Is prenatal massage safe?
Urban Legend: You can’t get a massage if you’re pregnant. Au contraire! Expectant mothers may definitely enjoy such indulgence. In fact, massage is quite healthy for both the mother and her child. Massage can soothe out many aches and pains common to pregnancy, such as low back pain, tight calves, and gestational carpal tunnel, just to name a few.
The main difference in a prenatal massage is obviously the positioning of the pregnant client, as she may not lie flat on her back or directly on her stomach after the first few months (varying per person) of her pregnancy. Beauty brands' spas are equipped with an adjustable table to allow a pregnant woman to lie on her back in a semi-recumbent position, which is safe for both she and baby. This looks like lying half-way between sitting straight up and lying down flat. For most pregnant women, this position will not allow the weight of the baby to compress the abdominal aorta, which pumps nutritious blood to mommy’s legs and then on to baby. A side-lying position, accompanied by several pillows and bolsters for support, allows her massage therapist to work on her back.
Deep tissue, extra heat, and most of our available aromatherapy oils must usually be avoided on the pregnant client as well.
The final main difference in a prenatal massage is the avoidance of soft tissue manipulations on a few small areas of the body. These areas energetically reflex to a woman’s reproductive organs and research may suggest this could potentially cause issues with the pregnancy in a worst case scenario. Since we are aware of this plausibility, we simply take the ‘better safe than sorry’ approach and avoid these spots for an expectant client.
With most healthy pregnancies, and even some high-risk pregnancies, a massage can be enjoyed at any time prior to, throughout, and following pregnancy. Seek out a beauty brands near you to make an appointment... or purcahse your favorite expectant mother a giftcard for her prenatal massage!