Features of Prenatal Massage that Can Help Your Pregnancy

Congratulations on the great news! You’re having a baby and you’re preparing for a good pregnancy and a healthy baby. Consider adding regularly scheduled massages as an integral part of your overall prenatal wellness approach.

     

Unlike in the past when most women stayed home during their pregnancies, more often than not women today work outside the home. In fact, many women work right up until a few weeks before they go into labor. That’s why there are countless benefits to prenatal massage. It’s a healthy way to address the normal aches and pains of pregnancy such as poor circulation, back and nerve pain, swollen legs and feet, headaches and insomnia. Prenatal massage during your entire pregnancy can smooth the way to an easier labor and childbirth.

It’s well known that feelings of depression and anxiety can also result from all the hormonal changes that occur during pregnancy. This is where a good prenatal massage can help steady your emotions by releasing the feel-good hormones of serotonin and oxytocin. Make that pregnancy glow shine even brighter!

Although prenatal massage dates back almost 3,000 years, Indian Ayurvedic medicine appears to be the primary source of modern prenatal massage. This tradition emphasizes opening the body’s chakras or power points as a way of keeping one’s physical, emotional and spiritual pathways balanced.

Indian doulas or caregivers were skilled in bodywork techniques that eased women’s labor. Doulas relaxed women during labor by massaging their bodies. This eased the contractions - making the birth process safer for both mother and child. During labor, soothing music was usually played as a form of ancient music therapy. In addition to India, countless other cultures around the globe have used massage to prepare the mother for bringing a new child into the world.

The best time to have a prenatal massage is after your first trimester. Your massage therapist will place you on your side (never on your stomach). To ensure your comfort, you may be surrounded by pillows or other support. The massage therapist uses gentle Swedish massage techniques with very little pressure. (By the way, it is never a good idea to have Deep Tissue massage during pregnancy.) Your legs, ankles and feet are massaged to increase circulation in those areas and reduce problematic swelling.

Because every woman’s body and pregnancy are different, check with your doctor to make sure prenatal massage is right for you. Surrounding yourself with a positive, well-qualified wellness team will help you on your path to a healthy childbirth experience. Do yourself (and your unborn child) a favor and book an appointment today for a prenatal massage with the caring and certified massage therapists of the Beauty Bar Med Spa.