Busting Prenatal Massage Myths #12: Pressure Points hit during massage can induce labor

Myth: It is a common thought that there are pressure points, especially in the feet and ankles, that when pressed, can force labor to start. This myth has been handed down through old wives' tales, commonly referenced on tv dramas, and even taught as a cautionary tale in some old-school massage schools. According to some massage and medical traditions, there are pressure points throughout the body that, when certain points are pressed, can cause things to happen in other areas of the body. Massage modalities such as acupressure, reflexology, and Tui Na all refernce the power of pressure points to enact good health and change in the body. But it also is feared to have the ability to cause harm, such as making labor start, whether intended or not.

Where it comes from: This myth is seen in two ways: A caution to avoid massage while pregnant, or a hope towards the end of pregnancy to “get stuff started” to relieve discomfort or possibly avoid an induction. Early in pregnancy, or before the baby has reached term, there is a constant fear of something going wrong and initiating early labor. So it is understandable that a concern agains doing anything that could trigger such a thing be avoided, and it makes sense that pressure points that can have an affect on the reproductive system or uterus can potentially cause an issue in that area. Similarly, if a pregnancy has reached term and there are health, timing, or discomfort concerns, or doctors (as they love to do) start talking about inducing labor artificially, a mom may seek out alternatives to get things moving more quickly and naturally.

Fact: While pressure points can have many effects on the body, starting labor is not one of them. There is no magic "eject" button for babies, whether we want one or not. Studies have been done to show that while using pressure points can help once labor has started, especially in increasing the intensity and strength of contractions, but they cannot make it start from nothing. If they could, massage therapists would gladly be putting the Pitocin companies out of business. (And as a massage therapist who specializes in prenatal massage, but who's first child was 2 weeks overdue, believe me, I hit every one of those points as much and as often as I could to avoid an induction, but only ended up with bruises all over my hands, ankles, and feet!) One other thing about pressure points is that they can not be casually "activated" in the midst of a regular, relaxing massage. Pressure point work must be intentional with specific pressure held on a specific spot for a specific amount of time. It is not something that can be done "accidentally". The ultimate fact is that the body doesn't like to do anything "big" while it is stressed or holding on to too much. Massage may get labor started in that it can relax the body and turn on the signal that the body is safe and calm, so the "big thing" is safe to get started, but that is totally up the the body, not necessarily to external influences.