Pregnancy is an exciting and difficult journey. While your body is designed to go through the changes necessary to bring a new life into the world, you most likely won’t find the experience
easy.
The stretching, weight increase, and pressure can cause you to feel sluggish and heightened emotions can add to increased stress. Massage therapy, both during and after your pregnancy, can help you relax, soothing your aching muscles and swollen joints.
Is Massage Safe for Pregnant Women?
Many of our patients ask us: Is massage safe for pregnant women? Massage during pregnancy should be carefully tailored by a certified prenatal massage therapist.
Because a woman’s body goes through drastic changes during pregnancy, certain precautions are taken to ensure safety and comfort. A professional massage during pregnancy is similar, though different, than the typical massage:
- Parts of the massage are done with the patient comfortably propped on her side, rather than lying on her stomach
- Massage therapists avoid using deep massage techniques or strong pressure on the legs, which could dislodge a blood clot due to changing blood circulation and pressure from pregnancy
- Light pressure is used on the abdomen or the area is avoided altogether
- Massage is not recommended for those with a high risk of miscarriage, experiencing severe morning sickness, or carrying a high-risk pregnancy
The Benefits of Prenatal Massage
When performed by a certified therapist, massage is a calming and relaxing event. During pregnancy, relaxing the muscles and calming the nerves helps reduce the strain and stress pregnancy often causes. Massage can relieve some of the discomfort that occurs as the body stretches with the growth of the baby and prepares for delivery. Our patients enjoy the calm atmosphere, relaxing process, and muscle relief of prenatal massage.
The Benefits of Postpartum Massage
After the birth of a baby, your body will experience hormone regulation, swelling, and begin the healing process. Massage therapy will help your body get back to a pre-pregnancy state through calming and comforting massage. The stress relieving and muscle relaxing process of the massage will bring comfort and enhance the healing process for a new mother.
Postpartum message allows your body to heal quicker by relaxing muscles, increasing circulation and lowering stress. Additionally, massage has even been able to help improve sleep and breastfeeding for new mothers. Both deep massage and light pampering massages are available depending on what you prefer as a patient.