5 things you should know about Pre and Post natal massage

Women’s body goes through multiple changes throughout her life. Right from the time, she hits puberty to pregnancy. It’s a long period of highs and lows. There are many positive changes as well as life-shaking moments. Each woman deals with these biological transformations in her own way. 

Especially when it comes to prenatal and postnatal, a woman’s body undergoes extreme stretching. The womb is expanded to accommodate for the newborn and after delivery, the body needs to be reverted to its original state. Generally, during pregnancy, a woman’s body goes through many physical, mental, emotional and hormonal changes. Due to such vast biological transformations, it is imperative to get a good old massage.

“Massages during the childbearing experience were and continue to be a prominent part of many cultures’ health care. Indian Ayurvedic medical manuals detail therapists’ instructions for rubbing specially formulated oils into pregnant patients’ abdomens. Traditional sculptures depict Eskimo fathers stroking their labouring wives’ backs. The traditional Japanese word for midwife is ‘Samba’ which means ‘the elderly woman who massages’. A midwifery textbook published in the 19th Century tells the midwife to anoint her hands with the oil of white lilies and then gently stroke the mother’s belly about the navel, and an important part of the work of the Mexican midwife or Partera is holding and touching.”

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Since most of us already have a good experience with massages thanks to so many stress-relieving properties. The same principle applies to pregnancy. Of course, there are few key things to keep in mind before booking an appointment with a spa.

1. Prenatal massage instantly lowers stress

It goes without saying that pregnancy is both a life-changing moment as well as a stressful time for moms-to-be. The anticipation of delivery, hormonal changes, mood swings is enough to produce tension. Hence, taking ample care of their mental and emotional health is very important. And massage can help with that.

Prenatal massages can help lower stress levels and anxiety and keep depression in check. It also helps if your massage therapist gives you extra support through emotional ways as well as giving you ample reassurance that it’s all good. As basic as it sounds, managing stress is a high priority for a mom-to-be.

2. A natural way of relieving pain

As we’ve already established, this is a life-changing phase for the mother and for everybody else involved in her life. It helps to pamper the body as much as possible. If you’re looking for a holistic and natural approach, then a good post-natal massage is the way to go. Since the body would have gone through the strain of delivery, prepared itself for 9 months, and whatnot. Even one good massage by a professional helps with reducing the aches and painful body parts.

Once the baby is born, mothers need sufficient time to overcome the most significant phase of their lives. While for some mothers, it’s completely normal and tends to get back to their original pre-pregnancy lives as soon as possible. Unfortunately, the same cannot be told about every new mother out there. For the latter, it’s extra important to ensure they get timely remedial care. A good post-natal massage is no exception. Instead of suffering from a potential postpartum depression and popping medicines, a holistic approach would be important. That’s when the natural method of a post-natal massage comes into the picture. And gives the new mothers a promising experience to enable them to claim their pre-pregnancy energetic lives while bonding with the infant.  

3. Promotes and improves circulation

A high-quality therapeutic prenatal massage also helps with promoting and improving blood circulation. Mums-to-be already has a lot on their plate. Most of them could include health complications. Regular prenatal massages help with lowering blood pressure, and other associated health risks. 

“The goal is to improve blood flow and relieve areas that hold tension, like hips, lower back and shoulders,”, Laura Randall, a massage therapist at the University of Minnesota Health Women’s Health Specialists Clinic “With sufficient training, we know we should be more cautious when we work on certain areas of the body during pregnancy.”

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4. Pregnancy massages help build a stronger mother-child bond

Often times, a lot of focus and dedication goes into nurturing the 9 months of intense pregnancy that we tend to forget about post-pregnancy care. It happens to most of us because so much priority has always been given to pre-delivery time. However, what all of them won’t tell you is how much importance you need to be giving to get back into your original ‘energy’ and help you build a stronger bond with your newborn baby. To be honest, most moms are not ready for the new responsibility in their life and end up with postpartum depression. 

Hence it becomes vital to book yourself a safe post-natal massage. Some research has shown that a post-natal massage helps mother and child connect effortlessly with each other. Also, some research states that with regular massages (both pre and post-natal), the infants are less likely to be born prematurely. And regular post-natal massage is very helpful in higher milk production and therefore overall breastfeeding experience for the infants.

5. Prenatal massage is safe

Concerns regarding pregnancy massages are 100% totally understandable. Whether it’s pre or post-natal massage, healthcare professionals suggest that it’s generally safe for moms-to-be and new mothers. Certain precautions need to be taken especially during the first 3 months of pregnancy since chances of miscarriage are slightly high. This is a sensitive time for the mom-to-be so maybe a massage during the first 3 months could be avoided.

Apart from that, ensure you get approval from your doctor. To avoid any unexpected consequences, please make sure you check with your trusted people once. Apart from that, before or during the appointment, feel free to ask n number of questions to your therapist. It helps if the therapist can massage you as per your specific health needs. Whether you have pains in ankles, knees, entire back, or the entire core region after the delivery. Communicate your specific needs clearly and enjoy a relaxing soothing massage by a trusted certified professional!

Pregnancy massage is available when you’re ready!

By addressing your needs, you’re also addressing your baby’s needs. It’s very simple - as long as you take good care of yourself, your baby is going to be healthier, loved and happier! Care for a mother during various stages of pregnancy involves satisfying her food cravings, regularly engaging in light workout sessions, eating wholesome nutritious meals, taking her supplements, reading or listening to soothing music for good baby development. Every single action you take as a mom-to-be helps with a complete baby’s growth in all its parts - biologically and emotionally.

By taking extra care, you’re paving a path for a bright future. And in that bright future, you become responsible for a healthy individual who’s going to contribute to society as an important member. As a person who is responsible for shaping the future of your child, it becomes important for you to invest in good quality care methods. And it all starts with a massage by a certified professional. 

So just when you say you’re ready to take care of yourself and your baby, all you need to do is look up trusted vetted massage therapists specializing in pregnancy. Read reviews and definitely do a bit of homework to see if these professionals cater to the mother’s specific needs. Sometimes apart from physical needs, mothers may also have emotional needs to be satisfied. So, check all the information you need. And book yourself a good pregnancy massage because you deserve one!

“Research shows that massage can reduce stress hormones in your body and relax and loosen your muscles. It can also increase blood flow, which is so important when you're pregnant, and keep your lymphatic system working at peak efficiency, flushing out toxins from your body.”

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