Valley View Reflexology

06/01/2026

Nollaig na mban — A Tribute to Courage, Resilience & Unbreakable Women

Tonight I’m thinking of all the brave, strong women who have gone before me, especially my great-great grandmother, Bridget Blaney.

Around 1910, Bridget lost her husband Edward, in a drowning accident on Lough Ree near Coosan Point. Despite this devastating loss, she carried on with strength and courage. According to the census, she was 64 with her youngest child, Sarah was only 13, she would have been around 51 when Sarah was born.

There’s a beautiful family story that she gave birth while out walking wrapped baby Sarah up and carried on home. I can hardly imagine the resilience that took.

Life doesn’t follow a timetable, and the stories of women like Bridget remind us that strength, love, and possibility don’t have an expiration date.

I’m also thinking of my great-grandfather, Edward Blaney, Sarah’s older brother who died in 1975 aged 87. I was told by my grandmother, he was an amazing, kind, gentle man. His wife Lily lived to the age of 99, I remember her well, I was 8 when she died, she was such a gentle soul. The threads of family, love, courage, and legacy weave through generations in ways we often don’t fully see until later in life.

Thank you to my wonderful 3rd cousin for sharing this beautiful piece of family history about Bridget and Sarah.

As a fertility reflexologist, I’m continually humbled by the journeys of women, past, present, and future and the sacred work of carrying life, healing, and hope.

So to all you brave, strong women out there, those who came before us, those walking with us now, and those who are still dreaming big dreams x Happy Nollaig na mban to you xx ❤️ 💙 💜 💗

Photo: Mona (Blaney) Collins, Lily Blaney 1981.

02/01/2026

Ovulation Is Not a Moment — It’s a State

Ovulation does not simply “happen.”
It is the result of a finely coordinated conversation between the brain, the ovaries, the immune system, and the nervous system.

There is a very short window around 12–18 hours when an egg can be fertilised. But what matters just as much as timing is the internal state of the body during that window.

Around ovulation, the body makes intelligent, deliberate adjustments. Rising estrogen signals a temporary modulation of the immune response. This is not weakness, it is precision. It allows the body to tolerate s***m, which is genetically foreign, while still maintaining immune protection. Institutions such as the Mayo Clinic and Cleveland Clinic outline how estrogen influences immune behaviour and inflammation during this phase of the cycle.

This level of coordination requires regulation.

When the nervous system is overloaded through chronic stress, inflammation, under-recovery, excessive exercise, emotional burden, or hormonal disruption the body does exactly what it is designed to do: it prioritises survival. Ovulation may weaken, delay, or not occur at all.

Reproduction is not an emergency function.
It requires safety.

This is why I pay such close attention to how a body is functioning, not just when ovulation is expected.

In my work, I often recommend reflexology around day 10 of the cycle, just before ovulation. This is a critical preparatory phase. Reflexology supports nervous system regulation, circulation, and deep relaxation key foundations for effective hormonal signalling. When the body settles, communication improves. When communication improves, function follows.

Time and again, I see the same pattern: when stress lowers and the system becomes more regulated, ovulation strengthens. Cycles become clearer. Luteal phases stabilise. The body becomes more responsive.

Many clients have gone on to conceive with reflexology as part of their ovulation support. Reflexology is not a fertility treatment but supporting the conditions the body requires to ovulate well is not insignificant.

01/01/2026

A quiet symbol of new beginnings ... a little piece of straw from a crib.

Visit the crib quietly. Take a small little piece of straw.

This simple act is a Christian tradition,
a gesture of faith in new beginnings.
The straw, humble and ordinary,
is a symbol of hope, renewal, and life yet to come.

Hold it with intention.
Offer a prayer.
Trust that what is meant to grow will grow in its time.

A small sign, carried gently,
for hope, patience, and new life. 🤍

If you can't get to a crib today, don't worry I have some.

31/12/2025

31/12/2025

As 2025 comes to a close, I have taken time to reflect on the fertility journeys I have supported this year and the patterns I see again and again and the remarkable outcomes that I have been privileged to witness.  It all comes down to one thing, the body being out of balance.

One of the most common hormonal picture I have seen this year is low progesterone sometimes alongside elevated prolactin often driven by chronic stress, overstimulation, and a nervous system that never fully rests.

When the body is supported correctly, through reflexology, appropriate nutrition, and lifestyle recalibration it responds and the results are amazing. Hormones begin to balance. Cycles regulate. Ovulation strengthens. And for many, pregnancy follows, sometimes very quickly.  The body moves at the pace it needs.

One of the biggest issues I also see, however, is not deficiency but overload.

Over-supplementation is incredibly common. I regularly see clients taking 10, 15, even 18 supplements a day.  Add to this the chemical burden many bodies carry from skincare, fragrances, injectables, and environmental exposure, and the system becomes overwhelmed.

Then layer on:

High stress
Excessive exercise
Poor sleep
Constant pressure to “do more”

At a certain point, the body is no longer responding it is surviving.  In a prolonged stress state, the body reallocates resources toward survival functions, reducing support to the reproductive system. As a result, ovarian and uterine signalling can become dysregulated, ovulation may weaken, and the hormonal environment required for conception is compromised.

Sometimes the most powerful fertility support is not adding more, but removing.

Reducing supplements.
Lowering chemical exposure.
Prioritising deep, restorative sleep.
Letting go of punishing exercise.
Allowing the nervous system to finally feel safe.

Fertility does not thrive in survival mode.  It thrives in balance. Today take a moment to reflect on your journey. Are you doing too much? Caring too much? Giving too much?

Perhaps 2026 is about not doing more but about doing less.

And that goes for all my clients ...

24/12/2025

“Breaking news: Santa’s had reflexology and is feeling toe-tally ready for take-off.

24/12/2025

I wish you all a very happy, peaceful, and restful Christmas, filled with warmth, love, and moments of calm. May the New Year bring you health, balance, and renewed hope.

With heartfelt thanks and warm wishes

Claire xx

16/12/2025

The Relaxing Magic of Crocheting

There’s something incredibly special about picking up a crochet hook and a ball of wool and making something, it’s more than a craft, it’s a calming journey for the heart and mind. Whether you’re working on a cozy blanket, a soft scarf, or a colorful baby gift, crocheting offers peaceful benefits that go far beyond the finished piece.

Why Crocheting is One of the Best Self-Care Practices:

Stress Relief & Mindfulness
The rhythmic repetition of stitches invites your thoughts to slow down. As you focus on the pattern and the feel of the wool, your mind naturally shifts away from daily stress and into a peaceful rhythm, almost like meditation with texture!

Improved Focus & Mental Breaks
Crocheting gives your brain something gentle and creative to engage with. It’s a purposeful break from screens, schedules, and “to-do” lists, helping you reset and return to your day feeling refreshed.

Boosts Confidence & Joy
With each stitch completed and each row added, you build something uniquely yours. That sense of progress and accomplishment, no matter how small, can lift your mood and spark joy.

Calming for Anxious Moments
The tactile connection to wool and hook can be grounding. Many find that the repetitive motion helps soothe anxiety, reduce tension, and encourage deep breaths, like knitting or coloring, but with its own creative rewards.

A Thread Through Generations
For me, crochet isn’t just a hobby, it’s a connection to my grandmother, who taught me how to crochet when I was a child. After she passed away in 2014, I took it up again with the help of her neighbour.l, since she passed I have crochet numerous blankets all sizes.  I’m so happy to have my granny’s crochet needle, and I carry that with me in every project. Since then, I’ve taught Courtney and many others to crochet, sharing the calm, and the joy that this craft has given me. And after Christmas, I’ll be starting crochet lessons in the lodge so even more people can experience the peace and creativity of yarn and hook together.

15/12/2025

Fertility is never a one-size-fits-all journey.

This month alone, four of my clients are pregnant:

• Three conceived after a very short time
• One conceived after several months of reflexology alongside consistent lifestyle and wellbeing changes and gallons of celery juice

So why the difference?

Each body arrives with its own story:

• Hormonal balance and history
• Stress load and nervous system state
• Lifestyle, nutrition, sleep, and emotional wellbeing
• How long the body has been in survival mode

For some, once the nervous system is supported and the body feels safe enough to relax, changes can happen quickly. For others, the body needs more time, time to rebalance, to repair, and to trust again.

As a fertility reflexologist and coach, my role is not to promise timelines because ethically, that’s not possible but to support the body in creating the best possible internal environment.

When the nervous system is constantly activated, the body prioritises survival not reproduction. Ovulation, implantation, and hormonal communication can all be affected when the body doesn’t feel safe enough to rest and restore.

Through targeted fertility reflexology, nervous system regulation, and supportive coaching:

• Stress signals were reduced
• The parasympathetic (“rest & digest”) system was activated
• Hormonal communication was supported
• The body was given permission to relax

When the body is supported, listened to, and respected, it moves at the pace it needs not the pace we wish.

“Fertility reflexology reminds us that patience is part of the healing, the body responds when it feels safe.”