After going into labor with her second child, a New Jersey woman decided to go for a pedicure and foot massage before heading to the hospital, and ended up delivering her son in the salon's bathroom. Anna Rubinstein was in labor for 42 hours with her 3-year-old daughter and was expecting a similarly long labor the second time around. The 35-year-old mom thought she had plenty of time for a little pre-delivery pampering, but to her shock, her water broke during her foot massage and the baby was born almost immediately afterward.
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Okay, so I realize that Anna had an exorbitantly long labor the first time around and I fully support women who choose to stay at home for as long as possible during their labor and even those who choose to deliver their babies at home, but had she really never heard that labor is usually shorter the second time around? And apparently, she had heard that rubbing certain pressure points on the feet could induce labor, but didn't think much of it.
"There are so many old wives' tales out there and one of them is there are cetain points on your feet that if you massage them in a certain way you're going to go into labor," Anna told News 12 New Jersey.
I'm pretty sure this one isn't just an old wives' tale, and that many sources including the American Pregnancy Association, which describes in detail the type of foot massage that can speed up labor, have verified that foot massage can have a contraction-inducing effect on many pregnant women. I for one, waited until I reached full term before heading out for my first and only pedicure while pregnant, and of course, I wasn't already in labor!
Ultimately, it doesn't REALLY matter. the Rubinstein's baby was born healthy, his father made it to the salon in time to assist with delivery, and everyone is happy, but it is kind of funny and must have been just a crazy experience for the salon's employees and other patrons. I can tell you one thing, that mama will probably never make assumptions about childbirth again! Oh, and good for her for getting through an unusual, unassisted, unmedicated birth with a smile on her face.
Image via Thinkstock
