Prenatal Massage for Expecting and Pregnant Mothers
Pregnancy is an interesting period in a woman's life In Oklahoma City or anywhere. It is a happy time, certainly, because the act of giving birth to new life gives most women an immense sense of purpose and fulfillment. However, even though most women choose to focus on the bright side of being pregnant, it cannot be denied that pregnancy is a very stressful time for a woman, probably the most stressful period she will ever experience in her life. Maranda Pierce at Integrative Arts Massage Therapy is committed to making your pregnancy as comfortable as possible through prenatal massage.
Who better deserves and needs a good soothing massage than a mother-to-be? I cannot think of anyone, can you? Pregnancy is a very stressful time in a woman’s life; on the physical and emotional levels. By increasing the blood and lymph circulation, lowering the heart rate, relaxing the body, and easing the mind, massage therapy can be very beneficial on both of these levels as it relieves common symptoms of this delicate feminine condition: muscle cramps, spasms and myofascial pain of the lower back, neck, shoulders, hips, and legs; the excess stress on weight-bearing joints; the swelling of the extremities (arms, hands, legs, and feet); sleep difficulties and the psychological turmoil (stress, anxiety, fear, and restlessness). Many independent studies have conclusively shown that the positively beneficial effects of massage therapy during pregnancy also benefit the growing child in the mother’s womb as well as resulting in an easier labor and in less painful delivery.
Body Changes During Pregnancy
The changes alone in a woman's body can be too much to handle. A woman who has been pregnant before or a person who has lived with a pregnant woman previously would know just how hard it is. The first few months of the pregnancy alone entail morning sickness and disorientation. As she waits out the nine months prior to giving birth, she will have experienced various sorts of pain and discomfort – nausea, back pain, neck pain, varicose veins, swelling of the legs and feet, fatigue, and constant sleepiness. The circulation of the blood is hampered and the body’s movements are limited.
Comfort for Pregnant Women
Prenatal massage helps a woman through this interesting and difficult time of pregnancy. Pregnant women need and deserve to be pampered and comforted as much as they can, and prenatal massage does exactly this for her. On one level, prenatal massage soothes and relaxes the pregnant woman’s sore, aching, and burdened muscles. On another level, prenatal massage helps improve the usually delicate health of a woman carrying a child in her womb, as well as to enhance her well-being. The baby in the woman’s womb also benefits much from prenatal massage. Prenatal massage is said to make the fetus healthier and more comfortable inside its mother’s body.
Help for Expecting Mothers
How does prenatal massage help? Just as in any massage, prenatal massage loosens and relaxes the pregnant woman’s muscles. It also helps improve the circulation of blood in her body. Most importantly, prenatal massage helps to increase the flexibility of the pregnant woman’s body so that her labor and delivery would be easier and less painful.
Prenatal massage is done during pregnancy, but there are also some women who ask for their massage therapist to be present while they are undergoing labor. During labor, the massage is given to the mother-in-waiting while she is lying on her side or on her belly, with her body supported by a pregnancy pillow. Oftentimes, soft music is played in the background while the massage is being administered to the mother in labor so as to soothe her nerves and lessen the pain of childbirth. It is proven that mothers who have undergone prenatal massage during their pregnancy and while in labor have an easier time giving birth.
Important Cautions for Prenatal Massage
What is the difference between Pregnancy Massage and any other massage? Well, there are a number of very important differences which should not be overlooked. And due to those differences, therapists who perform massage therapy on pregnant women must be specially trained and certified accordingly, and they must always take those extra few precautionary measures:
Pregnancy Massage should not be performed until the first trimester of the pregnancy has been concluded because the increased blood circulation may lead to dizziness and a worsening of the existing morning sickness symptoms.
Positioning of the pregnant woman is detrimental to her safety and the safety of the child she is carrying. If using a massage table for the Pregnancy Massage session, it must be a semi-reclining table. In the event that such an appropriate table is not available, the pregnant woman should lie on her side and switch sides in mid-session to make both her hips available for the massage treatment. The pregnant woman must never lie directly on her belly and the flat, horizontal table with the hole for the belly must never be used as it inflicts too much stress on her lower back. A wide variety of pillows (body pillows, wedge pillows, and extra padding pillows) set in a few strategic places under the pregnant woman’s body can greatly add to her comfort.
Prenatal massage is also helpful after birth. The massage is supposed to bring back the balance into the woman’s body, which has been disrupted by her pregnancy. It also helps improve the elasticity of her skin, which has been stretched by pregnancy, as well as to bring back her muscle tone. Moreover, massage aids the mother through possible post-partum depression.
There are certain parts of the pregnant woman’s body that must never be massaged or pressed; both sides of the ankles as well as the webbing between the thumbs and the index fingers are pressure points that can induce early labor when exposed to sustained pressure.
For the great majority of the time, Pregnancy Massages are perfectly safe and much advised. However, under certain very specific conditions, Pregnancy Massages should not be attempted without consulting a medical specialist and those conditions may be: women who are at risk of preterm labor and women with blood clots or related blood clotting disorders. It is easy to understand, then, why prenatal massage is not suited to all pregnant mothers. Some may go through it, while others must not. It is therefore important for a gestating woman to ask her obstetrician if she can have a prenatal massage and if it is going to be safe for her. Most massage therapists specializing in prenatal massage also require a physician’s recommendation before administering massage to a pregnant woman. It is always better for a pregnant woman to be on the safe side before doing anything to her body.
