17 Dec Benefits of prenatal massage prior and post pregnancy
Pregnancy is a stage in a woman’s life where she needs to take care of herself and her baby at the highest level possible. Prenatal massage is a wonderful way for a woman to help her body adapt to the new changes in her body that she will go through.
Prenatal massage helps to enhance the function of body muscles and joints and helps prepare the ‘mother-to-be’ for labour.
Below are some of the benefits of prenatal massage prior and post pregnancy.
Heartburn Problem
During pregnancy the digestion process in women can become slow as it allows the baby to absorb the vital nutrients this may cause problems with heartburn or constipation.
Stress can also increase the symptoms of heartburn. Massage is a good way to reduce stress, anxiety and tension to ease any heartburn issues.
Anaemia
Some women experience iron deficiency during pregnancy since the baby pulls nutrients from her body. Anaemia is a condition when there is low haemoglobin in the blood.
A full body massage can boost your blood circulation which will raise the red blood count and increase the haemoglobin.
Back pain and Sciatica during pregnancy
As the baby grows during pregnancy there are changes in the mother’s body. For example her posture can change which may cause pain in the lower and/or upper back. A massage therapy treatment can help to loosen up the tight muscles and ease her back greatly.
The growth of the baby in the uterus can lead to the compression of the sciatic nerve and women can face sciatic pain down the back of her thigh, lower part of leg and the sole of her foot. As with the tight muscles in her back, massage therapy can help relieve sciatic pain.
A massage therapy treatment also helps release oxytocin and endorphins, which can help relieve the discomfort and pain.
Headaches and migraine
Headaches can be caused by stress, tension on the head, neck and shoulder due to poor posture. Thus a massage is a great way to improve blood circulation and reduce stress.
Stretch marks
While a mother’s bump grows during pregnancy, the skin will stretch causing tightness and stretch marks on the skin. Massage with nourishing oil can help a pregnant woman sooth her skin. (If using an essential oil in this treatment be sure it has been blended for pregnancy by an Aroma Therapist.)
Circulation
A woman’s circulatory system is working with twice effort as it usually does. So leg cramps, swelling in hands and ankles are a common problem in late pregnancy.
Massage therapy can be very helpful in boosting circulation and easing the conditions for lymphatic fluid to move around the body and help in removing the toxins and decrease the swelling on the body.
Prenatal massage is a great way to get relief from aches and body pain. Keep in mind it should be done by a professional massage therapist who is qualified for pregnancy massage.
Massage therapy can be very helpful before delivery and post delivery as it increases the blood circulation in the body and eases the tightness of muscles in the body.
Pregnancy massage is best given on pregnancy massage tables. One of the best is from Gecko Massage Supplies, Click Here for more information.