registered Nurses, they possess a unique knowledge and ability to integrate both ancient and modern health care systems. I totally trust their holistic and professional way of working and always recommend them to my clients.

Some women choose both labour focus massage and acupuncture, not necessarily on the same day as this could be a little too intense., but they do complement each other really well.

You will need to allow an hour and a half to two hours for your labour focus massage treatment.