Massage and Pregnancy (Prenatal Massage)

So how do you make the body feel better about the nine month event?  Prenatal Massage, but never in the first trimester! In the nine months of pregnancy the body changes are too many to count. How many trips did we have to take to the bathroom? How big did your feet and hands swell? How bad was your sciatica or low back pain? After delivery you may be able to look back and laugh, but the body would have appreciated some assistance! 

Is it safe to get a massage while pregnant? YES, but not in the first trimester.

In the first trimester the body is going through so many changes and trying to stabilize hormones and a second eco system (life) that massage can sometimes be harmful in the first trimester. So please be sure to know how many weeks you are when you do get your massage. Side line positioning with properly placed pillows can bring needed comfort to you and sometimes the baby. Pregnancy tables with the hole are good but support under the uterus is always best.

A growing uterus means displacement of several organs and extra work by joints and muscle groups.  An important area to address by therapist is the low back and the hip joints. Hip joints are now caring up to an extra 8lbs or more (not just baby) for some and beginning to widen. This motion now calls on the muscles in the pelvic area to work harder to stabilize a person. As the pelvis bones move and the uterus grows our low back and legs are now called on more to help maintain balance.

Here is where several women for the first time encounter sciatic pain. It general is caused from the muscles surrounding the nerve impinging upon the nerve and or bone movement also pushing the muscles and pinching the nerve. Pain can radiate from the lower back to the foot. Another new sensation; low back pain. Muscles are being asked to stabilize the extra weight and shape of the uterus extending out in front of you. Massage will allow for muscle fibers to be worked in such a manner that relaxation allows the body to come out of a hypertonic state. Stretching for pregnant women can be a major benefit during massage.   

Once muscle relaxation can be obtained swelling is another memorable moment during pregnancy. Swelling is created by the pressure put on the body surrounding blood flow. During pregnancy the body is making more fluid and retaining fluid. As pregnant women continue to keep up our active schedules retention shows up in the two areas most distal from the point of origin and where the fluids are less likely to flow back. In this case massage techniques assist in keeping swelling down if massage is started early enough. In other cases it can allow some of the fluids to move so they can be released by the body and through the lymphatic system which is working hard to manage more toxins.

The benefits of prenatal massage are numerous and even if you have never had a massage before during pregnancy is one of the best times. Better sleep, reduces headaches, helps stabilize hormone levels, better blood circulation, soothes and relaxes the nervous system and more. The following article can give you some solid explanations on prenatal massage.   Hope to see you soon, Enjoy your bundle of Joy!

http://americanpregnancy.org/pregnancyhealth/prenatalmassage.html

Sharon Scubla    Licensed Massage Therapist

A massage a Day Keep’s the doctor away :)

Let the Tension Go