Prenatal Massage

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Are you, or is someone you know expecting a baby? Perhaps you recently found out you or your partner are pregnant, or maybe you’re moving into the second trimester and are beginning to feel all the changes that come with growing your sweet angel.

If any of the above are true for you, CONGRATS! This is an exciting and scary time filled with a lot of unknowns and questions. It may seem that when you’re pregnant there are a lot of “can'ts” and “cautions” when it comes to taking care of your body. Throughout pregnancy you will experience all of the ways that your body adjusts and changes to make room for your new addition. These changes include but are not limited to:

  • nausea
  • vomiting
  • headaches
  • back pain
  • hip pain
  • achy and swollen feet
  • insomnia and restlessness
  • mood fluctuations
  • changes in breathing

While all of these changes likely seem daunting, the incredible journey you are on should be celebrated and nurtured with love -- and nothing says love like a self-care routine!

As a newly expecting mother, I felt overwhelmed with all of the new restrictions and body changes that came with being pregnant. However, I quickly realized the importance of body maintenance and made sure to schedule regular prenatal massages. As a massage therapist, I already had the knowledge I needed to trust prenatal massage as a safe and effective tool for self-care while pregnant. I wanted to outline that knowledge here for anyone who may be expecting, or anyone who may be curious about the benefits and contraindications of prenatal massage. I also dispel some old wive’s tales surrounding prenatal massage.

 

Benefits

Prenatal massage is more than just a feel-good experience. There are an abundance of benefits for this age-old practice, including:

  • increased circulation
  • increased levels of your “happy-mones” serotonin and dopamine
  • better sleep
  • reduced headaches
  • reduced muscle and joint pain and tension in back, shoulders, hips, legs, and feet
  • reduced sciatic pain
  • reductions in anxiety and stress hormones
 

Contraindications

While massage is a relatively safe practice to experience while pregnant, there are some contraindications, or conditions that make it unsafe or uncomfortable. Always check with your doctor ahead of time to get the greenlight for a prenatal massage.

Contraindications and considerations for pregnancy and massage include, but are not limited to:

  • If you are experiencing nausea or vomiting or other symptoms associated with morning sickness it is best to put off your massage as the session will not be enjoyable and there is a potential that massage could enhance these symptoms.
  • Avoid massage if you have or are at risk for any of the following:
  • preeclampsia
  • high blood pressure
  • gestational diabetes
  • and/or congenital heart disease

Avoid lying on your back for long periods of time past the first trimester to prevent pressure on your vena cava. Your massage therapist may have the ability to prop you up with pillows or incline the table to provide a work-around for this consideration. Avoid lying face-down as your pregnancy progresses unless your therapist has the tools (lots of pillows or a convertible special pregnancy-friendly table) to allow for this position to be comfortable and supported.

Avoid abdominal massaging and deep tissue massage in the legs due to the higher risk of blood clots forming during pregnancy. While this list may seem dismaying, understand that the larger percentage of pregnancies are safe for massage. Similarly, your massage therapist has undergone training to make it their priority to keep you and your baby safe and comfortable. And just to hit the nail in the coffin a little more: it is so important to communicate with your doctor about your health while pregnant and ask them if massage therapy is safe for you!

 

Old Wives’ Tales: Prenatal Massage

Now onto the myths associated with prenatal massage! Old wives’ tales and myths are fun to believe in because they often make sense at face-value. However, here at Height of Health Massage in Fort Collins, we aim to dispel misinformation around massage therapy when it comes up.

One of the biggest wive-tales that I hear often, related to prenatal massage, is to entirely avoid massage therapy during the first trimester of pregnancy because it is linked to miscarriages. Although the risk of miscarriages and complications with pregnancy are higher within the first trimester, there is no evidence to support that massage would increase the risk.

Another common myth is that deep tissue massage is contraindicated during pregnancy. It is true that deep massage work in the legs should be avoided during pregnancy due to the higher risk of blood clots as well around the abdomen for obvious reasons. However, moms-to-be are able to receive deeper tissue massaging through the rest of the body to work out those pains, aches, and knots if desired.

Last but certainly not least, there is a myth that there are acupressure points throughout the body that need to be avoided due to risk of causing preterm labor. Most of the information that you will find surrounding this claim pertains to reflexology where it is believed that there are pressure points on the feet and ankles that connect to the ovaries and uterus that may cause contractions. However, in most studies where this myth has been tested on women that were past term, there was no success in causing labor or contractions with the pressure of these points.

Final Thoughts

Pregnancy is a beautiful and special experience, and should be celebrated and nurtured with a quality prenatal massage! At our massage therapy clinic in Fort Collins, Colorado, we can offer you or your pregnant loved one this nurturing, therapeutic experience.

Your massage therapist wants to create a space for you or your loved one to recharge and to connect with your/their body while pregnant and this means ensuring comfort and safety throughout the entire session. In the words of another massage therapist, “[prenatal massage] is the same great massage...but with more pillows.” If you are pregnant and have concerns about receiving massage therapy ask your massage therapist and always consult with your doctor and/or midwife as well.