The benefits of prenatal massage or massage during pregnancy:
Studies show that massage therapy performed during pregnancy can reduce anxiety, decrease symptoms of depression, relieve muscle aches and joint pains, and improve labor outcomes and newborn health.
Massage therapy addresses different needs through varying techniques, directed to relax muscle tension and improve lymphatic and blood circulation through mild pressure. Swedish Massage is the recommended prenatal massage method during pregnancy because it addresses many common discomforts brought on by physical and hormone shifts during pregnancy.
Hormone regulation
Studies done in the past 10 years have shown that hormone levels associated with relaxation and stress are significantly altered, leading to mood regulation and improved cardiovascular health when massage therapy was introduced to women’s prenatal care. In women who received bi-weekly massages for only five weeks, hormones such as norepinephrine and cortisol (“stress hormones”) were reduced. Dopamine and Serotonin levels were increased (low levels of these hormones are associated with depression). These changes in hormone levels also led to fewer complications during birth for both mom and the baby. The evidence points strongly to maternal and newborn health benefits when therapeutic massage is incorporated into regular prenatal care.
Reduction of swelling
Edema, or swelling of the joints during pregnancy, is often caused by reduced circulation and increased pressure on the major blood vessels by the heavy uterus. Massage helps to stimulate soft tissues to reduce collection of fluids in swollen joints, which also improves the removal of toxin and tissue waste, carried by the body’s lymphatic system.
Improvement of nerve pain
Sciatic nerve pain is experienced by many women in late pregnancy as the uterus rests on muscles of the pelvic floor and lower back. The pressure of the uterus spreads tension to the muscles of the upper and lower leg, causing them to swell and put pressure on nearby nerves. Massage therapy addresses the inflamed nerves by helping to release the tension on nearby muscles. Many women have experienced significant reduction in sciatic nerve pain during pregnancy through regular massage.
Q&A:
Q: How far along do I need to be before I can receive a massage?
A: Women need to be at least 12 weeks along or into their 2nd trimester of pregnancy.
Reason: When the pregnancy is new and in the first trimester there is a risk of massage causing a miscarriage.
Q: How long after I give birth can I receive a massage?
A: Women need to have given birth 6 weeks prior to the massage.
Reason: The reason for this is because massage can cause a change in blood pressure and there is a risk of causing the new mom to hemorrhage. Also, having a baby is a huge ordeal for a woman’s body. A new mom’s hormones are still balancing out, calming down, and we can make them feel even worse.
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