How Can Massage During Pregnancy Help You?

In our medically specialized world, massage during pregnancy is often overlooked as a valuable adjunct to health care. Yet it is among oldest of the healing arts, having been employed therapeutically for thousands of years in almost every culture. It accompanied childbirth nearly everywhere in the tribal world and it is appropriate that this time honored and tested tradition take its rightful place in prenatal care and postpartum recovery.

There is no more exciting time then when you are preparing for a new life...laying a foundation of health and love that sets the stage for a healthy, happy baby.

Bringing a new life into this world holds a certain challenges and responsibilities. You have a set period of time in which the things you do can contribute to the lifelong health and well-being of your new child. Obviously, you want to do all you can to help your new baby have every health advantage possible.

Think about what takes place within your body as your pregnancy develops and you can see why massageduring pregnancy is so beneficial. As the baby grows, your lung capacity lessens, you experience greater pressure on your digestive area, and your posture changes to compensate for your new physical condition. Your ability to breathe and to digest is altered; both functions that can affect the development of the fetus. These physical changes can lead to discomfort in the back, neck and hips and often contribute to bouts of heartburn, reflux, constipation and swelling in the legs.

The good news is that regular massage during pregnancy is very beneficial in relieving many of these complaints experienced by expectant mothers. By addressing the tissues and muscles that are altered during the pregnancy, we can improve your comfort level as well as your body’s ability to function properly. The result is a happier mom-to-be and a better functioning body, which can bring greater nutrition to your developing child.



Benefits of massage during pregnancy:

Massage during pregnancy is a completely safe, natural, drug-free method of relieving the aches and pains of pregnancy. Massage assists the circulatory and lymphatic systems by promoting the movement of blood and lymph, which assists the heart and reduces swelling.

Massage helps alleviate stress on the weight bearing joints of the hips, pelvis, knees and ankles and relieves soreness in the muscles that are supporting the additional weight of the baby.

Massage helps to soothe and ease sore muscles throughout the neck, a back and hips. Massage helps to ease pressure and pain to the nervous system, including sciatic nerve.

Massage allows the recipient to learn relaxation skills valuable during labor.

Massage also stimulates proprioceptivity, a person’s sense of awareness of their muscles and any tension they might be holding.

Massage provides a nurturing, soothing touch, which promotes release of emotional and physical tension.

Massage during pregnancy helps to prepare the body for delivery by loosening the pelvis and ridding the body of excess tension prior to the onset of labor.

Reassurance, nurturing and relaxation for the mother during pregnancy have shown to have far-reaching impact on her fetus. Studies indicate that babies sense and respond to their mother’s stress levels as registered by her increased heart beat. Increased flow of oxygen and nutrition to the placenta helps your baby to grow healthy.