I got a call the other day from someone who wanted to give her friend a gift certificate, but had just learned the friend was pregnant. She wanted to know if I could extend the expiration date, and was surprised when I suggested giving her friend a Pregnancy massage. She had no idea pregnant women could get massages!

Not only can pregnant women get massages, it’s a great idea! Here’s the skinny on pregnancy massage:

Anyone who has been pregnant will agree that pregnancy is a time of profound change: Your center of gravity changes and your muscles and joints have to work differently. Sometimes your body doesn’t appreciate these changes.

Massage therapy can help your body go through these changes with less discomfort. Pregnancy massage is safe and often very beneficial for you and your growing baby. It also helps your body prepare for delivery by helping increase elasticity and range of motion in the joints and muscles associated with childbirth. And by helping blood flow in the legs, massage can reduce the chances of edema, varicose veins and blood clots*.

If you’re experiencing any of the following conditions during your pregnancy, a massage may be just what your body needs to make it happy.
>Back Pain
>Sciatic Pain
>Muscle / Leg Cramps
>Edema / Swelling
>Sacral Joint Pain
>Stretch Marks

Is Pregnancy Massage Right for You?
Pregnancy massage is safe for most pregnant women. However, as a precaution, your doctor should be consulted if you:
>Are in your first trimester,
>Are considered a High Risk Pregnancy
>Have: pre-eclampsia, gestational diabetes, blood clots, hypertension, or pre-term labor

These conditions don’t automatically exclude you from massage—massage can help maintain muscle tone, circulation, and decrease bed bound discomfort. Your massage therapist just needs to work with your physician to determine the best treatment for you. And make sure your massage therapist is trained in pregnancy massage. It is different than regular, therapeutic massage and requires some specific training. Call and ask. If your regular therapist doesn’t do it, chances are they know someone who does.

This entry was posted on Saturday, April 5th, 2008 at 5:20 pm and is filed under Massage Practice. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.