Leg massage
During the investigator’s survey into the use of massage, it became apparent from feedback by the women that they felt ‘lost’ if the massage stopped during labor and they found that their breathing and relaxation did not work as well. The aim of the leg massage is not primarily to relieve pain, as women do not usually experience pain in their legs during a contraction, but rather to have a directional influence on their breathing. This may help them relax and may therefore indirectly help relieve pain. Some couples also commented that it is very helpful and reassuring to have eye-to-eye contact with each other, which can only happen with this technique. If the woman needs to sit down, e.g. to permit foetal heart monitoring, it is more difficult to continue with back massage, so a leg massage may be substituted. The leg massage is done with the woman sitting either on a chair or on the bed.
The masseur kneels, stands or sits in front of the laboring woman and starts the massage on the inner side of each foot with elbows outward and fingers of both hands facing each other (Fig.10).
As the contraction begins, the hands move up the inner part of the legs, with the masseur leaning up and forward. The movement continues to the top of the thigh and then around to the hip area. This is done during inspiration. As the leg is considerably longer than the lower back, the movement needs to be faster, ensuring that the smoothness and rhythm is maintained. The hands then move down each side of the outer leg arriving back at the starting point in time with the exhalation.
This movement is repeated as many times as is necessary throughout the contraction, making sure that there is no loss of contact with the woman. The masseur has to make sure that he moves well during this massage otherwise strain to his back may result.
If the masseur is kneeling to perform the massage then it is advisable to get up and move around in between contractions. If the contractions become stronger and the breathing faster, then it is not possible for the masseur to massage the full length of the leg. In this case the upper or lower portion of the leg massage is chosen, incorporating the rest of the leg as soon as the strength of the contraction starts to fade. This allows the masseur to slow down the massage and direct the woman back into her slower breathing rhythm.
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