I wish I'd done that sooner!
Something we often hear from our pregnant clients is ‘I wish I did this sooner’ when it comes to pregnancy massage and relieving that build up of tension and pain some can experience (plus just to provide an opportunity to lie down on your tummy and have a rest!).
So how often and how soon in pregnancy can you receive a massage?
The answer to that is anytime that you feel comfortable and ready. We look after clients from the day they discover they're pregnant to the day the bundle of joy arrives.
Pregnancy is an incredibly important time in a woman’s life, preparing for the new addition to the family, managing the changes in the body, not to mention the changes in sleep patterns. We often get asked if massage during pregnancy is beneficial and safe and the answer is yes, most definitely.
Massage can have beneficial effects on the physical and emotional changes taking place during your pregnancy as well as providing ongoing relaxation to help you really enjoy your pregnancy.
The focus during pregnancy can range from managing muscular pain, conditions such as carpal tunnel syndrome, reducing fluid build-up, managing joint and muscle pain and managing shifts in the body to reducing stress and anxiety. Common complaints during pregnancy include pelvic pain and sciatic or leg pain as well as water retention, shoulder pain, carpal tunnel syndrome and general lower back discomfort.
Quite often mid-back pain is experienced, especially if mum-to-be is working at a computer throughout the pregnancy or has other little monkeys to pick up and run around after. Each individuals’ body responds differently to pregnancy with some lucky mums-to-be experiencing minimal discomfort. We work with you to manage what you are individually experiencing in the body to relieve discomfort.
Other benefits include:
improving energy levels and blood flow (increasing haemoglobin levels)
reducing stress and thereby reducing the levels of cortisol produced by the body
reduce fluid build-up in the lower limbs by assisting with venous return
assisting with deeper, easier breathing
Pregnancy treatments use a variety of techniques including remedial and myofascial work to enable more comfortable movement during these areas whilst relaxing the nervous system and providing mum-to-be with an opportunity for rest and relaxation.
We generally introduce massage into pregnancy at any time (doctor’s approval is required for the first trimester or during any pregnancy concerns such as high blood pressure). In the first trimester the treatment is much more gentle and is focused on calming the nervous system and managing niggles that will occur in the body.
We also encourage continued activity during pregnancy including pre-natal pilates and yoga. This can help provide pelvic stability and can be continued post-natally to aid the recovery of the pelvic floor.And don’t forget that massage during pregnancy isn’t limited to mum. Dad can also enjoy remedial and relaxation massage to help prepare him for the time ahead.
For more information on how massage in pregnancy can be beneficial for you or to book an appointment for a home visit or for our massage suite on Summer Street or Sophie Drive call 0406 039 877.
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