During pregnancy, the body goes through major changes. Specialized massage therapy during or after pregnancy is often referred to as pregnancy, or prenatal massage. This type of massage can assist in:
- Stress Reduction
- Decreased limbs swelling
- Muscle and joint stiffness relief
- Decreased anxiety
- Relaxing back muscles
- Help getting good sleep
- Decreased levels of the stress hormone norepinephrine and cortisol
- Increased levels of serotonin and dopamine (positive hormones)
- Increased blood circulation to the extremities
The rapidly growing womb puts a lot stress on the mom’s shoulders, abdomen and back muscles. Low back pain is common during pregnancy. Massage may be especially beneficial because medication and other medical options are usually limited during pregnancy.
Is prenatal massage safe?
Some massage therapists and doctors don’t recommend prenatal massage during the first trimester. There is no evidence that a moderate massage would cause any problem, but because many miscarriages occur in the first three months, it is often not recommended due to liability issues. We will respect you and your health providers’ opinion on this.
Susan Stone, Hired Hands Massage Las Vegas Owner, has over thirty years’ experience providing prenatal massage. Our Las Vegas, Nevada 89119 office has an electric lift multi-adjustable massage table which enables the back and knees to be elevated for client comfort. Using body pillows, the mother to be can be comfortably positioned for a prenatal massage. That may include lying on her side, or on the back, or both. Each pregnancy massage is adapted to whatever stage of pregnancy the client is in on the day of the massage, up to and including the day before delivery.
The prenatal massage is never deep on the legs, because of the risk of blood clots in the calves or inner thigh. Using strong pressure could dislodge a blood clot. Instead, we will use very light, slow strokes on the legs to boost blood and lymph flow. Generally, a prenatal massage should not include aromatherapy, as this can cause nausea or possibly trigger an allergic reaction.
Do not schedule your prenatal massage on a day when:
- You’re experiencing nausea, vomiting, or morning sickness
- You’re at high risk of miscarriage
- You have a high-risk pregnancy such as placental abruption (where the placenta slightly detaches from the wall of the uterus) or preterm labor.