Massage and Pregnancy: Benefits of Maternity Massage
There is nothing more spectacular or joyful than pregnancy, it is the miracle of life. But these miracle moments are often accompanied by a change in the physical body or mood like sore ankles, achy muscles, and constant irritation.
As a result of this many expectant parents look to massages as a form of therapy for their pregnancy discomforts.
Massage therapy helps them with relief from muscle cramps and other symptoms associated with pregnancy.
For pregnant women, it can help relax the uterus, decrease cramping, relieve morning sickness and the pain associated with pushing.
Pregnant women have been opting for massage in recent years due to its help in the baby’s development.
In the past few years, it has gained popularity and many experts believe it helps reduce the risk of episiotomy, childbirth trauma, and labor pangs.
Many pregnancy massage providers claim that the relaxation provided by a massage relieves postpartum tension, relieves chronic tension or anxiety, and aids in emotional bonding for a new mother.
One distinct type of massage recommended by professionals is the Maternity Massage.
What is Maternity Massage?
Maternity Massage is not just another type of massage. Before giving birth, women and their baby are highly vulnerable to infections that may put the mother at great risk.
Massage makes the mother and baby’s bodies healthier, relieves pain and stress, boosts energy, and improves circulation.
Unlike conventional forms of relaxation and deep pressure massage, it involves a normal and enjoyable massage that promotes balance and weight loss.
Maternity Massage is a form of medical treatment that can provide a variety of therapeutic benefits to a woman and her baby.
Massage can help relieve various problems including aches, pains, low back, and joint pain, back pain, sore nipples, and gas.
Each massage provides benefits for both the mother and child. A maternity massage is a very good way to control postpartum soreness and decrease pain.
Each session is tailored to your needs and will focus on care for you and the baby. This massage technique gives relief from exhaustion, pain, and other physical discomforts.
A maternity massage is very similar to a full body massage but with few differences.
Some essential oils like clary sage, cinnamon, and rosemary are avoided so as not to initiate contractions in pregnant women.
It is always wise to check with your professional to determine if an essential oil is safe to use during the massage.
Also, certain areas in the body are avoided and less pressure is applied to certain points in the body that might jump-start early labor.
A certain level of sensitivity is usually required when massaging the wrists and ankles to lower the risk of the uterus starts contracting.
The certified professional would be gentle and try as much as possible to create an emotional connection between the mum and baby.
Maternity Massage lets you relax while getting the support you need to enjoy your pregnancy and give yourself the best birth experience.
What Happens During a Maternity Massage?
The first thing that happens during a maternity massage is that the massage therapists will have the pregnant mother laying on the side or rig the table with a custom pillow that has cut-outs for her belly and breasts.
They would work on a specific body part to help the mother learn how to cope with labor and childbirth. In most cases, the mothers can leave the session feeling more relaxed and in control of their health.
Second, the massage therapists will work to find a gentle, sensitive maternity massage technique that both the mother and her baby can benefit from.
Moms will often find that their shoulder massages during the massage session are a form of stress release aids and that the heat, gentle pressure, and moveability of the massage therapist hand adds a little oomph that helps relieve their physical pain.
The maternity massage may help with the release of serotonin, improve their sleep and decrease the production of cortisol.
The maternity massage lasts for about an hour and the sessions are the most effective way to relax and prepare yourself for the birth of your baby.
In fact, if you’re not comfortable with your partner giving you a massage at home the best advice is to choose a professional massage therapist who will give you the best maternity massage experience.
Benefits of Maternity Massage
1. Rejuvenating Energy
Maternity massage relieves sore muscles from childbirth and stimulates your mind, body, and spirit.
In fact, studies have shown that this type of massage can have a positive impact on mood, energy, and motivation for a variety of pregnant women.
Additionally, maternity massage has been shown to promote the release of endorphins, naturally released in your brain that can help balance your mood, boost creativity and memory, and provide your body with vital nutrients that rejuvenate your energy.
When your body is feeling weary, maternity massage helps you feel energized and rejuvenated, and you’re more likely to be productive, happy, and carefree.
2. Eases Stress
Taking your mind off everything and calming your body and mind allows you to relax and enjoy the activities of your day.
Maternity Massage is a fantastic stress reliever. Stress and anxiety are known to negatively affect your birth experience, and you’re literally still learning how to live with a child inside you.
A maternity massage is a proven way to relieve tension and bring happiness to both body and soul.
It can help remove some stress hormones and is particularly effective for new mothers. Pregnant women who have taken control over their stress have found the benefits of maternity massages to be quite fulfilling.
3. It Prevents Pregnancy Heartburn
Maternity Massage therapy can help the symptoms of heartburn due to pregnancy.
Maternity Massage is one of the best ways to treat inflammation of the stomach, esophagus, and intestines.
Those who were pregnant have a higher risk of developing heartburn because the body has a difficult time preventing gas and acid reflux.
Maternity Massage offers potent support to the release of stomach acid to assist with this problem.
Regular use of Maternity Massage can help control stomach acid, allowing you to eat more food, reducing your risk of acid reflux, heartburn, and premature labor.
4. Minimizes Swelling
One side effect of pregnancy is usually swollen feet, hands and at times face. Maternity massage comes to the rescue for pregnant women who are a little bit more swollen during pregnancy. It helps in reducing the swelling and thereby giving the pregnant mother relief.
5. Relieves Joint Pain and Sore Muscles
There is now scientific evidence that maternity massage can dramatically relieve joint pain, make muscles stronger, strengthen bones, give a boost to the immune system, reduce lumps, heal wounds and improve the healing process.
6. Improves Circulation
This is one of the biggest benefits of maternity massage for pregnant women as it helps to improve the flow of blood to the baby.
This assists in the increased blood flow to the placenta. Some massage therapists use these techniques to make it easier for the mom to give birth to a healthy baby.
This can be a lifesaver if you have a high-risk pregnancy.
7. Improvement of Nerve Pain
Maternity Massage is a proven method of reducing the nerve pain experienced by women in childbirth.
It may prevent and/or treat nerve problems and other musculoskeletal issues, including nerve degeneration.
At times late pregnancy in certain women comes with Sciatic Pain which is evident by pressure on the inflamed nerves.
8. Easier Delivery
We know that the many women who have experienced labor complications due to pre-term labor or emergency C-section deliveries have enjoyed an easier, more pain-free delivery since they received maternity massage by their birthing consultants or certified massage professionals.
9. It Lowers the Risk of Premature Labor
The utmost benefit of maternity massage is that you will be decreasing your chance of having premature labor by about 75%.
A Pregnant mother’s health is important to your baby’s health. Having a good deal of maternity massage will help reduce the chance of premature labor.
The maternity massage would help ensure that the normal length of pregnancy.
The service of a maternity massage is beneficial in reducing the risk of pre-term labor.
10. Lowers the Risk of High Blood Pressure
During maternity massage, you will be relaxing and releasing tension from your muscles, in turn, keeping your blood pressure normal.
Pregnant women who undergo a maternity massage in a pain-free manner before and after pregnancy may be able to lower the risk of their blood pressure getting high.
Precautions for Maternity Massage
- Ensure that the massage is being carried out by a professional
- Inquire from your maternity massage therapist the suitable position that would enable you to enjoy and benefit fully from the massage
- Avoid it if you are light-headed, feel sick, previously suffered from premature labor, have high blood pressure, swollen feet, and pre-eclampsia
- Not recommended for pregnant women within the first trimester of their pregnancy
- Alert the therapists if you feel he/she is applying high pressure during the massage and request for them to be a little sensitive and gentle during the procedure
- Always seek the advice of your gynecologist or medical practitioner before you start a maternity massage
Conclusion
Having a baby growing inside you and safely carrying it along while enduring the physical and mental pain that comes with it is not an easy feat.
But with maternity massage certain stress and physical discomfort that accompanies pregnancies seems to be a thing of the past.
The benefits of maternity massage are sure to help improve overall prenatal care for the fetus, and positive pregnancy outcomes, especially for those in the poor areas of the world.
As long as you follow precautions and instructions cited by medical practitioners you are bound to have a successful and beneficial maternity massage that would make your pregnancy smooth.
